Herniated Innards

"Pa, why come we ain't taking no visitors?"

"Son, we got here, didn't we?"

"Ma, what's Pa talking about?"

"Boy, you better not be sassing your Pa."

"No'm. I'm just mighty confused, that's all."

"Son, some things ain't meant for us to know. We got here and now we ain't taking no visitors on account of there ain't no visitors for us to take in."

"Pa, that make no sense. We seen plenty of folks on the way here."

"Brother, them folks was being et by feller eaters. Remember?"

"I know, but if there's some folks being eaten, there's plenty of folks like us who ain't. Right, Pa?"

"Mama, you got an answer for them boys? I's tired of talking."

"Boys, your Pa knows plenty of things. But some things ain't worth saying. We is here and that's what counts. Now I know you want to play and all but we's got to spend some time sorting through this mess we're all in."

"What mess is that, Ma?"

"Young man, I knows you is a smart boy. I have been learning you a long time on what I knows and you have outdone me plenty of times, from shooting to sewing. We ain't got the education of some of them others but you seen what that got most of them."

"What's that, Ma?"

"A session with them feller eaters. Learning is what turns your brain into a machine, just like our wagon. Only them well-learned machines forgets how to run regular-like. They spends too much time computing and not enough time doing. By the time they put they's wheels in motion, they done been et."

"Ma, I don't wanna be et by no feller eaters."

"Boy, it ain't going to happen when I'm around."

"'At's right, Mama. You boys is lucky I married your Ma. She's more learned than most folks who made fun of us on account of us not worrying about what words you supposed to say when. We put you boys first and foremost in our thoughts and that put food and clothing and learning on the top of our list."

"Your Pa is right. You is our moral compass and we is your moral compass."

"Ma, what is a moral compass?"

"It's one of them things that points you down the straight and narrow, son. You can see the whole wide world of things that you can and cannot do but the moral compass straightens out what you is supposed to do with who you is."

"Who I is?"

"'At's right, son."

"Who is I?"

"Well, son, you is who you is."

"I know that, Pa."

"And that's on account of us telling you."

"Yessir. I love you, Ma and Pa. And I love you, brother."

"We love you, too, son."

"But I still wants somebody else besides my brother to play with."

"Son, we caint hep you there. It's out of our hands."

"Is it in the hands of the moral compass what's going to point me to who's going to play with me?"

"Son, it sure is. That's why we don't know."

"So if I have this moral compass up here in my head, then I knows what I's supposed to do."

"'At's right, son."

"In that case, I's going to go out and find us some new friends to play with. I knows how to handle them feller eaters and I knows how to avoid them."

"Well, son, we's opposed to your idea but we believe in you. If you's set on this, we'll support you."

"Brother, you stay here with Pa and Ma. Your moral compass ain't rightly formed yet."

"But, brother, who will I play with when you's gone?"

"Pa and Ma will give you more regular learning like they did me."

"If you say so, brother."

"Young man, we is proud of you. We ain't never told you but your moral compass has been ready a long time. We hoped you'd stay with us here in Ma's old stomping grounds but we knows you knows when you's got to go."

"Yes'm. Well, I best be going while there's sun in the sky."

"Son, we have many things we ain't told you. You will see folks who don't know who or what you is. Remember, you is you. They don't know nothing about who you is. You stay who you are and you is going to be just fine."

"Yessir. Goodbye, Ma and Pa. Goodbye, brother."

"Goodbye, son."

"Goodbye, brother."

"Mama, is that the last we seen of our first son?"

"Ez, you know it ain't. We have the gift of sight."

"I know that, Mama. I just don't like what we see."

"Ez, it's our second son who we got to concentrate on now."

"Mama, it's our second son what's got me worried. He's got in him all of us combined."

"But, Ez, he don't know that yet and we caint tell him, neither."

"A shame, ain't it? All that knowledge of the world in his head and he don't know it yet."

"When he do, we'll be ready."

"Won't we ever?! And all this death and destruction on account of him?! Hoo boy, I never figured we'd be the ones who'd..."

"Shush up, Ez. The boy's not out of earshot."

"Yes'm. I's quiet as a honeybee, just buzzing in the midst of them pretty flowers of yours."

"You quit tickling me, Ez. The boy can see you."

"'Bout time that he did, Mama. He's gonna learn soon enough."