she started bein nice to him - bringin him special treats when he was out in the back shed , workin on somebody 's snowmobile or outboard motor , sittin beside him while we were watchin tv at night , sittin with him on the porch step while he whittled , listenin while he talked all his usual line of joe st george bullshit politics - how kennedy was lettin the jews n catholics run everythin , how it was the commies tryin to get the niggers into the schools n lunchrooms down south , and pretty soon the country would be ruined .