Last Exit to Brooklyn (33 page)

WHATTA YAMEAN THE SAUCES NO GOOD? THATS WHAT I SAID, THE SAUCES. NO GOOD. WHATS THE MATTA, YA DONT UNDERSTAND ENGLISH? ITS NO GOOD. NO GOOD. NO GOOD. WHATTA YAKNOW ABOUT SAUCE? MEEEE, WHATTA I KNOW? I KNOW IT STINKS. NOT ENOUGH GARLIC. ITS GOT THE SAME GARLIC. JUST LIKE ALWAYS. THE SAME 8 CLOVES OF GARLIC AND YA SAY NOT ENOUGH GARLIC. YUR A FUCKIN DUMMY. ITS GOOD SAUCE. DONT TELL ME ITS NO GOOD. WHOSE A FUCKIN DUMMY? EH? WHO? I’LL GIVEYA A RAP IN THE
MOUT IM A DUMMY. YA CANT EVEN MAKE A SAUCE. WHY DONTCHA EAT AND SHUT UP, YEAH? I DONT LIKE THE SAUCE, BANGING HIS FORK DOWN ON THE TABLE AND SHAKING HIS HAND IN MARYS FACE. ITS A FUCKIN IRISH SAUCE. NO GARLIC. NO GARLIC. little ralphy picked up a string of spaghetti and dropped it on the floor. joey picked it up and put it back on his plate. ralphy threw another string down and joey picked it up. DONT TELL ME. THERES NOT ENOUGH GARLIC. I LIKE GARLIC IN MY SAUCE. SO SHUT UP OR I’LL RAPYA OVA THE HEAD. AAAA, WHATTAYAKNOW, EH? WHATTAYAKNOW? little ralphy picked up a handful of spaghetti and threw it hitting joey in the face. joey yelled to stop and slapped ralphys hand. ralphy yelled and threw another handful in his face. joey hit ralphy with a handful … GET ME ANOTHA MEATBALL. I CANT EAT THE MACARONI. YA CANT EAT, YA CANT EAT? WHATTAYA, A KING OR SOMETHIN? YA CANT EAT. GET ME ANOTHA MEAT BALL AND SHUTUP. WHATTSAMATTA YA CANT GET THE MEATBALL YASELF, EH? WHATTA YAMEAN GET IT MYSELF? GET ME ANOTHA MEAT BALL OR I’LL BREAK YALEG. AAAA, GETTING UP AND LADLING ANOTHER MEATBALL OUT OF THE POT AND PLOPPING IT ON VINNIES PLATE. MAYBE I CAN EAT THIS. CANT EVEN MAKE A SAUCE.

Lucy said little during the meal, just reminding Johnny to eat from time to time and asking Louis to pass something. Half way through the meal Robert decided he didnt want to eat any more and Lucy forced food into his mouth in between feeding herself and telling Johnny to eat. When she had finished she started clearing the table, forcing the last bit of food on Roberts plate into his mouth. Louis just left the table and turned on the TV. Johnny started playing with his food and Lucy yelled at him sharply and Johnny whined and started eating and Lucy told him to hushup and eat. Louis felt like telling her to stop yellin, ghuddamn it, and rap her side the head. Seemed like
she was always yellin about somethin. Especially on the weekends. He just stared at the TV thinking about goin for a drive tomorrow (maybe alone), and hoping the next few hours would pass fast. Lucy finally shoved the last spoonful of food in Johnny’s mouth then did the dishes, leaving the kitchen occasionally to tell the children to be quiet (Louis squirming in his chair), then finishing the dishes she put the children to bed and sat in the living room, saying nothing, and watched TV. Louis turned to her once in a while and made a comment about the show hoping to get her in a good mood before they went to bed, but Lucy only grunted, thinking how soon she would have to go to bed with him and it would start like every weekend (and many week nights too) and just the thought made her muscles tighten and her flesh get clammy. Lucy just grunted so Louis figured the hell with it. Theyd be going to bed soon and maybe tonight will be different.

The Queue

The Welfare checks were cashed and there were long lines outside the Liquor Store across the street from the Project. The owner had his 2 sons and a brother helping him as he did every Saturday night. The store was in the middle of the street and the two lines went out of sight around each corner, and the cop on the beat stood near the entrance so a fight wouldnt start as people pushed their way into the store. Yet even with the cop there there was much pushing and cursing. The clerks in the store worked as fast as they could and wrapped the bottles quickly, but still the lines were out of sight around both corners. Those at the end of the line would step out occasionally and look to the front wondering how much longer they would have to wait and then finally they would turn the corner and eventually they would come in sight of the lighted window and then they could at least look at all the bottles on display and then the time seemed to pass faster with their goal in sight. Someone tried to get in ahead of time, but someone else pulled him out of the doorway and an argument started and everyone yelled for them to clear the front of the store so they could get in and the owner came out and frantically
yelled at them to stop (the people in the store fearing something would happen to prevent them from getting their bottles after having waited on line for so many hours) and finally the cop came over and yanked them both out and told them to beat it. They pleaded to be allowed to get their bottles or at least to get on the end of the line (offering the cop money), but the cop refused (not wanting to louse up the beautiful deal he had with the owner) and they finally walked off, sneaking back and giving money to friends to get them a bottle. Before the last customer was taken care of the clerks were soaked with perspiration and completely knocked out, but soon the last few customers were in the store. Many parties had already started and as the last customers bought their bottles and walked happily toward home the bells in a nearby church tolled midnight.

Abraham stepped into MELS and stood by the door for a moment digging the scene, his hands in his coat pockets, a coolass stud man, and every cat in the joint knew it. He waved to his boys, hung up his hat and coat and went to the bar, ordered a scotch and tossed a bill on the bar. He leaned sideways against the bar and dug the scene. The bar was not too crowded and the brownskinned gal wasnt there yet. He went in the back and sat at a table and ordered some of those fine ribs that were so great at MELS and sucked each rib dry then sat back sucking his teeth and smoking. Man he felt great. He paid the check and went to the bar, saw the brownskinned gal and went up to a cat he knew who was standing near her. He patted the cat on the back, called the bartender, give my man here a drink, ordered another scotch and tossed a 20 dollar bill on the bar. Man that chickll have big eyes now. He knew how to play it cool. Yeah, ol Abe was a cool ass stud. He let his change lay on the bar and when he finished his drink he ordered another and told the bartender to give the young lady a drink. He smiled at her and when they got their drinks he slid over next to her and told her his name was Abe. Ol honest Abe, hahaha. Mahns Lucy. He asked her to dance and he winked at the cats at the bar as they walked to the dance floor. Sheeit, nothin to it when you operate
like Ol Abe. They danced and he told her she danced real great and she must be new around here, he comes here all the time and he never seen her before and she smiled and said yes she’d only been here a few times before and they danced and drank and Ol Abe smoothed talked her and he was in and he told her he had a Cadillac, with whitewalls and would she like something to eat and when you with ol Abe you move and he knew this would be a great night and hed fuck the ass of this bitch.

Nancy put the kids to bed and got out the bottle of wine she stashed in the closet. She sat down and watched TV for a while, taking slugs from the bottle, then went to bed and lay there drinking, smoking and playing with her crotch. She wisht the fuckin Abe would come home and lay her. The sonofabitch aint fucked me but once in the last month and nobody else ever come around this house. If she could get somebody to sit with the kids she could go out, but she couldnt get nobody. Sheeit. She was tired. Almost felt like going to sleep. But it was too early yet. Still almost half a bottle left too. She’d drink that first. Somebody might come around looking for Abe. No sense in waiting for him though. He’ll be gone all night. Sheeit. Ah need me some cock. She finished the bottle and threw it down the incinerator then went back to bed and lay down, remembering how big and hard Abes cock was and how it felt going in.

The Worshippers

A woman screeched hysterically, AH LOVESSIM, AH LOVESIM and she rolled on the floor, beating the floor with her fists. The people in the adjoining apartments listened, laughing. COME DOWN! COME DOWN! and someone beat a drum, someone else pounded on a table, OOOOOOO AH LOVESIM! AH
DIE
FORIM! and other voices screeched and a roar came through the walls, the people on the other side listening and laughing. OOOOO JESUS! JESUS! OOOOOO JESUS! and the other voices roared a HAAAAL LAY LOOOOOO YAAAA! WE
LOVES
YA! O
JESUS
! WE
LOVES
YA!
and the beating of drums and table grew louder and a voice moaned AH SINNED! AH SINNED! OOOOO LORD, AH SINNED! FORGIVE ME LORD! another body fell to the floor and grovelled and beat its fists and the drummer beat frantically and the clanging of a pot joined the drum and table and other bodies fell to the floor and they rolled and beat and kicked and the voices screeched and boomed and roared AH LOVESIM! AH LOVESIM! HAAAAL LAY LOOOOO YAAAA! OOOOO LORD! LORD! HAAAAL LAY LOOOOO YAAAA-DA-DUMDADUM-DADUMDA-DUMDADUMDADUM-WEES YO CHILLEN LORD! O BLESS US LORD-AH SINNED! AH SINNED! FOGIVE ME LORD! OOOOOOO LORD FOGIVE. A MISERABLE SINNER! (ears pressed against the wall, hands raised for silence, laughter) – AN JOSHYA TUMBLED THE WALLS! OOOO
JER
ICHO! O
JER
ICHO! – BABUMBABUMBABUMBABUMBABUMBABUMBABUM – EEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAA – OO OO MERCY! OOOOO MERCY! FORGIVE YO CHILREN LORD! FOGIVE WE SINNERS! – COME DOWN! COME DOWN
JESUS
! – HAAAAL LAY LOOOOO YAAAA (a door was opened slightly to hear better) – AH
LOVES
IM! AH
LOVES
IM – HAAAAL LAY LOOOOO YAAAA – A MISERABLE SINNER – COME DOWN – OOOOOOOO – IN THE FIERY FURNACE – O LORD! LORD! – DRRRRRR – COME DOWN – BLESSUS! BLESSUS! –
JES
US!
JES
US!
JES
US!
JES
US!
JES
US!
JES
US! – HAL LAY LOOOOOOOO YAAA! LORD – THE PEARLY GATES – WE
LOVES
YA – COME DOWN – EEEEEE-AAAAAA – O
JES
US – BLESSUS – AH LOVESIM – YO CHILREN – SINNERS – FOGIVE – AMEN! – AMEN! LORD! AMEN! and the door was closed.