The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [152]
“They don’t allow parking on this street, Curley,” Studs said.
“Say, Curley, for Christ sake, move!” Benny Taite yelled.
“Benny, I wish you wouldn’t talk like that in this car on Christmas Eve. It might make bad luck and cause an accident,” Vinc said.
“His old lady certainly must have dropped him hard when he was a baby,” Red said.
“Come on, Vinc, for Christ sake, we don’t want to get run in for mopery,” Tommy Doyle said.
Two minutes later, he said: “Tommy, what did you mean by that last thing you said?”
“Whoops, we passed another block,” Studs shouted.
“For Christ sake, chloroform that idiot,” Doyle said.
“Step on it, Vinc,” Studs said.
“Why, Studs, I never drive over fifteen miles an hour.”
“Hey, Vinc, let me drive!”
“Why, Red, I couldn’t. Didn’t you know I wouldn’t even let my grandmother drive this car?”
“Cheer, boys, we passed another block!” said Mush Joss.
“Hey, Vinc, I’ll give you a stick of candy if you’ll go twenty miles an hour,” Studs said.
“I don’t like sticks of candy, Studs,” Vine laconically replied.
“Let’s take the car away from him, and throw him out on his ear,” Red said.
“We hadn’t better. The goddamn fool will yell so much we’d all get pinched,” said Taite.
Studs whispered that it would be good just watching Vinc with the whores out at the Cannonball Inn.
Vine shot the car up to twenty, and after two blocks of silence, asked if he was now going fast enough to satisfy them, because it was the fastest the car had ever been driven.
“Vinc, you’re Dario Resta,” said Studs.
“Say, Curley, does your mother love you?” asked Mush.
“Why, Mush, I thought you was my friend, and I never thought you’d talk about my mother.”
“Christ, I never saw an idiot like it,” Doyle said.
“What was that you said, Tommy?” asked Vine.
“I was talking about the bald-headed sailor.”
“I don’t think I know him. Does he come around Fifty-eighth Street?”
“Hey, Vine, please don’t drive so fast. You’ll make me sea-sick,” Studs said after they had guffawed.
“Is that so? I was afraid, Studs, that I was going a little too fast,” Vine replied, slowing the car back to about fifteen an hour.
“Yes, Vine, you better be careful so we don’t have an accident,” said Tommy.
“That’s all right, Tommy. Don’t worry. I had this car a year now and I never had an accident.”
“Say, you horse’s ass, drive!” Studs said.
“Why, Studs!”
“Whoops, another block,” said Taite.
II
“We’re here,” Studs whooped, as the car drove into a dreary parking yard.
To the left, there was a low, rambling structure, lit by a small electric sign: CANNONBALL INN.
“But, fellows, what place is this?” Curley asked, still sitting at the wheel after all the others had gotten out.
“Church,” Doyle snickered.
Studs and Slug pulled Vinc by the shoulders. He yelled. Slug told him to shut up and get out of the car, if he didn’t want a foot jammed through his teeth. Vine got out, and followed them, as they lurched towards the narrow doorway of the inn.
“Studs! Studs! Just a minute,” Curley yelled.
“Shut up!” Studs replied, looking back at him.
“Jesus, Studs, see what he wants,” Doyle said, when Vine continued yelling that he wanted to ask Studs something.
Studs waited. Vinc put his hand to Studs’ ear, and whispered: “Studs, there ain’t anything wrong in going here, is there?”
“No! Come on in, Vinc,” Studs said, in fake friendliness.
“Well, Studs, if you say there’s nothing wrong or sinful about going in, all right.”
They entered a narrow saloon. Four tough-looking eggs leaned against a long bar.
“Merry Christmas, Spike!” Slug said to the beefy-faced burly bartender.
“Same to you, Mason. I see you brought the boys along to have a good time,” he replied.
The gang lined up for a drink. Vinc asked for pop. The bartender’s thick lips popped open with surprise. Slug gave him the wink, and he nodded.
“Well, here’s how, boys!” Slug said, lifting his small gin glass.
“And may it never get weaker,” Studs added, downing the stuff.
“And here’s to you, Vinc, you fuzzy wuzzy,” Red said.
Vinc drank. He coughed, sputtered, lowered a face of boiling redness, hiccoughed. The bartender gave them the wink as they laughed.