Return Fire by Glenn Blake

Author:Glenn Blake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 2010-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

WHEN THE GODS WANT TO PUNISH YOU

Watch out, you might get what you’re after.

Talking Heads

Stop Making Sense

“When the gods want to punish you,” I tell him, “they answer your prayers.”

“No shit,” Donnie says. He’s sitting at the bar between Debbie and Madison.

I’m standing in the kitchen, salting his glass.

“More lime this time,” Madison says. She hands me her glass.

Donnie points to his. “More tequila,” he says.

Debbie isn’t drinking. She’s pregnant.

Cazadores

Corazón

Don Julio

Herradura

Patrón

Porfidio

I hand him his drink.

“You know,” he says, “I always wanted to be a fireman.”

“Dear god,” Madison says. She reaches for her glass. “Hurry.”

Debbie hides her face in her hands.

“No,” Donnie says, “I’m serious.”

“We know,” Debbie says through her fingers.

“Ever since I was a little kid.”

Madison mouths the words, “Fire engine.”

“I even had this little fire engine,” he says. “Most little kids had little race cars, but I had a fire engine!”

“Was it red?” Madison says.

“It was red!” Donnie says. He looks at her. He’s holding his head in his left hand, and then he’s holding his head in his right hand. “It wasn’t a toy,” he says. “I mean, you could climb into it. It had pedals and everything. You know what I’m talking about?”

“We know,” Debbie says. She lowers her hands and smiles at him.

“Tell us about the bell,” Madison says.

“You saw it!” Donnie says.

“No,” Madison says.

“Tell me the truth,” Donnie says. “Did you ever see it?”

“No,” Madison says, “I’m sorry.”

“It had this little bell,” he says. “Hell, I used to pedal that fire engine up and down our street, ringing that goddamn bell like crazy. Up and down the street. Back and forth.” Donnie’s pulling this invisible cord on this invisible bell. “Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding,” he goes. “All goddamn day.”

“You’re lucky somebody didn’t shoot you,” I tell him.

“Terry,” Madison says.

“Can’t you just picture it!” I say. “Some little maniacal bastard riding up and down the street, dawn to dusk, ringing this goddamned fire engine bell!”

“It wasn’t that loud,” Donnie says.

“Children!” I say.

“Terry,” Madison says.

“Aren’t children great!”

“Terrence.”

“Don’t get me started on children!” I say. “I mean, what cretins would ever want to have children unless they had guns to their.…”

“I think Debbie needs another drink,” Madison says.

I throw Madison a stupid look and say, “Debbie’s not drinking! She’s …!”

“Let’s just say there’s a field,” Donnie says. “It’s nighttime.”

“I need another Coke,” Debbie says. “Please.”

“The field is dark because the sun has gone down,” he says. “It’s about knee-deep in these black weeds.”

“Black weeds?” Madison says.

“I told you!” he says. “It’s dark!”

“Nighttime,” she says.

“Anyway,” he says, “in the middle of this black field, there’s a small red fire.”

“Call the fire department!” Madison says. She picks up the telephone receiver.

“That’s right!” Donnie says. “I rush to the field with my bucket of water and put the fire out.”

Debbie applauds.

“What could be more perfect than that?” Donnie says.

Madison finishes her drink. “It’s not always that easy, is it?”

“That’s not the point,” he says. “The point is…. Anyway, that’s what I used to dream about when I was a kid.

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