IPOD
RADIO
"Ok, look," Lugo lights another cigarette, takes a long first drag. "This? We could give a fuck. We're out there on a higher calling." He nods at a passing patrol car, something the driver said making him laugh. "You know what I'm saying?"
"More serious shit?"
"There you go."
"That's all I got."
"I'm not talking about what you got. I'm talking about what you know."
"What I know?"
"You know what I'm saying."
They both turn and look off in the direction of the East River, two guys having a moment, one with his hands behind his back.
Finally, the kid exhales heavily. "Well, I can tell you where a weed spot is."
"You're kidding me, right?" Lugo rears back. "I'll tell you where a weed spot is. I'll tell you where fifty is. I can get you better shit than this for half what you paid seven days a week with blindfolds on."
The kid sighs, tries not to look at the barely curious locals, coming out of the Banco de Ponce ATM center and the Dunkin' Donuts, the college kids hopping in and out of taxis.
"C'mon. Do right by me, I'll do right by you." Lugo absently tosses the baggie from hand to hand, drops it, picks it up.
"Do right like how?"
"I want a gun."
"A what? I don't know a gun."
"You don't have to know a gun. But you know someone who knows someone, right?"
"Aw, man…."
"For starters, you know who you bought this shit from, right?"
"I don't know any guns, man. You got forty dollars a weed there. I paid for it with my own money, 'cause it helps me relax, helps me party. Everybody I know is like, go to work, go to school, get high. That's it."
"Huh… so like, there's no one you would call, say, 'Yo, I just got jacked in the PJs. I need me a onetime whistle, can I meet you at such and such?"
"A whistle?"
Lugo makes a finger gun.
"You mean a hammer?"
"A hammer, a whistle…." Lugo turns away and tightens his ponytail.
"Pfff…." The kid looks off, then, "I know a knife."
Lugo laughs. "My mother has a knife."
"This one's used."
"Forget it." Then, chin-tilting to the other kid. "What about your sidekick there."
"My cousin? He's like half-retarded."
"How about the other half?"
"Aw, c'mon." The driver lolls his head like a cow.
Another patrol car rolls up, this one to pick up the prisoner.
"All right, just think about it, ok?" Lugo says. "I'll see you back in holding in a few hours."
"What about my car?"
"Gilbert Grape there, he's got a license?"
"His brother does."
"Well then tell him to call his brother and get his ass down here before you wind up towed."
"Damn." The calling out: "Raymond! You hear that?"
The cousin nods but makes no move to retrieve the cell phone from the car hood.
"So, you never answered my question," Lugo says, skull-steering him into the rear of the cruiser. "You ever been locked up before?"
The kid turns his head away, murmurs something.
"It's OK, you can tell me."
"I said, 'Yes.'"
"For?"
The kid shrugs, embarrassed, says, "This."
"Yeah? Around here?"
"Uh-huh."
"How long back?"
"On Christmas Eve."
"Oh Christmas Eve for this?" Lugo winces. "That is cold. Who the hell would… You remember who collared you?"
"Uh-huh," the kid mutters, then looks Lugo in the face. "You."
- Richard Price, "Lush Life"
"More serious shit?"
"There you go."
"That's all I got."
"I'm not talking about what you got. I'm talking about what you know."
"What I know?"
"You know what I'm saying."
They both turn and look off in the direction of the East River, two guys having a moment, one with his hands behind his back.
Finally, the kid exhales heavily. "Well, I can tell you where a weed spot is."
"You're kidding me, right?" Lugo rears back. "I'll tell you where a weed spot is. I'll tell you where fifty is. I can get you better shit than this for half what you paid seven days a week with blindfolds on."
The kid sighs, tries not to look at the barely curious locals, coming out of the Banco de Ponce ATM center and the Dunkin' Donuts, the college kids hopping in and out of taxis.
"C'mon. Do right by me, I'll do right by you." Lugo absently tosses the baggie from hand to hand, drops it, picks it up.
"Do right like how?"
"I want a gun."
"A what? I don't know a gun."
"You don't have to know a gun. But you know someone who knows someone, right?"
"Aw, man…."
"For starters, you know who you bought this shit from, right?"
"I don't know any guns, man. You got forty dollars a weed there. I paid for it with my own money, 'cause it helps me relax, helps me party. Everybody I know is like, go to work, go to school, get high. That's it."
"Huh… so like, there's no one you would call, say, 'Yo, I just got jacked in the PJs. I need me a onetime whistle, can I meet you at such and such?"
"A whistle?"
Lugo makes a finger gun.
"You mean a hammer?"
"A hammer, a whistle…." Lugo turns away and tightens his ponytail.
"Pfff…." The kid looks off, then, "I know a knife."
Lugo laughs. "My mother has a knife."
"This one's used."
"Forget it." Then, chin-tilting to the other kid. "What about your sidekick there."
"My cousin? He's like half-retarded."
"How about the other half?"
"Aw, c'mon." The driver lolls his head like a cow.
Another patrol car rolls up, this one to pick up the prisoner.
"All right, just think about it, ok?" Lugo says. "I'll see you back in holding in a few hours."
"What about my car?"
"Gilbert Grape there, he's got a license?"
"His brother does."
"Well then tell him to call his brother and get his ass down here before you wind up towed."
"Damn." The calling out: "Raymond! You hear that?"
The cousin nods but makes no move to retrieve the cell phone from the car hood.
"So, you never answered my question," Lugo says, skull-steering him into the rear of the cruiser. "You ever been locked up before?"
The kid turns his head away, murmurs something.
"It's OK, you can tell me."
"I said, 'Yes.'"
"For?"
The kid shrugs, embarrassed, says, "This."
"Yeah? Around here?"
"Uh-huh."
"How long back?"
"On Christmas Eve."
"Oh Christmas Eve for this?" Lugo winces. "That is cold. Who the hell would… You remember who collared you?"
"Uh-huh," the kid mutters, then looks Lugo in the face. "You."
- Richard Price, "Lush Life"
For those of you outside the U.S., this is the American version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway," which was hosted way back when by Drew Carey. It's an old clip but if you've never seen it (or even if you have), watch and be amazed....
--This afternoon, two soft taps on the door. At the beginning it was awkward, looking at my books, the prints on the walls, my digs. She drank only water from the tap. In thrall to her quietness, I had not much to say. She went into the bedroom and closed the door. All was silence. Finally I went in. She was in bed with the covers up to her chin. She was skittish, balky, turned her head away from my kiss. She had to be dragged into it. She had to be held down to do what she had come to do.
Afterward it was as if I lay in the blue-green warmth of Monet's pond, feeling the wet lilies clinging to my skin.
- E.L. Doctorow, "City of God"
Afterward it was as if I lay in the blue-green warmth of Monet's pond, feeling the wet lilies clinging to my skin.
- E.L. Doctorow, "City of God"
I was sitting in a sauna, y'know
Such a hot spot
Where you get in naked and al, and where it's hot and al,
Is there an Easter Bunny coming in, y'know,
With those big ears, y'know
He spreaded his legs and says to me:
"You've got a nice ribbon around your nuts"
I say: "What?"
He says: "You've got a nice ribbon around your nuts"
I say: "I don't have a ribbon around my
nuts man, look at your own nuts!"
He says: "Oh, do you want to see my nuts?
Oh, do you want t see my nuts?"
I say: "I don't want to see your nuts dude!"
I got pretty sick of that animal, dude
I thought, get the fuck out of here
I'm walking out,
I see the thermostat and think: 'hehehehe'
THEY'RE MELTING THE EASTER BUNNY!!
For all you Michael Jackson fans out there.
ARE there any Michael Jackson fans left out there?
I just found out my brother-in-law has a part in a movie with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale & Marie Cottilard. Imagine that....
While I'm at it -
eww
