Chapter 19

I got to the bar before old Luce did, so I ordered the drinks then watched the phonies for a while. Finally he showed up. Carl Luce. What a guy. All he ever used to do was give these s*x talks and all. When he arrived all he did was sit down and say he could only stay for a couple of minutes. I pointed out a flit at the bar but he just told me to grow up. I kept asking him about his s*x life but he didn’t seem interested in talking about it. All he said was that he was going out with this woman from Shanghai who was in her late thirties.

Chapter 18

I gave old Jane a buzz again but she didn't answer so I hung up. I rang Carl Luce instead. We agreed to meet up for drinks later on, so what I did was I went to the movies at Radio City. It was probably the worst thing I could have done. It was so putrid I couldn't take my eyes off it. There was this woman sat next to me that cried all the way through the goddamn thing. The phonier it got, the more she cried. All I can say is, don't go and see it if you don't want to puke all over yourself.

Chapter 17

When I met Sally she looked terrific. She really did. After the movie we went skating. But by the time we finished skating and having drinks we hated each others gut. I’d suddenly asked her to practically run away with me to Massachusetts and Vermont. God, I shouldn’t have done it because it ended up in a big argument and I called her a pain in the ass. She started crying and I apologised but she didn’t accept it so I left without her. The terrible part though is that when I asked her I actually meant it. I swear to God I’m a madman.

Chapter 16

It was only noon and I wasn’t meeting Sally till 2 o’clock. I started walking over towards Broadway. There was this record I wanted to get Phoebe, called ‘Little Shirley Beans.’ I knew it would knock her out. As I walk walking I noticed a family that had just come out of some church. They looked sort of poor. The kid was walking in the street instead of on the sidewalk, but right next to the curb. The whole time he kept singing and humming. He was singing that song ‘If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.’ He had a pretty little voice, too. It made me feel better. Not so depressed anymore.
I got Phoebe the record and made me my to the park to see if she was around so I could give it to her. She wasn’t there though. So what I did was I walked over to the museum. When I was a kid we used to go there all the time with school. I love that damn museum. The best thing was that everything always stayed right where it was. You could go there a hundred thousand times and everything would be right where it had always been. Nothing would be different. The only thing different would be you.
When I got there I didn’t want to go in. So I got a cab to go meet Sally. I didn’t feel much like going though.

Chapter 15

It was about 10 o’clock when I woke up. I felt like giving old Jane a buzz, but I wasn’t in the mood. I gave old Sally Hayes a buzz instead. I wasn’t too crazy about her, but I’d known her for years. We arranged to go see a movie and I told her not to be late. She was always late.
I had loads of time so I told the cab driver to take me to Grand Central Station. I went and had some breakfast in this little sandwich bar. While I was eating, these 2 nuns came and sat down next to me. We ended up speaking. I gave them 10 bucks as a contribution. As they were going I said I’d enjoyed speaking to them. I really did too. When they left I was sort of sorry that I’d only given them 10 bucks for their collection. I needed some money for the date with Sally though. Goddamn money. It always ends up making you blue as hell.

Chapter 14

After she’d gone I got undressed and got in bed. All of a sudden I heard a knock on the door. I hoped it wasn’t my door they were knocking on, but I knew damn well it was. I knew who it was too. I’m psychic. I finally opened the door and old Sunny, the girl from before and Maurice were stood there. When I spoke my voice was shaking like hell. It was about the 5 bucks they said I owed them. God, my heart was damn near beating me out of the room. They acted like they owned the place. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t had my pyjamas on. He kept asking for the money but I wouldn’t give it to him. Next thing, Sunny got my wallet and got 5 bucks out. All of a sudden I started to cry. I’d give anything if I hadn’t., but I did. Maurice gave me a shove. I called him a goddamn dirty moron and then he smacked me.
After they’d gone I was imagining going downstairs with an automatic and shooting Maurice. It was like something out of a goddamn movie. They can ruin you. I’m not kidding.
I finally got back into bed, but I felt like committing suicide. Just jumping out of the window. I didn’t want a bunch of stupid rednecks looking at me when I was all gory though.