to be fairNOW now he could be fingered or at fault if there were a second time as could she be
they were distant cousinsWho knew
if someone wanted to blood type em unwind their double-helix strands trudge through comparative genealogies they might find they were third cousins maybemaybe dipped their toes quick in the deep river of second cousins
but nobody with memory was still alive and there was a lot of family a lot of Catholic family with little distractions except radio at night I don’t know, what do you want to do? I don’t know . . what do you want to do? You don’t know? No. I don’t. Got an idea. Yes? Howbout we do each other?
no matter
there wasnt going to be an offspring in the offing from a frolic in the backseat of someones unlocked car parked inside a tall chainlink fenced church asphalt basketball courts with hoops on the sides
the wedding had taken place inside the church and the reception was in its basement
the Polish priestas good as an Irish one saw no need to banish libations
Comon called transubstantiation drink this wine it is my blood the blood of the new and everlasting covenant if he remembered right
despite being tipsy she saidthis girl when he said he thought he got it right he poured heavy into her colas No. No, no, no . . he wanted her to get all those Nos out now . . As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. Later . . And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Youah memorise that What if I did? More power to ya Matthew right he was partial to Matthew Its bread and wine babybody and blood Matthew. Yes. Matthew Twentysix, verse Twentyeight.
Memorise that too Christ might be tough to get into her pants
the priest Father Gene nah he really had no wiggle room to disallow wine and beer and whisky
no matter
he went through the line before the cake was cutpretty sure it was a Polack thing a line leads to the married couplenewlyminted he didnt know which he was related to for a buck he got a shot of whisky and a cigar hed hug the groom and kiss the bride
she was really goodlookin
he could hardly wait to kiss her
and then she kissed something fantastic
he went through the line three timeskinda ticked the groom off Christ he thought dont bellyache I think shes going home with ya
he had a little buzzwas a little high from the Old Crow shots
three White Owl cigars were tucked in his sports jacket pocket it was a tasteful jacket itd fly for a wedding
he thought hed head outside and smoke ponder the state of matrimony the union of two souls
Fuck whaif he didnt have a soul he never felt encumbered
hed seen his birth certificate he thought thered be something on it a stamp an impress attesting to his incoming soul . Not to save your soul . I wouldnt bet my soul on it . Brutha ya got a line on some good soul food
he did like soul food coudbe something to it
it was on the green and white striped canopy over the entrance to a train car SAM’S HOME COOKIN’ SOUL FOOD
Sam was a huge gregarious black man who wore a stained apron that he could barely tie behind himself somebody had to help
Sam always had young goodlookin black girls waitressing
he dug the music
first time he went in he drew some stares Sam stared them down mans a paying customer donmatter his colour his colour is green baby
later he became a bit of a fixture the token white boy he knew all the girlscalled them by their namenames stitched on their nametags sewn to the white aprons they wore over their chiffon green serving outfits
the stitching reminded him of his fathers bowling shirts whod shit if he knew his son was south of Madison or carousing south of Van Buren too
his old man was racist begat by a racist if his old man tried to inform him his Maw cut him to the quick his Maw wasnt racist her fault was sometimes she just didnt like peopledidnt like their look an aint nothing could convince her otherwise he wasnt sure which prejudice might be worse
his unattested soul might have been nourished by Sams soul food
whynot
he thought hed head outside smoke a cigar ponder the state of matrimony marriage
he heard marriages didnt last fiftyfifty a coin toss a huge ceremony lotsa money spent souls fused wha lousy soldering lousy welding not committed too much temptation vowing until death do you part is too long the couples were too youngtoo immature didnt get the enormity of their vows
somebody got drunk
Christ
on a particularly deep puff and lengthy exhale like smoke ejected from a riveted stack of a woodburning steam engine he saw a whiff of smoke dissembling a few cars over
he wandered overthought hed engage the fellow cigar smoker
she surprised him
she was one of the bridesmaids easily the youngest one a real looker despite the braces on her teeth shortcropped dirtyblonde ruddy complexion that would have better suited a redhead sparkling green eyes
she must have heard him coming
her head was upshe was listening hard she fixed him the moment he stepped into view into the space between the cars
she sat on a parking curb
Hiya
Hello she said
Enjoying the cigar
I am. Though I’m not a fan of White Owls, but what the hell, beggars can’t be choosers; not like they were gonna spring a ton of dough on really good cigars.
Not a fanhuh
No. My father and uncles smoke good cigar. I snitch one occasionally from their humidors, at home and when we visit, then I wait to have it or duck the cousins.
Duck the cousins They dont pick up the scent on you
You kiddin? Got lots uncles and everyone’s puffing. We all smell like cigar smoke; drives the aunts nuts.
Thats choice
Choicer? Uncle Ben’s got a buddy who sends him Cubans. Ever have a Cuban?
No
No. Too bad. You haven’t lived. When he gets them he makes a lot of noise about it. He’s generous. He shares. I try to get into them between shares, fingers crossed he loses count. But I think he knows I’m copping them. But he ain’t saying. So I’m looking forward to when I’m old enough so I can have a cigar with him that I bought. It’d be nice to smoke with him.
Thats thoughtful
Well. I think a lotI think that’s why I like cigars. I can muse. I watch the smoke curl off itwatch the smoke curl in the air above me when I exhale. I parse ways of getting out of my housemy folks and I don’t see eye to eye, if they knew I was out here smoking a cigar they’d hit the jets. How unladylike! Yeah, I ain’t no lady.
asif on cue the ash crumbled off her cigar and onto the breast of bridesmaid dress
she felt its weight before she saw it
he saw it
she pierced him with a look dropped her eyes to her breast brushed it away looked back at him he was still looking at her breast but felt her eyes on him
he looked up
where she brushed the ash away it smudged her gown she smiled See? No lady.
Lemme look again
he looked then he looked back into her eyes Yah I see But I like what I see
Oh for cryin out loud! standing up from the curb she weaved a bit
he stepped forward just in case
she held her hand up stop the cigar smouldering between her fingers Just a moment, Mr. Thoughtful.
Ya got it
she straightened upstraightened her spine got her head balanced between her shoulders
Got it Better
Better. she shrugged her shoulders
he admired how her breasts bobbed
his admiration wasnt lost on her
Soah . . let me ask you something, Mr. Thoughtful.
Yah
How old are you?
Fifteen
You wouldn’t lie to me?
I dont know you
Wouldnt think to lie to you
To try and get in my pants.
Whaa
How old do you think I am?
Sixteenseventeen
Seventeen.
Awright Seventeen
You wanna mess around?
1224, Friday, 7 2. 20
1713, Day-between-Two-Ts, 5 8. 20
