Of Mice and Men: A New Beginning - 1. Chapter 1

The sun began to sink low behind the Gabilan Mountains and the moon started its ascent to take centre stage. Where, during the day, there had been a warm golden glow over the patchwork of fields, there was now a silvery, almost magical glow. As lizards ran over the crisp dry leaves, a skittering noise could be heard, and a clicking noise came from a nearby field, which was caused by field mice nibbling on some corn. Trees swayed slowly to and fro in the cool evening breeze.

The moon was now high in the cloudless night sky and it created long shadows as it shone brightly but eerily above the Gabilan Mountains. Some rabbits sitting beside one of the irrigation ditches slowly drank and as a few ripples passed them by, they scurried off into the brush.

Two figures emerged from the ditch; one was a large man and the other was small. The large man slipped and splashed as he fell backwards into the ditch.

“Lennie! For God’s sake be quiet ‘less you want us lynched!” whispered the small man.

“Sorry, George. I’ll be quieter nex’ time.”

“There ain’t gonna be a nex’ time ya understand, ya crazy bastard?” asked George irately. “I don’t intend on gettin’ wet ever’ time ya wanna pet a girl’s dress.”

“Sure I understand George,” said Lennie sadly.

“Well, see that ya do,” snapped George.

After a short pause Lennie stupidly said to George, “I think we scared some rabbits George.”

“I don’t give a damn about the rabbits, Lennie. I’m more worried ‘bout us at the moment.”

The two figures of George and Lennie rose slowly from the ditch. George looked quickly from side to side to see if all was clear; the water was dripping off of both off them. They both wore denim trousers and denim coats done up with brass buttons. Both wore shapeless black hats and had tight blanket rolls on their backs.

George had a dark face and all of his features were defined. He had restless eyes, small strong hands, slender arms, and a thin bony nose. Lennie, in contrast, was shapeless of face, had large eyes, wide shapeless shoulders, and walked heavily, dragging his feet and his arms swinging because of his heavy pendulum-like hands.

Lennie darted into the brush and emerged a few seconds later. George said in a harsh tone, “Wha’ ya got there, Lennie?”

“I ain’t got nothin’ George,” said Lennie sheepishly.

“Yes, ya damn well do Lennie. Ya gotta God damned mouse don’t ya?”

“No I don’t George, ‘onest.”

“Lennie, don’t make me have ta sock ya ta get the damned mouse off ya.”

“OK, George.” Lennie reluctantly handed the mouse over to George. “I wasn’t doin’ any harm. I was only pettin’ it.”

“Lennie, how many damn times I gotta tell ya, while ya with me ya ain’t pettin’ no God damned mice.” George threw the mouse, which by the grace of God Almighty was still alive, into the river.

“George, I got a question for ya.”

“What is it Lennie?”

“Why were we hidin’ in that ditch?”

“How the hell could ya have forgotten all ready!” yelled George. “Ya remember in Weed? We was sittin’ in the gutter in Howerd Street?”

“Yeah! Now I remember,” said Lennie; really pleased at remembering a little fact like that.

“Well do ya remember them girls?”

“What girls George?”

“The ones in Howerd Street in Weed, ya crazy bastard.”

“Yeah,” said Lennie, unsure what George was getting at.

“Well you was petttin’ her dress and it ripped. Do ya remember that ya crazy son of a bitch?”

“Yeah, now I do.” Lennie was really pleased again at remembering such a tiny fact.

“Well good for ya,” said George, the sarcasm dripping from his words. “Do ya also remember the girl screamin’ and the lynch mob?”

“I didn’t mean ta do a bad thing George. How was I ta know she’d scream?”

“‘How was I ta know she’d scream’,” imitated George. “What the hell did you think she was gonna do ya crazy bastard!” George paused briefly to allow his last statement to sink in. “An’ why the hell do ya like pettin’ things anyway?” George yelled, not wanting nor expecting an answer from Lennie.

Lennie lowered his head and brushed the dusty ground with his foot, and George began feeling guilty over exploding at Lennie. The pair walked north towards Soledad in silence.

After a half mile or so, Lennie asked George, “When do we eat?”

George replied, “Soon, Lennie. Soon.”

“How soon is ‘soon’ George?”

“How in God’s name am I supposed ta know. It’ll be when come ta a nice area of countryside full o’ trees ta hide us.” George then muttered to himself, “An’ by the grace o’ God in Heaven, please let it be mouse free.”

“George, where we goin’?”

“Lennie, we’re goin’ north ta Soledad ta find us some work. When we get there, you’re ta keep quiet.”

“Why, George?”

“Lennie, why in God’s name do ya always gotta ask stupid questions. You’re ta keep quiet because if the man finds out what a crazy bastard ya are we won’t get us no work.”

They continued their journey north to Soledad and Lennie, surprisingly, remained quiet. About an hour later, George sat down, undid his bindle and got out a couple of tins of beans.

“Lennie, go an’ fetch us some firewood.”

“OK, George.”

Lennie went off in search of some firewood, and emerged from the brush a few minutes later, with one hand in his pocket. George stared at Lennie, who shyly turned away.

“You gotta mouse in ya pocket don’t ya,” said George.

“No I don’t George.”

“Yes ya damn well do, ya crazy son of a bitch!”

“All right George. I gotta mouse. It’s only a dead mouse. I didn’t kill it though George; ’onest I didn’t.”

“I don’t give a damn. You gonna give me that mouse or do I have ta beat the damn thing out o’ ya?”

“No George,” said Lennie, now scared witless. He handed the dead mouse over to George, who threw it into the brush; George began to feel guilty at snapping at Lennie.

Lennie said to George, “George, tell me ‘bout the rabbits.”

“Why is it all you can ever remember are those damn rabbits?”

“Go on George, tell me, please.”

George, who now had little choice, told Lennie about the rabbits. “We’re goin’ ta get a house and a couple a acres o’ land, and a cow, an’ some pigs, an’ . . . .”

“An’ live off the fatta the land, an’ have rabbits,” interrupted Lennie.

“Stop interruptin’ me Lennie.”

“Sorry George.”

“Listen. We’ll have a vegetable patch, and chickens, and a hutch for the rabbits. When it rains in winter we’ll make a fire and say to hell with workin’. Damn, I ain’t got time for no more, the beans is done.”

Lennie said, “I like ketchup with my beans.”

“Well we ain’t got no ketchup!” shouted George. “Ya always want what we ain’t got.”

“I’m sorry George.”

“Let’s eat. We got a long walk ahead o’ us.”

“Where to?” asked Lennie.

“What! How in Christ’s name could ya have forgotten all ready ya crazy bastard?”

“I don’t know George.”

“I guess I gotta tell ya again. We’re goin’ ta Soledad ta get us some work.”

“An’ I gotta keep quiet,” Lennie interrupted.

“Yeah Lennie, you gotta keep quiet,” said George, nodding his head.

The two ate their beans and rested for a while as the walk had been long and tiring.

George said to Lennie, “Come on, if we hurry we can get our workcards tonight.”

“All right George, I’m comin’.”

The two walked off in the direction of Soledad. They reached the town just in time; Murray and Ready’s, the town’s job agency, was about to close.

The two walked in, and an old man greeted them. He was dressed in black trousers, a black tie, a white shirt, a black blazer, black polished shoes with a high shine, and small round glasses. “How can I help you two gentlemen?”

“We’re looking for work,” said George.

“Can you buck grain?”

“Sure we can. My cousin here can buck more grain than ten men. We both work real hard.”

“Well then, I got a job for ya both.” The old man explained what the job entailed and where it was.

“All right, we’ll take it,” said George. It didn’t actually matter to George what the details were, a job was a job.

“What are your names?”

“I’m George Milton, M-i-l-t-o-n, and this ’ere is Lennie Small.”

“What’s the matter? Can’t the big guy talk for himself?”

“He ain’t much of a talker.” Lennie nodded his head in agreement.

“What are ya tryin’ ta pull?”

“Nothin’.”

“Ya gettin’ the big fella ta do all o’ the work, then ya run off with ’is pay?”

“No! Our aunt made me promise to look after him, ’cause he’s gettin’ ta be too much for ’er, since our uncle died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” The old man was still suspicious of George, but regardless he gave them their workcards and two bus tickets to the ranch.

When they walked out of the agency George said to Lennie, “Don’t worry Lennie, we’re startin’ afresh.”

“Where are we gonna start afresh George?”

“Jesus Christ! How in God’s name could ya have forgotten all ready ya crazy bastard?”

“I’m sorry George,” said Lennie, his voice barely audible.

“I guess I gotta tell ya again ya crazy son of a bitch.”

“Yes, George.” Lennie hoped that George would remind him without getting angry.

“OK, now listen careful like. We’re goin’ ta work on a new ranch, like we did we was back in Weed.”

“Yeah! When we was in Weed,” Lennie interrupted.

“Shut up and listen Lennie,” George pleaded. “On this ranch they don’t know about what ya did in Weed, and they also don’t know what a crazy bastard ya are. So when the owner talks ta us ya have to keep quiet an’ let me do all the talkin’. When they see what a good hard worker ya are they’ll keep us workin’ there; even if they find out what a crazy son of a bitch ya are. Da ya understand me Lennie?”

“I understand ya George.”

“Good. So when we get there what do ya have ta do?” asked George.

“I have ta . . . er . . . er . . . er . . . I gotta keep quiet an’ let ya do all the talkin’ so we can keep our jobs there,” said Lennie proudly.

George added, “Lennie, ya ain’t gonna do nothin’ like ya done in Weed, are ya?”

“What did I do in Weed, George?”

“Jesus Christ Lennie!” George looked around to see if anybody had heard him lose control and for anyone who may be eavesdropping. “Ya petted that girl’s dress and it ripped. Then she cried ‘rape’ and a damn lynch mob chased us. We hid in one o’ the irrigation ditches until the lynch mob gave up. We then got outta the ditch and walked ’ere.”

“Oh,” said Lennie. “I didn’t mean ta do a bad thing, George.”

“‘I didn’t mean ta do a bad thing’,” George imitated. “Is that all ya can damn well say!”

“Yes,” said Lennie sheepishly.

“Are ya goin’ ta do a bad thing at our new ranch, Lennie?” asked George.

“No, George,” answered Lennie.

“Ya say no, but ya always damn well manage ta do a bad thing,” George muttered under his breath.

It was now getting late and a few small clouds half-covered the bright moon, a slight breeze blew through Soledad taking some tumbleweed, dust, leaves and anything else laying around with it. The few remaining open shops were now closing and the owners left the town for the night. Soledad was now very quiet and eerie, Lennie was scared but didn’t let George know; there wasn’t even a mouse around for Lennie to pet.

Lennie asked, “George, when da we go ta the new ranch?”

“Tomorrow mornin’ Lennie, tomorrow mornin’,” George answered.

A second breeze blew through town, this one colder and brisker than the first. It whistled through the cracks in the old wooden buildings, it made window shutters rattle and it made Lennie even more scared.

“Lennie, we’d betta find shelter for the night. Looks likes it’s gonna be cold and windy.”

“George, where we gonna stay? We got no money.” asked Lennie, his voice betraying his concern.

“We’ll find a protected corner between a couple o’ shops an’ kip there. We gotta be up early tomorrow mornin’ ta get the bus.”

“What bus George?”

George’s blood boiled and his face flushed, but fortunately for Lennie, he did not have either the energy or the desire to argue and shout. George took a deep breath and calmly explained, “Lennie, we’re goin’ ta work on a new ranch. We need ta get a bus early tomorrow mornin’. Now for God’s sake Lennie, get ta sleep.”

“George,” said Lennie. “George . . . George.” Lennie’s voice got louder, but George did not respond. “George, are ya asleep?” asked Lennie.

George still did not answer. Lennie turned over away from George. George felt guilty at what he had done and was about to talk to Lennie, but Lennie was fast asleep and snoring. George curled up and fell asleep as well.

The wind died down, and there wasn’t a sound to be heard except for Lennie’s snoring. All other life was still; no lizards, no mice, no more wind, no nothing. The temperature slowly dropped a few degrees and Lennie curled up tighter. He dreamed of his rabbits, he dreamed of feeding them alfalfa, and he dreamed of petting them.