Page 43 - The Myth and the Moment

Afternoon

I say that’s the last person in the world I’d turn to for help. She’s
probably as big a crook as Phil. She might even have done the job for
him; yeah, disguised herself as a Latino housewife, slipped a jimmy in
her shopping bag, and raced down here on a motorcycle. That’s
preposterous, of course. Of course. But she might know something I
could use on Phil beside a promise to roll over and play dead. Yeah.
“Yes. Yes, I do believe I’ll take you up on your generous offer.
Yes, an excellent suggestion, Mister Jefferson; worthy of a statesman
of your high caliber.”
“Hey, I knew if I kept shooting off my mouth I’d hit something
sooner or later! Let’s make it.”
And off we go. Is he relieved or the opposite? Ah, give up on the
body language: stick to the facts. He’s sweating, but so am I. It’s hot.
Sun’s hot, pavement’s hot, clothes sticky, mouth dry. I never did get
to eat. Or drink. Got to watch out for dehydration in this weather.
Wait a minute: how am I going to get home? Bus. Enough money?
Sure, got about twenty bucks on me, lots of loose change.
“Where does she live?”
“Hollywood. Not far. There’s my car, the blue Pinto wagon. Never
mind all that junk on the front seat; just throw it in the back. Let me
open the windows to cool it off for a minute. Whoosh! This is one
hot mother of a day!”
A man who works out of his automobile, an office and warehouse
on wheels. Shipping and receiving? Rear door, please. Customer
service? Driver’s window, but hours are limited. Every type of leaflet,
pamphlet and toilet paper. Boxes: not original contents, not television
sets and Xerox toner and Scuzz the Household Cleanser. Freelance
for sure.
“Ouch! Damned vinyl seat is like a griddle!”
“Sorry. We’ll have to drive with the windows open; the air
conditioner is a thing of the past. Now, look at this: I had just put a
new cassette in the camcorder, so I’ll just rewind it and you can see
for yourself what’s on it.”
“Uh, thanks. How does this work?”
“Idiot-proof. The Japanese won’t over-estimate our intelligence by
putting anything in English on there. Just push the button with the
arrow going left; when the rewind stops, push the button with the
arrow going right. Got it, man?”

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