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after bout a week or so； they move me to another part of the hospital where everbody be put
so'；s they can get well； but ever day i gone back to the tensive care ward an set for a wile with
dan。 sometimes i played him a tune on my harmonica； which he like very much。 my mama had
sent me a package of hershey bars which finally catch up to me at the hospital an i wanted to
share them with dan； cept he can'；t eat nothin but what goin into him thru the tubes。
i think that settin there talkin to dan was a thing that had a great impression on my life。 i
know that bein a idiot an all； i ain'；t sposed to have no philosophy of my own； but maybe it'；s just
because nobody never took the time to talk to me bout it。 it were dan'；s philosophy that everythin
that happen to us； or for that matter； to anythin anywhere； is controlled by natural laws that
govern the universe。 his views on the subject was extremely plicated； but the gist of what he
say begun to change my whole outlook on things。
all my own life； i ain'；t understood shit about what was goin on。 a thing jus happen； then
somethin else happen； then somethin else； an so on； an haf the time nothin makin any sense。 but
dan say it is all part of a scheme of some sort； an the best way we can get along is figger out how
we fits into the scheme； an then try to stick to our place。 somehow knowin this； things get a good
bit clearer for me。
anyhow； i'；s gettin much better in the next weeks； an my ass heal up real nice。 doctor say i
got a hide like a 〃rhinoceros〃 or somethin。 they got a rec room at the hospital an since they
wadn'；t much else to do； i wandered over there one day an they was a couple of guys playin pingpong。
after a wile； i axed if i could play； an they let me。 i lost the first couple of points； but after
a wile； i beat both them fellers。 〃you shore is quick for such a big guy；〃 one of them say。 i jus
nod。 i tried to play some ever day an got quite good； believe it or not。
in the afternoons i'；d go see dan； but in the mornins i was on my own。 they let me leave the
hospital if i wanted； an they was a bus what took fellers like me into the town so'；s we could walk
aroun an buy some of the shit they sold in the gook shops in danang。 but i don'；t need any of that；
so i jus walk aroun； taking in the sights。
they is a little market down by the waterfront where folks sells fish an srimp an stuff； an one
day i went down there an bought me some srimp an one of the cooks at the hospital boil em for
me an they sure was good。 i wished ole dan could of ate some。 he say maybe if i squash em up
they could put em down his tube。 he say he gonna axe the nurse about it； but i know he jus
kiddin。
that night i be lyin on my cot thinkin of bubba an how much he might of liked them srimp
too； an about our srimp boat an all。 po ole bubba。 so the next day i axed dan how is it that bubba
can get kilt； an what kind of haf…assed nature law would allow that。 he think bout it for a wile； an
say； 〃well； i'；ll tell you； forrest； all of these laws are not specially pleasing to us。 but they is laws
nonetheless。 like when a tiger pounce on a monkey in the jungle— bad for the monkey； but good
for the tiger。 that is jus the way it is。〃
couple of days later i gone on back to the fish market an they is a little gook sellin a big bag
of srimp there。 i axed him where he got them srimp； an he start jabberin away at me； count of he
don'；t understan english。 anyway； i make sign language like a indian or somethin； an after a wile
he catch on； an motion for me to follow him。 i be kind of leary at first； but he smilin an all； an so'；s
i do。
we must of walked a mile or so； past all the boats on the beach an everthin； but he don'；t take
me to a boat。 it is a little place in a swamp by the water； kind of a pond or somethin； an he got
wire nets laid down where the water from the china sea e in at high tide。 that sumbitch be
growin srimp in there！ he took a little net an scoop up some water an sure enough； ten or twelve
srimp in it。 he give me some in a little bag； an i give him a hershey bar。 he so happy he could
shit。
that night they is a movie outdoors near field force headquarters an i go on over there；
cep'；n some fellers in the front row start a great big fight over somethin an somebody get hissef
heaved through the screen an that be the end of the movie。 so afterwards； i be layin on my cot；
thinkin； an suddenly it e to me。 i know what i gotta do when they let me out of the army！ i
goin home an find me a little pond near the gulf an raise me some srimp！ so maybe i can'；t get me
a srimp boat now that bubba is gone； but i sure can go up in one of them marshes an get me some
wire nets an that'；s what i'；ll do。 bubba would of like that。
ever day for the next few weeks i go down in the mornin to the place where the little gook is
growin his srimp。 mister chi is his name。 i jus set there an watched him an after a wile he showed
me how he was doin it。 he'；d catched some baby srimps aroun the marshes in a little han net； an
dump them in his pond。 then when the tide e in he thowed all sorts of shit in there— scraps
and stuff； which cause little teensey slimy things to grow an the srimps eat them an get big an fat。
it was so simple even a imbecile could do it。
a few days later some muckity…mucks from field force headquarters e over to the
hospital all excited an say； 〃private gump； you is been awarded the congressional medal of
honor for extreme heroism； an is bein flown back to the u。s。a。 day after tomorrow to be
decorated by the president of the united states。〃 now that was early in the mornin an i had jus
been lyin there； thinkin about going to the bathroom； but here they are； expectin me to say
somethin； i guess； an i'；m bout to bust my britches。 but this time i jus say； 〃thanks；〃 an keep my
big mouth shut。 perhaps it be in the natural scheme of things。
anyhow； after they is gone； i go on over to the t