Saturday, December 15, 2012

45TH BINGO BOY episode 12/15/12

BINGO BOY - post 45

They sat in the car for a long time. I mean a real long time. Then Little Chrissie said - Come on. Let's go home.  So they pulled out of the strip mall in Bell Mawr and went back. Bridge cost like... I don't know.....Five bucks? Lucky there was a few bills in the console, 'cause Ricky didn't have much on him. Marge is waitin' when they get there. She can tell something's wrong soon as they get out of the car. Ricky look's white. Real chalky. Real pale. And Little Chrissie got her jaw set, like she's thinkin' about something. Like she wants to punch somebody. First thing Marge says is - Where's Jimmy?.... But they don't say nothing. Just walk right by her and plop down.  Siren tears through the street. That happens all the time. Kids call it a 'ghetto ice cream truck.' Ricky says - Better learn to like that..... Marge goes - Why? What do you mean? Come on. What happened? Tell me?..... But she looks plenty nervous too. She knows. Not exactly. But she knows.

Little Chrissie goes - He ditched us. Went in the bank. Got the money. Ran out the back and ditched us....... Marge goes - I don't believe it. I don't believe it...... And she starts shakin'..... Ricky goes - You know what's gonna happen, don't you? That 'Too' from across the streets' gonna tell Marty she saw him...... Little Chrissie goes - That dumb, fat ass, God damn bitch....... Ricky says - And next time Marty goes to the box and sees it's empty (holds index-finger gun to his head) CHOO! You know he got Muscles and the other one now. He's got two a them. Maybe Marty wouldn't do it on his own. But Muscles would, 'cause he wants some a the money for himself. It might not be safe to stay around here....... Little Chrissie goes - So what do we do?....... Ricky looks down and mumbles - I don't know..... Marge starts to cry. Tears start running down her face..... The baby wakes up. They hear him yellin' from his crib. He goes - Out! Out! Out! Uppie! Uppie! Uppie!..... Ricky wants to go get him, but Little Chrissie says - No, I'll go....... Think she just wants to do something.

So that's how they spend the day. They sit. They think. They smoke. Still go out on the front step or in the ally to do that. Ain't lost all their humanity. There is a baby, you know. Mary, Too's mother calls just before WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? She don't like that show. Marge picks it up. Mary goes - What's a matter? What's gone on? Why won't you tell me?..... Marge mouths 'it's Mary' to the others. Little Chrissie says - Ask her where her dumb, bitch daughter is?...... Mary goes - Why don't you tell your tenth grade drop out to shut the hell up?! And tell her my dumb, bitch daughter ain't here..... Marge goes - Where'd she go?..... Mary says - What? You afraid she told Marty? Look, I don't control her. I don't know what she does. But that ain't where she went. Her asthma started actin' up. She had a go to the doctor..... Marge wants the others to hear, so she goes - Oh, she's at the doctor's?..........Ricky gives out with a stage whisper - Thank you, Jesus!..... Little Chrissie snorts. Baby likes that, so he claps and laughs..... Turns out 'Too' gonna be laid up a couple days. Got like a 'walkin' pneumonia.

Least that's a little break. 

Marge goes down the basement. She just sits on the folding chair, looking at the little 'studio apartment' jail cell she made. The kids  go upstairs to lie down. Baby's in his playpen throwin' Weebles at the TV screen. Think he's aimin' for Sharon Osbourne. He's gonna hit it one day. I'm tellin' you.

And Jimmy runs off to buy a real, big, fancy diamond ring......

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