Read Online The Willow Tree: A Novel by Hubert Selby - Free Book Online Page B

table, Caint get the gauddamn piss pot, doan know why they always be puttin it where, O damn this pain—The old woman watched for a moment then started picking up various objects on the table, No…No…damn, how you say piss pot in Spanish—and continued until she picked up the urinal and the woman nodded enthusiastically, Thas it honey, O thank God—quickly putting it under the sheets, You dont fine that we all be in trouble, I be tellin you. The old woman watched the deep sense of relief on the womans face, smiled, then returned to her chair and prayers.
    From time to time Maria would take a few sips of milk or a bite of jello, clenching her hands each time, and everytime she swallowed her mother thanked God for nourishing her baby, asking that the hurt in her stomach be gone so she could eat and feel good and be strong and leave the hospital soon and be home where she could take care of her as she needed, and, from time to time, Maria would laboriously roll her head toward her mother and tell her, It hurts mommy—her voice filled with tears and her mother would nod, Yes, but soon it will go and you will be home—and she rubbed her stomach gently, stopping only to once again offer her a little jello or milk, the painful time seeming immobile to Maria, yet time seeming to go too rapidly for the mother who stiffened each time someone entered the room, afraid it might be a nurse telling her she had to leave. She sighed inwardly when the little container of milk was empty and she held Marias hands between hers and smiled at her daughter, That was very good. Milk is very healthy—squeezing her daughters hands, Maria feeling exhausted, the pain in her face continually increasing so that she was almost on the verge of tears, I hurt really bad momma—and she started whimpering, It hurts so bad—starting to roll her head back and forth, The fire is starting again…make it stop momma—and once again the tears dropped from the edge of the bandages onto their hands and Marias mother looked at her with an expression and feeling of utter hopelessness, not knowing what to do, who to see, looking around the room panicking, she and the grandmother staring at each other for a moment, Marias crying and sobbing becoming louder, and the woman in the bed next to her asked her what was wrong, You in pain honey? and Maria nodded and squeezed her mothers hands tighter and tighter, Its all burnin—and the tears continued to drop and the woman told her to push the button, The one I showed you, remember? That gets the nurse, at least it supposed to depending whos on. You tell her it hurts. She/ll give you something…go ahead honey—Maria fumbling around for the button—Its a little higher…thats it—finding it and pushing the button, the woman looking at the mother reassuringly, A nursell be here soon an give her something—the mother nodding but still uncertain what was happening knowing only her little girl was in pain and needed help and she squeezed her hands and soon a nurses aide came in and asked what was wrong and Maria tried to talk but the tears drowned out her voice and the aide asked if she was in pain and Maria nodded and again tried to speak but only sobbing moans came from her throat and the aide turned off the call bell, The nursell be in just a minute with somethin—and she left and mother and grandmother looked at each other, once again lost in the mystery of the workings of the hospital and an uncomfortable language and again prayed that soon someone would take their little girls pain away and in time a nurse came in and gave her an injection—the two women watching intently—then left and the women now knew that soon Marias little eyes would stop dropping the tears of pain and would close and she would go to sleep, a sleep far away from pain…for now.
    Moishe leaned against the counter and smiled at Bobby, So….You eat, good. How you feel? Sheeit, ah feel like every muthafucka in the Bronx been kickin mah