THE HEART OF THE PARK
The woman thumped the malted milk on the counter in front
of
him.
"Fifteen cents," she roared.
"You're worth more than that, baby
girl,"
Enoch said. He
snickered and began gassing his malted milk through the straw.
The woman strode over to where Haze was. "What do you
come in here with a son of a bitch like that for?" she shouted. "A
nice quiet boy like you to come in here with a son of a bitch. You
ought to mind the company you keep." Her name was Maude and
she drank whiskey all day from a fruit jar under the counter. "Jesus,"
she said, wiping her hand under her nose. She sat down in a straight
chair in front of Haze but facing Enoch, and folded her arms across
her chest. "Ever day," she said to Haze, looking at Enoch, "ever
day that son of a bitch comes in here."
Enoch was thinking about the animals. They had to go next
to the animals. He hated them; just thinking about them made his
face tum a chocolate purple color as if the malted milk were rising
in
his
head.
"You're a nice boy," she said, "I can see you got a clean nose,
well keep it clean, don't go messin with a son of a bitch like that
yonder. I always know a clean boy when I see one." She was shout–
ing at Enoch, but Enoch watched Hazel Weaver. It was like some–
thing inside Hazel Weaver was winding up, although he didn't move
on the outside, not even his hands. He just looked pressed down
in
that blue suit, like inside it, the thing winding was getting tighter
and tighter. Enoch's blood told him to hurry. He raced the milk–
shake up the straw.
"Yes sir," she said, "there ain't anything sweeter than a clean
boy. God for my witness. And I know a clean one when I see
him
and I know a son a bitch when I see him and there's a lot of dif–
ference and that pus-marked bastard zlurping through that straw
is
a goddammed son a bitch and you a clean boy had better mind
how you keep
him
company. I know a clean boy when I see one."
Enoch screeched in the bottom of his glass. He fished fifteen cents
from
his pocket and laid it on the counter and got up. But Hazel
Weaver was already up; he was leaning over the counter toward
the woman. She didn't see him right away because she was looking at
Enoch. He leaned on his hands over the counter until his face was
just
a foot from hers. She turned around and stared at him.
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