JR (24 page)

—No I'm all right … he came up slowly as her hand fell away, —I'll

get it… he righted the chair and stood looking, turned toward the figures huddled at a table near the telephone booths foreheads almost touching, hands churning coins.

—Boy did you see how she throws out twenty nickels without she doesn't even look at them? Like her fingers can count them like they're this here machine wait, let's see that one…

—Like these blind people which they see with their fingers did you know that hey? No wait here's one…

—That's crap let's see. It's got no D on it, like it's nineteen fifty only it needs this here little D on it that's, oh hi Mister Bast you need your nickels now?

—Yes and settle down, Mrs Jou…

—Excuse me sir… he turned at a tug on his jacket by a woman filling the phone booth behind him. —You Mister Slomin?

—I? No, what…

—Hello… ? she got the phone back to her ear, closing herself in with difficulty. —No Mister Slomin's away from his desk right now. Can he call you back when he comes in … ?

—Eight, nine, is twelve enough Mister Bast? I'll bring the rest over in a second we're just looking at them.

—Give them to me yes…

—And I had to lend two to Mister Gibbs okay?

—To what?

—Two nickels … a door clattered open behind him and a hand emerged to point, —or I mean three…

The hand withdrew into the booth, —Ben … ? No I've just been out there I've just seen her, she… her lawyer did? Well what does her lawyer… what do you mean he says I go to the track if I didn't go to the God damned track do you think I could keep up these payments? She … Well whose fault is that, the court order tells me to pay it directly to the Department of Probation if it takes them two weeks to get it to her what am I sup… Well God damn it she's the one who took it to court in the first place look, if there's some way to … what kind of a lump sum, where does she think I … the door started its clatter closed, —Christ what a thing to, that bitch that, stupid stale bitch…

—Boy is he pissed off at somebody, did you see him come in hey? Like he tried to go the wrong way in the revolving door.

—He's a pisser, give me some more of your water.

—What does it taste like.

—Like tomato juice what do you think.

—That old guy over there keeps looking over.

—So what.

—So he looks like the manager and he's going to come over and boot your ass for using up all the ketchup.

—It's on the table free isn't it?

—Okay but you didn't even buy a sandwich, you get fifty cents for lunch and you don't even buy your sandwich.

—So… ? A sodden paper bag came dragged from the battered portfolio —I'm buying one off myself so whose business is that.

—'Sixty-eight, 'seventy, 'forty-nine look hey here's an old Indian head one what's it worth.

—Five cents look I'm trying to read this thing hey, could you…

—What that crap they just gave us up there? You can't even understand it.

—So what I can ask somebody… the pencil stub ground down a margin —holy, you got a napkin?

—They're by the spoons over there. Like a club boys and girls I mean that's some club boy, you don't even get to …

—Look I'm trying to read hey … a handkerchief wad came up to smear the ketchup splash across the page —could you shut up a minute?

—Sure 'seventy, 'seventy-two here's another Indian head one you know why the Indian's nose is all squeezed up like this hey?

Doors clattered behind them. —Excuse me are you Mister Slomin?

—If I was I'd change my name.

—Hey wait Mister Gibbs? Could I just ask you wait a second, what does it mean where it says at the top here options exercised.

—Take them out walk them around the block, look where did you…

—No honest hey, what…

—Means you have the chance to buy something like stock at a certain price within a certain time, you exercise it you've bought it look what are you all doing here anyhow.

—It's this here field trip where's this other thing wait, divested here where it says he divested himself…

—Took off his clothes, what field trip…

—No honest, divested himself of his holdings in order to …

—Means he got rid of all his stock what field trip.

—Mrs Joubert she's over there, see? by where it says bread and rolls? And wait aggregate, what does aggregate…

Behind them the door clattered. —Mister Marks? Just a minute I'll see if he's in the office. Mister Marks… ? but his back had reared in an abrupt turn that the right bar of music just then might have claimed for a moment from a tango leaving him pitched and staring, steadied against a table before he moved avoiding the approach of age grazing with ruminant dignity in the retrieval of napkin wads from unmarked paths leading to where it said bread and rolls.

—Look out here he comes, hey.

—So what… the glass came down emptied, the sweater sleeve up to wipe away the ketchup tinge mustache —if that badge he's got says he's this here manager see why they don't put these napkin things on the tables.

—They're over by spoons get me one hey, what are you doing.

—Giving him back his nickels, watch my stuff… he swept them off the table turning for where it said beverages, coming up behind a

renewed assault on the beverage gargoyle —hey Mister Bast? Here's the rest of your nickels…

—Just, careful just drop them in my pocket… and cup rattled on saucer recovering the course toward where it said bread and rolls to reach the table without accident until it was set down —I'm sorry I, I'll get a napkin…

—Why they can't simply put them on the tables…

—Cut down waste, same reason they make these chairs so God damned uncomfortable afraid you'll try to come in and dine. Napkins on the table people would use them if there's none in reach they use the back of their hand problem's manners take time why they won't let you have any, time is money money's the…

—Thank you Mister Bast, please don't bother to …

—Like a gas station come in feed get out they, Mister who… ?

—Oh I, I thought you must know each other, Mister Bast? She put the neatly folded napkin under the cup, —Mister Gibbs. We were terribly fortunate to run into him…

—Yes glad to help, what's…

—No no Mister Bast I meant, he's been…

—Mister Bast? Sorry didn't recognize you Mister Bast, I want to congratulate you on that music appreciation program. Real milestone wouldn't you say Miss, Mrs…

—No she she didn't see it, I …

—Real milestone shame she missed it, probably electrify your whole teaching career Mister Bast have you talked to Mis…

—No I'm, no, no I …

—But he's given up teaching haven't you Mister Bast, he's going to give his full time to composing. I think that's quite courageous, really.

—Certainly is. Those who can do, those who can't, teach. That it Mister Bast?

—Well I …

—Blessed is he who has found his work, let him ask no other sorry, that your knee Mister Bast?

—No I'm afraid it's mine Mister Gibbs if you'd, if you could sit up a little straighter you didn't finish Mister Bast, about these dancers you've been commissioned to write something for, is it ballet?

—Not no not exactly no, no there are only two of them they want something that's, something more Spanish they want something with some class this bass player told me who's a friend of theirs, I mean I guess he's a friend of hers that's why he sent me down there something like Bizet he said, they want something like Bizet only not Bizet, if you see what I …

—Certainly do yes, like Bizet was condemned for being something like Wagner but not Wagner by people who had never heard Wagner and couldn't understand Bizet, that it Mister Bast?

—Well I, yes all I meant was…

—Yes we, we were talking about Wagner earlier weren't we Mister

Bast… she pressed one hand in the other as though to restrain her voice's tremor in her fingers —About his, the conditions he needed in order to work scents and, and silks to touch and…

—Women, and women…

—Oh and the garden path yes I forgot, that he couldn't concentrate if he looked out and let his eyes follow the garden paths because they led to an outside world, to the real…

—Led in.

—Pardon?

—They led the God damned outside world in.

—I, I see yes thank you, it's rather like your studio isn't it Mister Bast the one you were telling me about, where a vision can exist unfinished with a life of its own till the moment Mister Gibbs do be careful, tipping back like that these chairs are terribly untrustworthy, Mister Bast almost…

—Why our view of life's misleading, Mister Bast.

—What? I don't…

—I said our view of life's misleading but of course we have bad seats, not some relation to James Bast are you? the composer?

—Well, well yes I …

—What I meant, genius does what it must talent does what it can, that the line?

—Mister Gibbs please we, we were talking about Mister Bast's opera I don't think you…

—What I'm talking about that whining tenor part he gives Ulysses real stroke of genius, comes off as a real sneak the only man who's ever seen Ulysses clear whole opera's the God damndest thing I ever…

—I don't think we …

—No well that's, that's his opera Philoc…

—What I'm talking about Philoctetes real stroke of …

—No I'm afraid we're talking about something else Mister Gibbs, an opera this Mister Bast is working on that's quite…

—Like Bizet only not Bizet, thirty-seven years of failure get to die of a broken heart if you're luckier than the outside world pounding down the garden path on us here now, concentrating what's left of his dignity trying to keep his teeth in place…

—Mister Gibbs please…

—Spread the checked cloth over the rusty green table, if the lady and gentleman…

—And I thought, wasn't it just heart disease Bizet died of and Carmen, they produced Carmen before he died and it was a great success…

—Three whole months before he died veritable lifetime…

—Excuse me sir …

—Mister Urquhart? he straightened back from examining the penciled name pinned under the fraying of the false buttonhole, — what can we do for you sir.

—It's just the, these children, are you with them?

—Well let's say they're with us.

—Yes sir well they, the water glasses and the ketchup and, and the napkins if they could settle down at one or two tables, the other customers, to not disturb the other customers…

—Understand perfectly Mister Urquhart, refreshing to see a man in your position take his responsibilities seriously must be quite a task managing this establishment, wouldn't think of …

—Yes thank you, thank you … he backed away eyes down, went
for

a fork on the floor behind a pillar.

—If the lady and gentleman wish to take their tea in the…

—Please I, I think we should get them together and, oh … ! she'd turned the profile of her raised chin and, one finger delicately cocked, her hand risen with a white cracker to her parted lips where Bast abruptly thrust a lighted match.

—Oh I, I'm sorry I, I thought you were smoking, did I …

—No it's all right… she bit the cracker but her hand came away trembling, like his with the match. —It simply startled me…

—But I'm, I'm really ow!

—Oh here, here put the teabag on it it draws out the heat please could one of you, Mister Bast could you tell the children to get their things together…

—Oh the, yes … he was up, —yes of course…

—And Mister Gibbs I think if, if you can excuse us …

—No no it's all right haven't been this entertained since…

—Well would you mind sitting up! simply, simply trying to sit up straight the children have been looking over and they, I'm just afraid they'll think you've been drinking.

—Think I've been, listen they don't know what drinking is I could sit down over there shoot myself through the head they'd think I was dead and expect to see me in school tomorrow Christ they don't know what, look at them over there look like a God damned settlement house Mister Urquhart creeping around picking up napkin wads like something out of Dickens they…

—Is that any reason you should treat him like…

—What who Urquhart? I'm God damn it I didn't invent him look at him, think he hasn't got a skinful to get through the day in a place like this? That almost distinguished profile that authority in his face but it won't stay still afraid people will notice his teeth don't fit, afraid he'll lose them and we'll all laugh so he's telling that sloppy busboy to clean up a table he's almost finished anyhow keep his authority intact just those God damned teeth can't relax for an instant he's…

—Please stop it!

—But, but what…

She'd caught her lower lip to one side and she shook her head quickly. —I don't know I, I don't know…

—But…

—No please! she caught her hand away, opened the bag in her lap — if you'll just let me…

—Because Christ if you think I'm, you think I think he's funny out there trying to hang on …

—You all do, she said in a voice near a whisper over the handkerchiefs faint edge of lavender —All of you that, that poor man this morning standing in a cradle he kept talking about standing in a cradle, we are now standing in the cradle he said trampling those sharp little leather heels of his who, who ever stood in a cradle no please!

But he held her fallen wrist there —listen! you can't, always somebody standing in your cradle somebody setting fire to your cracker you can't…

—Well why shouldn't he! he, even that even lighting my cracker he was trying it's, I think it was quite dear of him it's certainly nicer than, than the way you pick on people for trying especially on him when all he wants is to, why you can't simply, simply act like a grownup…

He'd recovered his hand, busied it now digging a matchbox from a pocket. —Never really expected to … he dug elsewhere, came up with a broken cigarette.

—To what, to grow up? she looked away from his hands, —do you think any of them do?

—Does. Any does.

—Pardon?