hemingway, ernest - islands in the stream-第59章
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Thomas Hudson and Henry go around with you。 You are wicked and you talk vile。〃
¨Youˇre a lady；〃 Willie said。 ¨You shouldnˇt says things like that。 Vile is a bad word。 Itˇs like spit on the end of your cigar。〃
Thomas Hudson put his hand on the boyˇs shoulder。
¨Drink up； Willie。 Nobodyˇs feeling too good。〃
¨Henryˇs feeling good。 I could tell him what you told me and then heˇd feel awful。〃
¨You asked me。〃
¨That isnˇt what I mean。 Why donˇt you split your goddam grief？ Why did you keep that by yourself the last two weeks？〃
¨Grief doesnˇt split。〃
¨A grief hoarder；〃 Willie said。 ¨I never thought youˇd be a goddamned grief hoarder。〃
¨I donˇt need any of this； Willie；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Thank you very much； though。 You donˇt have to work on me。〃
¨OK。 Hoard it。 But itˇll do you no damn good。 I tell you I was brought up on the goddamned stuff。〃
¨So was I；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨No shit。〃
¨Were you really？ Then maybe your own systemˇs best。 You were getting to look pretty screwy； though。〃
¨Thatˇs just from drinking and being tired and not relaxed yet。〃
¨You hear from your woman？〃
¨Sure。 Three letters。〃
¨Howˇs that going？〃
¨Couldnˇt be worse。〃
¨Well；〃 Willie said。 ¨There we are。 You might as well hoard it so as to have something。〃
¨Iˇve got something。〃
¨Sure。 Your cat Boise loves you。 I know that。 Iˇve seen that。 How is the screwy old bastard？〃
¨Just as screwy。〃
¨He beats the shit out of me；〃 Willie said。 ¨He does。〃
¨He certainly sweats things out。〃
¨Doesnˇt he； though？ ？ If I suffered like that cat does Iˇd be nuts。 What are you drinking； Thomas？〃
¨Another one of those。〃
Willie put his arm around Honest Lilˇs ample waist。 ¨Listen； Lilly；〃 he said。 ¨Youˇre a good girl。 I didnˇt mean to get you sore。 It was my fault。 I was feeling emotional。〃
¨You wonˇt talk that way any more？〃
¨No。 Not unless I get emotional。〃
¨Hereˇs yours；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him。 ¨Hereˇs to you； you son of a bitch。〃
¨Now youˇre talking；〃 Willie said。 ¨Now youˇve got the old pecker pointed north。 We ought to have that cat Boise here。 Heˇd be proud of you。 See what I meant by sharing it？〃
¨Yes；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I see。〃
¨All right；〃 Willie said。 ¨Weˇll drop it。 Put out your can； here comes the garbage man。 Look at that damn Henry。 Get a load of him。 What do you suppose makes him sweat like that on a cold day like today？〃
¨Girls；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨He is obsessed with them。〃
¨Obsessed；〃 Willie said。 ¨You bore a hole in his head anywhere you want with a half…inch bit and women would run out。 Obsessed。 Why donˇt you get a word that would fit it？〃
¨Obsessed is a strong word in Spanish anyway。〃
¨Obsessed？ Obsessed is nothing。 If I get time this afternoon Iˇll think up the word。〃
¨Tom； come down to the other end of the bar where we can talk and I can be comfortable。 Will you buy me a sandwich？ Iˇve been out all morning with Henry。〃
¨Iˇm going to the Basque Bar；〃 Willie said。 ¨Bring him over there； Lil。〃
¨All right；〃 Honest Lil said。 ¨Or Iˇll send him。〃
She made her stately progress to the far end of the bar； speaking to many of the men she passed and smiling at others。 Everyone treated her with respect。 Nearly everyone she spoke to had loved her at some time in the last twenty…five years。 Thomas Hudson went down to the far end of the bar； taking his bar checks with him； as soon as Honest Lil had seated herself and smiled at him。 She had a beautiful smile and wonderful dark eyes and lovely black hair。 When it would begin to show white at the roots along the line of her forehead and along the line of her part； she would ask Thomas Hudson for money to have it fixed and when she came back from having it dyed it was as glossy and natural…looking and lovely as a young girlˇs hair。 She had a skin that was as smooth as olive…colored ivory； if there were olive…covered ivory； with a slightly smoky roselike cast。 Actually； the color always reminded Thomas Hudson of well…seasoned mahagua lumber when it is freshly cut； then simply sanded smooth and waxed lightly。 Nowhere else had he ever seen that smoky almost greenish color。 But the mahagua did not have the rose tint。 The rose tint was just the color that she used but it was almost as smooth as a Chinese girlˇs。 There was this lovely face looking down the bar at him； lovelier all the time as he came closer。 Then he was beside her and there was the big body and the rose color was artificial now and there was no mystery about any of it； although it was still a lovely face。
¨You look beautiful； Honest；〃 he said to her。
¨Oh； Tom； I am so big now。 I am ashamed。〃
He put his hand on her great haunches and said； ¨Youˇre a nice big。〃
¨Iˇm ashamed to walk down the bar。〃
¨You do it beautifully。 Like a ship。〃
¨How is our friend？〃
¨Heˇs fine。〃
¨When am I going to see him？〃
¨Any time。 Now？〃
¨Oh no。 Tom； what was Willie talking about？ The part I couldnˇt understand？〃
¨He was just being crazy。〃
¨No； he wasnˇt。 It was about you and a sorrow Was it about you and your se？ora。〃
¨No。 Fuck my se？ora。〃
¨I wish you could。 But you canˇt when she is away。〃
¨Yeah。 I found that out。〃
¨What is the sorrow； then？〃
¨Nothing。 Just a sorrow。〃
¨Tell me about it。 Please。〃
¨Thereˇs nothing to tell。〃
¨You can tell me； you know。 Henry tells me about his sorrows and cries in the night。 Willie tells me dreadful things。 They are not sorrows； so much as terrible things。 You can tell me。 Everyone tells me。 Only you donˇt tell me。〃
¨Telling never did me any good。 Telling is worse for me than not telling。〃
¨Tom； Willie says such bad things。 Doesnˇt he know it hurts me to hear such words？ Doesnˇt he know Iˇve never used those words and have never done a piglike thing nor a perverted thing？〃
¨Thatˇs why we call you Honest Lil。〃
¨If I could be rich doing perverted things and be poor doing normal things； I would be poor。〃
¨I know。 What about the sandwich？〃
¨Iˇm not hungry just yet。〃
¨Do you want another drink？〃
¨Yes。 Please； Tom。 Tell me。 Willie said there was a cat in love with you。 That isnˇt true； is it？〃
¨Yes。 Itˇs true。〃
¨I think itˇs dreadful。〃
¨No。 Itˇs not。 Iˇm in love with the cat； too。〃
¨Thatˇs terrible to say。 Donˇt tease me； Tom； please； Willie teased me and made me cry。〃
¨I love the cat；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨I donˇt want to hear about it。 Tom； when will you take me out to the bar of the crazies？〃
¨One of these days。〃
¨Do the crazies really come there just like ordinary people come here to meet and have drinks？〃
¨Thatˇs right。 The only difference is they wear shirts and trousers made out of sugar sacks。〃
¨Did you really play on the ball team of the crazies against the lepers？〃
¨Sure。 I was the best knuckle…ball pitcher the crazies ever had。〃
¨How did you get to know them？〃
¨I just stopped there one time on the way back from Rancho Boyeros and liked the place。〃
¨Will you really take me out to the bar of the crazies？〃
¨Sure。 If you wonˇt be scared。〃
¨Iˇll be scared。 But I wonˇt be too scared if Iˇm with you。 Thatˇs why I want to go out there。 To be scared。〃
¨Thereˇs some wonderful crazies out there。 Youˇll like them。〃
¨My first husband was a crazy。 But he was the difficult kind。〃
¨Do you think Willie is crazy？〃
¨Oh no。 He just has a difficult character。〃
¨Heˇs suffered very much。〃
¨Who hasnˇt？ Willie presumes on his suffering。〃
¨I donˇt think so。 I know about it。 I promise you。〃
¨Letˇs talk about something else； then。 Do you see that man down there at the bar talking to Henry？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨All he likes in bed are piglike things。〃
¨Poor man。〃
¨Heˇs not poor。 Heˇs rich。 But all he cares for is porquer？as。〃
¨Didnˇt you ever like porquer？as？〃
¨Never。 You can ask anyone。 And Iˇve never done anything with girls in my life。〃
¨Honest Lil；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨Wouldnˇt you rather have me
