J
ACK REMOVED the chain lock with a screwdriver, said, see? Sam folded her arms across her chest. She tapped her foot. He went to the bar, told the tender if the phone rings, I’m not here. Hours there. Billy the plumber, Frank the gimp, Allen the ambulance chaser. Phone kept ringing and tender kept saying no. Jimmy the harelip came in with yet another beautiful woman, said hey, got a table. Billy said he heard Jimmy was hung like a horse and Frank said he hated that guy then told the tender get Jimmy and his lady a round on me. Jack pulled the chain lock from his pocket, said she’s not gonna lock me out tonight. The tender answered the phone again, looked at Jack, and Jack said okay.
I’m going to kill myself.
Can’t this wait?
I’m hungry.
Cook something.
We don’t have anything.
Go get something.
I’m going to kill myself.
Jack hung up, said his woman was psychotic. Billy said takes one to know one. Jack walked back, got Sam’s car, drove to Taco Bell. People honked at him. It wasn’t until he was half way back he realized his lights were off.
They made a lounge area on the roof outside their 2nd story window. Blankets for sunbathing. Stereo speakers. A kiddie pool. Downstairs neighbor disappeared. Door wide open. Electrician. Jack took his tools and, what looked like months worth of canned foodstuffs. Stockpiling. Jack bought a kite and they flew it from the rooftop and down by the river. They found a wheelchair someone had put out for trash and pushed each other around. Game was person in chair acted retarded. Drool is good. They pushed the act and each other around. Riverfront Park. Downtown. Anywhere there were people. They sometimes took the kite.
Towards the end of summer, Jack’s NYC friends showed up, said they were done. Found a little apartment. Got off junk. Got jobs. Sam and Jack were lounging on the rooftop one late August night when the heat and humidity were so thick, you could barely breathe. Jack said he was moving out and she said okay, just stay here with me tonight. Jack said okay. Sam crossed her heart, said something in Italian, licked her finger and made a big X in the air. Jack smiled. There was no moon. There were fireflies.
