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〃Stop crapping your pants; will you? You got nothing but small…time guts; you know that? You're just like my old man。 He talks like a senator。 A real wheel。 Always telling me about Puerto Rico。 Who cares about that damn island? I was born here; right in this city。 I'm a real American。 But he's always telling me what a big shot he was in San Juan。 You know what it turns out he done there? I found out from one of my uncles。 You know what he done?〃
〃What?〃
〃He fixed bicycles for a living。 So that's the big wheel。 Big talk that's all。 But small…time guts。〃
〃I got as much guts。。。〃
〃Sure; so you see Alfie's mother out for a stroll; and you start shaking。 You know what you're gonna be when you grow up?〃
〃No。 What?〃
〃A guy who fixes bicycles。〃 ; 〃Aw; e on。 I。。。〃
〃Or a guy who shines shoes。〃
〃I never *shined a pair of shoes in my life!〃 Cooch said proudly。 〃I don't even shine my own shoes!〃
〃That's wflfy you look like a slob;〃 Zip said; and then abruptly turned'his head。 Someone was approaching。
2
The sailor had rounded the corner as Cooch spoke。 He was a tall; blond man … well; not exactly a man; and yet not a boy。 He was perhaps twenty…two years old; and he had reached that mysterious boundary line which divided a man from a boy; but he was still straddling the line so that it was impossible to think of him as a boy; and yet stretching a point to consider him a man。 Man or boy; he was quite drunk at the moment He walked with the sailor's habitual roll; but the roll was somewhat frustrated by his erratic drunken weaving。 His white hat was perched precariously on the back of his head; and his white uniform was spotlessly clean; reflecting the early…morning sunshine with a dazzling brilliance。 He stopped on the corner; looked up at the sign over the luncheonette; mumbled something to himself; shook his head violently; and then continued up the street。
Zip stifled a laugh and nudged Cooch in the ribs。
〃Ten bucks says I know what he's looking for;〃 Cooch said; grinning。
〃Never mind what he's looking for。 Go get Sixto and Papa。
Tell them I'm waiting; and tell them I'm getting slightly p。o。'd。 Now move。〃
〃Don't get excited;〃 Cooch said; but he moved up the street quickly; passing the drunken sailor who had headed back towards the luncheonette。 The sailor was in that sort of haze where everything seems to involve a decision meriting vast concentration and deliberation。 He stopped at each building; studied the numerals; shook his head solemnly; and finally wound up in front of the luncheonette again; still shaking his head。 He studied the sign; considered the vast symbolism in the words LUIS LUNCHEONETTE; pondered this symbolism for a while; shook his head again; and was beginning to retrace his steps down the street when Zip said; 〃Help you; sailor?〃
〃Huh?〃 the sailor asked。
〃You look lost;〃 Zip said。 His manner was quite pleasant。 He grinned warmly and the sailor responded to the grin immediately; the lost wanderer accepting the first friendly hand。
〃Listen;〃 he said drunkenly; 〃where's La 。。。 La Galli。。。 La 。。。 Listen; I was talking to a guy inna bar downtown; you know? An' we began discussin'。。。〃 He stopped and studied Zip with drunkenly profound narrowness。 〃Listen; how old are you?〃
〃Seventeen;〃 Zip said。
〃Oh。〃
The sailor tabulated this silently; his mind whirring。 He nodded。 〃Okay; then。 I didn't wanna impair the morals of a 。。。 so this guy an' me; we were discussin' 。。。 well; I was sorta expressin' my desire for sorta climbin' into bed with a female; you know? A girl。 You know?〃
〃So he sent you up here?〃
〃Yeah。 No。 Yeah; yeah; he did。 He said there was a place up here called 。。。 ah。。。 La Gallina。〃 He pronounced the word with a Western twang that brought a new smile to Zip's mouth。
〃La Gallina; yes;〃 Zip said; giving it the proper Spanish pronunciation。
〃Yeah;〃 the sailor said; nodding; 〃where he said I could get anything I want。 Now how about that?〃
〃He was right;〃 Zip answered。
〃So here I am;〃 the sailor said。 He paused。 〃Where is it?〃
〃Right down the street there。〃
〃Thank you;〃 the sailor said; nodding。 〃Thank you ver' much。〃 He started off down the street again。
〃Don't mention it;〃 Zip said; smiling。 He stared after the sailor for a few moments; and then went into the luncheonette。 〃Give me a cup of coffee; Luis;〃 he said。
The sailor went down the street; studying each doorway as he had before。 He stopped suddenly; looked at the lettering on the plate…glass window of a bar; and muttered; 〃La Gallina; I'll be damned。 Feller was right。〃 He walked directly to the front door; not expecting it to be locked; trying to open it; and then discovering that it was locked; immensely annoyed that the knob had resisted his hand。 He backed away from the door and yelled; 〃Hey! Hey; wake up! Wake up; goddamnit! I'm here!〃
〃What the hell is that?〃 Luis said。
〃Sailor out there;〃 Zip said; grinning。
Luis came from behind the counter。 Up the street; the sailor…was still shouting at the top of his lungs。
〃You!〃 Luis said。 〃Quiet; quiet。〃
The sailor turned。 〃You talking to me; mate?〃
〃Si; I'm talking to you; mate。 Stop the racket。 This is Sunday morning。 People like to sleep; you know? You wake them up。〃
〃Well; hell; thass what I'm trying to do; you know。〃
〃Why you trying to wake them up for?〃
'〃Cause I wanna go to bed。〃
〃That makes sense; all right;〃 Luis said; nodding patiently。 〃Are you drunk?〃
〃Me?〃 the sailor said。 〃Me?〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Hell; no。〃
〃You look perhaps a little drunk。〃
The sailor walked to where Luis was standing; put his hands on his hips and said; 〃Well; maybe I am perhaps a li'l drunk。 So ain't you never been perhaps a li'l drunk?〃
〃I have been a little drunk;〃 Luis said; 〃and I have been a lot drunk。 e。 I'll make you a cup of coffee。〃
〃Whuffor?〃
〃What for?〃 Luis shrugged and walked into the luncheonette。 The sailor followed him。 〃Because I like sailors;〃 Luis said。 〃I used to be a sailor myself once。〃
〃Did you find it; pal?〃 Zip interrupted。
〃Yeah。 It's closed。〃
〃I coulda told you that。〃
〃So why dinn you?〃
〃You didn't ask。〃
〃Oh; you're one of those guys;〃 the sailor said。
〃Which guys?〃 Zip asked; and he stiffened suddenly on the counter stool; as if expecting an attack。
〃The guys you got to ask。〃
〃Yeah;〃 Zip answered。 〃I'm one of those guys。 So what?〃
Rapidly; perhaps because he sensed Zip's sudden belligerence; perhaps because he simply wanted to switch the conversation back to himself; Luis said; 〃Yes; I was in the Navy from 1923 to 1927。 Yes; sir。〃
〃Was you on a ship?〃 the sailor asked。 If he had detected any challenge in Zip's voice; he was studiously ignoring it。 Either that; or he was too drunk to have noticed。
〃A man who has not been on a ship is not a sailor。〃 He looked over at the bubbling Silexes。 〃The coffee is almost ready。〃
〃What kind of a ship?〃
〃A garbage scow;〃 Zip said quickly; and he grinned。
〃Never mind this smart one。 I was on a mine sweep。〃
〃What was your rate?〃 the sailor asked suspiciously。
〃You never heard of Rear Admiral Luis Amandez?〃 Zip asked; mock surprise spreading over his uneven features。
〃I was a s