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Yessir.
No. No. Not that I recollect. There's any number of Jimmy Blevinses out there in the world but its Jimmy Blevins Smith and Jimmy Blevins Jones. There aint a week passes we dont get one or two letters tellin us about a new Jimmy Blevins this or Jimmy Blevins that. Aint that right darlin?
That's right reverend.
We get em from overseas you know. Jimmy Blevins Chang. That was one we had here recent. Little old yeller baby. They send photos you know. Snapshots. What was your name?
Cole. John Grady Cole.
The reverend extended his hand and they shook, the reverend thoughtful. Cole, he said. We may of had a Cole. I'd hate to say we hadnt. Have you had your supper?
No sir.
Darlin maybe Mr Cole would like to take supper with us. You like chicken and dumplins Mr Cole?
Yessir I do. I been partial to em all my life.
Well you're fixin to get more partial cause my wife makes the best you ever ate.
They ate in the kitchen. She said: We just eat in the kitchen now that there's just the two of us.
He didnt ask who was missing. The reverend waited for her to be seated and then he bowed his head and blessed the food and the table and the people sitting at it. He went on at some length and blessed everything all the way up to the country and then he blessed some other countries as well and he spoke about war and famine and the missions and other problems in the world with particular reference to Russia and the Jews and ca
People always want to know how I got started, he said. Well, it was no mystery to me. Whenever I first heard a radio I knew what it was for and it wasnt no questions about it neither. My mother's brother built a crystal set. Bought it through the mail. It come in a box and you put it together. We lived in south Georgia and we'd heard about the radio of course. But we never had actually seen one play with our own eyes. It's a world of difference. Well. I knew what it was for. Because there couldnt be no more excuses, you see. A man might harden his heart to where he could no longer hear the word of God, but you turn the radio up real loud? Well, hardness of heart wont do it no more. He's got to be deaf as a post besides. There's a purpose for everthing in this world, you see. Sometimes it might be hard to see what it is. But the radio? Well my my. You cant make it no plainer than that. The radio was in my plans from the start. It's what brought me to the ministry.
He loaded his plate as he talked and then he stopped talking and ate. He was not a large man but he ate two huge platefuls and then a large helping of peach cobbler and he drank several large glasses of buttermilk.
When he was done he wiped his mouth and pushed back his chair. Well, he said. You all excuse me. I got to go to work. The Lord dont take no holidays.
He rose and disappeared into the house. The woman dished out for John Grady a second helping of the cobbler and he thanked her and she sat back down and watched him eat it.
He was the first one to have you put your hands on the radio you know, she said.
Mam?
He started that. Puttin your hands on the radio. He'd pray over the radio and heal everbody that was settin there with their hands on the radio.
Yes mam.
Fore that he'd have people send in things and he'd pray over em but there was a lot of problems co
He ate. She watched him.
They sent dead people, she said.
Mam?
They sent dead people. Crated em up and shipped em railway express. It got out of hand. You cant do nothin with a dead person. Only Jesus could do that.
Yes mam.
Did you want some more buttermilk?
Yes please mam. This is awful good.
Well I'm glad you're enjoyin it.
She poured his glass and sat again.
He works so hard for his ministry. People have no idea. Did you know his voice reaches all over the world?
Is that right?
We've got letters from China. It's hard to imagine. Them little old people settin around their radios over there. Listenin to Jimmy.
I wouldnt think they'd know what he was sayin.
Letters from France. Letters from Spain. The whole world. His voice is like a instrument, you see. When he has the layin on of the hands? They could be in Timbuctoo. They could be on the south pole. It dont make no difference. His voice is there. There's not anyplace you can go he aint there. In the air. All the time. You just turn on your radio.
Of course they tried to close the station down, but it's over in Mexico. That's why Dr Brinkley come here. To found that radio station. Did you know that they can hear it on Mars?
No mam.
Well they can. When I think about them up there hearin the words of Jesus for the very first time it just makes me want to cry. It does. And Jimmy Blevins done it. He was the one.
From inside the house there sounded a long rattling snore. She smiled. Poor darlin, she said. He's just wore out. People have no idea.
He never found the owner of the horse. Along toward the end of February he drifted north again, trailing the horses in the bar ditches along the edge of the blacktop roads, the big semi's blowing them up against the fences. The first week of March he was back in San Angelo and he cut across the country so familiar to him and reached the Rawlins pasture fence just a little past dark on the first warm night of the year and no wind and everything dead still and clear on the west Texas plains. He rode up to the barn and dismounted and walked up to the house. There was a light on in Rawlins' room and he put two fingers to his teeth and whistled.
Rawlins came to the window and looked out. In a few minutes he came from the kitchen and around the side of the house.
Bud is that you?
Yeah.
Sum buck, he said. Sum buck.
He walked around him to get him in the light and he looked at him as if he were something rare.
I figured you might want your old horse back, said John Grady.
I caint believe it. You got Junior with you?
He's standin down yonder at the barn.
Sum buck, said Rawlins. I caint believe it. Sum buck.
They rode out on the prairie and sat on the ground and let the animals drift with the reins down and he told Rawlins all that had happened. They sat very quietly. The dead moon hung in the west and the long flat shapes of the nightclouds passed before it like a phantom fleet.
Have you been to see your mama? said Rawlins.
No.
You knew your daddy died.
Yeah. I guess I knew that.
She tried to get word to you in Mexico.
Yeah.
Luisa's mother is real sick.
Abuela?
Yeah.
How are they makin it?
I guess all right. I seen Arturo over in town. Thatcher Cole got him a job at the school. Cleanin up and stuff like that.
Is she goin to make it?
I dont know. She's pretty old.
Yeah.
What are you goin to do?
Head out.
Where to?
I dont know.
You could get on out on the rigs. Pays awful good.
Yeah. I know.
You could stay here at the house.
I think I'm goin to move on.
This is still good country.
Yeah. I know it is. But it aint my country.
He rose and turned and looked off toward the north where the lights of the city hung over the desert. Then he walked out and picked up the reins and mounted his horse and rode up and caught the Blevins horse by its halter.
Catch your horse, he said. Or else he'll follow me.
Rawlins walked out and caught the horse and stood holding it.
Where is your country? he said.
I dont know, said John Grady. I dont know where it is. I dont know what happens to country.