Young Lonigan - James T. Farrell [35]
The game went on. Studs dropped the pillow, by accident, in front of Helen. They looked meanly at each other, and neither moved until everybody yelled at them to play the game square, so. they knelt down, each at an edge of the pillow, peck-kissed each other, and deepened their mutual hatred.
They changed to post-office. Tubby was suggested as postmaster, but Bill demanded the job, saying he was the logical person to examine all transactions. Fran Lonigan, as hostess, started the ball rolling. As she walked into the bedroom, right off the parlor entrance, Bill grabbed her, and kissed her; it was his tax. She laughed and didn’t get angry. Fran called Dan. Dan kissed Bill on the way of entry. It was funny.
Dan called Fran Reilley, and kissed her. She called her brother. She stamped his toe, and ran out saying it was for a special delivery letter. He got sore, but she had gotten away too quickly. He told Bill to call Borax.
Weary kissed her flush on the mouth. He held her there, and when he finally released her, she sighed deeply.
He kissed her again, and she powerlessly tightened against him. He forced her to the bed.
“Stop touching me there. Stop!” she whispered.
When he paused, breathless, she demanded an apology.
“Shut up!” he muttered.
He bent down and kissed her.
“Unhand me, you cur. Take your hands off!” she whispered. “Take your hands off there, or I’ll scream!”
He pulled her to him and kissed her. She became limp in his arms. He kissed her again, and she pressed to him. He loosed her. She called him a cur and demanded an apology.
“Shut up!”
She bit her lips, fought back tears, and said in a low, strained voice:
“Apologize!”
“Kiss me!”
She was a girl suddenly baffled by a woman’s impulses.
She flung herself around him. Then he walked out.
Regaining her composure and rearranging herself, she called in Jim. In the parlor they looked at Weary, surprised and over-curious. There was a tight silence, which Bill broke by saying that Weary had received a delayed letter. They laughed, and Weary’s frown broke into a smile.
Jim, in the meantime, had called in Lucy; and she called Studs. She pursed her lips before she kissed him. It was so sudden, and her lips had such a sweet, candy taste that he was pleasantly surprised and stood there, not knowing what to do or say. He had never kissed sweet lips like that before. He faced her, and she was something beautiful and fair, with her white dress vivid in the dark room. She looked beautiful, like a flame. She pursed her lips, moved closer to him, flung her arms around him, kissed him, and said:
“I like you!”
She kissed away his surprise, looked dreamily into his eyes, kissed him again, long, and then dashed out.
Jesus Christ! he said to himself.
The game went on. Studs and Lucy, Helen and Weary kept calling each other into the post office. All the guys except TB and Tubby got their share of kisses. Tubby was called a few times for charity’s sake, but TB was left out in the cold. He sat in a corner, wisecracking as if he didn’t mind. He knew he didn’t belong there anyway. Probably he did have the con, as everybody said and believed.
XI
After all the guests had departed, the Lonigans sat in the parlor talking.
“Well, I’m tired,” Lonigan said yawning.
“I’m dead tired,” said the mother.
“It was hard work,” said Lonigan.
“Isn’t Mrs. Reilley common, though?” yawned Mrs. Lonigan.
“But she’s a nice, good, wholesome, sincere woman,” said Lonigan.
“She’s green,” the wife said.
“She’s ignorant; she’s a greenhorn,” said Frances.
“Frances!” the mother said.
“Well, she is!”
“But you needn’t say so . . . so . . . crudely.”
“Anyway, she and her old man are pretty old-fashioned, but they are nice people. They are too nice for that boy of theirs. If he were my son, I’d lambast the stuffings out of him; he’s a real bad actor,” Lonigan said.
“I’m afraid no good will ever come out of him, and I’m so glad William here is not like he