J R

— Told me you need help andcouragement place to work Bast God damndest person to help andcourage I ever met, give you those God damned tickets get the God damned four seventeen apologize to you give you place of stone supposed to be in there working all you stand here and complain, number on the tag right up on Ninety-sixth Street see the number? Place of stone supposed to get in there and exult even throw in a piano how’s that, laughing fring whereon mad stringers told me Joan of Arc voices she heard? If not you, who. If not now, when, told me your talented sensitive purpose Bast take help and couragement from any brazen throat here… he seized a shoulder for support, took the key by the tag strung to it to drop in the breast pocket where he sagged for closer scrutiny. — Clever idea Bast tell you make a clean breast? Of all things known…

— What’s, oh that’s no that’s just… he jammed it into the pocket — if I can help you Mister Gibbs, if you’ll just wait here a minute I want to cash in these tickets…

— When Bast! When…! the door shuddered with a kick.

— No if you’ll just wait for a minute Mister Gibbs I…

— If not you, when! and the door banged as he turned for the grating.

— Say ah, hello? I just want to turn in these tick…

— Closed.

— Yes but, but you’re right here couldn’t you just…

— Closed can’t you see the clock?

— Yes well, well then when are you open.

— Can’t you see the sign…? Over penciled-in Os and 9s lipsticked lettering spelled suck and he turned at a sudden trot, hit the door hard and pulled it open.

— Oh hi Mister Bast. Was that Mister Gibbs yelling police just now?

— Yes but he, where is he did you see him?

— Around there, there’s this bar around there where he goes… the load shifted, — you walking home?

— Yes but, but why didn’t you get the bus.

— I just thought I’d wait up for you, how come you got more train tickets.

— I didn’t, he just gave them to me and I tried to turn them in but that agent says he’s closed so I can’t pay you right back but…

— There’s no big rush hey! did you see that?

— What.

— That lightning, boy it got real dark didn’t it? You in a hurry?

— Yes.

— Mister Bast? Could you wait up a second? Ijust have to fix this here shoelace… he’d crouched jackknifed over his armload, a sneaker mounting the curb that checked the rampant advance of grassgrown cracks stemming from the empty concrete shell of the Marine Memorial Plaza where a disabled French machinegun and a vacant flagpole held off the sky. — Boy it looks like we both need shoes, right? he finished with an urgent tug — holy, shit…

— And look will you please stop…

— No but it broke again, you know what I was thinking on the train hey? he came on righting his load, hurrying alongside — like I have this thing which what it is is it’s this selling outfit where what you do is you send in and they send you all these different shoes which you get to wear them around so people can see them, you know? See that’s how you sell them, see? I mean not the ones you’re wearing right off your feet but like you take their order and then you make this commission, you know? Like it says you can make a hundred dollars a week in your spare time and you get to wear these shoes around too, you want me to find it?

— No.

— Okay but I have this other thing about have your own import export business right from your Own home, you know? Maybe you could do that… they crossed a rutted bog opening on a dirt road. — Would you want to do that? Mister Bast?

— Do what.

— This import export business right from your own home.

— Import and export what.

— How do I know but I mean that’s not the thing anyway, you know? he kicked a can up the highway’s unkempt shoulder kicking the weeds for some remnant of sidewalk, — I mean the thing is just where you get to sell something like, wait a second…

— Look I want to get home before it rains, I can’t…

— No but anyway it’s just this other selling thing I got where it says you’ll never have to clean your toilet bowl again, see they send you this here…

— What makes you think I want to go around selling things! I don’t even…

— To make some money just like anybody I mean that’s what you wait up, I mean you’re taking such long steps hey? Mister Bast? Did you ever hear that one about if you need any money just ask my father he’s got piles?

— No.

— No but wait up hey, do you get it? Just ask my…

— I get it yes, look does your father know about all this sending away you’re doing?

— What?

— I said does your father…

— No but that’s just suppose to be this here joke see, where…

— I know it’s supposed to be this here joke! it’s the, it’s one of the worst I ever heard, I said does your fa…

— No but hey Mister Bast…? he came pushing shoulder high through Queen Anne’s laces hemming him in behind, — like what business is your father in.

— Music.

— What he writes it? like you?

— He writes it and he’s a prominent conductor look, music’s not a business like shoes or…