Page 76 - WTP Vol. VII #6

Returns (continued from preceding page) “I don’t want to,” Joel said.
video games because they weren’t fair. Whenever he was about to clear the screen they threw something at him he couldn’t avoid. And the closer he got to the lady the more he thought about how difficult it was to pull off, and then if the game didn’t turn on him he made some stupid mistake on his own. Game over. But even if he could save the lady that stupid gorilla was going to grab her by the waist and carry her
His father’s face dropped, and for a moment Joel felt like he’d let him down. “You don’t want to try it?” he said. “It’s not gonna hurt you.”
His father got behind him and lowered his arms over Joel’s shoulders. He put the gun in Joel’s hands and flipped off the safety. “You’re ready to rock and roll,” his father said. “It’s going to jerk a bit in your hands, so be ready.”
off to the next screen, and then he’d have to do the whole thing over against more impossible odds. The better you did, the harder it got. It was hopeless.
Even though he was prepared for it, the recoil yanked at the muscles in his wrists. The heel of his thumb throbbed. He put the pistol down hard on the counter and tried to hide the tears welling in his eyes.
After Derek wasted their last quarter without much effort Joel asked his father for more. All the guys at the bar fished into their pockets.
His father laughed from his gut. “It’s okay,” he said. “You did fine. Hey—” He tried to turn him around but Joel kept towards the wall. “Okay,” his father said. “Jesus. You don’t need to get so upset all the time.”
“You too, Donny,” his father said. “Come on, dig deep.”
Joel rubbed at his wrist as his father leveled the gun at the target for another go.
“Cheap bastard,” his father said. Donny flipped him off.
~
After a few more games the waitress brought out a small pizza and set it on a table close to the machine. Then she brought some napkins and a couple of so- das and pulled out a chair for herself.
Afterwards they went for pizza at a place called The Shamrock. Joel tried to climb onto one of the stools and their father shooed him off and told him to sit at a table because kids weren’t allowed at the bar. He went into the kitchen as if he knew the owner. Through the small window in the door Joel could see him talking to one of the waitresses. She was smiling, glancing back through the glass. The two of them came into the room and she waved and went to the cash register. His father gave her some singles and came back with two handfuls of quarters for the video game in the corner. “Here,” he said. “Make ‘em last.”
“How is it, boys?” she said.
It was an old Donkey Kong machine. The outside was dingy and scuffed and one of the coin slots was cov- ered over with masking tape. Joel blocked Derek from the game with his body and put his quarter in first. “Come on, Joel,” Derek said.
Joel shook his head but he’d already pieced it togeth- er: the lady in his father’s bed that morning.
“Take turns, guys,” his father called. “I don’t want to hear any noise.” He grabbed a seat at the bar and the waitress brought him a drink with ice in it.
Charlotte moved her chair closer. She had dark rings beneath her eyes and her bottom teeth were jumbled. Her eyes were a grayish green and small black gobs of makeup stuck in her lashes. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time,” she said. “Your dad told me all about you boys. Especially you.” She folded her arms. “You having fun today?”
They burned through the quarters fast because nei- ther of them was any good. Joel came close to sav- ing the lady once, but he was blindsided by a barrel that dropped down the ladder he was climbing. He pounded his fist on the console. He hated these old
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Joel shrugged.
“Well, your dad is enjoying your visits. I’ve never
Donny smiled and was missing a tooth in front. He slid two quarters down the length of the bar.
Joel nodded at his plate. She put a hand beneath his chin and lifted his eyes to hers. “You look like your father,” she said. “I could see it right away.”
At the bar his dad had his back to them. “Do you know who I am?” she said.
“My name’s Charlotte,” she said. She took a napkin and wiped Derek’s face. He squirmed away and ran to their father, who scooped him up onto his lap.