From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [233]
“I’m going home,” Tommy said, with dignity. “Right now.”
“Listen, Prew,” Hal said. “I’d go get him. Truly I would. You dont know what the little fellow means to me. But if I was picked up, I’d be ruined. And if I’m just seen with him, in his condition, I’d be picked up because they’re looking for a chance at me. I’d be thrown out of my tutoring, thrown out of here.” He waved his arms around the room. “Thrown out of my home.”
“I thought they knew about you,” Prew said.
“They do. Oh believe me, they do. But getting picked up by the police and prosecuted in a public scandal is another thing altogether. You couldnt expect them to stand up for me with it in the hands of the police.”
“No,” Prew said. “I guess not. Life sure is tough, aint it?”
“Please go and get him,” Hal begged. “Look. I’ll even get down on my knees and ask you. Look. See? Now, please. Please. He is your friend.”
Prew began to put his shoes and socks on. He fumbled with one shoelace and Hal, on his knees, tried to tie it for him. Prew slapped the tall man’s hand away and tied it for himself.
“You’re not too drunk, are you?” Hal said.
“No,” he said. “I’m not too drunk. I’m never too drunk.”
“You’ll get him, wont you, Prew? And if you get picked up you wont bring them back up here, will you?”
“Where I come from its bad manners to even ask that. You take that for granted.” He stood up, looking for his gook shirt.
“Goodby, I’ve had a nice time,” Tommy said from the door. “I’ll see you later, Hal. And I hope to see you again sometime, Prew,” he said. He went out and slammed the door.
Prew sat down on the couch again and began to laugh.
“Polite fella, aint he?” he said to Hal.
“Please go, Prew,” Hal said. “Please dont waste any time. Tony’s too drunk to know what he’s doing. Take him back to the Post and put him to bed.”
“His clothes are here.”
“Take them with you,” Hal said. He began to go around gathering up Maggio’s clothes. “If you bring him back here, he may cause trouble, drunk as he is.”
“Okay,” Prew said. “But I havent got any money for cab fare.”
Hal ran into the bedroom for his wallet. “Here,” he said, coming back. “Heres a five. That’ll be enough for car fare down town and a cab home, wont it?”
“Well, I dont know,” Prew grinned. “Its too late for the buses, you know. We’ll have to take a cab down town.”
“Heres ten then.”
“Well,” Prew said. He shook his head sorrowfully. “You see, the Schofield cabs stop running at two o’clock I think it is. Its almost two now.”
“On Payday?” Hal said.
“Sure,” Prew grinned. “Every day.”
“All right,” Hal said. “Heres twenty then. Please hurry, Prew.”
Prew shook his head slowly reluctantly. “Trouble with that Angelo, every time he gets drunked up he wants a piece of ass. If he dont get it, he gets mean and causes trouble. Thats the reason he gets picked up, usually.”
“All right,” Hal said. “Heres thirty.”
“Look,” Prew grinned. “I hate to take your money. You just put it away. I’ll get him home someway.”
“God damn it,” Hal said. “Heres forty. Four tens. Thats all the cash I have. But you must hurry. Oh, please hurry, Prew.”
“Well, I guess that’d be enough to get us home,” Prew said. He took the money and started slowly for the door.
“You’re not too drunk, are you?” Hal said anxiously.
“Never too drunk. To do what I got to do. I dont want him picked up any more than you. But for a different reason.”
Hal shook his hand at the door. “Come back and see me,” he said. “Come back some time when Tony’s not along. You dont have to wait for him to bring you. You have a standing invitation.”
“Why, thanks, Hal,” Prew said. “I may do that. I always like to associate with persons who got the courage of their convictions, you know.”
At the corner he looked back. The door was shut and the lights were already out. He grinned hazily. In his pocket, under his hand, the four tens felt very crisp and good.
Chapter 27
THE STREET HAD THAT late-at-night deserted look fully developed now. Even the darkened silent houses and the streetlights had that look now.
There was no sign of