gone.”
They reached Broadway. “There!” Willie.
They reached Broadway. “There!” Willie pointed. “There’s what’s replaced your Radio City and your legitimate stage.”
Joe sighted along Willie’s shaky index finger. “The Adventures of Marla?” he said.
“Sex shows,” affirmed Willie.
They approached the Honeybunch Theater, darting glances at the explicit, lurid photos outside.
“Pornography,” said Willie. “It got its place—I ain’t no prude—but it makes an area cheap. Brings it down.”
“Let’s go in,” said Al.
“I’ll wait outside,” said Willie. “I’d be ashamed someone should see me coming from a place like this.”
Al laughed. “Come on, Willie, we was just teasing you. We got serious work to do.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Willie, as they moved on.
“We’ll catch this on the way back,” said Joe.
At the corner, a crowd was gathered on the sidewalk, blocking pedestrian traffic in both directions. A bearded man in a white
sheet stood on a wooden box, gesticulating wildly. The onlookers would occasionally gesture back, occasionally break into
laughter.
“They will tumble at your feet!” shouted the orator. “Mark my words: The earth shall tremble at its core and the orifices
of sin and defilement will be rent asunder!” He scanned the crowd, his long hair brushing his shoulders, his eyes smoldering.
“Orifices means holes,” said Willie to Al. “Don’t orifices mean holes? I think he used the wrong word.”
“He meant edifices,” said a well-dressed man next to Willie.
“See that?” said Joe. “Whyn’t you go up an’ take over from him, Willie? You could do just as good.”
“Maybe I will,” said Willie.
“God will cast a pall over the land!” shouted the orator. “He will drive out the purveyors of filth, those who would bestialize
the human body, and pitch them into a damnation of eternal, unendurable agony! And thus will those who delight in the carnal
pay the price with their own flesh!”
Joe squinted. “On second thought,” he said, “I don’t believe I will go back to that theater.”
“Let’s get outa here,” said Willie. “This guy’s nuts.”
They resumed their walk downtown. At Forty-third Street, halfway along the block, they passed abranch of the Chase Manhattan Bank. “For years,” said Al, “I thought I had a friend here. Then one day I went to get a loan.”
Joe peered inside. “Two guards,” he noted. “Both with guns. That would be really tough.”
“Forget it,” said Al.
They wended their way back toward Broadway, where a veritable sea of people made walking as well as driving almost impossible.
“Jesus,” said Joe, “don’t nobody work up here? I mean, we’re old men, we done our time, but what’s everyone else’s excuse?
The whole world is out on the street.”
They heard metallic, syncopated drumbeats. “Somethin’s over there causin’ the bottleneck,” said Joe. The clanky rhythms grew
more distinct as they moved on downtown.
“You know,” said Willie, “I don’t think I been in the city since I stopped driving the cab.”
“You ain’t missed much,” said Joe.
“I have,” said Willie. “The changes are slow, but they’re there. I see ‘em.”
A young woman cut ahead of them. She was earing a clinging pink cotton blouse and tight, thin white slacks.
“Look at that,” said an awed Willie. “You can see her drawers right through the pants.”
“You’re supposed to,” said Joe. “That’s how they design ‘em these days.”
“Why not just leave off the pants and walk around in the drawers?” said Willie.
Al clicked his tongue. “I’ll tell you, it’s been a long time for me too. I forgot how many beautiful girls are around here.”
“New York’s got the best lookin’ women in the world,” said Willie.
“Lotta good it’s gonna do us now,” said Joe.
“Yeah,” said Al, knowing that this time the teasing was simply the truth. “I
They reached Broadway. “There!” Willie.
They reached Broadway. “There!” Willie pointed. “There’s what’s replaced your Radio City and your legitimate stage.”
Joe sighted along Willie’s shaky index finger. “The Adventures of Marla?” he said.
“Sex shows,” affirmed Willie.
They approached the Honeybunch Theater, darting glances at the explicit, lurid photos outside.
“Pornography,” said Willie. “It got its place—I ain’t no prude—but it makes an area cheap. Brings it down.”
“Let’s go in,” said Al.
“I’ll wait outside,” said Willie. “I’d be ashamed someone should see me coming from a place like this.”
Al laughed. “Come on, Willie, we was just teasing you. We got serious work to do.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Willie, as they moved on.
“We’ll catch this on the way back,” said Joe.
At the corner, a crowd was gathered on the sidewalk, blocking pedestrian traffic in both directions. A bearded man in a white
sheet stood on a wooden box, gesticulating wildly. The onlookers would occasionally gesture back, occasionally break into
laughter.
“They will tumble at your feet!” shouted the orator. “Mark my words: The earth shall tremble at its core and the orifices
of sin and defilement will be rent asunder!” He scanned the crowd, his long hair brushing his shoulders, his eyes smoldering.
“Orifices means holes,” said Willie to Al. “Don’t orifices mean holes? I think he used the wrong word.”
“He meant edifices,” said a well-dressed man next to Willie.
“See that?” said Joe. “Whyn’t you go up an’ take over from him, Willie? You could do just as good.”
“Maybe I will,” said Willie.
“God will cast a pall over the land!” shouted the orator. “He will drive out the purveyors of filth, those who would bestialize
the human body, and pitch them into a damnation of eternal, unendurable agony! And thus will those who delight in the carnal
pay the price with their own flesh!”
Joe squinted. “On second thought,” he said, “I don’t believe I will go back to that theater.”
“Let’s get outa here,” said Willie. “This guy’s nuts.”
They resumed their walk downtown. At Forty-third Street, halfway along the block, they passed abranch of the Chase Manhattan Bank. “For years,” said Al, “I thought I had a friend here. Then one day I went to get a loan.”
Joe peered inside. “Two guards,” he noted. “Both with guns. That would be really tough.”
“Forget it,” said Al.
They wended their way back toward Broadway, where a veritable sea of people made walking as well as driving almost impossible.
“Jesus,” said Joe, “don’t nobody work up here? I mean, we’re old men, we done our time, but what’s everyone else’s excuse?
The whole world is out on the street.”
They heard metallic, syncopated drumbeats. “Somethin’s over there causin’ the bottleneck,” said Joe. The clanky rhythms grew
more distinct as they moved on downtown.
“You know,” said Willie, “I don’t think I been in the city since I stopped driving the cab.”
“You ain’t missed much,” said Joe.
“I have,” said Willie. “The changes are slow, but they’re there. I see ‘em.”
A young woman cut ahead of them. She was earing a clinging pink cotton blouse and tight, thin white slacks.
“Look at that,” said an awed Willie. “You can see her drawers right through the pants.”
“You’re supposed to,” said Joe. “That’s how they design ‘em these days.”
“Why not just leave off the pants and walk around in the drawers?” said Willie.
Al clicked his tongue. “I’ll tell you, it’s been a long time for me too. I forgot how many beautiful girls are around here.”
“New York’s got the best lookin’ women in the world,” said Willie.
“Lotta good it’s gonna do us now,” said Joe.
“Yeah,” said Al, knowing that this time the teasing was simply the truth. “I
Similar Books
