The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [159]
The jazz blared. Arnold, Studs, and Shrimp belly-danced with their girls. The Polack led Vinc onto the dance floor. He protested that he couldn’t dance. She said she’d teach him. She rubbed against him. His face looked as if it were on the verge of being consumed by flames.
When he came back, he was kidded. He couldn’t understand them. He suddenly called Mush Joss to say the other day Mush had said he had lived in the neighborhood a long time. Vinc said well he would bet ten cents he had lived in the neighborhood longer than Mush.
“You wouldn’t bull me,” said Mush.
“Come on, big boy, kiss me!” the Polack said.
“And kiss your maidenhead good-bye, you, you goddamn fathead,” Studs said.
“But, Studs...”
“Daddy, don’t you like to love?” the girl asked him.
“Don’t do that,” Vinc protested feebly, as she placed his hand on one of her wobbly breasts.
“Dearie, you don’t know what loving I’ll give you,” she said.
“Take your hand away. Why, I wouldn’t even let my mother touch me there,” Vinc said, convulsing them.
She made a little moan. He threw her off him; she landed on her can. Two bouncers grabbed Curley and they carted him to the door by the seat of the pants and the collar. He got a clout in the jaw, and landed outside.
“For Christ sake, what the hell kind of a fluke is he? Does he want me to beg him,” the Polack said.
“That’s all right, girlie, come on over here,” Slug said.
“I never had one as goofy as that. All kinds of crazy people come to me, and want all kinds of things done to them, but I never had any guy as goofy as that.”
“You know, I got four sisters, and they’re all the most decent girls in the world. You know, my four sisters are as pure as a lily,” Arnold Sheehan bragged drunkenly, and the girl on his lap curled her lips.
“Sing ‘em, Sheehan!” Slug said.
“They’re as pure as a lily. I shouldn’t even walk on the same side of the street with them, after I come here. And anybody that says my four sisters ain’t pure as a lily has gotta fight me,” Arnold said, pounding the table.
“My two sisters are as pure as yours,” Studs said.
“Say, are all these guys queer?” the Polack asked Slug.
“Polluted. The boys is out for a good time,” Slug laughed.
“Well, why don’t they shut up talking and prove themselves upstairs. A man only proves himself in a bed. No girls are pure and those that pretend they are are just yellow. They all want it, and they get it too, and they pretend like hypocrites,” the girl on Amold’s lap said.
“Sally!” the girl with Shrimp remonstrated.
“I don’t care. I’m sick of these guys coming here and telling me I’m a whore and not as good as their goddamn wives, and sisters, and sweethearts.”
“Sally had a fight because she wasn’t getting enough towels. She’s cranky tonight,” the girl on Shrimp’s lap said.
“Hey, cut it. The show is starting,” Slug said.
XII
Los Angeles, Cal.
Dece. 25, 1922
Dear Dan:
I thought I drope you a few lines to let you know how we all are, and what a very fine Xmas we had an I hope yours was just as marry as my. Well Danny you know we are all settle out here now and it seem different from are last when my father was living. But you know when he lose his job be-cause he was a union man and they give the double + it break his heart and he was a man of sixty year and you know how that just kill him of broken heart. And we miss him but we had a marry Xmas like we know he would want us to and we had sun shines only we all miss my dad lots and it was very hot it was 81 not so bad is it for Dece. I gest its kinda cold in old Chi today but I gest you enjoy it anyways. It looks grate to see all the flower in bloob in Dece and the trees and grass as green as ever. We had lots of rain a cupple of weeks ago and it sure did come down hard when it rain here it is in Nove or Dece. And Dan, but after that seson is over we don’t see any rain all summer until the nex rainny seson. Well Dan in one of your letters you send me you told
some
me one said in about two mor month you won’t get letter frome me but don’t let that wurry you because you will always