things don't always look so good in black and white (35)

Smith parks his old Studebaker pickup

behind Bobby’s Buick in the shadows.

the sharp-suited one walks empty handed

back to the oil stained coveralled one.

-where is she, I wanna see her-

-been a little problem-

-like what- 

-she gone-

-you jackin’ me up-

-no man, I ain’t shittin ya-

-so where’d she go-

-don’ know yet, I was just at loretta’s crib an she

 gone too. with all they shit. packed up and gone-

-so what you gonna do, I got the money for the new gal-

-gotta find em-

-how?-

-I was down at the ex-servicemen club an’ Angelique

 come in an tole me she seen that Ford jalopy, you

 know the one? over at Loretta’s. so I goes over there

 and both they shit is gone-

-like they’re gettin’ out of town?-

-that’s what I figure-

-with somebody in a jalopy? that piece of shit

 with a nose look like a pecker, no fenders?-

-that’s the one. you know that punk?-

-oh yeah. me ‘n him go back a ways, time’s way past due

 to cut off his balls, so now I got a suspicion, ‘bout this lil gal,

 what do she look like?-

 -oh she kind of a little thing, but put together

 real nice, kinda like josephine baker……-

-who?-

-……short hair like a pixie-

-uh huh, I know who she is now,

 she work at the hospital-

-that’s right-

-well if you can find her,

i’ll give you fifty bucks.

 and I git to do ‘er

 for two days an’ nights.-

-that’s a deal. do whatever you want

 but you can’t wreck the merchandise-

-I won’t leave no scars but she probly

 gonna walk funny for a coupla days-

-that’s ok. long as she be fit for

 future business-

-well you got any idea where

 they might’a gone?-

-they both got folks up in Teviston,

 do you know where that boy is from?-

-as a matter of fact I do. he’s a Fresno Indian,

 an’ I know his name. his daddy has a store

 up in Fresno. I bet it’s in the phone book-

-yeah. I got a proposition, how ‘bout

 we take a lil ride up to Teviston

 and Fresno. we get those women and

 take care of that punk-

-I like the way you’re thinkin. messin’

 up that four-eyed fuck be almost as fun

 as what I’ma gon’ do with that lil gal-

-they can’ta been gone too far yet,

 Angelique come right over and tole me

 soon’s she saw that car. time I got there

 they was gone-

-maybe we can catch ‘em-

-yeah. if they don’ stop somewhere-

-where they gonna stop? ain’t no

 motel gonna check in a white man

 with two nigger whores-

-damn straight!  let’s go on up to Teviston,

 I know where Ruthie’s people live,

 if they ain’t there, we go on up to Fresno-

-what if their folks got them hid?-

- we’ll just hafta convince them

 to tell us where they holed up-

-yeah. I can be real convincin’- 

-alright, my man, let’s hit the road-

Henry’s heard enough.

they need to leave. right now.

get to Teviston before these

goddamned thugs. shit. now

there’s her family or who knows

who else in danger.

Gus and Bobby get in Smith’s pickup,

roar out on the road in a spray of gravel.

Henry races back to the hidden Ford.

Jumps in and says, they’re heading

for Teviston. We gotta get there first.

Oh shit! Daddy and Mama!

Can we make it? You said this thing

is fast. Now you’re gonna have to prove it.