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The Color of Cows

Lester had the same last name as us but daddy said we were not really related except maybe on the Kings Mountain side of things where there had sad to say been a few mixed marriages which us boys took to mean we had permission to go shoot at Lesters ole scraggly holsteins with our air rifles and watch the fools kick up their back legs like it was hornets after them and when Lester came knocking at the door to show mama the b-bs he had picked out of their hides she said you can't prove that in a court of law cows can get shot by anybody. A couple months later Lester was fount dead beside the barn and the cows were mooing like crazy because they hadnt been milked. It was a heart attack mama said poor man. But the day of the funeral was a Saturday and her and daddy both had to work overtime at the shell plant, so the best they could do was have us boys take a card up to Lester's house and give it to one of his relatives from Kings Mountain who were all colored people from the mixed marriages and stuff and we didn't know any of them but we handed the card to the first one we saw and then we got out of there fast as we could and went up to the pasture to watch things from the fence. They buried Lester down by the creek under the jack pines next to his mama and daddy. A woman sang a pretty song I never heard before and the preacher said some words and shook hands with the King's Mountain relatives and then it was over. But while the people were standing around talking the cows came up behind us like they wanted to say goodbye too. That was when Richard started crying. Godamighty Bud said what the hell you crying about. Its them cows Richard said them cows is crying cant you tell look at the tears in their eyes and they got the sniffles too coming out their noses. Bud tried to push the lead cow away. Git he said. Git your stinking nigger breath offa me. And he hauled off and hit the cow in the nose with his fist. Stop it Richard said damn you Bud you better stop. Then Bud grabbed him and slung him down and started beating him in the face and the cows went on mooing and Richard was still crying and when I pulled Bud off him Bud was crying too. Yall stop this now I said and quit that crying aint your funeral. Niggers Bud said you nigger loving sonsabitches. You just wait till I get my gun. Who you think you gonna shoot Richard said. Bud stared at him the tears stuck to his face. Lee me lone he said. And then he got down on his knees and started to milk the lead cow, squirting it out on the ground. He leaned his cheek against the cows belly. Be still he said you want somebody to help you or don't you.

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