Because Jeneen Dovrance pressed record on her answering machine after I said the
word breasts the first time, and Bishop Fuget and his goddamn toadies played it for me,
over and over and over during the inquisition. She
had transmitted this intensely private conversation to a hierarchy of pansies. You know
what they call me behind my back? Shall I tell you? They call me old full and juicy. Full
and juicy, ho, ho. Very funny. Assistant pastor. God Almighty.
He put his face into his hands, then went to the sink and splashed some cold water on his
eyes.
So you see how we go on? How we dont give up?
I saw. I slept on a couch in the rectory, and I dreamed that Bethany was running around
our backyard and Norma was chasing her. Laughter dreams good.
The Memory of Running
14
As soon as he was out of sight of my mom and pop, Bobby Myers lit a Marlboro.
Open the glove compartment, he said to Bethany.
Inside was a quart bottle of Four Roses Canadian whiskey, which was a favorite of the
Riverside mondos.
Thats the good stuff. I stole it from my old man. Were gonna have some fun tonight.
Bethany thought Bobby Myers looked good and cool with the Marlboro in his mouth.
Did you remember to get the corsage?
Oh, shit, Im glad you reminded me. Its in the trunk. Ill get it when we pick up Sal.
Sal Ruggerior Sal the Dago, which he was sometimes called be- hind his back, way behind
his backwas the boy in East Providence High School who, by example, led the Riverside
mondos. Without Sal we probably never would have had spot locker checks, for exam- ple.
Certainly we never would have had the Sal Walk, which all the mondos were required to do.
Hands in pockets, as close to your balls as possible, shoulders hunched so the leather
jacket rode up around your neck, and a sort of slide step with your hobnail boots. And, of
course, you chewed Dubble Bubble. It was their aroma. Sweet- smelling marauders.
Sals mom and pop were lovely people who both worked for Campenella & Cardi Construction.
He operated backhoes, and she did payroll. They went to mass on Wednesdays and Sundays and
were active in most of St. Marthas activities. They were pretty typical of the
lower-middle-class people in East Providence. They saved for everything they wanted. They
worked hard. They were ter- rific neighbors. And they adored their only childthe
evil-minded, pimply-pussed Sal the Dago.
Bobby and Sal were best friends in a way that the mondos were best friends. Theyd punch
each other on the arms and try to make the other one quit. Friends that way, the mondo
way. Sal was taking Debbie Gomes. They werent boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like
that, but she was a tough girl, and she gave hand jobs. At least thats what it said on the
wall above the urinal in the first-floor boys room.
Sal came out of the house on the first honk of the Impala. His tuxedo pants were
skintight, and instead of a bow tie, he wore his shirt open so his furry chest could
breathe.
Hey, man, Bobby said coolly. Sal jumped into the backseat. Hey, man, Sal said. Bethany
felt a little uncomfortable around Sal. Everybody did. It
was a feeling youd get that was magnetic and repulsive at the same time. Turmoil. But
Bethany also felt pretty excited and happy. Bobby was so cool, and she looked great. She
knew she did. She felt all her choices were the exact right onesfrom her tight curls,
which had loosened up enough to bounce, to her sexy blue heels. She had prac- ticed
walking in them for weeks and had perfected a natural-looking glide step. It was a very
nice package, and she knew it.
Now, Im not sure about anything, as Ive said, but I think gener- ally theres a rhythm to
young girls that they dont have to think about. Its not really spontaneous either, because
its always there. Its the big events with gowns and tuxedos and heels that point this up.
The girls somehow hear this beat, this
word breasts the first time, and Bishop Fuget and his goddamn toadies played it for me,
over and over and over during the inquisition. She
had transmitted this intensely private conversation to a hierarchy of pansies. You know
what they call me behind my back? Shall I tell you? They call me old full and juicy. Full
and juicy, ho, ho. Very funny. Assistant pastor. God Almighty.
He put his face into his hands, then went to the sink and splashed some cold water on his
eyes.
So you see how we go on? How we dont give up?
I saw. I slept on a couch in the rectory, and I dreamed that Bethany was running around
our backyard and Norma was chasing her. Laughter dreams good.
The Memory of Running
14
As soon as he was out of sight of my mom and pop, Bobby Myers lit a Marlboro.
Open the glove compartment, he said to Bethany.
Inside was a quart bottle of Four Roses Canadian whiskey, which was a favorite of the
Riverside mondos.
Thats the good stuff. I stole it from my old man. Were gonna have some fun tonight.
Bethany thought Bobby Myers looked good and cool with the Marlboro in his mouth.
Did you remember to get the corsage?
Oh, shit, Im glad you reminded me. Its in the trunk. Ill get it when we pick up Sal.
Sal Ruggerior Sal the Dago, which he was sometimes called be- hind his back, way behind
his backwas the boy in East Providence High School who, by example, led the Riverside
mondos. Without Sal we probably never would have had spot locker checks, for exam- ple.
Certainly we never would have had the Sal Walk, which all the mondos were required to do.
Hands in pockets, as close to your balls as possible, shoulders hunched so the leather
jacket rode up around your neck, and a sort of slide step with your hobnail boots. And, of
course, you chewed Dubble Bubble. It was their aroma. Sweet- smelling marauders.
Sals mom and pop were lovely people who both worked for Campenella & Cardi Construction.
He operated backhoes, and she did payroll. They went to mass on Wednesdays and Sundays and
were active in most of St. Marthas activities. They were pretty typical of the
lower-middle-class people in East Providence. They saved for everything they wanted. They
worked hard. They were ter- rific neighbors. And they adored their only childthe
evil-minded, pimply-pussed Sal the Dago.
Bobby and Sal were best friends in a way that the mondos were best friends. Theyd punch
each other on the arms and try to make the other one quit. Friends that way, the mondo
way. Sal was taking Debbie Gomes. They werent boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like
that, but she was a tough girl, and she gave hand jobs. At least thats what it said on the
wall above the urinal in the first-floor boys room.
Sal came out of the house on the first honk of the Impala. His tuxedo pants were
skintight, and instead of a bow tie, he wore his shirt open so his furry chest could
breathe.
Hey, man, Bobby said coolly. Sal jumped into the backseat. Hey, man, Sal said. Bethany
felt a little uncomfortable around Sal. Everybody did. It
was a feeling youd get that was magnetic and repulsive at the same time. Turmoil. But
Bethany also felt pretty excited and happy. Bobby was so cool, and she looked great. She
knew she did. She felt all her choices were the exact right onesfrom her tight curls,
which had loosened up enough to bounce, to her sexy blue heels. She had prac- ticed
walking in them for weeks and had perfected a natural-looking glide step. It was a very
nice package, and she knew it.
Now, Im not sure about anything, as Ive said, but I think gener- ally theres a rhythm to
young girls that they dont have to think about. Its not really spontaneous either, because
its always there. Its the big events with gowns and tuxedos and heels that point this up.
The girls somehow hear this beat, this
Similar Books
