Native Son - Richard Wright [39]
“You took a swig, all right,” Jan said.
Bigger wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and continued driving slowly through the dark park. Now and then he heard the half-empty bottle of rum gurgling. They getting plastered, he thought, feeling the effect of the rum creeping outward to his fingers and upward to his lips. Presently, he heard Mary giggle. Hell, she’s plastered already! The car rolled slowly round and round the sloping curves. The rum’s soft heat was spreading fanwise out from his stomach, engulfing his whole body. He was not driving; he was simply sitting and floating along smoothly through darkness. His hands rested lightly on the steering wheel and his body slouched lazily down in the seat. He looked at the mirror; Mary was lying flat on her back in the rear seat and Jan was bent over her. He saw a faint sweep of white thigh. They plastered, all right, he thought. He pulled the car softly round the curves, looking at the road before him one second and up at the mirror the next. He heard Jan whispering; then he heard them both sigh. Filled with a sense of them, his muscles grew gradually taut. He sighed and sat up straight, fighting off the stiffening feeling in his loins. But soon he was slouched again. His lips were numb. I’m almost drunk, he thought. His sense of the city and park fell away; he was floating in the car and Jan and Mary were in back, kissing, spooning. A long time passed. Jan sat up and pulled Mary with him.
“It’s one o’clock, honey,” Mary said. “I better go in.”
“O.K. But let’s drive a little more. It’s great here.”
“Father says I’m a bad girl.”
“I’m sorry, darling.”
“I’ll call you in the morning before I go.”
“Sure. What time?”
“About eight-thirty.”
“Gee, but I hate to see you go to Detroit.”
“I hate to go too. But I got to. You see, honey, I got to make up for being bad with you down in Florida. I got to do what Mother and Father say for awhile.”
“I hate to see you go just the same.”
“I’ll be back in a couple of days.”
“A couple of days is a long time.”
“You’re silly, but you’re sweet,” she said, laughing and kissing him.
“You better drive on, Bigger,” Jan called.
He swung the car out of the park and headed for Forty-sixth Street.
“I’ll get out here, Bigger!”
He stopped the car. Bigger heard them speak in whispers.
“Good-bye, Jan.”
“Good-bye, honey.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
Jan stood at the front door of the car and held out his palm. Bigger shook timidly.
“It’s been great meeting you, Bigger,” Jan said.
“O.K.,” Bigger mumbled.
“I’m damn glad I know you. Look. Have another drink.”
Bigger took a big swallow.
“You better give me one, too, Jan. It’ll make me sleep,” Mary said.
“You’re sure you haven’t had enough?”
“Aw, come on, honey.”
She got out of the car and stood on the curb. Jan gave her the bottle and she tilted it.
“Whoa!” Jan said.
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t want you to pass out.”
“I can hold it.”
Jan tilted the bottle and emptied it, then laid it in the gutter. He fumbled clumsily in his pockets for something. He swayed; he was drunk.
“You lose something, honey?” Mary lisped; she, too, was drunk.
“Naw; I got some stuff here I want Bigger to read. Listen. Bigger, I got some pamphlets here. I want you to read ’em, see?”
Bigger held out his hand and received a small batch of booklets.
“O.K.”
“I really want you to read ’em, now. We’ll have a talk ’bout ’em in a coupla days….” His speech was thick.
“I’ll read ’em,” Bigger said, stifling a yawn and stuffing the booklets into his pocket.
“I’ll see that he reads ’em,” Mary said.
Jan kissed her again. Bigger heard a Loop-bound car rumbling far down the avenue.
“Well, good-bye,” he said.
“Goo’-bye, honey,” Mary said. “I’m gonna ride up front with Bigger.”
She got into the front seat. The street car clanged to a stop. Jan swung onto it and it started north. Bigger drove toward Drexel Boulevard. Mary slumped down in the seat and sighed. Her legs sprawled wide apart. The car rolled along. Bigger’s head was spinning.
“You’re very nice, Bigger,” she said.
He looked at her. Her face was pasty white. Her eyes were glassy. She was very drunk.