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Bingo Boy - post 21
But at work, nothing changes. Every little movement has a meaning all its own and people notice. The routine must remain the same. Ricky and Chrissie race up the long narrow aisles between the players picking up the change and keeping count just like the other bingo kids. They just work here. Nobody's suddenly rich. Nothing is different. And the hall still reeks of smoke.
A few Mountain Dews. Some quick breaths out in the alley. Throw back a slice or two of pizza and the night's over. Smile at the Gravel Gerties as they waddle out. Ridicule 'em once their gone. Wait for the 'bingo slatterns' (shills) to get their share. Run the vacuums. Clean the tables (they use spray bottles filled with bleach and water). Straighten the cards. Then they walk out with the other bingo kids, go to the car and drive off. Only Ricky and Chrissie don't go home. They circle back through the streets the cops call 'the vampire wonderland,' pull into the alley and quietly go inside. Marty's there. So it Muscles, along with another younger guy who's supposed to be still on the force. But they sit out front, in the hall, near the entrance, just in case any a the blood suckers runnin' 'round the avenue get ideas. Ricky thinks they know something. Chrissie can't tell. Marty swears they don't. But sometimes Muscles turns around and looks into that big mirror like he can see right through it. Marty counts out a stack a 'c' notes, puts it into an envelope and slides it across the desk. Ricky takes it. They silently get up to leave. Marty holds open the big, heavy, metal back door. They exit. He closes it, jams in into places and secures the locks. Then he joins Muscles and the new young guy out front, activates the alarm, snaps off the lights and they're gone. The red, neon 'BINGO' light in the window goes dark. Shift's over.
The next day, he takes Chrissie to run errands. Go to the market. See what's on sale at Marshall's. Stuff like that. Marge and Jimmy are on their own. The baby sits in his play pen holding big plastic blocks and going ya-ya-ya. Boy is he cute.
Jimmy's in his cage. The patterned sheet is now a hip-hugger sarong. He sits on the cot watching the tiny, tropical fish dart back and forth in the little aquarium. Marge switches on a vacuum cleaner. He looks up, seemingly right through the ceiling, as she pushes it back and forth. And he's thinking.... he's thinking... he's thinking...... Two seconds later he gets up and executes a few fast 'old man' push-ups with his palms against the wall. Then he lays back on the cot with his hands behind his head... and smiles, just the way a fox does in them old black and white cartoons.....
A little later, Ricky and Chrissie come back to pick up the baby before going out to a nice, cheery, deli restaurant for dinner. Marge don't wanna go. I don't know. I guess Jimmy's sendin' vibes up through the floor.
See, the baby's at that stage now where he'll eat table food if it's mashed up or broken into little tiny pieces and Chrissie likes to show him off. So she and Ricky sit facing each other, with the little guy in a clip on highchair at her side. The waitress wanted to put him on the end of the table, but Ricky said no, 'cause people walk by carryin' hot coffee and soup and all. He's thinks about things like that.
Ricky says - I think the baby should go to one of those kiddie-Gymboree classes or something. They need it. They're supposed to do that........ Little Chrissie eats her medium rare chopped sirloin with mushroom gravy. They got good food here. Lemme tell you. She says - He don't need it. He's alright..... and she gives him a taste of 'old fashioned' mashed potatoes with gravy. Look...look at him. He loves it. Then he makes with his 'happy baby' ya-ya-ya routine and waits for more.......... Ricky goes - No, really. They need it.......... Little Chrissie goes - How you know so much? (she likes her platter)...... The baby watches another young family in the next booth. He hears their rosy bundle babble 'daa-dee, daa-dee, daa-dee' to the smiling breadwinner. Then he turns toward Ricky and does the same.......... And Ricky says - 'Cause I know... as he leans across and wipes some food from the baby's little cheek.
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But at work, nothing changes. Every little movement has a meaning all its own and people notice. The routine must remain the same. Ricky and Chrissie race up the long narrow aisles between the players picking up the change and keeping count just like the other bingo kids. They just work here. Nobody's suddenly rich. Nothing is different. And the hall still reeks of smoke.
A few Mountain Dews. Some quick breaths out in the alley. Throw back a slice or two of pizza and the night's over. Smile at the Gravel Gerties as they waddle out. Ridicule 'em once their gone. Wait for the 'bingo slatterns' (shills) to get their share. Run the vacuums. Clean the tables (they use spray bottles filled with bleach and water). Straighten the cards. Then they walk out with the other bingo kids, go to the car and drive off. Only Ricky and Chrissie don't go home. They circle back through the streets the cops call 'the vampire wonderland,' pull into the alley and quietly go inside. Marty's there. So it Muscles, along with another younger guy who's supposed to be still on the force. But they sit out front, in the hall, near the entrance, just in case any a the blood suckers runnin' 'round the avenue get ideas. Ricky thinks they know something. Chrissie can't tell. Marty swears they don't. But sometimes Muscles turns around and looks into that big mirror like he can see right through it. Marty counts out a stack a 'c' notes, puts it into an envelope and slides it across the desk. Ricky takes it. They silently get up to leave. Marty holds open the big, heavy, metal back door. They exit. He closes it, jams in into places and secures the locks. Then he joins Muscles and the new young guy out front, activates the alarm, snaps off the lights and they're gone. The red, neon 'BINGO' light in the window goes dark. Shift's over.
The next day, he takes Chrissie to run errands. Go to the market. See what's on sale at Marshall's. Stuff like that. Marge and Jimmy are on their own. The baby sits in his play pen holding big plastic blocks and going ya-ya-ya. Boy is he cute.
Jimmy's in his cage. The patterned sheet is now a hip-hugger sarong. He sits on the cot watching the tiny, tropical fish dart back and forth in the little aquarium. Marge switches on a vacuum cleaner. He looks up, seemingly right through the ceiling, as she pushes it back and forth. And he's thinking.... he's thinking... he's thinking...... Two seconds later he gets up and executes a few fast 'old man' push-ups with his palms against the wall. Then he lays back on the cot with his hands behind his head... and smiles, just the way a fox does in them old black and white cartoons.....
A little later, Ricky and Chrissie come back to pick up the baby before going out to a nice, cheery, deli restaurant for dinner. Marge don't wanna go. I don't know. I guess Jimmy's sendin' vibes up through the floor.
See, the baby's at that stage now where he'll eat table food if it's mashed up or broken into little tiny pieces and Chrissie likes to show him off. So she and Ricky sit facing each other, with the little guy in a clip on highchair at her side. The waitress wanted to put him on the end of the table, but Ricky said no, 'cause people walk by carryin' hot coffee and soup and all. He's thinks about things like that.
Ricky says - I think the baby should go to one of those kiddie-Gymboree classes or something. They need it. They're supposed to do that........ Little Chrissie eats her medium rare chopped sirloin with mushroom gravy. They got good food here. Lemme tell you. She says - He don't need it. He's alright..... and she gives him a taste of 'old fashioned' mashed potatoes with gravy. Look...look at him. He loves it. Then he makes with his 'happy baby' ya-ya-ya routine and waits for more.......... Ricky goes - No, really. They need it.......... Little Chrissie goes - How you know so much? (she likes her platter)...... The baby watches another young family in the next booth. He hears their rosy bundle babble 'daa-dee, daa-dee, daa-dee' to the smiling breadwinner. Then he turns toward Ricky and does the same.......... And Ricky says - 'Cause I know... as he leans across and wipes some food from the baby's little cheek.
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