The Ginger Man - J. P. Donleavy [21]
Marion humming in the kitchen. Not often that happened.
"Make some toast, baby."
"Slice the bread."
"I'm studying."
"I see that silly movie magazine."
"Marion, do you like men with hairy chests ? "
"Yes."
"Biceps?"
"A bit"
"How about the shoulders?"
"So that he can wear a suit"
"Would you say now, that I'm your man?"
"Don't like men with pots."
"I beg your pardon. Pot? Not a bit—just look. Will you look in here a minute. See. Nothing there at all. You might even say I was wasted."
"Come and deal with this wretched head."
"Delighted. O I tell you, it's coming along a jolly treat What ho and bang on and wizard whip. Sound the horn you buggers."
"Cut the bread."
"Of course, darling."
"Don't say that if you don't mean it"
"I mean it"
"You don't mean it"
"All right, I don't mean it Why don't we buy a radio? I think we need a radio."
"With what?"
"Hire purchase. A system for people like us."
"Yes, and that could pay our milk bill."
"We can have milk too. Few shillings a week."
"Why don't you take a part time job then?"
"Must study."
"Of course. Yes of course, you must study."
"O now, now, now, give me a little kiss. Come on, on the lips, one."
"Get away from me."
"Not cricket"
"Bring in the chair, please."
"Then, let's go to the cinema."
"Have you forgotten? We have a child you know."
"Shit"
"Stop it, stop it Stop using that ugly word to me."
"Shit"
"If you say that word once more I'll leave this house. You may use that sort of language with your working class friends but I shan't stand for it"
"Leave."
"Every meal is like this, every meal"
"Meals? What meals?"
"My God, what did I marry."
"You certainly didn't have to marry me."
"Well, I wish I hadn't now. Father was right You're a wastrel. Done nothing but drink with your wretched friends, all useless people. Will they help you to get on?"
"British rubbish. Get on where ? Where to ? "
"Make something of yourself. You think it's so easy, don't you. I don't even think you'll get your degree. Cheat on your exams. Don't think everything you do escapes attention. Don't look shocked, and I know how you go and butter up your professors. How long do you expect to get away with it?"
"Absurd"
"You've insulted every friend I have. People who could help you. Do you think they'll help a rotter, an absolute rotter?"
"Rotter? Rotter? Me, a rotter?"
"And a liar."
"liar?"
"You needn't smirk. My friends could help us. Lord Gawk could have introduced you to a firm in London."
"What's stopping him?"
"You. Your insulting manner. You've ruined me socially."
"Not at all. Why blame me if your pukka friends ignore you?"
"Blame you? My God, how can you say that I can't blame you, when you called Lady Gawk a whore, ruined her whole party and shamed me. Blame you ? "
"The woman is stupid. Moral decadent"
"It's a lie. You sit there and you haven't had a bath for a month, your feet smell and your fingernails are filthy."
"Quite."
"And I have had to suffer the humiliation of having my family involved. What do you think? Daddy was so right"
"Daddy was so right Right God's teeth, let me for Christ's sake eat my dinner. Daddy, daddy. Sterile bastard, that daddy of yours is merely a leech on the Admiralty's bottom and a pompous lot of shit"
Marion ran from the room, she tripped up the narrow stairs. He heard her slamming the bedroom door and the creak of the bed springs as she fell. Silence and then her choked sobs. He reached for the salt, shook it over the plate. Nothing came out He raised his arm. The salt cellar crashed through the window and smashed to little pieces on the gray concrete wall outside. He kicked his chair over, picked up his jacket He went behind the clock where he knew Marion had been saving change for weeks. He took it all and let it slip, clinking, into his pocket
A very red face. Guilt Grinding the teeth. Soul trying to get out of the mouth, swallowing it back into the body. Shut out the sobs.
He ordered a bottle of stout and a Gold Label, telling the boy to bring him another stout and Gold Label. Boy didn't understand. Sebastian stamping his foot, shouting.