cwilleford.miamiblues-第7部分

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ed　to　see　Freddy。
　　〃You　forgot　the　suitcase；〃　Freddy　said；　〃but　I　gave　it　to　Pablo。　The　clothes　are　in　the　bag　under　the　table。〃
　　〃I　didn't　really　forget。　I　just　thought　better　of　it。　A　lot　of　employees　know　what　I　do　in　the　hotel；　and　they　don't　like　me。　They　don't　like　any　of　us　girls；　because　of　the　money　we　make。　So　if　a　maid　saw　me　with　the　suitcase；　she'd　call　the　security　office　and　say　that　I　stole　it　from　a　guest　or　something。　Then；　when　I　told　the　security　officer　the　truth；　he'd　still　check　with　you；　and　he'd　find　out　that　you　didn't　have　any　other　luggage。　That　could　make　some　trouble　for　you。　What　I　think；　when　you　left　your　wife；　is　that　you　took　the　wrong　suitcase。　You　took　hers　instead　of　your　own。　Isn't　that　right？〃
　　〃Something　like　that。　That's　interesting；　Susan。　I　didn't　think　you　could　figure　out　something　that　plicated。〃
　　〃I　wasn't　always　a　thoughtful　person。　When　I　was　in　high　school　in　Okeechobee；　all　I　thought　about　was　having　a　good　time。　But　at　Miami…Dade；　the　teachers　want　us　to　use　our　minds。〃
　　〃Where's　Okeechobee？〃
　　〃It's　up　by　the　lake；　when　you　drive　north　to　Disney　World。〃
　　〃What　lake？〃
　　〃Lake　Okeechobee！〃　Susan　laughed。　〃It's　the　biggest　lake　in　the　whole　South。　Everybody　gets　their　water　down　here　from　Lake　Okeechobee。〃
　　〃I'm　from　California。　I　don't　know　shit　about　Florida。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　shit　about　California；　either。　So　I　guess　we're　even。〃
　　〃Lake　Tahoe's　a　pretty　good…size　lake　in　California。　Have　you　heard　of　Tahoe？〃
　　〃I've　heard　of　it；　but　I　don't　know　where　it　is。〃
　　〃Part　of　it's　in　Nevada；　and　the　rest　is　in　California。　On　the　Nevada　side；　you　can　gamble　in　the　casinos。〃
　　〃You　can't　gamble　in　Florida；　except　on　horses；　race　track　and　trotters；　on　dogs；　and　jai　alai。　Oh；　yes；　you　can　gamble　on　cockfighting　and　dogfighting；　too；　if　you　know　where　to　go。　But　all　other　forms　of　gambling；　the　governor　says；　are　immoral。〃
　　〃Is　the　governor　a　Jesuit？〃
　　〃That's　a　Catholic；　isn't　it？〃
　　〃An　educated　Catholic；　the　way　it　was　explained　to　me。〃
　　〃No；　he's　a　Protestant。　It　would　be　a　waste　of　money　for　a　Catholic　to　run　for　office　down　here。〃
　　〃Tell　me　about　Okeechobee；　and　tell　me　why　you　came　to　Miami。〃
　　〃It's　a　lot　hotter　up　there　than　it　is　here；　for　one　thing。　And　it　rains　more；　too；　because　of　the　lake。　It's　a　little　town；　not　big　like　Miami；　but　there's　lots　to　do；　like　bowling　and　going　juking；　or　fishing　and　swimming。　If　you　don't　like　country；　you　wouldn't　like　Okeechobee。　If　a　girl　doesn't　get　married；　there　isn't　much　future　there；　and　nobody　ever　asked　me　to　get　married。　I　did　the　cooking　for　my　daddy　and　my　brother；　but　that　didn't　stop　me　from　getting　pregnant。　That's　why　I　came　to　Miami；　really；　to　get　me　an　abortion。　My　father　said　it　was　a　disgrace　to　get　pregnant　that　way；　and　he　told　me　not　to　e　back…〃
　　〃The　〃Reader's　Digest〃　said　about　forty　percent　of　the　girls　who　get　pregnant　aren't　married。　What's　he　so　uptight　about？〃
　　〃My　brother；　Marty；　had　a　big　fight　with　him　about　that。　He　told　daddy　it's　the　Lord's　right　to　punish　people；　and　that　daddy　didn't　have　any　right　to　sit　in　judgment　on　me。　So　the　upshot　of　all　that　was　that　Marty　had　to　go　with　me；　and　he　was　told　not　to　e　back　either。　Daddy　doesn't　believe　in　much　of　anything；　and　Marty's　really　religious；　you　see。〃
　　〃So　you　both　came　down　to　Miami？〃
　　She　nodded。　〃On　the　bus。　Marty　and　me　are　really　close。　We　were　born　only　ten　months　apart；　and　he's　always　taken　my　side　against　daddy。〃
　　The　waitress　interrupted。　〃You　want　more　tea；　or　d'you　want　to　order　now？〃
　　〃I'll　have　the　Circe　Salad；〃　Susan　said。　〃I　always　get　that。〃
　　〃Me；　too；〃　Freddy　said。
　　〃You'll　like　the　Circe　Salad。　Daddy　gets　mad；　but　he　always　gets　over　it。　I　think　we　could　go　back　now；　and　he　wouldn't　say　a　word。　But　we've　done　so　well　down　here；　we're　going　to　stay　a　long　time。　We're　saving　our　money；　and　when　we've　got　enough　saved　Marty　wants　to　go　back　to　Okeechobee　and　get　us　a　Burger　King　franchise。　He'll　be　the　day　manager；　and　I'll　manage　nights。　We'll　build　a　house　on　the　lake；　get　us　a　speedboat；　and　everything。〃
　　〃Marty　has　it　all　figured　out。〃
　　Susan　nodded。　〃That's　why　I'm　going　to　Miami…Dade。　When　I　finish　English　and　social　science；　I'm　going　to　take　business　and　management　courses。〃
　　〃What　about　your　mother？　What　does　she　think　about　you　two　leaving？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　where　she　is；　and　neither　does　daddy。　She　was　working　the　counter　at　the　truck　stop；　and　then　one　night；　when　I　was　only　five；　she　ran　off　with　a　truck　driver。　Daddy　traced　her　as　far　as　New　Orleans；　paying　a　private　detective；　and　then　the　trail　got　cold。
　　〃But　Marty　and　me　are　doing　real　good　here。　He's　got　a　job　collecting　money　for　the　Hare　Krishnas；　and　he　gives　at　least　a　hundred　dollars　of　it　every　day　to　me　to　put　in　the　bank。　It's　a　hard　life　for　Marty；　pared　to　mine；　because　he's　restricted　to　the　camp　at　night；　and　he　has　to　get　up　at　four　A。M。　every　morning　to　pray。　But　he　doesn't　mind　working　seven　days　a　week　at　the　airport；　not　when　he　makes　a　hundred　dollars　a　day　for　us　to　save。〃
　　〃I　think　I　saw　one　out　at　the　airport　today。　I　don't　understand　this　Hare　Krishna　business。　What　are　they；　anyway？　It　doesn't　sound　American。〃
　　〃They　are　now。　It's　some　kind　of　religious　cult　from　India；　a　professional　beggars'　group；　and　now　they're　all　over　the　United　States。　They　must　be　in　California；　too。〃
　　〃Maybe　so。　I　never　heard　of　them　before；　that's　all。〃
　　〃Well；　Marty　saw　the　advantages　right　away；　because　it's　a　way　to　beg　legally。〃
　　Susan　leaned　forward　and　lowered　her　voice。
　　〃What　he　does；　you　see；　is　put　a　dollar　in　one　pocket　for　the　Krishnas；　and　a　dollar　in　another　pocket　for　us。　The　Knshnas；　being　a　religious　organization；　can　beg　at　the　airport；　whereas　if　you　were　to　go　out　there　and　beg；　they'd　put　you　in　jail。〃
　　〃In　other　words；　your　brother's　stealing　the　Krishnas　blind。〃
　　〃I　guess　you　can　put　it　that　way。　He　said　they'd　kick　him　out　if　they　ever　found　out。　But　they　aren't　going　to　catch　on。　I　meet　Marty　every　night　by　the　mailbox　outside　the　Airport　Hotel；　which　is　right　inside　the　airport。　While　I　pretend　to　mail　a　letter；　he　slips　the　money　into　my　purse。　He's　got　a　partner　who's　supposed　to　be　watching　him；　but　Marty　can　always　get　away　for　a　minute　to　go　to　the　men's　room。　What　I　can't　understand　is　why　those　passengers　out　there　hand　him　fives　and　tens；　and　sometimes　a　twenty；　just　because　he　asks　for　it。　He　says　they're　afraid　not　to；　that　they're　all　guilty　about　something　they've　done　bad。　But　he　sure　collects　a　lot　of　money　on　a　twelve…hour　shift　out　there。〃
　　The　waitress　brought　their　Circe　Salads：　large　chunks　of　romaine　lettuce；　orange　slices；　bean　and　wheat　sprouts；　shredded　coconut；　a　blob　of　vanilla　yogurt；　and　a　topping　of　grated　sugar…cane　sawdust　soaked　in　ginseng。　The　salad　was　served　in　a　porcelain　bowl　in　the　shape　of　a　giant　clam　shell。
　　〃I've　never　eaten　in　a　health　food　restaurant　before。〃
　　〃Me　neither；　till　I　came　to　Miami。　You　don't　have　to　eat　it　if　you　don't　like　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　like　the　ginseng　root。　Do　they　put　it　in　everything　here？〃
　　〃Just　about。　It's　supposed　to　make　you　feel　sexy；　so　they　use　ginseng　because　they　don't　serve　meat　here。　That's　the　reason；　I　think。〃
　　〃I'd　rather　have　meat。　This　would　be　all　right　without　the　ginseng　taste。　How'd　you　do　this　afternoon？〃
　　〃Fifty　dollars。　One　Colombian；　and　an　old　man　from　Dayton；　Ohio。　Counting　all　those　clothes　you　gave　me；　it　was　a　good　day　for　me。　Besides；　I　got　to　meet　you。　You're　the　nicest　man　I've　ever　met。〃
　　〃I　think　you're　nice；　too。〃
　　〃Your　hands　are　just　beautiful。〃
　　〃Nobody　ever　told　me　that　before。　Here…take　the　rest　of　my　salad。〃
　　〃You　didn't　even　try　the　yogurt。〃
　　〃Yogurt？　I　thought　it　was　soured　ice　cream。〃
　　〃No；　it's　yogurt。　It's　supposed　to　taste　a　little　sour。〃
　　〃I　don't　like　it。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Junior。　I　guess　I　should've　had　you　meet　me　at　the　Burger　King。　It's　right　across　from　the　school。〃
　　〃I'm　not　that　hungry。　I　had　a　club　sandwich　in　my　room；　before　I　bought　these　new　clothes。〃
　　〃Your　blue　shirt　matches　your　eyes。　Did　you　buy　it　because　i