JR (136 page)

—No but I have to tell Mister Gibbs something there's somebody waiting for him, a woman she's waiting for him downstairs in a cab she…

—Christ how did she, I mean do you know her too?

—Yes well she's…

—All right I'll tell him, I'll tell him now will you…

—No but if he doesn't come down I know she'll…

—Look I know all about it I'll tell him! Now…

—But why doesn't…

—Because he had some more blood tests they told him he'd live

another fifty God damn years that's why! told him what had sent his white count through the roof and everything else was all this penicillin he'd taken for his throat when she finally called he wouldn't speak to her, heard her voice he pretended he was an old black retainer yas'm, yas'm, dat ole Mistah Gibbs he a genuine rascal to play de ladies so, say he clear out to a place yonder call Burmesquik set him up a little factory there hasn't answered the God damn phone since new look, here's the address it's his sister Mrs, where the hell's that ad …

—But I mean I still don't under…

—Look Bast you don't have to understand nobody expects you to! What you just threw in that box on the sink nobody expects you to know what it cost him, nobody expects you to see what he saw there all these papers, these boxes what we saw here that painting back there it's magnificent, the way it looks right now it's still magnificent he's down on his knees picking plaster out of it nobody expects you to see what he saw there! what Jack saw, what Schramm…

—Mister Eigen?

—Any of us! because you're just a young…

—Can you cash a check? I've got one here for four hundred dollars I'm not sure it's any good, one from Ascap for twenty-six fifty, one from a school for a dollar fifty-two and this torn one from Texas Gulf for fifteen cents. We need carfare.

—Christ just, here take this and wait here's the address, Mrs Cutler she's told the doorman to expect you, Mrs Richard Cutler here, address like that they might give you a tip. Freddie? Let's go, this young man is taking you down to your sister's she's waiting for you…

—And some papers, I put down some papers when I …

—Well Christ what do they look like.

—They don't look like anything Mister Eigen, just a lot of papers with crayon…

—Wait look under the, those?

—Yes, yes here they are look. They don't really look like anything do they.

—Yes fine, now…

—A lot of, like a lot of chickentracks don't they, look. I mean it's all still just what I hear there isn't it.

—Fine yes! now…

—I mean until a performer hears what I hear and can make other people hear what he hears it's just trash isn't it Mister Eigen, it's just trash like everything in this place everything you and Mister Gibbs and Mister Schramm all of you saw here it's just trash!

—Listen will you, God damn it will you just go do what you have to and…

—That's what I'm doing yes! Yes and, tell Mister Gibbs…

—I'll tell him …! he bent with a twinge to lift Wise Potato Chips Hoppin' With Flavor! to the tub, stood there staring inside before he tied and then closed another box flap on the marionette in a tangle of

strings, a ìaceless red sneaker, an arm lofting a bugle, legless sheep and the Virgin cropped in wild surmise muttering —bastards, young bastards… reached for the tape, turned for the phone —God damn it, hello? Yes wait a minute … and dropped it dangling on 24-One Pint Mazola New Improved. —Yes… ?

—Immigration, is this…

—She's right in there … he pressed back against Mazola New Improved for the brisk passage of serge.

—Eigen?

—What? Yes what…

—Dumor Delivery, you the party called for a pickup?

—Finally got here yes, look…

—Holy, wait a minute buddy I can't take all this in my…

—Look I'm not buddy I'm not a party nobody asked you to! Just these boxes here and this pile on the tub they go to East Sixty-fourth Street here, care of Schramm here's the address on the top one I'll meet you down there wait, wait hand me that folder, I'm not going to lose it now … and he pulled aside 500 Novelty Rolls 1-Ply White for the constraint of nylon passing with the taut scorn of eyes gone under a fall of black hair, of serge to the floor crushing matchbooks, gray

squares of film in perforated sequence, glass squares of stripes in flight.

—Mind if I take some matches buddy? I'm…

—Take one take a thousand, Christ. Do you need toilet paper too?

—Now wait a …

—Look just do what you're paid for will you? God damn it can't, why can't people just shut up and do what they're paid for! I'll meet you down there.