emb.seethemdie-第2部分

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on。〃
　Luis　shook　his　head；　picked　up　the　quarter；　and　reached　into　his　pocket。　He　made　the　change；　and　Zip　picked　it　up　and　started　for　the　telephone。　He　began　dialing。　Luis；　since　money　matters　had　been　brought　to　mind；　walked　to　the　cash　register；　reached　into　his　pocket；　and　put　in　his　day's　starting　money；　laying　the　bills　into　the　register　drawer。　He　was　about　to　break　open　a　roll　of　dimes　when　Zip　yelled；　〃Hey！　Hey；　Cooch！　Over　here！〃
　Luis　turned。　The　second　boy　was　also　from　the　neighborhood；　also　wearing　one　of　the　purple　silk　jackets；　but　he　was　younger　than　Zip。　Luis　studied　him　from　the　distance　of　age；　and　wondered　if　he　too　had　sported　such　a　ridiculously　thin　and　boyish…looking　mustache　when　he　was　sixteen。　He　decided　that　he　had　not。　The　boy　was　short　and　squat；　with　thick　powerful　hands。　His　plexion　was　dark。　He　spotted　Zip　from　the　middle　of　the　street　and　shouted；　〃Hey；　Zipboy！〃　and　then　broke　into　a　trot　for　the　luncheonette。　Luis　sighed　and　cracked　the　roll　of　dimes　on　the　edge　of　the　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　exci