Our story today is called "the Wide Net". It was written by EudoraWelty. Here is Larry West with the story.
William Wallace Jameson's wife Hazel was going to have a baby, butthis was October, and the baby wouldn't be borne until April. Hayzelacted as if it would come tomorrow. She wouldn't speak to her husbandwhen he came into the room. If he tried to touch her, she would runaway from him, or stick out her tongue at him. So one night, WilliamWallace went out with his friend Virgil Thomas. He didn't come homeuntil the next morning. Hazel wasn't there when he got back. Instead,he found a letter from her. It said she was going to the river todrown herself. He ran out of the house. As he ran, he shouted forVirgil Thomas, who had just gone into his own house.
"I've lost Hazel," William Wallis cried to his friend. "She went todrown herself in the river.""Why? that's not like Hazel." said Virgil.
William Wallace reached out and shook Virgil, "We have to drag theriver with a wide net.""Who will get to help us pull the net through the river?" Virgilscratched his head, "I'll get the Doyles and you go get the Malones."he said.
They met again 15 minutes later.
"Here come all the Malones." said William Wallace. "I ask four of themto come help. But the rest of the family invited themselves.""Don't they always do just that?" said Virgil.
From the other direction, came the Doyles with the eggs from theirbreakfasts still on their faces. The whole crowd went to see Dock. OldDock owned the wide net. He had a house on top of the hill. And he satoutside it on his rocking chair.
"Now what?" he asked when everyone had arrived and stood in front ofhim.
William Wallace stepped forward,"If nobody else is using your wide net, could we use it?"Virgil Thomas pushed William Wallace aside, "We got a reason to thinkWilliam Wallace's wife is in the river, drowned."Dock gave a long, low whistle. "Hazel is the prettiest girl inMississippi." he said. "A golden hair girl, I never saw a prettierone. Never will."He got to speak and said, "I'm coming with you."They followed the path that took them through the deep woods and tothe Pearl River. They walked in silence near William Wallace. Theywould not let him carry anything. Soon the smell of the river spreadover the woods.
"We're in the changing time." Dock said. "Any day now the change willcome. It's gone the turn from hot to cold, and the old man winter willbe standing in the door."They walked down and suddenly they reached the river. Everyonestopped, but Dock talked down as though nothing had happened.
"Only today," he said, "today in October Sun, it's all gold. The sky,the trees, the water. Just the all changes, everything seems to bemade of gold."William Wallace looked down. He thought of Hazel's shining eyes. Hecould see her in his thoughts, sitting at home like a piece of puregold, too precious to touch.
The men began to unfold the wide net. It was very old and had beenused a lot. There in the Ocotober light, it looked golden, too. Sincethe net was so wide, it was able to reach across the entire river.
Splashing sounds filled the air, the Malones with great groans swamacross the river. The Doyles stayed near Virgil Thomas. Each groupgrabed an end of the net and began walking along the riverside. Dockgot in a rowboat and followed the parade from the middle of the river.
William Wallace swam in front of the wide net, diving down underwater. The dogs chased up and down in and out of the water and in andout of the woods. Where the leaf fell on the river, it trembledgently. The willow trees leaned over the water. Their long brancheshung like green waterfalls in the morning air. The men were catchinglots of fish in the net, big ones and little ones. William Wallacecaught more of the big fish than anyone else. He and the others putropes through the fish's mouth, and pulled them through the waterbehind them. They caught other things, too. Old shoes, a lady'snecklace and a baby alligator.
"It's time we ate some of these fish." said Virgil.
They all gathered by a clearing near the river and built a fire, thenamong clouds of smoke, they cooked and ate fish. They ate until theyall were so full, they could need any more. The men one by one, theyall fell asleep.
The thunder woke them up. Lightning flashed in the sky looked black.
All color left the world. The golden afternoon was just memory. A windtouched each man on his forehead. They ran under some trees as harddrops of rain began to fall. The rain fell heavily. When the suddenstorm ended, the man looked up the river ahead of them.
"Look," said Virgil, "we've come almost to town."There just beyond the trees is Dover. It had rained there, too. Andthe town looked somehow like new. The way be heat of the lateafternoon came down as the men entered the main street.
William Wallace walked through the town as if he did not see or hearanything. He carried his great capture of fish high. So that everybodycould see it. Virgil came next, imitating William Wallace exactly.
Then came the Doyels and the Malones, tossing their fish in the air.
Behind the entire crowd, walked Dock. The whole town of Dover came outto watch the men. People came out of their houses, the stores and thepost offices.
"Did you ever see so many fish?" said the people of Dover.
As the sun went down, Dock climbed the hill to his house. He sat downin his rocking chair and lit his pipe. William Wallace hung up thewide net, while Virgil Thomas waited for him. Then they both went tosay good night to Dock.
"Well now," said Dock when they came up.
"I've never seen a better river dragging.""But," Virgil objected, "we didn't catch Hazel."Dock took the pipe out of his mouth.
"She wasn't there." he said.
"Girls don't like water. And they don't jump in rivers just becausethey are angry with their husbands. Remember that!"William Wallace looked up,"Didn't you think this morning she had drowned herself?""Not even once." Dock said.
Virgil and William Wallace walked home slowly. When they reachedVirgil's house, Virgil said "good night" and went inside. WilliamWallace was alone.
When he got to his own house, William Wallace saw something he hadnever seen before in his life. There, curved over his roof, was arainbow at night. The moon was out, and its light fell on the littlerainbow. It made William Wallace think of a lady's summer dress. Thestars showed through the rainbow.
William Wallace walked into his house. Someone called his name. Thevoice came from the bedroom.
"What do you want?" he yelled.
Then the bedroom door opened, and there was Hazel! She had not changedat all!
"Supper was ready." she said. "I was wondering if you were coming hometonight. Go wash yourself for dinner."They sat on the front steps of their house after dinner.
"Where were you this morning when I came in?" asked William Wallace.
"I was hiding." she said. "I had just finished writing the letter."He looked at her,"Did you watch me while I was reading it?""Yes." she laughed. "I was so close to you that you could have put outyour hand and touched me."He bit his lip and pulled her into his arms.
"Do you think you'll do it again?" he whispered, holding her tightly.
She tried to free herself for a few seconds and then she suddenlyrelaxed in his arms.
"I'll do it again if I feel like it." she said, smiling into his eyes.
It was if he had chased her and captured her again. After a fewminutes, she took his hand and led him into the house.
You have just heared the story "the wide net", written by EudoraWelty. It was adapted for Special English by Doneld Sanktice. Withpermission from R. and B. library agency New York. This story iscopyrighted. All rights reserved. Your storyteller was Larry West. ForVOA Special English, this is Shirley Griffith. |