***
That night Stony picked up Annette for dinner. He was moody and silent. Chubby's little talk yesterday was like a pebble in his shoe.
Stony humped away, but his heart wasn't into it. Finally, he began to lose his hard-on. Annette stared up at him, nervous beneath his automatic-pilot thrusting. Stony pulled out, rolled on his back shielding his eyes with his arm. Annette lay next to him wondering what the hell happened, where he went to.
"You didn't come?" She leaned on her side, facing him.
"Yeah, I came."
"Don't bullshit me, you did not." Annette had a broad, freckled face. Her eyes were the slightest bit crossed, that and the fact that she had the disarming habit of licking her lips whenever she talked to a guy she liked gave the impression that she was always dizzy with lust.
"How do you know?" Stony raised his arm from his face.
"When somebody comes in you, you know it."
"You know, Annette, when you talk like that, you got no class." Stony absently played with her long red hair, then dropped his hand to his side.
"Oh! Excuse me, Mister Firstnighter! I din't notice any cuffs on your underwear."
"Now you talkin'stupid. I just meant, ah, forget it." Stony sat up and reached for his cigarette pack wedged between the bed and the wall. Annette sat up and took one from the pack. "Hey, Annette, how many guys you ever slept with?" She leaned away from the offered light. Stony mistook the blush of anger in her face for guilt.
"I don't know," she answered coldly.
"More than ten?"
"You mean this week? Or just the weekend?"
"See that shit? There you go again!" Stony stared at the smooth stumps of two fingers on her left hand.
"I don't like questions like that, Stony." She started dressing.
"What the hell you gettin' so defensive about! I just ast you a simple question. Whadya got, a guilt complex or somethin'?"
"A guilt..." Annette froze, half-dressed. She was beside herself with rage. Bewildered and furious at the sudden change in Stony, she looked at herself, then at him. "What the hell am I gettin' dressed for! I live here! You get dressed!" She pointed a finger at Stony. "An' get the hell outta here, you goddamn nowhere asshole!" Stony casually ditched his cigarette, slipped into his jeans and shirt. "I ain't nowhere." Stony tucked in his shirt. "I'm just somewhere you ain't." Inside, his guts were falling apart. He felt like a little kid slugging his best friend in the back of the head just to see what would happen. As he sauntered to the door, he threw one out: "Give my regards to the janitor."
"The who?" Annette stood in her panties and unhooked bra staring incredulously at Stony.
Stony tried to look flip and cool but felt the bile shooting up. He left quickly, quietly closing the door behind him.
Dazed and in pain, Annette looked around her for a clue to what had just happened.
19
TUESDAY AFTERNOON Stony heard his name paged over the hospital PA system. He felt like Ben Casey as he trotted down the hall in his hospital whites to the phone at the nurses' station.
"Stony."
"Butler! What's happenin'? They catch those guys yet?"
"It's mine."
"What's yours?"
"The store. Frank wants out. He says he'll sign it over to me for free. He's movin' down to Florida."
"Whoa! Hold on."
"It's mine. Butler's Hosiery Palace."
"Wait up. What the fuck do you know about that shit? You don't know how to run a business."
"I'll learn, man, my own goddamn place."
"Hey, last week you were talkin' summer job, now you're talkin' life career."
"I can really make it though."
"Hey, c'mon, Bobby, be right! You wanna spend the next thirty years there in that little hole?"
"I'll expand."
"Expand what? Your uncle's dyin' in there; whatta you gonna do, sell panties until you're sixty? An' how many times you think what happened yesterday is gonna happen again? Some lady comes in to buy stockin's in the A.M., her kid holds you up in the P.M., right?"
"I'll take care a that."
"What with? You gonna sell girdles with a Saturday Night Special under the counter? What's witcha head, Butler?"
"I already ordered the sign."
"What sign?"
"Butler's Hosiery Palace."
"Fantastic. You awready ordered the fuckin' sign so that's it for the next thirty years, you ordered the sign."
"Stony ... I'm fuckin' scared."
"Don't do it, Bobby."
"I want it."
"How much juice you think you're gonna get outta your life runnin' a fuckin' hosiery store?"
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I want that fuckin' store."
Stony massaged his temples. "Lissen, Butler, my fuckin' head is splittin'. I feel like really bent outta shape about somethin'. I really don't know what to tell you now, you know? Maybe I'm not the greatest person to check this out with."
"I ain't checkin' it out, Stony, I'm tellin' you what's goin' down. You wanna come down to the store tomorrow, help me out?"
"I don't know, Butler. I really can't think straight."
"Hey, Stones, lemme explain somethin'. I really dig where you're comin' from, you know? I'm hip to what's been goin' down in your head with yer old man an' shit. See, like maybe you're too on top of everything right now to not take the store personal, you know? Like, the trick with a lifetime gig isn't to run away from home. The trick's finding somethin' you want so fuckin' bad you can taste it, family business or whatever. You with me? Now your idea of a heavy-duty trip might be somethin' entirely different from what I'm into. I mean, you might think it's just a little pissant store, but I see it as a stake, baby. It's mine. I don't take orders, I don't pick up a paycheck. I don't kiss ass. If a nice piece a tail comes in an' I wanna slip her a free pair a pantyhose I don't gotta worry about the boss findin' out. I'm the fuckin' boss. I sink or swim on my own power, man. And that's as legitimate and honorable a trip as gettin' off on kids, O.K.? I told you I'm shittin' bricks now, I mean, I really got the shakes, but it ain't because I'm goin' in there with my head up my ass. I'm scared because I'm so goddamn close to I-T, it, my dream. Now how many guys our age can say that? And another thing, I really fuckin' respect what you want, you know? And I would really, really dig gettin' some of that respect bounced back my way, O.K.?"
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T—found out what it means to me."
"Hey, I'm not fuckin' witchoo, Stony."
"Butler, what you want from me? You know how I feel about the fuckin' store. I'm not gonna jerk you off. It seems your idea of movin' in life is goin' from the bedroom to the bathroom."
"Don't be such a fuckin' big shot, De Coco. You still playin' summer job musical chairs?"
"Uh-uh, baby, this one's for keeps."
"Yeah, right, an' next week you gonna be runnin' with your daddy."
"Hey, Butler, what the fuck you call me for?"
"Right now I couldn't tell you, but whatever it was you ain't got it." Butler slammed down the phone.
"Cunt!" Stony stormed down to the day room.
"Hey, De Coco!" Tyrone threw a checker at Stony as he walked into the room. It bounced off his arm.
"Hey, grow up! Hah?" Stony snapped. Tyrone's face dropped.
"You fuckin' kids." Stony stomped around the room collecting garbage. "Look a' this goddamn place!" The six kids in the room shrank from his presence. "Whatta my supposed to be in here, the goddamn maid?"
"You sound like my mama," Derek said sullenly.
"Baby, this afternoon, I'm everybody's mama!"
***
When Stony got home he slammed the bedroom door and sulked until the next morning when he had to go back to work. That was it for Butler. At the hospital he tried to get his act together, but he was going through hell doing it.
"You ever see a tiger?" Derek snarled, curling his fingers into claws at Stony.
"At the zo
o." Stony was busy picking up assorted debris from the day room floor. That morning Mrs. Pitt had told him there was a chance he could be in charge of the day room in a few weeks' time. Stony disappointed her by not jumping at it. He didn't, because he was still in a shit-ass mood about Butler and because he hadn't yet told her he had to split for two weeks come next week. But there was also another reason, something else going down that Stony didn't understand. A nagging fear like he had signed a contract without reading all the small print. Not that he thought that anybody was out to fuck him over. Something about consequences. Something about his last phone conversation with Doctor Harris and leaving home.
"You ever see a lion?" Derek asked.
"Yeah, at the zoo." Stony was distracted.
"Where you at today, De Coco?" Tyrone peered at him.
"Huh?" Stony stood up, his arms filled with junk.
"You sure ain't here."
Stony did a double take, then smiled.
"I'll tell you, you talk about bad animals." Stony dumped the stuff in a white plastic garbage bag. "You know what the meanest animal in the world is?"
"A lion?"
"A snake?"
"Nope, it's a two-headed Italian kabooni."
"He's lyin' again." Derek raised his eyes to the ceiling.
"No, really, man. The kabooni got two heads, one on each end."
"Then how do he shit?" Tyrone challenged.
"He can't, man, that's why he's the meanest animal in the world."
Neither of them laughed. Tyrone whispered to Derek, hand over his mouth, his eyes darting at Stony. "Oooh," Derek howled, slapping his knee. "You know what he said, De Coco?"
"Don't tell him, man!" Tyrone giggled.
"He say your mama a two-headed Italian kabooni."
Stony shrugged. "I didn't even know you'd met her."
They broke up, rocking back and forth in their wheelchairs like hinged rocking toys.
"I'll tell you really though." Stony sat down. "You know who's really a two-headed kabooni in my family? My brother!"
That broke them up even more.
"You think I'm kiddin'? I'll bring him in."
"When?"
Stony thought for a second. Albert was the same age as these kids. "Now! You just stay there." He sprinted down the hall to the pay phone. It felt crazy, but the idea of bringing Albert to the hospital had been nibbling at his mind for a week now. One of the many thoughts he'd been having in the last week without understanding what put them in his head.
"Ma? Is Albert there? Lissen, do me a favor ... put him in a cab and send him down here ... yeah ... yeah ... so take a minute out... I'll pay for the cab, O.K?...just put him in a cab. No, no. Just do it, O.K.? Thanks." Stony ran back to the day room. "One two-headed Italian kabooni comin' up!"
Stony met the cab at the hospital entrance. He threw the driver two bills and hustled Albert into the hospital. "C'mon, kiddo, I wancha to meet some guys."
"Doctor Harris?" Albert was bewildered at being back in a hospital, but he dug taking the cab ride by himself. He walked down the corridors like his head was on a revolving turret. He held onto Stony's hand and wasn't afraid. Stony was frightened enough for both of them. Albert had a way of saying things to people.
Derek and Tyrone looked up when Stony entered the day room with his brother in tow. The three eight-year-olds stared at each other in silence, their mood a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity. Stony wanted to say something witty about kaboonies but it didn't seem appropriate. Disengaging himself from Stony Albert sat down on a folding chair facing Derek and Tyrone.
"You De Coco's brother?" Tyrone asked.
"How come you so skinny?" Derek asked.
Albert smiled at Stony. He looked back at Derek and shrugged, his feet dangling below the seat. His eyes wandered to the stacks of games strewn over the floors and tables.
"What's your name?"
"Albert."
"Are you an Indian?"
Albert looked at Stony.
"Yeah, he's an Indian! He's my brother, right?"
"How come he don't talk?"
"Albert, talk."
"I dunno what to say." He hunched his shoulders and curled back into his chair.
"He dunno what to say."
"Do you play all these games?" Albert asked them.
"Nah, they broke," said Tyrone. "What grade you in?"
"Third."
"I'm in fourth," Derek said.
Albert walked over to a stack of games on a Formica table. "I got this one at home," he said, pulling out a Chinese checkers box. "Do you know how to play?"
Stony watched in amazement as Albert laid out the board on the floor", set up the marbles and started explaining the game to Derek and Tyrone. The three boys played for over an hour. Stony straddled a folding chair, his chin on the backrest, and watched Albert through that hour. His brain was on fire. This was the first time he ever saw Albert play with kids away from the house. He was loose. Relaxed. Yelled a lot. Laughed a lot. Derek and Tyrone dug him. He had balls. Real stones. Out of the house he came alive. He could take care of himself. Himself. Maybe Albert didn't need him around all the time after all. Stony felt confused. The expression "ace in the hole" popped into his head.
"Hello!" Stony snapped out of his thoughts as Mrs. Le Pietro approached Albert.
"Hello." Albert smiled up at her.
"Who're you?" She checked a list of names on her clipboard.
"Albert!"
"Albert, huh?" She rechecked her names.
"Uh, he's my brother." Stony walked over.
"Oh! He's not a patient? I'm sorry, he'll have to leave immediately. Hospital rules. No children under fourteen as visitors."
"Oh, man!"
"Aw!" Derek and Tyrone protested.
"Sorry, boys, when you get well you can play all you want." She shook her head.
"Ten more minutes?" Albert whined.
"Sorry."
Albert struggled to his feet, brushed the knees of his dungarees. "You wanna come to my house?" he offered.
"They'll come as soon as they're better." She gently ushered Albert from the room.
"See you." Albert waved.
Derek and Tyrone waved back.
"Let's go, chief," Stony said. They walked down the corridor toward the entrance. At the door another nurse stopped them. She knelt in front of Albert and smiled. "We going home today?" Confused, Albert looked up at Stony.
"He's not a patient," Stony said.
"He's not?" She straightened up. "Well, what's he doing here?"
Stony sighed. "He's my brother. I brought him in to play with the kids in the day room. I didn't know it was against the rules. I'm sorry. I'm takin' him home."
"Can I see his discharge slip?"
"His what?" Stony squawked.
The nurse peered at Stony's name tag. "Mr. De Coco, you can't expect me to believe this child is not a patient."
Stony glared at her. "Yeah, I expect you to believe he's not a goddamn patient. He's my goddamn brother. You don't believe me, go check it out with Mrs. Le Pietro. She just kicked him out!"
The nurse stared at Albert, her thumb and index finger caressing her chin. "I'll do that. Please wait here."
"What the fuck?" Stony muttered as the nurse vanished in the shuffling crowd.
"Can you believe that?" he complained to Albert. Albert was busy picking his nose. As they waited for the nurse to return, Stony took some good hard looks at his brother. It hit him that Albert didn't look any different than any kid he'd seen in that day room. He even looked worse than some. If Stony and that nurse were to switch roles, Stony would have acted the same way. In a strange way, although it made him ashamed of himself, Stony found the thought comforting.
***
As much as Stony dreaded working the construction job, he equally dreaded springing the news on Mrs. Pitt that after two weeks in the hospital he had to take a two-week vacation. Every day he found a different excuse for not telling her, but now he
had no more days to put it off.
"Mrs. Pitt." Stony sighed. "I got this hassle I gotta work out. Before I took this job, I promised my old man I'd work with him in construction for two weeks this summer. He was breakin' my chops about me wantin' to do hospital work when I could be makin' triple the bread with the electricians." He shrugged. "So like I promised him I would do two weeks here, two weeks with him, and then I could decide what I was gonna do, you follow?" Stony sat sprawled hand over mouth.
Mrs. Pitt frowned. "I follow. Stony, but I also feel like you're exploiting me. I hire you in good faith on a long-term basis. Then you come in here and tell me you want to do something else for two weeks and maybe you'll come back. That's pretty damn unfair, don't you think?"
Stony's guts started spinning. His hand moved from his mouth to his forehead. "Lissen." He leaned forward in his seat. "You don' understand my family. It's like ... like..." Stony fretted and fumed, searching for the right words. "Shit. Look, there's this very heavy number goin' down with my father and uncle. They're both electricians, right? An' ever since I was a kid, see, you don't ... oh shit." He rubbed his face, eyes darting around the room. "You don't know what I had to go through to get this hospital gig, like, uh, you know, that Jewish thing, my son the doctor?" Stony slapped himself on the chest. "My son the electrician. An' they got me boxed in, Mrs. Pitt. I'm tellin' you, the whole thing with the job, the union, the men, the House a De Coco, it's like puttin' on a goddamn hard hat, it's like puttin' on the crown a England, you know? An' I'm next in line. My grandfather was in there bustin' heads, settin' up the union in the thirties, the whole thing." Stony studied his hands. "I tell you, sometimes I think it woulda been a lot easier if I was a girl. God forbid. I mean, no offense. I had to run a gamut to do this job like you wouldn't believe. I wouldn't be here if I didn't promise my old man I'd do two weeks with him." Stony lowered his voice. "I don' wanna be a goddamn electrician, those guys are nowhere! They get twenty grand a year for luggin' pipes up an' down buildings. I don' care about money, I'll make it some way. I ain't no sap. I get more outta jivin' aroun' with these kids for one hour than I would in ten years doin' construction." He bobbed his head in emphasis. "It's my life we're talkin' about! I don't wanna be one of those lames that lives for the weekend, you know? I wanna live seven days a week. I wanna go home everyday feelin' like I accomplished somethin'. Look, I was gonna go down to this ditso school in Louisiana in the fall, then I figure, screw that, I come outta there a veterinarian's assistant with a concentration in turkey mange, you know? School doesn't mean anything to me, just to go so you can say you went, right?" Stony glanced around the room. "But now I'm thinkin', lemme do this for a year see? Then, maybe this time next year I'll apply to some college, study social work, recreation, physical therapy, who knows? Somethin' so I can keep workin' an' get some kinda degree in somethin' that means somethin', you know? But look, I gotta pay the devil his due. I gotta give my old man his two weeks, then I got him off my back, he can't say nothin'." Stony signaled finito with his hands. "I fulfilled my end an' that's that, I'm free as a bird." He sat back in the chair, his hands clasped in his lap, a whatta-you-say look in his eyes.
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