Page 39 (1/2)

"I beca to all assembled that Goblin was the best teacher I had But nobody was as happy about this as I was, and then Goblin grabbedthe crayon, 'You don't believe in me Quinn believes in me ¡¯

"It seemed utterly plain to ht to know it, but no one was ready to say it in words

"However, Pops and I went to the cock fights the very next weekend, and as ere driving over to Ruby River City, Pops asked if Goblin ith us in the car I said Yes, Goblin was cleaving to th to dance around in the aisle at the cock fights, but not to worry, he was right there

"Then e got there, Pops asked, 'What's Goblin up to?' and I told hi color,' by which I side of me all over the arena to collect the bets that Pops won Of course we had to pay off a few too that Pops lost

"Just in case you've never seen a cock fight, let me briefly describe what happens It's an air-conditioned building out in the country, with a crude lobby and concession stand in it selling hao into an arena that is round except for two entrances, the one through which you cah which the roosters and the handlers co round dirt-floor cage co -- where the birds fight

"Twowith their roosters, set theo at it, by their very nature, and as soon as one is bested the birds are taken out to continue the fight to the death out back The handlers do everything they can to help their birds They'll take theht out of their ive them a second wind, and I think they blow in their hind ends too

"Pops never went out back It was dirty and dusty back there, which is why hts, no matter hoell dressed, appear to be covered in dirt Pops just liked the indoor portion of the battle, and he often stood up and hollered out his bets, and I did the running with the hts, and lots of children, with a lot of children doing the collecting and the delivering, and it is a kind of A out

"I personally loved it, and so did Goblin, as I've explained We thought the cocks were gorgeous with their long colorful plue their opponents, rising up soain, it was a spectacle to behold

"Pops knew everybody there As I've said, he was a country man, and as I tell you this story I realize that he was deliberately country, throwing in his lot with the rural community when in fact he had a choice

"He'd gotten his law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, same as his father, Gravier He could have been a different type of person He chose to be who he was

"He'd bred fighting cocks before I was born, and he told rain and let to grow their long plu As for domestic poultry, he said they wereof the grass or the fresh air A fighting cock had a life

"Well, that was Pops He could coht, shower down, dress in his dark suit and go in and make sure that the Royal Doulton china had been properly set for dinner on the table, and call in Little Ida or Lolly to s more even and uniform all around He played tapes of harmonica music in his truck and hired classical quartets and trios for the front rooms

"He was a ave me the best of both of theone so totally country I don't understand But then e the name of the father, if she ever knew it, so ht

"Let's fast-forward now to my tenth year when the best of the home teachers caer, who played the piano exquisitely and spoke several foreign languages, who 'adored' Goblin and often talked to hi me a little jealous

"Of course I kneas a game, but Goblin didn't and he frolicked and did tricks for Lynelle, which I described to her in a whisper Everything that Lynelle taught ht to Goblin, or at least rew to love Lynelle soat the house