Jeffery Allen - Rails Under My Back

Please, Spoke. The words rushed to Lucifer’s lips. I’m trying to clear up this confusion about John. When was the last time—

He asked me for a loan.

When was that?

A few months back.

Did you give it to him?

Do I look like Boo Boo the Fool? John rather cut out his heart than give you a dime.

This was true.

Spokesman began singing.

Captain, did you hear

All yo men gonna leave next payday,

Baby, next payday

You remember that one?

Lucifer nodded. One of John’s favorites.

Yes. I told him to fly down so we could do some hunting. Many good spots upstate.

Lucifer’s mind churned as Spokesman spoke. Spokesman liked spot hunting. John would shine his flashlight in the deer’s face and Spokesman would blast it.

I formed a new company. We stage live re-creations of the war for film, stage, and television. A lotta work these days, believe it or not. I offered John a job. He didn’t refuse or accept.

Lucifer wondered why Spokesman hadn’t offered him a job, too. Why he wasn’t offering him a job now. So you haven’t heard from him?

I wish I could help. Spokesman smiled, walrus teeth. Good fortune had not convinced him to correct his teeth.

Am I right?

I can’t help you.

What are you saying?

I’m saying that I don’t know why you came here to see me.

Because you and John were always tight. Close. Because—

Of course we were tight. Some things can’t be destroyed. If a hologram is cut or blemished, it retains the image of the whole in each portion of the film. Spokesman nodded with the possibility.

Interesting, Lucifer said. But—

More than interesting. It’s real. The war should have taught you that. Spokesman’s angry eyes testified to the validity of every word.

Lucifer didn’t let the anger bother him. It wasn’t clear to him where this might lead, but he intended to keep on with it. Teach me what?

That life is based on awesome immutable laws. Ignorance of those laws does not excuse anyone from the consequences of the nonapplication of those laws or, worst, the breaking of those laws. Spokesman’s head and teeth pumped a stream of words, a barking, spitting dog.

Lucifer sat and listened. He made an effort to vocalize his thoughts.

What? Spokesman said.

Lucifer rose from his seat and moved to the window behind Spokesman. He looked out on the green park and felt scared of the sky’s beauty. Where’s Spin?

Spin?

I need to speak to Spin.

He can’t tell you anything.

Do you know where I can find him?

It’s not what you know, it’s what you can acknowledge.

Lucifer turned from the green and the sky and faced Spokesman. He leaned into the words. I need to know.

He lives in Queens, Little Asia.

Little Asia?

Yes.

But I thought he lived in Harlem?

No. His company—

The Royal African Company.

Yes. His company is there.

I see.

He lives next to the cathedral with the cemetery out front. I know that cemetery because I designed some of the tombstones. Plastic. They last forever. Spokesman smiled with fanged pride.

You have the address?

You have a pen?

Yes.

Spokesman gave Lucifer the address. Lucifer wrote it down.

You’ll need the password, Spokesman said.

Password?

Yes. Spin only associates with those in the know. Fame will do that to you. Make you a prisoner.

What’s the password?

Spokesman gave Lucifer the password. Lucifer wrote it down. Thanks.

Thank you.

Why was Spokesman thanking him?

Don’t worry, Spokesman said.

I’ll try not to.

No, I mean it. Don’t try. Do it. No need to worry.

Why? Lucifer felt on the edge of something.

History is all matter, and matter cannot be destroyed. The moon pulls on the tides. The earth on a passing comet. But the object itself is not changed. Simply its path, the track or trace. And that track is external, nonessential to the object itself.

Spoke, Lucifer said, you’re not human.

BUT YOU GOT TO GET AWAY from a woman who love you too strong. I used to have this woman who would drive my car after I fell asleep. Then in the morning, hide my shoes so I can’t go back to my wife.

Damn, Hatch said. Damn.

Women is something.

You ain’t married no more?

Yeah. Well, separated. Guess that’s what you’d call it.

She left you?

I left her. Lazy. My wife got a good job workin for the city. A social worker. She be ready to retire next year. But she lazy. That’s why I left her. I work all day and have to come home and cook for her and clean the house. All I wanted was a little help. She be out shopping.

Man.

And the kids tryin to talk back to me. My daughter so lazy she throw out the silverware with the garbage. And my son got a smart mouth. No respect. I told my wife, I’m gon leave you with these bad-ass kids. See how you like that. She go, Pool, you know you won’t. I did too.

It bees that way sometimes, Hatch said.

Yeah, bout twice a week my wife come over here and I make her dinner.

What?

Yeah. See, my daughter don’t cook and—

Your wife lives across the street?

Yeah, right there. Pool pointed. Peaches live right there.

Peaches?

That’s her name.

Why ain’t yall get divorced?

Divorce too much trouble.

Hatch thought about it.

My son talking bout he gon jump on me. I put my gun on him. Told him to get out of my house. My wife told me to get out.

Damn.

Now, my wife come over here anytime she want. But I got to call before I go over there.

She ever catch you?

Hell nawl. My old lady Martha live right down the hall. She got a big apartment. If my dick get hard, I go down there and do my business. I got enough respect for my wife.

Hatch thought about it. If it came down to it, he said, I bet you’d go back to your wife.

Pool grinned. Once, a husband jumped in the sea to drown himself. The wife pissed in the sea. Every little bit helps.

MY OTHER OLD LADY live out there in Crownpin, a few blocks from my oldest daughter, the one from my second wife. I was coming from down home and met her on the bus. She say, I’ll be your wife for a day. I go to her house and we get naked and get in the bed. She keep her hand over her pussy. She got one of them little skinny dogs runnin around.

A Chihuahua?

Yeah. So, I pat the dog. I tell her. I’m gon get next to you the way I got next to this dog.

I used to take my kids to her house. They ain’t speak nay word to my wife.

Yes, I’ve had my fun, even if I never get well no mo.

I used to have this one lady come over and I take her down in the basement and fuck her while my wife was upstairs washing dishes. You know, we didn’t take all our clothes off. She wear a dress and I unzip my pants and bend her over the couch.

Battery acid flooded up from Hatch’s groin. Trickles of heat in his legs.

You know, my wife could of caught us. All she had to do was leave the water runnin and sneak downstairs. Pool shook his head. Man, if I died today I wouldn’t need nay more pussy.

Back home, I used to fuck these two sisters, Clara and Annabelle. They ask me, Which one of us got the best pussy?

I used to have this one girl and we’d go out in the field and screw in a cotton sack. Her father knew too. He knew I ain’t walked no five miles for a kiss.

I used to work at this bakery. There was this white girl from Buffalo. A bookkeeper. It was her uncle’s factory.

Bakery.

She used to come up to me. Pool, you know what I want.

White men thought I was screwin her. I look at em and say, You crazy?