Sent for You Yesterday by John Edgar Wideman

Author:John Edgar Wideman [Wideman, John Edgar]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Stories, Literature
ISBN: 9780380826445
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 1981-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

In the Velvet Slipper at the end of a Friday after noon. Listening to the jukebox filling the room; watching Lucy return from her story, wondering about love and if it’s always so confusing the first time. And if there’s ever more than a first time. Because it’s the three of them still. Brother part of it, always part of it.

Brother beside him sipping an Iron City. Nodding, yes. Slipping his hand in his jacket pocket and fondling something out of sight. And bringing the empty hand from his pocket to his lips, grinning, kissing it. Yes.

Brother at the table that first morning after to tell Carl that Lucy could take back what she’d given. That she hadn’t given. She had showed him something. She showed it to him, but it was still hers, like that piece of Albert Wilkes in the handkerchief in her drawer.

Lucy could still scare him and amaze him. Even to day she could do it. Pounce from the shadows of the Tates’ house and yell Boo. Today climbing those stairs he’d still worry about ghosts creeping up behind him. And when he came down and shut the heavy door be hind him and stepped down off the Tates’ porch he’d wonder if she was writing another note, if she was taking something back, if she was writing good-bye.

Another Rock, Cat. Can’t you turn that mess down some?

Turn it down and in a minute I got three asking me turn it up again.

Well, who’s the boss?

The ones putting in the nickels.

Used to be a nice quiet place in here.

You getting old, honey. People like it noisy now. You getting old and set in your ways.

Just might be right, Cat. Be thirty soon and wasn’t worth a good god damn at twenty. You just might be right.

Carl bolts the shot glass of Seagrams Seven and wets his lips with the last of his Rolling Rock.

Scored then, Bruh? Yeah, I can see it in your eyes. Got a scoreboard in your eyes, nigger.

He’ll clear his throat with a fresh Rock and then get Lucy off her stool and it’ll be the three of them, the three musketeers again and they’ll walk back to the room where Albert Wilkes died and shoot up and dream.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.