Last Exit to Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr (30 page)

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Abraham opened the door of his bigass Cadillac and
looked smugly around at the people sitting, the people passing and
the people washing their cars, children running back and forth with
clean buckets of water, before getting in and closing the door with a
flourish. He stretched his legs, pushing back against the seat, and
smiled. It was his. Ghud-damn right. All his. He looked at the
dashboard with all its knobs and patted it. Every ghuddamn hunk of
chrome belonged to him, Abe. He started the motor and let it idle,
then turned on the radio and opened the window on his side. He tuned
in the station he wanted, tapping his foot as a sax screeched and
wailed, took a cigarette out of the pack, placed it slowly and
carefully between his lips, pushed in the dashboard lighter, leaned
back, still tapping his foot and smiling, until the lighter popped
out then pulled it from the socket and lit his cigarette, blowing the
smoke at the windshield, watching it drift out the window. He looked
again at the poor studs washing their cars by hand and sneered. You
didnt catch this cat washing his own car. Not ol Abe. He rested his
elbow on the door, stretched his legs again and adjusted his genitals
(I/ll fuck the lightskinned ass ofener). Ol Abe always felt relaxed
and great in his Cadillac and today he felt betteranever. Ghuddamn if
this wasnt a real fine day and he looked at the back seat, at the
floor (seems to be a little messy, but the boys always clean it out
after theys finished washin), rubbed his hand along the fine
upholstery, patted the dashboard again ( ghuddamn if it didnt shine
like a babys ass), turned up the radio and once more dug the cats
washin their cars with buckets of water, soap and sponges. Ghuddamn
if it dont look like every ass in the Projects is out today washing
his car. Thats not fo me. Ah pays to have that shit done. Ah, it was
great, real great man, to just sit and dig the radio and smell the
car, that special CADILLAC smell and not have those ghuddamn
houserats arunnin all ovuhya, and that ghuddamn bitch yellin. Abe
inhaled deeply and flipped his cigarette out the window. Betta get
mah ass movin. He threw the car into reverse and backed out, made a
screeching u-turn (haha, looka those cats diggin me) and drove to
Blackies garage. He stepped forth from his Cadillac and Blackie came
over to greet him. How yodoin man? Great Blackie. Hows mah man? O K
pops. Want the usual job? Youknow me, ah knows how to treat a
Cadillac. Ahll be back afta awhile for it. Abe strolled down the
block to the barber shop and when he opened the door everyone greeted
him and he smiled and walked to a vacant seat, beaming at everyone
and waving his hand, his popularity making him feel great, real great
cause everyone knew he was a great guy, a real swing-in cat, and
everyone dug him the most. As soon as he sat down the bootblack came
over and started shining his shoes. He wisht that chick could see him
now and how everyone knew he was a great guy, but she/d know that
tonight. Man, would she know it. She/d know she wasnt messin with no
farm boy fresh from the south, but 01 Abe, and he was one stud who
really knew the score ( caressing his genitals ) and she/d damn sure
know it soon enough. The radio was playing and Abe sang along with
the vocalist, singing much louder, and he knew he was a damn sight
better than the cat on the radio, although he was good enough. The
bootblack finished with Abes shoes and he flipped him a half dollar.
Before Abe sat in the chair to have his hair cut he carefully combed
it again, adjusting each wave until it was in precisely the proper
position, then he sat down and said, the usual. He crossed his legs
and checked the barber in the mirror as he cut. He supervised the
cutting of each and every hair, having the barber lift a mirror to
the back of his head every few minutes, making certain the back was
absolutely straight across and not too short, checking the length of
his sideburns, watching how he shaved around the ears and telling him
to cut the tips of the few hairs that were sticking out on the left
side just behind the second wave. The chair was leveled and Abe was
shaved, the barber working carefully so there wouldnt be any
irritation or danger of a slight rash, and Abe told him which way to
go as he shaved the different parts of his face, telling him to be
careful of that pimple. When he was finished the barber wiped his
face with a towel, not too hot but just the way Ol Abe liked it, then
carefully rubbed in skin cream and a special after shave lotion. Then
Abe had his mustache trimmed and the hair in his nose cut. He stepped
out of the chair and looked at himself in the mirror, combing his
hair and adjusting the waves, and flashed a couple of bills into the
barbers hands. He stayed for a while with the boys, listening to and
singing along with the music, telling the boys about the fine chicks
hes got after him and the cool brown-skinned chick that was givin him
the eye last night and how he dumped some big mothafucka on his ass a
few weeks ago in MELS, and ah mean he was big Jim, and he had a blade
that long, but ah laid one onim and pow, he went down jus lake that,
and showed them his fist and smiled and they all laughed and he waved
again as he sauntered out the door. Yeah, they all liked Ol Abe. He
looked at his watch, but it was still too early to pick up the
Cadillac. Itll takem a few more hours to do a good job. Too bad,
cause this was the kindda day you lake to take a ride and just cruise
around and dig the music on the radio and maybe pick somethin up. Too
bad that chick wasnt around now. They could go for a little drive . .
. yeah, man, a little drive, hehehe . . . well, maybe we do a little
drivin tonight . . . He snapped his fingers, sheeeit ... He stopped
outside the movie and studied the signs advertising the movies being
shown. Two cowboy pictures were playing so Ol Abe decided hed kill
the afternoon in the movie and sheeit, he always did dig cowboy
pictures and when he got out the Cadillac would be ready.

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THE PLAYGROUND

Most of the kids were out now, running around,
knocking or being knocked down, depending upon their size. Some
picked up a few bags of garbage that were lying around the halls and
started a fire, running around it yelling, picking up pieces of
burning garbage and throwing it at each other until a few doors
opened and they were told ta get the fuck outta there ya little
mothafuckas and they kicked the fire around the hall, yelled fuck
you, and ran down the stairs, screaming, and out of the building.
Others put strips of paper in the mail boxes with mail, then lit the
paper and jumped up and down gleefully as the mail burned and the
flames blackened the wall. When all the mail had been burned they
rang as many bells as they could reach then ran screaming from the
building. Heads popped out of windows and the kids were told theyd
get their goddamn asses kicked if they didnt stop that shit and a bag
of garbage and an empty bottle were thrown at them and the kids
laughed and said up yur ass and ran to the playground where the
smaller ones climbed up the sliding pond, knocking off the even
younger kids, stamping on the hands of those who tried to climb the
ladder, yanking another one off, kicking another in the face; then
they made the rounds of the seesaws, flipping kids off, banging one
in the face with the seesaw, the younger kids lying on the ground
crying until a few parents, sitting in the sun, looked over and
yelled, then the kids ran away to another part of the playground; and
some of the bigger kids took a basketball away from the kids on the
court and when the owner of the ball started crying for his ball they
finally hurled it at him smashing his nose and making it bleed and
one of his friends yelled at the fleeing kids calling them black
bastards and they came back and told him he was blackeran shit and
the other kids said they had black bedbugs and the other kid said his
mother fucks for spicks and the kid pulled out a nailfile and slashed
the other kid across the cheek and then ran, his friends running with
him; and in the far corner of the playground a small group of kids
huddled quietly, keeping to themselves, ignoring the fighting and
screaming, their arms of comradeship around each others shoulders,
laughing and smoking marijuana.

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HURRYUP AND DRESS THE KID. I WANNA TAKE JOEY FOR A
HAIRCUT. WHATAYA MEAN HAIRCUT? SHAKING HER HAND IN HIS FACE. WHATS
THE MATTA HE GOTTA TAKE A HAIRCUT? SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIS HAIR, EH?
WHATZA MATTA YOU WANNA CUT IT OFF? ITS TOO LONG, THATS WHATZA MATTA.
LOOK, HES GOT CURLS LIKEA GURL, PULLING JOEY RY HIS HAIR, ALMOST
LIFTING HIM OFF HIS FEET, THE KID YELLING AND KICKING AT VINNIE. ITS
TOO LONG, THATS WHATZA MATTA. MARY GRARRED A HANDFUL OF HAIR AND SAID
WHATZA MATTA WITH THE CURLS? YOU DONT LIKE CURLS SO THE KID GOTTA
TAKE A HAIRCUT? NO, I DONT LIKE ALL THOSE CURLS, VIOLENTLY SHAKING
THE HAND HOLDING JOEYS HAIR. I DONT WANIM LOOKIN LIKE NO GURL. HES
GONNA TAKE A HAIRCUT. YURAZ HES GONNA TAKE A HAIRCUT. I LIKE HIS HAIR
LONG AND CURLY AND ITS GONNA STAY LIKE DAT, PULLING SO HARD ON JOEYS
HAIR SHE LIFTED HIM FROM THE FLOOR AND HE SCREECHED AND SCRATCHED HER
HAND SO HARD SHE OPENED IT AND HE TURNED AND KICKED HIS FATHER AND
SCRATCHED HIS HAND AND VINNIE LET GO OF HIS HAIR AND SLAPPED HIM ON
THE RACK OF HIS

HEAD AND MARY KICKED HIS ASS AND THEY YELLED AT HIM,
BUT JOEY DIDNT MIND, HE JUST KEPT RUNNING AND THEY TURNED BACK TO
EACH OTHER. VINNIE YELLED AGAIN TA GET THE KID DRESSED SO HE COULD
TAKEIM FOR A HAIRCUT AND MARY SAID HE DONT NEED ONE. MEEEEEE, WHAT A
FUCKIN JERK. THE KIDS HAIRS DOWN TA HISZASS AND SHE SAYS HE DONT NEED
NO HAIRCUT. YEAH. I SAY. I SAY. IT LOOKS NICE. I LIKE IT. HE AINT
SUPPOSEDTA LOOK LIKE A GURL. WHO SAYS, EH? WHO SEZ. AND ANYWAY HE
DONT LOOK LIKE NO GURL. HE LOOKS CUTE. VINNIE SLAPPED HIS HEAD AND
GROANED. MEEEEEE, HE LOOKS CUTE. WHAT KINDDA CUTE WITH ALL DOZE
CURLS. WHATSAMATTA WITH CURLS, EH? WHATSAMATTA? DIDNT YA BRODDA
AUGIES KID HAVE CURLS AND DIDNT ROSIE MAKE IT STAY LONG, EH? EH? SO
WHAT THE FUCK YAYELLIN ABOUT? YEAH. YEAH. AND YA SEE HOW CREEPY THE
KID IS. LONG HAIR MAKES A KID CREEPY. THATS WHAT IT DOES. GODFABID MY
KID GROWS UP LIKE THAT. ID GIVEM A SHOT IN THE HEAD, joey peeked at
them from his room. WHO YA GONNA GIVE A SHOT IN THE HEAD, EH? WHO?
WHATTAYAMEAN WHO? ILL GIVE YAONE TOO. YA THINK SO, EH? YEAH. GOAHEAD.
GOAHEAD. ILL SPLIT YA FUCKIN SKULL. WHOSE SKULL YA GONNA SPLIT. EH?
YOU MAKEIM TAKE A HAIRCUT. GOAHEAD, MAKEIM. YOULL SEE. I SAY HES
GOTTA TAKE A HAIRCUT SO SHUT UP, YEAH? WAVING HIS HAND IN HER FACE
AND MARY HIT HIM ON THE FOREHEAD AND YELLED SHE DIDNT WANT JOEY TA
TAKE A HAIRCUT AND VINNIE SHOVED HER, GO WAAAAAAY, AND WENT TO JOEYS
ROOM. JOEY WAS SITTING IN THE CORNER WATCHING THE DOOR AND STARTED TO
SCREAM WHEN VINNIE PICKED HIM UP AND CARRIED HIM TO THE CLOSET AND
STARTED YANKING CLOTHES OFF THE HANGERS. HE SAT THE KID ON THE BED
AND STARTED DRESSING HIM WHEN MARY CAME IN AND SHOVED HIM AWAY FROM
JOEY AND TOLD HIM TA LAY OFF, HE DIDNT HAVE TA TAKE A HAIRCUT, AND
VINNIE SHOVED HER AGAINST THE WALL AND TOLD HER TA LEAVEIM ALONE,
YEAH? AND CONTINUED DRESSING JOEY AND MARY CAME BACK AND SCREECHED IN
HIS FACE AND STARTED SHOVING AND HE SHOVED BACK WITH ONE HAND WHILE
TRYING TO DRESS JOEY WITH THE OTHER AND JOEY SAT ON THE BED KICKING
HIS FEET AND YELLING AND THE YOUNGER KID CRAWLED IN FROM THE LIVING
ROOM AND SAT BY THE BED FOR A MOMENT THEN HE TOO STARTED YELLING AND
VINNIE SHOVED MARY HARDER AND SHE FELL BACK, TRIPPING OVER THE BABY,
FALLING ON THE FLOOR AND SHE JUMPED BACK UP AND STARTED KICKING
VINNIE AND HE BACKHANDED HER HARD ACROSS THE FACE AND JOEY TWISTED
AWAY FROM VINNIE AND LAY ON HIS STOMACH CRYING AND KICKING AND THE
BABY WAS SILENT FOR A SECOND AS MARY FELL OVER HIM THEN STARTED
WAILING EVEN LOUDER AND MARY SAID TA LEAVE THE FUCKIN KID ALONE AND
VINNIE GRABBED HER BY THE SHOULDERS AND SHOOK HER AND ASKED
WHATZAMATTA YA CRAZY AND SHOVED HER AGAINST THE WALL AGAIN AND JOEY
FELL FROM THE BED ONTO THE FLOOR AND HE KICKED THE FLOOR SCREAMING,
HIS HANDS POUNDING THE FLOOR AND VINNIE LEANED OVER THE BED AND
PICKED HIM UP AND STARTED DRESSING HIM AGAIN AND MARY PUMMELED HIM
OVER THE HEAD WITH HER FISTS AND VINNIE KEPT SHOVING HER AWAY AND
DRAGGING CLOTHES OVER THE KIDS ARMS AND LEGS AND WHEN HIS SHIRT
RIPPED AND VINNIE PULLED HIS ARM TOO FAR HE LET GO OF THE KID FOR A
MINUTE AND PUNCHED MARY ON THE JAW AND SHE WENT STAGGERING THROUGH
THE DOORWAY, BOUNCED OFF A WALL AND FELL TO THE FLOOR AND THE BABY
WATCHED, STILL WAILING AND JOEY STOPPED KICKING FOR A MINUTE AND
VINNIE DRAGGED SOMEMORE CLOTHES ON THE KID, THEN JOEY STARTED YELLING
AGAIN, BUT HE WAS ALMOST DRESSED NOW AND MARY WAS STILL UNCONSCIOUS
AND VINNIE WAS STILL MUMBLING TO HIMSELF ABOUT THE KID GOTTA TAKE A
HAIRCUT, HE AINT GONNA LOOK LIKE NO CREEP AND AUGIE WAS GODDAMN MAD
ROSIE DIDNT MAKE THE KID TAKE A HAIRCUT AND HE AINT GONNA HAVE NO
SHIT LIKE THAT AND HE FINALLY GOT ENOUGH CLOTHES ON JOEY AND MARY
STARTED TO MOAN AND VINNIE YELLED TA SHUTUUUUUP AND HE DRAGGED JOEY
FROM THE ROOM INTO THE OTHER BEDROOM AND VINNIE GOT A JACKET AND PUT
IT ON AND THE BABY HAD CRAWLED OVER TO MARY AND WAS SLAPPING HER ON
THE STOMACH AND GIGGLING AND MARY OPENED HER EYES AND VINNIE AND JOEY
CAME OUT OF THE ROOM AND SHE TRIED TO GRAB VINNIES LEG AS HE STEPPED
OVER HER, BUT HE JUST SHOOK IT LOOSE AND SHE WATCHED THEM LEAVE THE
APARTMENT, SLOWLY GETTING TO HER FEET AND SHE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE
LIVING ROOM WINDOW JUST AS VINNIE AND JOEY WERE LEAVING THE BUILDING,
JOEY STILL YELLING, BUT NOT AS LOUD, AS VINNIE DRAGGED HIM ALONG AND
MARY OPENED THE WINDOW AND YELLED COME BACK YA FUCKIN SONOFABITCH AND
VINNIE SHOOK HIS HAND AT HER SHUTUUUUUUP, YEAH? AND HE CONTINUED DOWN
THE PATH TO THE STREET, MARY STILL SCREAMING FROM THE WINDOW. . .