George came quietly out of the brush and the rabbit scuttled back into Lennie's brain.
George squatted down next to Lennie in the sand and put a hand on his shoulder.
“I done another bad thing,” Lennie said while looking sideways at George.
“That don’t matter no more,” George sat back on his heels as if ready to leave at any time. The
pounding of hooves and the shouts of men could finally be heard in the distance. George drew
Carlsons’ gun from his pocket and cocked it
“What is you doin’ George?” Lennie said while turning toward George.
“Nothin’ Lennie.” George stood and turned in the opposite direction of the noise. Lennie
scrambled to his feet and stood by George. The noise slowly grew louder behind them as George
began walking across the river followed shortly by Lennie.
“Where is we going, George.” Lennie spoke as the noise grew softer and softer the further they
walked.
“We are gonna go live off the fatta’ the land.” George stuck the gun in the waistband of his jeans
and adjusted the bindle on his shoulder. Lennie’s eyes lit up and he ran up next to George.
“I get ta’ tend the rabbits!”
“Yeah, you do.” George smiled to himself. Lennie jumped for joy and the two came out of the
brush and headed toward the old couple's property. George greeted the couple and handed over
the rest of the money much to the old couple's delight. The sounds of the men could no longer be
heard and George knew they wouldn’t come looking out here, no matter how desperate Curley
said he was. George pushed open the door to the old building and Lennie pushed past him inside.
He sat down next to the old stove and smiled up at George.
“We can put the beds in the corner-” he pointed to one corner of the room, “-and we can put the
garden out there-” again he pointed, this time out the window across the room from him, “-and
then we can have the rabbits next to it, and I can feed them alfalfa and tend to them!” Lennie
clapped and stood up walking to George. George hung his head and laughed a little. Their dream
had finally come true, and George couldn’t quite believe it. Lennie suddenly engulfed George in
a big hug and lifted him off his feet.
“Guys like us got no fambly. They make a little stake and then they blow it in. They ain’t got
nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about em’-” Lennie stopped and gave George a short
squeeze, letting a strangled sound come out of George.
“But not us George.” Lennie put George on his feet and clapped him hard on the shoulders.
“Because I got you an’,” Lennie looked at George hopefully.
“An’ I got you,” George replied smiling up at Lennie. Lennie squealed like a small child and lept
out the door pointing at places to put the rabbits, all while George watched him with a smile
from the doorframe.