Rock Island Line by David Rhodes (i am reading a book TXT) 📕

at it with the light, putting it on Butch and putting it back. Sleep didn’t come quickly because tomorrow was Saturday. The future happiness of the rest of July’s life would be decided then, one way or another.

Of course she won’t come, thought July the following afternoon. I never really expected her to. She doesn’t love me. Four o’clock went by. He imagined everyone in the park, in their light colorful clothes, talking about him: See that kid over there . . . he’s waiting for somebody. There’s one born every day.

How long do you think he’ll stick it out’?

Some————s will never give up.

Sad, isn’t it?

There’s one born every minute.

At four thirty, a half-hour late, she did come. As soon as she came up to him she began talking.

“I wasn’t going to come at all. Then the idea of you hanging around waiting . . .”

He felt happy, like anyone who believes that one of the old virtues has paid off.

Without saying anything of the diamond, he took her to the matinee. In the darkness of the theater, with the backs of their heads lit from the projector hole, he rejected putting his arm around her. Even through his elation he could tell that she’dmade herself very sour for this afternoon and he was afraid she’d say something like Watch it, Jack, out loud. So he sat there in silence and tried to get through to her with his intense feelings. He wondered what to say when he gave her the necklace—what would be appropriate yet nonchalant?

After the movie was over, it seemed events were rushing by him so quickly that he might not have time to give it to her at all; it was all he could do to keep up with what was happening. As soon as they were out on the street she wanted to go home.

“OK. We better say goodbye now.” Her white teeth flashed. “No use in dragging this thing out any more than we have to . . . I should never have come.”

“But you promised,” said July, laughing.

“But I promised.”

“It’s because you’re honest. I’m like that too. You know, every time I strike a match without closing the cover, I always think for a second—remember that line, ‘Close Cover Before Striking’—that I’ve broken the law and that I might be arrested. When I don’t think of it that way, I think I’m devil-may-care. Sometimes I close the cover and feel safe.”

“It’s not honesty,” she said. “It was laziness.”

“Laziness?”

“I don’t know. Quit asking me questions. It’s just sort of laziness. That’s all.”

“Let’s go get some grinders.”

“I’m not hungry.”

July could feel his hold on himself slipping. She was walking faster. He knew that inevitable corner was just ahead where she would not allow him to come any farther. This would be the last time. There would be no more. He hadn’t wanted it to be like this. But it was now or never. Stopping to pry out the box from his pocket, he fell behind. Running, in a very emotional voice, he called out, “Wait, wait. I have something for you.” Several young men in suits were walking up the street toward them.

Charlotte stopped, wheeled around and snapped the box out of his hand. “What’s this here? What is it? You bought this for me? Let’s see.” She opened it and grabbed the diamond. “Oh, a necklace,” she said. “Very nice.” It dangled from her outstretched hand. “Yes, it’s very nice, but I’m afraid I can’t accept it, I told you—”

“I want you to have it,” said July. “It’s for you.”

“That’s very nice, but really, you must go now. These are friends of mine coming here.”

The two young men were nearly within hearing distance, walking casually but determinedly, both nineteen or twenty.

“Another time. We’ll see each other another time,” he said quickly.

“No, no more times, I told you that. Oh, I should never have come. Here, take this back.”

“Hey, Charlotte,” called one of them. “We were just coming to get you. We must hurry if we’re to get there by six. Aunt Alice will be simply mortified.” They had come up to them now.

“Who’s this here, a friend of yours?” the other asked, almost pleasantly.

“Yes,” said Charlotte quickly. “Yes, here.” She held out the diamond to July, who stood there stunned, motioning with his hands and backing shyly away.

“You keep it,” he whispered.

“We’ve interrupted a love scene!” called the one young man to the other. “Charlotte, really!”

“Shut up,” she said.

But the one, obviously irritated in being late, pressed on. “What have you there—a necklace?” He held out his hand for Charlotte to show it to him. “Let’s see,” and snapped his fingers. July took another confused step backward.

“Wait.” She followed him. “Take this back. Don’t mind them.”

“You keep it,” he whispered inaudibly, turned and ran. The young men howled with laughter.

Even as he ran, he felt himself filling with anger, and after running down the first side street, he stopped. Then, shaking with rage, he peered cautiously around the corner to where the three stood. The young men had the necklace held in front of them and soon they were all laughing. One of them said, “A paper boy. Really, Charlotte, a paper boy!” Then they began to walk toward him and he pulled his head back. When he rechecked, they had stopped again and were hanging the diamond around her neck, then admiring her as she pretended to be a model, laughing. As they came closer their bright chatter grew louder. July held on to the wall with his left hand, as though he were in a faint, while his right hand, tightened unconsciously into a fist, had splintered the little wooden jewelry box and pieces of red felt showed between two of his fingers. Dry tears ran down his throat.

When they stepped into view, she was in between the two young men. July rushed forward, hurling the one closest to him out of the way, and in