5TH NaNoWriMo Novel In A Month Episode

Bingo Boy - post 5

It was drizzling when he pulled into the street. No parking spaces, as usual. Every house had two cars, plus a pick-up truck out there. Itinerant 'contractors,' don't you know. Everybody's 'daddy' a roofer, or a basement guy or something else. Hey, money gotta come from somewhere. Ricky knew that. He knew that real bad. The 24/7 kids were out running and screaming, like always. Never got sick too. Girls shriekin' like somebody tryin' a grab 'em. That's what they're hoping for. Boys smokin' stink weeds and cursing. Some a them wanna be skin heads. You can tell. But sayin' so is a dangerous proposition 'round here. 

Ricky parked in the alley behind his house. Used a be a little postage stamp grassy spot tacked onto each property. But most a the 'new folks' cemented 'em up real fast. He couldn't let himself in through the back door, 'cause his key didn't work the lock anymore. Could a called a locksmith, if he had a little more money. So  he quietly walked around to the front of the block, went down the street, turned into the twenty foot walk way leading to the front door and went in. Then he did his ritual. Locked the dead bolt with a key. Turned the manual lock under it. Laid a big, heavy, snow shovel handle across the door knob, wedging the end into the corner by the jam. Peeked through the little window shade. Saw that the lawn needed cutting. Been seeing that every night for the past week. Went to the refrigerator, grabbed the iced tea jug and guzzled some. Iced tea jug gonna go bye-bye soon. Cost too much. Two ninety nine a pop. TV save money lady say you can get the same thing with tea bags and a pitcher. Ricky gonna try that soon. Got no chocolate chip cookies. Got no pretzel sticks. Eats a few slices of American cheese straight from the wrapper. Crunches like three or four pre-washed baby carrots. Gonna have to give them up soon too. Then he watches TV. Don't look at the ceiling. Don't look at the ceiling. Don't look at the ceiling. That's what he says to himself, inside his head. Water seepin' through from where the tub meet the floor upstairs. Maybe guy at Home Depot can tell him how to fix it? 

Now it's cold. It gets like that in Philly. Daytime still Indian Summer. Nighttime more like Canadian Winter. But gas costs money. Wearin' sweatshirts don't. So Ricky grabs two from over the back of a dining room chair and burrows in. Then he lays on the sofa and dozes off, dreamin' 'bout work. First he sees Little Chrissie. She scatin' over solid ice Jello. Wearin' like a bikini wedding gown. Got lace and everything. Then he sees Jimmy. Jimmy got a meat grinder.... got a real big meat grinder. He makin' sausages outta de-boned people meat. And some a that meat look like it come from Ricky's legs. 

Jay Leno come on. Ricky wakes up. Peeks at the 'yuck yuck, I tellin' jokes' part and drifts off again. At four a.m. he goes upstairs. Turns on a small, eight dollar and eighty eight cent, plastic desk fan from WalMart. Needs it to kill the noise from next door. Hammerin' and bangin' never stop over there. No, really, it don't. Sound like they makin' Chinese coffins, or somethin'. Very nice family.... Very nice. But that where they from. So I don't know. Could be makin' something else.... I guess..

Gotta buy another blanket. What he got not enough. Pee runs make him shake all over. Bathroom cold. Bathroom real cold. Got some old toys in the basement. Gone try an' sell 'em. Got boxes and everything. Robots. Army guys. Space shit.... 'Put it away and don't ruin it.' - that what they say when he little. So now they not ruined. Maybe he be able a make something?

House 'cross the street gettin' robbed. More like 'smash and grab' burglarized, but they gettin' everything. Old lady what live there (she one a originals on the block) go to 'Lantic City wit' her daughter and son in law. They get 'comped.' She happy. She eat buffet food, hear Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Junior. She win like thirty seven dollar and fifty cent. She laugh. She cry, but it like happy cry, so that make it OK..... Back on the street, they break her window. Shimmy through. Boost a TV. It nice, but it not real special. You could get it for maybe two hundred and eighty nine dollah at Best Buy. But she got a safe. Keep it upstairs in a closet. It behind some old boxes and shit. They find it. Smash open the lid. Bet they do a happy happy, joy joy dance when they see what inside, 'cause it got 'bout fifteen thousand dollah squeezed all in it. That how they do. Old people, I mean. Go to store. Break a twenty. Spend like seven dollar and thirty nine cent. Go home. Stash the rest. Year go by, got like thirty six hundred dollar. Fourteen year go by, got like fifteen thousand dollar. Now my math not exact. Old lady want Tyson Chicken Nugget one time. Maybe she buy like an Entenmann's cake. You know. Every time not the same. But who care. She not got it in a bank and now she not got it at all. She not know til she get back. Then she gone cry. Then she gone shake. Son in law go - God damn it. Maw, why you do that? You know that buy year for little boy at college? You know that pay for like three quarter of a hearty tack? Damn. Damn. Damn. 

Ricky gone get note in his door. It from the cops. It gonna say - Your neighbor got herself robbed. Tell us if you see somethin'. Good bye for now. You friend, the cops. But nobody gone see nothin'. They never do. Not even sticky finger neighbor guy what help 'em do it. He the look out. He laugh. He smoke... Not stink weed, jus' regular weed. 

Ricky wanna get out. He wanna get out real bad. But even little, bitty shoe box place cost twelve hundred dollah a month, specially if it got parkin' spot or disease free little pool. You disease free little pool not everywhere. Ricky need money. He need it bad. Thought bout knockin' down on Marty, 'cept he doan know how to do it. Place got cameras. Place got 'Muscles.' Soon it gonna have two 'Muscles.' An' that Jimmy bastid there now too.

Little Chrissie not havin' good night either. Not 'cause they robbin' a neighbor. Neighbor robbin' like a big hobby where she live. It 'cause a the baby. He sick. He got snot in lung disease. Doctah give a note. He say - You get youself to the Rite Aid and buy this. She say - What if they got like a discount, generic version?..... Doctah say - Hell no. Ain't got no immy tay shun. Immy tay shun shit poison. You like that little sucker, don't you?..... Little Chrissie go - Yeah... He say - Then you make sure you buy the good stuff.... Then he pinch her cheek, pat her ass real light like and go 'NEXT!'.... What he not tell her is, he get money for sellin' that crap. An' if they not givin' him no money, they give him trip, like to Bermuda, or where you go to ski place. An' he do like plane rides. But baby fixin' syrup cost eighty two dollah an' she not got it. Granny woman what she live wit' ain't got it either. Maybe in day or so they get it? Granny like a young granny. You know, 'round here they go in granny business like forty years old. It a tradition. She know what to do. She done it before..

So for now he get Robitussin PM for children. An' he do like the way it taste. She wipe his head. Dress him up all warm. He do got a cute little sleepin' place. Baby daddy momma buy that. But then she move away to Indianapolis . An' they never see her no more. Baby daddy do some baby daddy magic. He go 'abby cadaver' POOF! an' disappear. Last she hear he in Florida. That like Happy Town for disappeared baby daddy. Little Chrissie hope a alligator get him.

Seem like planets all linin' up. Like a big Gypsy Lady in the sky makin' it all happen. Like soup. Like she stirrin' a big pot a soup. Money trouble. Baby daddy trouble. Leaky bathroom floor trouble. Asshole boss. 'Nother worse asshole boss. You know how it go.... You  got a asshole boss, you gotta do somethin'. Mister Never You Mind see it all. He see it lotta time. But this one gone be different... This one gone be a little bit crazy an' a little bit not crazy. 

You know Halloween candy got magic in it. Not all, but some. Not them Mary Jane's an' all that cheap crap. But chocolate bars got magic. Hershey bar got lot a magic. Ricky jus' ate one. Crawled downstairs. Went into the kitchen and ate one. Little Chrissie jus' ate one two. And boaf from the same bag. Jus' layin' around at work and they grab some. 

A half Mexican, half Puerto Rican ghost I know  from out on the Avenue tell me it come from beans off a bush what sprout on Montezuma's grave. So you know it gone be strong.... Not like genii magic though. This magic gone be different... This magic gone be twisted........

______________________________________________

4TH NaNoWriMo Novel-In-A-Month Episode

Bingo Boy - post 4

The southern voice isn't here tonight. He's off on a tear with a 'hoe' tonight. So now you have me. I'm another ghost. And two blocks to the north, I died. My brother and me sold suits, ties and shirts to hoods around here and some working guys. He was thirty two. I was thirty eight. The street gets real dark when you're open late. 

You can still see the blood in the back a the store. Runs straight down the old, wooden, office floor...right to the back door. My brother was shot in the side of his head. And then he was dead. But I was a 'toy.' They used me for a game. I hung by my feet from the storage door frame. They sliced through my vein.....my jugular vein. They both were insane. And the red ran out like a fountain, enough for ten velvet cakes. My father found us in the morning. Such imagery foul murder makes. 

And the games go on and the numbers fly right out of the cage in the blink of an eye. Will this one win? Or will that won loose? Whose head-banger kid gets a new pair of shoes?

But the alley is warmer today. The sun dried the mildew away. And the rodents are sleeping all snug in their nests with visions of other more crunchy shelled pests. 

What?..... You want me to stop with the road company Sweeney Todd? Look, I may be just a Frankford Avenue ghost, but I do possess a little bit of cultural awareness. So forgive me if I wax 'Sondheim' every now and then. My mother took us to shows. I can't help it. But I'll fade back into a regular narrative voice. Still, don't you like learning something about us usually anonymous tale tellers? It's so much more interesting when ghosts fill the roll. All right. I'm done..... Now go have your fun....

Ricky, Little Chrissie and John (another bingo-boy) take a break, perched upon the small dumpster, the better to soak up a ray or two of afternoon sun. You know, alleys don't get much. They can hear the noise from inside. Uncle Patsy calls numbers. Coarse, heavy throats croak 'bingo.' And the smoke goes 'round and 'round...

Little Chrissie says - Christ, how the hell can they live like that? Look what all they waste on bingo and cigarettes. And when they win in toes to ghetto kicks and discount Tommy Hilfiger crap for their juvvie hall wannabe gandkids. Boy, ain't that the life. God damn assholes.

John says - What the hell are you talkin' about, you dumb slut (he's just kiddin') you? I see you suckin' on them cigarettes......... Little Chrissie looks down and says - Shut up............John says - And what? Ain't you got a kid already too?........ Little Chrissie goes - I told you, shut your God damn mouth, OK?........

John shrugs, takes a hit a his own coffin nail and turns toward Ricky, who pretends like he's dozing........ John goes - Rick, yo Ricky... Where you live?.....Ricky says - What, me?....... John says - Yeah, you........ Ricky swallows back a mouthful a spit and goes - I live a couple blocks south of Jardel Recreation Center. Why? you know it?....... John goes - Yeah, I know it. My old stepfather's from up there. You know Skinny Dominic and his crazy brother?....... Ricky says - No........ John says - You know Jimmy McDougal, a big guy. He's twenty five percent black, but lucky for him, he don't look it......... Ricky says - No........ John can't believe it and adds - Well, you must know Bernadette with the little tits and her sister Angela with the big ones? You know, the one who's panties keep fallin' down. You gotta know her..... (Little Chrissie butts in - She got an allergy to latex. Gee, do you mind!?).... But Ricky says - Nope. Can't place 'em............John turns to Little Chrissie and goes - Jesus, who the hell does he know?....... He don't know any a them, you big, dumb shit. He's Jewish..... John blinks - Oh, Rick, you Jewish?........ Ricky goes - Yeah..... John goes - Both sides?........ Ricky says - Yeah, both......... John goes - Well, don't get me wrong. I ain't no hater. But why do you work here? You ain't related to the boss, or something? You ain't related to Marty? Are you?......... Ricky says - Nope........ John snorts back a laugh. He can't believe it....... Little Chrissie jumps in - And which boss you mean, you dumb shit? The other one, the one we don't hardly see ain't no Jew.......... Oh, yeah - says John. You know everything. How the hell do you know?......... Big Chrissie told me. You know how her family is 'bout Jews and all. Sorry, Ricky........ The Jew responds with a curt, little nod............ John asks - Then why's he work here?..... Same reason as you, you dumb asshole. He needs the money. He does it for the money. OK?....... John takes a deep drag on his cigarette. Guess that satisfies him....... 

Some clouds pass over. The alley gets dark. They sit there, still as statues. 

Big Chrissie sticks her head out and goes - Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Be careful! Just be careful! Whatever the hell you do, don't make no trouble for me. Just be careful! The God damn bastard came back. Jimmy came back! Oh, God! Oh, god! Oh, God!

Ricky looks to the other Chrissie for an explanation. She mouths - 'the other one.'............... Marty sticks his head out. He's sweating. He says - Everybody inside and get back to work fast.... 

Now it's like ten seconds later. The kids are in the back room counting quarters. Marty sits at his desk...just waiting.... Then the door to the space flies open and bangs against the wall. Jimmy's here, a hard, old, angry eyed, Burt Reynolds type.... His red, hot orbs fall on Marty, as he quietly, but menacingly goes - The envelope was light and you know it was light. I don't go for that kind of fuckin' crap, you God damn son of a bitch you!....... Marty gets up and snakes passed him, like all of a sudden he's got something to do out on the floor. And he goes - Not now. Not now. Not now.

Jimmy turns, strides out after him and there, right in the middle of the 'afternoon special,' he starts to yell... Hey, you little shit! Don't you run away from me, you fat, little piece a shit!......  But Marty don't answer, just speed walks through the door and runs out on the street. Jimmy goes after him, slams him against the window. Uncle Patsy turns up the volume on his mike to hide the noise. But fights are fights. The avenue is the avenue. And the bovine 'Tessies' in here don't give a shit. The game continues. But a few of the sharper ones momentarily raise their heads and take notice.

The bingo kids stare out over the crowded hall through the one way mirror. Nobody says a word and Big Chrissie starts to cry. Little Chrissie pulls her down on the ratty sofa to comfort her. John wants to say something, but Little Chrissie motions 'no.'

And the shift goes on til closing time. The last of the legit players say their good nights and leave. Most are picked up by kids, or grandkids. Can't let 'em walk home 'round here. The two shills, the two slatterns stay behind and help clean up. Somebody runs a vacuum. Somebody straightens out all the bingo 'boards' in the racks. Somebody sprays bug juice all over the chairs. Then the red neon 'BINGO' sign in the window blinks out.

Ricky walks Little Chrissie  'round to his car parked just down a side street. They trot pretty fast actually. Both hold keys like weapons. He unlocks the door. She gets in. He closes it. They drive away. 

What happens on the way, we don't know. Who said, or did not say what, we don't know. But just before he lets her out, it looks like he wants to say something, only he doesn't. She wants to say something too. But she just gets out. They mouth their 'good nights.' He watches her  run up to the door (maybe ten feet away) and go in. Then he carefully drives down the impossibly narrow street (with parking on both sides too), 'rounds the corner and disappears...

________________________________________________