Candy's Monologue

It’s at times like this, when I’m feedin’ the chickens or hoeing the veg patch that I have to pinch meself. I still ain’t sure whether I’m dreamin” or not.

There ain’t a day that goes by when I don’t thank the good Lord for sending them to me, that day in Soldar. George and Lennie. I never really understood about Lennie then all I knew was that George was alwus looking out for him, tryin’ to steer him away from trouble. That guy was so strong but he was like a kid, which I s’pose made him dangerous – he didn’t know his own strength. I know somethin’ serious happened in Weed when they had to leave pronto.

I was swamping the bunk house an I can still remember listenin’ to George talk to Lenny about this place they’d own. They’d have chickens, a cow and a goat, fruit trees, grow their own food and eat off the ‘fat o’ the land’. Oh and rabbits, I can still see Lenny eyes light up just thinking about ‘em. I remember talking to them and telling them I could help with the money side of it – I’d got $350 give. It felt so good to have somethin’ to look forward to – a future working for yourself instead of moving to different ranches looking for work.

But looking back now on it – somethin’ was alwus gunna to happen with Lennie – he was a loose cannon that I know George did his best to control, but even George couldn’t smooth over Lennie’s final act.

I can remember it as if it were yesterday.

It was Sunday and George was tossing horseshoes in the yard with the others and Lenny had wandered into the barn to look at the pups again. He just loved petting and stroking ‘em, he wouldna deliberately harm them I know. S’pose things would’ve been OK if she hadna swanned in an seen the dead puppy – an began windin him up, tellin’ him things, getting him off his guard, getting him confused like. I’d seen her do it will the others but Lennie was useless without George. I found her didna I? He’d only gone an broke her neck, hadn’t he, dunno how or why but I wasn’t...