Sleepers

I took a drink of the 7-Up.

'Thanks,' I said. 'Thanks a lot.'

'Always watch out for men like your father,' King Be

'He tries,' I said. 'He just gets caught up.'

'There are other ways,' he said. 'Better ways. You should walk away from the table knowing that.'

'He wants to make money,' I said. 'Same as everybody around here.'

'Looking for easy money,' King Be

'What?'

'Ain't no such thing,' he said.

'Does my father know?' I asked. 'About the payment.'

'Not yet.'

'Can I tell him?'

'Soon as you see him,' he said.

The room was turning dark, the sun's shadows giving way to early evening. King Be

'He's down in a basement apartment on 47th Street,' King Be

'I know.'

'He's not alone,' he said.

'I know that too,' I said.

'You want some di

'What's it go

'Pasta and snails,' King Be

'Maybe not,' I said.

'It's good for you,' King Be

'I should go.'

'One thing,' King Be

'What?'

'The business with the Greek,' King Be

'He's go

'Lie,' King Be

'Can't,' I said.

'He lies to you.' King Be

'That's different.'

'How?' Now King Be

'He's my father,' I said.

'Think he cares?'

'Doesn't matter,' I said, 'I care.'

King Be

'See you tomorrow,' he said, his voice even.

'Only if I get to deal,' I said.

'We'll cut for it,' he said, washing his cup in the sink under the counter.

'You'll win the cut,' I said. 'You always do.'

'Can't trust a thief,' he said, drying off his hands. 'Or a liar.'

'Which are you?'

'Both,' King Be

He folded a hand towel in half and laid it on the bar. Then he walked over to the small wooden door at the end of the hall, turned the knob and went into the kitchen, closing it softly behind him.

Winter 1966

TEN

The pizzeria was empty except for the four of us at a back table and Joey Retard at the counter, shaking black pepper on a hot slice. Mimi was working the ovens and the register, his white shirt and work pants stained red with sauce.

'I'm gettin' another slice,' I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

'Me too,' John said.

'Get me a soda,' Tommy said. 'Orange. Lots of ice.'

'You lose your legs in the war?' I said.

'I got no money, either,' Tommy said.

'Want anything?' I asked Michael.

'Half of Tommy's soda,' he said.

John and I walked to the counter and stood next to Joey Retard. Joey was fourteen, with an honest face and a ready smile. He was always well-dressed and was friendly with everyone in the neighborhood. He spoke slowly, stuttering his way through difficult phrases, his ma

Joey was adopted, taken out of a West Side orphanage by a childless Irish couple. He went to a special school on Ninth Avenue and earned pocket money washing cars for King Be

'What's doin', Joe?' John asked him.

'Good,' Joey said. 'I'm good.'

'You want anything?' I asked. 'John's buyin'.'

'Where'd you hear that?' John said.

'No,' Joey said. 'Thanks.'

John ordered and I asked Joey how school was.

'I like it,' Joey said.

'Am I really payin' for this?' John asked me, watching Mimi take the pizza out of the oven.

'You got money?'

'I'll take the Fifth,' John said.

'I'll buy tomorrow,' I said, grabbing a paper plate with a slice.

'Swear,' John said, reaching a hand into his jean pocket and pulling out two crumpled bills.

'Swear,' I said, taking my pizza and soda back to the table.

'Grab the change for me,' John said, patting Joey on the shoulder, reaching for the second slice.

'Can I keep it?' Joey asked.

'Knock yourself out,' John said.

Joey was on his second slice when the burly man walked through the door.

He stood at the counter, hands in his pockets, ordered a large Coke and watched Joey dust his pizza with black pepper.

'That's not too smart,' the man said, taking a sip from his soda. 'It's go

'I like pepper,' Joey said, shaking some more on the crust. 'I like pepper a lot.'

'There's enough on it,' the man said, reaching for the pepper shaker.

'No!' Joey said, pulling back, still holding the pepper in his hand. 'My pizza.'

'Lemme have the pepper, you fuckin' retard,' the man said, grabbing Joey's hand until the shaker came loose.

'My pizza!' Joey said, his voice breaking from the strain, his eyes blinking like shutters. 'My pizza!'

'There's your fuckin' pizza,' the man said, pointing to the counter. 'Nobody touched it.'

'I want pepper!' Joey said, his words coming in short bursts, his hands by his side. 'I want pepper!'

The burly man smiled.

He looked over at Mimi, frozen in place behind the counter, and winked. He unscrewed the top off the pepper shaker.

'You want pepper, retard?' the man said.

Joey stared at the burly man, his body quivering, his eyes filled with tears.

'Here,' the man said, pouring the bottle of pepper out over Joey's pizza. 'Here's your fuckin' pepper.'

Joey started to cry, full sobs rising from his chest, his hands slapping his sides.

'What's your problem now, retard?' the man asked.

Joey didn't answer. Tears ran down his cheeks and over his lips, snot ran out of his nose.

'Go on,' the burly man said. 'You fuckin' retards turn my stomach.'

Joey didn't move.

'Go,' the man said. 'Before I slap the shit outta ya' and really make you cry.'

Michael walked past Joey and stepped to the counter, next to the burly man. He reached for the salt shaker, loosened the top and poured the contents into the man's soda.

'You can leave now,' Michael said to him, stirring the drink with his finger. 'You and Joe are even.'

'A tough little punk,' the man said. 'Is that what I'm lookin' at?'

'A dick with lips,' Michael said. 'Is that what I'm lookin' at?'

Tommy put an arm around Joey and moved him from the counter. John stood behind the burly man, hands in his pockets. I was across from the burly man, arms folded, waiting for his move.

'Four tough little punks,' the burly man said. 'And a cryin' retard.'

'That's us,' Michael said.

The burly man lifted a hand and slapped Michael across the face. The blow left red finger marks on Michael's cheek and an echo loud enough to chill.

Michael stared at the man and smiled.

'The first shot should always be your best,' Michael said. 'And your best sucks.'

'I'll show you my best, punk,' the burly man said, moving off his feet and taking a full swing at Michael. 'Your fuckin' teeth are go

Michael ducked the punch, throwing his body against the burly man's stomach. Tommy and John jumped on the man from behind, pulling at his hair and neck. I grabbed the pizza slice with all the pepper on it and rubbed it into his eyes.