Manhunt. Volume 2, Number 10, December, 1954

Manhunt. Volume 2, Number 10, December, 1954

Pretty Boy by Hal Ellson

Man, it was the most. I was flying high — until I did that crazy thing...

* * *

I don’t know what happened. I’m high on a bottle of wine and heading for the Pelican’s territory. I’m going to blast the first I see.

I never got there. I ran into Sadie. I snatched that witch and right off she asks me if I’m high again, like she don’t know.

I’m gone already. Me and her went up on the roof. I want some more, I tell her. Since it’s me she don’t care, she says. But up on the roof she gives me the line. I bang her across the face and she has to give.

Next day I’m at her house. The crowd came and we put on records and danced, then cut out to the show.

That’s where I met Zelma. I make Sadie introduce me, and Zelma says, “So you’re Pretty Boy I heard so much about. You’re mighty slim to raise all that hell gang fighting.”

I smiled and felt proud. Sadie’s mad. I let her go and ask Zelma who she go with.

“Nobody,” she says.

“Who you planning on going with?”

“I got somebody in mind right now,” she says, watching me slyly.

“But it can’t be me,” I say, “cause I just met you.”

“Yes, it’s you, but what about Sadie?”

“Don’t worry about her.”

“If I ask you, would you go with me?”

“You go with me to the show next Sunday and I’ll tell you.”

Next Sunday I hit the show, went upstairs and saw her with one of the other cats. If he was one of the Pelicans he’d be dead in his seat. It was one of my own boys. I sat down in front of her. When that other cat went for a drink, I turned and said, “Dig, girl, what you sitting with him for?”

“He made me, I didn’t want to,” she says.

“Yeah, he can’t make you do nothing. Do you or don’t you want to go with me?”

“Yeah, Pretty Boy.”

“Then get up and let’s sit over there.”

After the stage show, I took her out and she went home. Back in my own neighborhood, one of my boys comes up and says, “Did you know Zelma’s coming down here tonight?” I didn’t but I was waiting for her at the subway that evening. When she came up the steps, I asked what she was doing around.

“Coming to see you,” she says.

“You’re a damned liar, cause you wasn’t. You was coming to see Teddy.”

“I was coming to see you. Don’t you believe me?”

I didn’t, but I tell her, “Let’s go for a walk.”

We went to a little place they call a park. Nothing there but a blade of grass, a rock, a tree, a bench, and one light. “Baby,” I say, “It’s too light here for what I want.”

She gave me a funny look, then said, “There’s a whole field of grass behind us.”

Next day she had on a ring from the Five and Ten. She showed it to the girls, saying me and her is engaged. One of the witches asked me about it and that’s when I went looking for Zelma’s skin. I found her with some of her friends and right off I say, “What’s the idea of telling these dogs I gave you a ring?” Damn, she looked ready to cry, and me, I don’t want her to feel bad so I turn to the others. “Yeah, I gave her the ring. What about it?” I said to them.

One girl laughed. “Pretty Boy, you’re sweet but you’re evil,” she tells me.

That night I bought me some reefers. I got crazy high quick and sent Zelma home for my pistol. Then I picked up the rest of the boys, cause we got a “war” on with the Pelicans. We taxied into foreign territory, fired a few wild shots and flew, cause the cops was hot in the streets.

By that time I’m so high they have to drag me from the taxi. I was real goofed and when Zelma met me, she was half goofed and didn’t care where we went, so we went up on her roof.

“I don’t care what happens,” she said. “I hope you can’t ever quit me. I’m going to buy you a coat.”

“Baby, you love me, steal me some good shirts, I’m partial to blue,” I tell her.

“I’ll steal a box of them for you, all with pearly buttons, as long as you love me.”

“Yeah, baby, you’re the only one I ever did love. If I went to jail, what would you do?”

“I’d wait for you.”

I felt in my pockets for money. “I want some more Pete and reefers,” I tell her. “You get the stuff cause I’m shy of the streets tonight.”

Yeah, she bought the wine and reefers for me and we got high.

Late the next afternoon, I went to the poolroom. “Hey Joe, let me go with a couple of sticks,” I said to the man.

“Ain’t got them with me. I’ll be back in ten minutes,” he says, and I waited.

Good stuff he brought back. “I got fifty more, if you want to push them for me,” he tells me.

“Yeah, what’s the profits, man?” I asked.

“Same as always,” he says. “But dig man, don’t try to cheat me cause I got everything counted. I don’t want to cut you, but I’ll do it if I have to. You got money and sticks for yourself. If the cops bust you, I won’t be there but somebody’ll be there for you.”

“Okay, Joe.”

“Keep a cool head, and don’t talk or you’ll have us all in the slam. See you later, kid.”