emb.seethemdie-第2节
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cash drawer。
〃What the hell kept you？〃 Zip asked。 〃I was just calling your house。〃
〃Oh； man； don't ask；〃 Cooch said。 He spoke； as did Zip； without a trace of an accent。 Both were total products of the city and the neighborhood； as far removed from Puerto Rico as was Mongolia。 Studying them； Luis felt suddenly old； suddenly foreign。 He shrugged； went to his stove； and began putting up his pots of coffee。
〃My people are the eeriest； you know that； man？〃 Cooch said。 He had large brown eyes； and he used his face expressively when he spoke； like a television ic going through a famous routine。 〃I think my old man must be on the Chamber of merce； I swear to God。〃
〃What's your old man got to do with your being late？ I said a quarter to nine； so here it is。。。〃
〃He gets a letter from Puerto Rico；〃 Cooch went on blithely； 〃and right away he flips。 'e stay with us；' he writes。 'e live with us。 Bring all your kids； and your grandma； and your police dog。 We'll take care of you。'〃 Cooch slapped his forehead dramatically。 〃So all our goddamn barefoot cousins e flop with us。 And every time another one shows up at the airport； my old man throws a party。〃
〃Listen； what's this got to。。。〃
〃He threw a party last night。 Out came the goddamn guitars。 We had enough strings there to start a symphony。 You shoulda seen my old man。 He has a couple of drinks； right away his hands head for my old lady。 Like homing pigeons。 Two drinks； and his hands were on her ass。〃
〃Look； Cooch； who cares where your old man's。。。〃
〃Judging from last night；〃 Cooch said reflectively； 〃I should have another brother soon。〃
〃All right； now how e you're late？〃
〃I been trying to tell you。 The jump didn't break up until four A。M。 I could hardly crawl outa bed this morning。 I still can't see too straight。〃 He paused。 〃Where's Papa？ Ain' he here yet？〃
〃That's what I'm wondering。 You all think we're playing games here。〃
〃Who； me？〃 Cooch said； offended。 〃Me？ I think that？〃
〃Okay； maybe not you；〃 Zip said； relenting。 〃The other guys。〃
〃Me？〃 Cooch persisted； astonished and hurt。 〃Me？ Who was it first showed you around the scene when you moved up here？〃
〃Okay； I said not you； didn't I？〃
〃Where'd you e from？ Some crumby slum near the Calm's Point Bridge？ What the hell did you know about this neighborhood？ Who showed you around； huh？〃
〃You did； you did；〃 Zip said patiently。
〃Yeah。 So right away you hop on me。 A few minutes late； and you。。。〃 …〃Ten minutes late；〃 Zip corrected。
〃All right； ten minutes； I didn't know you had a stop watch。 Man； I don't understand you sometimes； Zip。 Saying I think we're playing games here。 Man； if ever a guy。。。〃
〃I said not you！ For Pete's sake； I said not you！ I'm talking about the other studs。〃 He paused。 〃Did you stop by for Sixto？〃
〃Yeah。 That's another reason I'm late。 You give me all these stops to。。。〃
〃So where is he？〃
〃He had to help his old lady。〃
〃Doing what？〃
〃With the baby。 Listen； you think it's kicks having a baby in the house？ I never seen a kid could wet her pants like Sixto's sister。 Every time you turn around； that kid is pissing。〃
〃He was changing her pants？〃 Zip asked； astonished。
〃He was powdering her behind the last time I seen him。〃
〃I'm gonna powder his behind when he gets here！〃 Zip said angrily。 〃See； that's just what I mean。 He thinks we're fooling around here。 Then you wonder why we ain't making a name for ourselves。 It's because nobody on this club's for real； that's why。 Everybody expects me to do everything。〃
〃We got a name； Zip；〃 Cooch said gently。
〃We got balls！ You guys still think this is a goddamn basket ball team at the Boys' Club。 When you gonna grow up？ You want to walk the streets in this neighborhood； or you want to hide every time there's a backfire？〃
〃I don't hide from nothing！〃
〃You think anybody on the Royal Guardians is scared of anything？〃 Zip asked。
〃No； but the Royal Guardians got two hundred and fifty members。〃
〃So how do you think they got them members？ By being late when there's a wash job scheduled？〃
〃Hey！〃 Cooch said suddenly。
〃What's the matter？〃
〃Shhhh。〃
A woman was ing up the street； her ample breasts bobbing with the haste of her steps。 Her black hair was pulled into a bun at the back of her neck。 She looked neither to the right nor to the left。 She walked with a purposefulness； almost a blindness； passing the boys who stood in the open street side of the luncheonette； turning the corner； and moving out of sight。
〃You see who that was？〃 Cooch whispered。
〃That lady？〃
〃Yeah。〃 Cooch nodded。 〃Alfie's mother。〃
〃What？〃 He walked to the corner and stared up the avenue。 But the woman was already gone。
〃Alfredo Gomez's mother；〃 Cooch said。 〃Man； was she in a hurry！ Zip； you think he told her？〃
〃What do I care； he told her or not？〃
〃What I mean 。。。 like this is his old lady 。。。 like if he told her。。。〃
〃So he told her。 How's that gonna help him？〃
〃You know how dames are。 She might've got excited。 She might've。。。〃
〃Stop crapping your pants； will you？ You got nothing but small…time guts； you know that？ You're just like my old man。 He talks like a senator。 A real wheel。 Always telling me about Puerto Rico。 Who cares about that damn island？ I was born here； right in this city。 I'm a real American。 But he's always telling me what a big shot he was in San Juan。 You know what it turns out he done there？ I found out from one of my uncles。 You know what he done？〃
〃What？〃
〃He fixed bicycles for a living。 So that's the big wheel。 Big talk that's all。 But small…time guts。〃
〃I got as much guts。。。〃
〃Sure； so you see Alfie's mother out for a stroll； and you start shaking。 You know what you're gonna be when you grow up？〃
〃No。 What？〃
〃A guy who fixes bicycles。〃 ； 〃Aw； e on。 I。。。〃
〃Or a guy who shines shoes。〃
〃I never *shined a pair of shoes in my life！〃 Cooch said proudly。 〃I don't even shine my own shoes！〃
〃That's wflfy you look like a slob；〃 Zip said； and then abruptly turned'his head。 Someone was approaching。
2
The sailor had rounded the corner as Cooch spoke。 He was a tall； blond man … well； not exactly a man； and yet not a boy。 He was perhaps twenty…two years old； and he had reached that mysterious boundary line which divided a man from a boy； but he was still straddling the line so that it was impossible to think of him as a boy； and yet stretching a point to consider him a man。 Man or boy； he was quite drunk at the moment He walked with the sailor's habitual roll； but the roll was somewhat frustrated by his erratic drunken weaving。 His white hat was perched precariously on the back of his head； and his white uniform was spotlessly clean； reflecting the early…morning sunshine with a dazzling brilliance。 He stopped on the corner； looked up at the sign over the luncheonette； mumbled something to himself； shook his head violently； and then continued up the street。
Zip stifled a laugh and nudged Cooch in the ribs。
〃Ten bucks says I know what he's looking for；〃 Cooch said； grinning。
〃Never mind what he's looking for。 Go get Sixto and Papa。
Tell them I'm waiting； and tell them I'm getting slightly p。o。'd。 Now move。〃
〃Don't get excited；〃 Cooch said； but he moved up the street quickly； passing the drunken sailor who had headed back towards the luncheonette。 The sailor was in that sort of haze where everything seems to involve a decision meriting vast concentration and deliberation。 He stopped at each building； studied the numerals； shook his head solemnly； and finally wound up in front of the luncheonette again； still shaking his head。 He studied the sign； considered the vast symbolism in the words LUIS LUNCHEONETTE； pondered this symbolism for a while； shook his head again； and was beginning to retrace his steps down the street when Zip said； 〃Help you； sailor？〃
〃Huh？〃 the sailor asked。
〃You look lost；〃 Zip said。 His manner was quite pleasant。 He grinned warmly and the sailor responded to the grin immediately； the lost wanderer accepting the first friendly hand。
〃Listen；〃 he said drunkenly； 〃where's La 。。。 La Galli。。。 La 。。。 Listen； I was talking to a guy inna bar downtown； you know？ An' we began discussin'。。。〃 He stopped and studied Zip with drunkenly profound narrowness。 〃Listen； how old are you？〃
〃Seventeen；〃 Zip said。
〃Oh。〃
The sailor tabulated this silently； his mind whirring。 He nodded。 〃Okay； then。 I didn't wanna impair the morals of a 。。。 so this guy an' me； we were discussin' 。。。 well； I was sorta expressin' my desire for sorta climbin' into bed with a female； you know？ A girl。 You know？〃
〃So he sent you up here？〃
〃Yeah。 No。 Yeah； yeah； he did。 He said there was a place up here called 。。。 ah。。。 La Gallina。〃 He pronounced the word with a Western twang that brought a new smile to Zip's mouth。
〃La Gallina； yes；〃 Zip said； giving it the proper Spanish pronunciation。
〃Yeah；〃 the sailor said； nodding； 〃where he said I could get anything I want。 Now how about that？〃
〃He was right；〃 Zip answered。
〃So here I am；〃 the sailor said。 He paused。 〃Where is it？〃
〃Right down the street there。〃
〃Thank you；〃 the sailor said； nodding。 〃Thank you ver' much。〃 He started off down the street again。
〃Don't menti
