William Vollmann - Whores for Gloria

Jimmy came in his hand. That's my dream! he shouted.

Not so loud, said Candy. We don't want folks to think you're hurtin' me. Here's some toilet paper.

No, said Jimmy, that's my dream you just told me , when Gloria was trapped on the stairs by all the bad things she ever heard because you just told me all the bad things and now I know the two pimps got Gloria and raped her and cut her cunt out and now everything's all right. It's what had to happen. Oh, Candy. Oh, Candy, oh Candy Candy Candy. Now Gloria can never get away from me anymore. And it's not Peggy's dream anymore because you just made it mine.

Candy sat on the bed shaking her head slowly and thinking while the TV played music and Jimmy waited so expectandy and Candy said Gloria and Candy said hmm! and Candy said you meet all kinds in this job, I'll tell you.

Candy had learned many lessons in her life, the most important of which came when she was with a painting contractor who always carried a suitcase full of money when he met her and took her to a real nice hotel on Broadway and pulled out a bullwhip and sticks made of that wood called whipping willow and got out his cocaine and every time he got a register he wanted Candy to whip his ass until the blood came and then whip his back and whip it and whip it until Candy said well I have to go and the John said wait a minute and gave her more money and she whipped him for another forty-five minutes and then she said well I really have to go now and he gave her more money and then the light dawned on Candy: to get money she only had to threaten to leave, to become unavailable and therefore perfect like Gloria, and then she glowed with the light of a good thing coming to an end and easily achieved that perfection and they paid her and paid her.

Candy had also learned never to hurry a person, 'cause if she treated him with respect he just might come back.

Now they were together forever and this time it was forever, and Jimmy said remember when we had that fight about our dreams and you came over for dinner at my place that time and I showed you my collection of clay people with razors stuck up their cunts and Gloria laughed and said yes darling I remember and I remember looking in the refrigerator and seeing that you weren't taking care of yourself and didn't have anything to eat that we hadn't just eaten so I got you a bag of groceries and Jimmy said I remember how you pissed in my mouth while Dinah stood clicking that stiletto I gave her and I remember the smell of your perfume as you sat beside me and how you were so interested in the clay people and even though you'd made half of them yourself back at the river with me and you looked at each one for such a long time and said things like I like the way this one's shaped or I like the face on this one and I felt that you were so interested and I gave you one of them and you kissed me and it was such a rich sweet kiss that I'll never forget it.

Let me kiss you again now, Gloria said. And then cut me again. Cut more of me out.

And Gloria was with him, and Jimmy was happy, almost completely happy; he was happier than he'd ever be again, and he kept thinking if only she was here too then it would be perfect; then it would be the three of us.

One night Riley hopped a freight into town, and because he had been living the life of himself he was in bad shape. He had been in Code Six's platoon. Pretty soon he found him on Sixth Street.

Well fucking guy! cried Code Six, delighted. (He stank worse than ever; his odor illuminated the darkness of the alley.) — I thought you was long buried and full of worms! — Pretty soon, said Riley. I got cirrhosis; liver's gonna pop any time now. — Well die like a soldier is all I say! Code Six exclaimed. You was always the bravest of us three, Riley— meaning, you, Jimmy and me — and I count on you to do honors to the fuckin' flag and keep it flyin' high! — How is old James? said Riley, and Code Six said you mean you never heard? and Riley said heard what? and Code Six said buy me a jug and I'll tell you all about it.

Well, said Code Six, I was down on Turk Street about eight years ago. No, about six years ago, actually. An' this was on check day, y'know, the day everybody gets their check. And there was some kinda outburst outside, by this restaurant. — Which restaurant? said Riley. — The Chink's, the Chink's, the Chink's! said Code Six, the chop suey house, you idiot. — Yeah, I got that, said Riley in a dry voice. — Yeah, fuckin' slopes! said Code Six, slope food! An' all the sudden I hear a gunfire! And I been in Nam just like you, and I know gunfire when I hear it, rather than a Polish Jew!*

* This cynical name for a firecracker comes about, I presume, from German days, because when you set fire to one it leaves the world with a harmless bang, scarcely ever injuring its murderers.

You know, gunfire has a distinct sound to it; once you hear it in a combat situation, no, you'll never forgit it. And I look up, man I look around — I'm kinda jittery; only been back in the States about maybe ten or twenty years, still got that shit on my mind — I hear gunfire , and I know it. I turn around, man, and here comes Jimmy with his whore chasin' him! Usually were the other way around, weren't it? Damn! And she drilled his motherfuckin' ass, good and proper . Oh, man! — Code Six chuckled until poor Riley thought he must dissolve under the stench. — Jimmy comes in, the bitch comes in, just lit him up, right there! And she killed him dead right in front of the whole goddamned restaurant, and there were about twenty people in there, cooks and all — right bare-ass from my eyes! I said, motherfucker , I was safer back in Nippon, man, 'cause at least that way I know where the field of fire is! And that was how Jimmy died. Died like a hero. I never did find out what he had done. But you might 'a' knowed his ass, man. And might 'a' knowed her! It was old Gloria!

Damned right I knew Gloria, said Riley. I remember that chick. Fucked her once. God but she was free with her cunt. So she turned pro, huh? And she killed Jimmy, right on Turk Street?

That's right where he got lit up, man, right in front of the goddamned Ching's Chop Suey, whatever the fuck the name's of the Chink! Right next to Fred's, you know what I'm talkin' about. And I loved that bastard. He coulda saved the world. Lit him up, man, right in front of my eyes! And she knew her shit! She had some kinda training or somethin' like that. She knew how to kill. She had a.38. She didn't miss 'im. She come blazin' and blood was blastin' , and the Chinamen were fuckin' splittin'! You know how a motherfuckin' slope is, man!

The following list of terms is for the reader who may not have constant access to whores and drugs. (Some of these words, of course, are location-specific, such as "black-and white"; police cars are differently colored in different areas.)

Assing—Tricking.

Black-and-white—Police car.

Box—Vagina.

Company—Sex.

Date—Trick.

Decepticon—A perfect transvestite.

Fix—Addict's required dose of drug (usually injected).

Flatbacking—Missionary position intercourse.

Golden shower—Sex act in which one partner urinates on the other.

Half-and-half—Fellatio followed by straight intercourse.