exactly an out-’n’-out scene, you know what I’m sayin’. There was a lotta other folks droppin’ in, but Laws kinda set the tone, you know … so I stopped hangin’, ’cause I couldn’t see past them undercover lovers he had strollin’ in.…”
I looked at Bertha in the mirror, watched her bland expression as she continued to frame the face of the young woman in the chair. She glanced up and saw me watching, but her expression did not change and her hands did not stop moving. So far, she had not said a word.
“My cousin was part of that stroll,” the woman continued, rolling up the magazine and tapping her palm. “And I know for a fact that a lot more gonna come out before all is said and done. I mean, talk had it that Laws was workin’ it when he went.”
“Who said?”
“Street said.” She smiled, putting the magazine down and picking up the coffee cup again. It had to be cold by now but she sipped anyway, mostly for effect, I thought. “Street said,” she repeated.
It was like the end of debating a point in religion or politics when someone declares, “The Bible said,” or “The Constitution said.” In some circles, “Street said” carried the same weight.
When no one broke the silence, I finally spoke: “I heard Laws was married.”
She rolled her eyes as if that were the joke of the year: “Coupla times. Had an assembly line, three of which he managed to lend his name to at one time or other. But everybody knows he was pullin’ shade.”
“He was frontin’?”
“Frontin’ and backin’ and everything else, and as an extra bonus he was knockin’ his star barmaid …”
“Thea?”
“That’s the one. But through it all, he loved thatother stuff too. Seem like he couldn’t pass up nothin’ with a hole in it. Too bad he didn’t stick to doughnuts.”
At the mention of Thea’s name, Bert’s hand froze, then a second later resumed combing the girl’s hair.
“Looks is deceivin’,” Bert said quietly. “Looks is damn sure deceivin’.”
I had expected her to say more, but instead she snatched a towel and wiped the sweat from her palms. Then she adjusted the plastic cape on the girl’s shoulders and motioned her toward the other hair dryer. The magazine woman took her place in the chair and pointed to a picture on the wall.
“That’s what I want,” she said.
I saw Bert’s expression. “Let’s get your hair washed.” She smiled. “Then after the conditioner is in for a few minutes, we can look and see what’s what …”
Which meant that an alternative was already in the works. She positioned the woman’s head over the basin and turned on the faucet. I heard her voice above the spray.
“So you say Laws was that busy. And even with Thea. I never woulda guessed it. Not in a million years. Used to drop by there once in while myself, you know.”
I did not look at Bert but knew that a whole detailed history that Bert would share with me later would be extracted from the woman before the shampoo was rinsed out. I drained my cup and headed for the door.
Traffic had picked up and Eighth Avenue was clogged. The exhaust mingled with the heat radiatingfrom the pavement, and standing under the shop’s wide awning did not help. Five minutes later, I was still standing there when the door opened again and Bert stepped out to stand beside me.
“I got a conditioner on her now. Good for a few more minutes of gossip.”
I nodded and said nothing. Finally, she said, “This heat gonna kill somebody.” She watched the cars and continued. “Lotta old people who don’t have no air-conditionin’.”
I still waited.
Then: “Who you think did Laws in?”
“I have no idea,” I said, looking at her.
“What do you think of that story about Thea?”
Before I could answer, she went on. “Damn! What was goin’ on in that girl’s brain? She had Kendrick’s nose open wide enough to grow a watermelon in; Michaels was actin’ like she was the last bit of booty
I looked at Bertha in the mirror, watched her bland expression as she continued to frame the face of the young woman in the chair. She glanced up and saw me watching, but her expression did not change and her hands did not stop moving. So far, she had not said a word.
“My cousin was part of that stroll,” the woman continued, rolling up the magazine and tapping her palm. “And I know for a fact that a lot more gonna come out before all is said and done. I mean, talk had it that Laws was workin’ it when he went.”
“Who said?”
“Street said.” She smiled, putting the magazine down and picking up the coffee cup again. It had to be cold by now but she sipped anyway, mostly for effect, I thought. “Street said,” she repeated.
It was like the end of debating a point in religion or politics when someone declares, “The Bible said,” or “The Constitution said.” In some circles, “Street said” carried the same weight.
When no one broke the silence, I finally spoke: “I heard Laws was married.”
She rolled her eyes as if that were the joke of the year: “Coupla times. Had an assembly line, three of which he managed to lend his name to at one time or other. But everybody knows he was pullin’ shade.”
“He was frontin’?”
“Frontin’ and backin’ and everything else, and as an extra bonus he was knockin’ his star barmaid …”
“Thea?”
“That’s the one. But through it all, he loved thatother stuff too. Seem like he couldn’t pass up nothin’ with a hole in it. Too bad he didn’t stick to doughnuts.”
At the mention of Thea’s name, Bert’s hand froze, then a second later resumed combing the girl’s hair.
“Looks is deceivin’,” Bert said quietly. “Looks is damn sure deceivin’.”
I had expected her to say more, but instead she snatched a towel and wiped the sweat from her palms. Then she adjusted the plastic cape on the girl’s shoulders and motioned her toward the other hair dryer. The magazine woman took her place in the chair and pointed to a picture on the wall.
“That’s what I want,” she said.
I saw Bert’s expression. “Let’s get your hair washed.” She smiled. “Then after the conditioner is in for a few minutes, we can look and see what’s what …”
Which meant that an alternative was already in the works. She positioned the woman’s head over the basin and turned on the faucet. I heard her voice above the spray.
“So you say Laws was that busy. And even with Thea. I never woulda guessed it. Not in a million years. Used to drop by there once in while myself, you know.”
I did not look at Bert but knew that a whole detailed history that Bert would share with me later would be extracted from the woman before the shampoo was rinsed out. I drained my cup and headed for the door.
Traffic had picked up and Eighth Avenue was clogged. The exhaust mingled with the heat radiatingfrom the pavement, and standing under the shop’s wide awning did not help. Five minutes later, I was still standing there when the door opened again and Bert stepped out to stand beside me.
“I got a conditioner on her now. Good for a few more minutes of gossip.”
I nodded and said nothing. Finally, she said, “This heat gonna kill somebody.” She watched the cars and continued. “Lotta old people who don’t have no air-conditionin’.”
I still waited.
Then: “Who you think did Laws in?”
“I have no idea,” I said, looking at her.
“What do you think of that story about Thea?”
Before I could answer, she went on. “Damn! What was goin’ on in that girl’s brain? She had Kendrick’s nose open wide enough to grow a watermelon in; Michaels was actin’ like she was the last bit of booty
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