68
PARTISAN REVIEW
No, there ain't nothing the matter with my
groce~y
order, we
refused to take the order three weeks ago so there can't be
nothing wrong with us not getting it, and she writes that down
too.
The reason I want to see Miss More, don't get me wrong,
I tell her again, is about the groceries all right, but the main
thing is, it's about a job.
Damn if she don't write that down too, in those words.
She looks at me, you know the look, Everything will be a-a-all
right. After all, says she, Who doesn't need a job ?-She's
talking to me like she thinks my pants is diapers, her hands
spread in a Hollywood gesture. Who's got a job today anyway?
Well, you have, for one.
That finishes it. 93, she calls out, giving me a look which
says You common bastard, what makes you think I'm in your
class. And I'm halfway to the door when it occurs to me she
ain't told me when it's coming, the mealti.cket.
Back to the execution block. Listen, I begin, when is–
Take a number, she hollers, take a seat
I
Listen,
I say, you don't get it, lady, 1-
Take a number, take a .se-e-eat
I
\Veil, while it's true I got some inhibitions, I don't have the
same ones my friend Diamond-eyes has. And mixing up my
genders don't bother me none, either.-You goddam sonofa–
bitch, I say, loudly and distinctly, and I walk out onto the street.
And walk. And the sun's good. And think. Oh, the sons of
bitches, oh the dirty bitches. A rhapsody less esthetic maybe
than if it was a rhapsody to the moon, but so much more satis·
fying.
Okey, Diamond-eyes, says I, hope you get your man-visita–
tion. Hope you kick him half to death. Hope you get a chance
to tell your judge why you done it. Revolution's a
big
slow
giant, he takes a lot of building. You do what you told me.
You'll learn. I'll write me a story what happened this morn–
ing. We're both of us on our way.
