Read Online Native Son by Richard Wright - Free Book Online Page B

Bigger said.
    “If we don’t do it today, we can do it tomorrow,” Jack said.
    “Tomorrow’s Sunday, fool!”
    “Bigger, for Chrissakes! Don’t holler!” Jack said tensely.
    Bigger looked at Jack hard and long, then turned away with a grimace.
    “Don’t tell the world what we’re trying to do,” Jack whispered in a mollifying tone.
    Bigger walked to the front of the store and stood looking out of the plate glass window. Then, suddenly, he felt sick. He saw Gus coming along the street. And his muscles stiffened. He was going to do something to Gus; just what, he did not know. As Gus neared he heard him whistling: “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down….” The door swung in.
    “Hi, Bigger,” Gus said.
    Bigger did not answer. Gus passed him and started toward the rear tables. Bigger whirled and kicked him hard. Gus flopped on his face with a single movement of his body. With a look that showed that he was looking at Gus on the floor and at Jack and G.H. at the rear table and at Doc—looking at them all at once in a kind of smiling, roving, turning-slowly glance—Bigger laughed, softly at first, then harder, louder, hysterically; feeling something like hot water bubbling inside of him and trying to come out. Gus got up and stood, quiet, his mouth open and his eyes dead-black with hate.
    “Take it easy, boys,” Doc said, looking up from behind his counter, and then bending over again.
    “What you kick me for?” Gus asked.
    “’Cause I wanted to,” Bigger said.
    Gus looked at Bigger with lowered eyes. G.H. and Jack leaned on their cue sticks and watched silently.
    “I’m going to fix you one of these days,” Gus threatened.
    “Say that again,” Bigger said.
    Doc laughed, straightening and looking at Bigger.
    “Lay off the boy, Bigger.”
    Gus turned and walked toward the rear tables. Bigger, with an amazing bound, grabbed him in the back of his collar.
    “I asked you to say that again!”
    “Quit, Bigger!” Gus spluttered, choking, sinking to his knees.
    “Don’t tell me to quit!”
    The muscles of his body gave a tightening lunge and he saw his fist come down on the side of Gus’s head; he had struck him really before he was conscious of doing so.
    “Don’t hurt ’im,” Jack said.
    “I’ll kill ’im,” Bigger said through shut teeth, tightening his hold on Gus’s collar, choking him harder.
    “T-turn m-m-m-me l-l-loose,” Gus gurgled, struggling.
    “Make me!” Bigger said, drawing his fingers tighter.
    Gus was very still, resting on his knees. Then, like a taut bow finding release, he sprang to his feet, shaking loose from Bigger and turning to get away. Bigger staggered back against the wall, breath less for a moment. Bigger’s hand moved so swiftly that nobody saw it; a gleaming blade flashed. He made a long step, as graceful as an animal leaping, threw out his left foot and tripped Gus to the floor. Gus turned over to rise, but Bigger was on top of him, with the knife open and ready.
    “Get up! Get up and I’ll slice your tonsils!”
    Gus lay still.
    “That’s all right, Bigger,” Gus said in surrender. “Lemme up.”
    “You trying to make a fool out of me, ain’t you?”
    “Naw,” Gus said, his lips scarcely moving.
    “You Goddamn right you ain’t,” Bigger said.
    His face softened a bit and the hard glint in his bloodshot eyes died. But he still knelt with the open knife. Then he stood.
    “Get up!” he said.
    “Please, Bigger!”
    “You want me to slice you?”
    He stooped again and placed the knife at Gus’s throat. Gus did not move and his large black eyes looked pleadingly. Bigger was not satisfied; he felt his muscles tightening again.
    “Get up! I ain’t going to ask you no more!”
    Slowly, Gus stood. Bigger held the open blade an inch from Gus’s lips.
    “Lick it,” Bigger said, his body tingling with elation.
    Gus’s eyes filled with tears.
    “Lick it, I said! You think I’m playing?”
    Gus looked round the room without moving his head, just