City, Sister, Silver, page 50
And then it began. Something happened to me. Like I lapsed. All day long I was racin around in the whirl and the hum, draggin Černá behind me. She was patient with me, after all I’m pretty witty. And then, that morning, as we were sitting there drinking our coffee … Pepek half-jokingly offered her a job, Vlasta nodded her head … into the tent walked two cops, I broke out in sweat, they settled in next to Vandas and poured themselves a cup of coffee, gabbing away, Slovaks … Pepek tugged at my sleeve, winking and sticking out his tongue, want an intro, those two’re the filthiest officers under the sun, you bet your ass … eagerly he regaled me with incredible anecdotes from Vandas’s dizzying career … making no attempt to hide his admiration … an you bet you got me to thank that you’re sittin here with him now … yep, an your sister too, heh, skinny, but nice tits on her … shut up, I said, more astonished than anything else … c’mon, that’s just guy-talk, Pepek said with a smirk … bullshit … now that’s more like it … like I was sayin, those officers’re real dogs an they bark when Vandas tells em to, get it? I got it all right, so did Sister.
Vandas, Vandas. He made and sold the goulash himself. Guess he enjoyed it. Slicing meat. He had a few flunkies around, why he put up with Pepek I don’t get. Vandas was there to handle taxes and also served as arbiter. Determined who set up shop and where. Who got the nod and who got the boot, who started and who was finished.
Me and my little sister understood his arrangement with the local cops all too well. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t in a hurry and let me screw around the market. Seriously, it was like a lapse. By afternoon I was drunk again. In my euphoria I traded my pants and belt for a pair of fatigues. Even got some cash, the transaction took more than half an hour, and I think both me and the small Asian man got more satisfaction from the exchange of words than from the deal itself. While I changed, behind some shack, I got so wrapped up in looking forward to scarin Černá that my pistol nearly fell out. Couldn’t be easier to buy a holster, I mumbled, a dozen shapes an sizes … but I bought another bottle instead. The pants were big on me.
I made friends at the stands, swaggered … in the dust. Listened. One thing I found out was that in Albanian “death” is vdakya and “prison” is burg. The first one sounds almost too Slavic to be true, and on hearing the second my brain floods with delicacies from McDonald’s, does it mean anything? My verdict was yes. Most of the storytelling took place at the cologne stand. If those flasks weren’t stolen, then I’m Pako Rabon. But they didn’t swipe em in Cologne. One pharmacy there sprayed their flowers with the stuff. Why all the biggest storytellers and fibbers congregated by the perfumes, I don’t know. Maybe it was the Albanian girl. I pointed her out to Černá. That’s kina how you useta look ten years ago! Y’know she keeps starin at me? Sittin there starin … An that Gypsy lady tells fortunes. Know what she told me, Sister?! Where’d you dig up those pants, holy shit! So what … I rolled up the cuffs, they’re big. You know why they always lie? So one day they can tell the truth. You just keep on lyin an lyin an then nobody knows when you finally come clean. But you get it outta your system. That’s the thing about storytellers, little sister! Pity old Homer’s dead, but nah, he’d probly be splicin movies, these days …
I know I was still with Černá when they rounded up the horses. For Vandas. Whole herd disappeared. Most of the riders were Gypsies. Then the days started flashing by. One night I got in a fight with some guy by the fire. Rolled around on the ground was all. The fun wore off fast. I got scared he’d lifted it. Luckily I went back to the spot later on and found the gun.
Somethin’s wrong with you, said Černá as we snuggled inside the bus. Pepek and Vlasta were snoring away on the mat.
I donno what it is, Černá, I wanna but I can’t. Sposedly it’s normal. He doesn’t wanna!
You’re too drunk. Not like you usually are. Not like with me. You’re not happy.
Today, Černá, I saw, they got this bigget an they do fights … out by that cabin they got this mud hut built into the ground, an they stick him in there an let rats loose. I won three hundred. It was sick the way he snarfed those things. It was insane. I thought he’d just bite em, I didn’t realize. Maybe they’re actually mice.
My sweet … snap out of it, we gotta get outta here, c’mon, right now. You’re … sorry, you don’t exactly smell like flowers.
Yeah, it’s the dust. Černá, we’re never gonna see this again, it’s all gonna disappear.
But c’mon, it’s revolting.
But you’re gorgeous. A woman’s not a woman next to you.
They’re wasted, if I lived like them, you’d see! C’mon, let’s go.
Wait’ll morning, I really feel weird.
But in the morning … in the morning Černá sold her jacket … then I saw her with Vlasta scraping a stack of potatoes for goulash. And Vlasta! A couple times I’d seen the line at the bus, guys making small talk, smoking while they waited … it was the market’s top draw, that Massage Parlor. One time I was standing there and it struck me that if Černá … he said in a week we’d have enough for a trip around the world, but that sick shit … and besides, without a shower, just a washtub … better me go in there than her … it was too much.
Černá! Is he still buggin you? She rolled over next to me.
Who?
Pepek. For you to do like Vlasta.
Don’t be stupid. Sober up, or don’t even bother, let’s go.
What’s Vlasta like?
Pretty okay. Run-down though. One minute she’s buggin me to do it, sayin it’s no big deal, the next she’s tellin me to beat it while I can. Says rubber makes her teeth numb. An know what else she told me? That some a those guys’ve never seen a lady naked before! Ones from the sticks, the mountainmen, just in the dark, she says. Yeah, they go nuts over her. An then some of em, get this … some a the old-timers that just saw porn for the first time? They think that’s the only right way to do it … has to be if they printed it!
How’d she hook up with Pepek?
Donno, I’d say they’re related. She’s nice though, just stupid.
Are they married?
Donno.
Gut my hair.
You really want me to? How come?
Donno. I just do.
She borrowed a pair of scissors from Vlasta. Afterwards I was more naked, it felt weird, next morning I found myself a cap. A flat one.
Least you won’t get lice. I never saw your head like that before.
You like it?
It’s yours.
Černá, c’mon, it’s just a disguise, c’mon, we’re losin it. Tomorrow … we hit the road.
But with the rags we had on, we didn’t stand a chance hitching anyway. I burned the hair.
Černá began working in the kitchen, in the tent. I checked it out right away … Vandas had disappeared somewhere, probably on business. He wanted her, I could tell. Pepek kept an eye on the Johns, got drunk, fought with Vlasta, and in his free moments prowled around the Spinach Bar, begging whenever travelers from the better countries passed through. Knew the spiel in umpteen languages bout the entrepreneur who’d missed his train. Putting on a face that said “honest to the bone.” Sometimes they’d toss him a few pfennigs. Usually, though, they drove through pretty fast. The Austrians behind the glass must’ve been pretty sad about their strategic location. Europe just couldn’t quite unify somehow. The ecu wasn’t happening. Spinach is gonna go on the block, I laid it out for the manager.
Sometimes during the day they’d put a few tables outside, I’d go and drink coffee. The waiters knew by now I was no Dutch boy, but they didn’t care. They also knew I wouldn’t break anything, and that I’d pay.
After I told Černá though, I never went back inside. I’d sit under an umbrella, drinking one bitter espresso after the next, curing myself of my hangover. I had one constantly. Coffee brought me back. When I had the cash. Every now and then Černá’d slip me a little something, but usually I had luck with the bigget. There was just one trick to it. Most of the bettors were passin through, so even though a lot of em were countryfolk, they didn’t notice at first … the more of em he ate, the lazier he got. The farmers usually expected him to bite one rat and then go for the rest. But the rats … would go into a frenzy when they realized they couldn’t escape … they’d start biting, and he’d slow down. It was simple. Usually the guys seeing the show for the first time got burned. Cause to start with the dog was ferocious and fast. And the start was what got the inexperienced bettors hot to trot. Štefan, the mutt’s owner, and me cut a deal. He noticed me. Then I lured people in for him.
Černá … maybe because I’d told her … I was a little shy around her. I knew we had to take off, it pounded in my brain every day. But as long as Vandas was gone, I wasn’t worried about her. And maybe we were both a little scared to head out on the road again.
I bummed around the marketplace, made a few connections, I knew I could sell the gun and there’d be cash. But I was saving that as a last resort. Just like that last round. In one of my clearer moments, I was sitting with Černá by the pump, over near the Spinach Bar, and I looked at my sister … and I was startled … Sister, you’ve got wrinkles too … around your nose, an here’s a silver hair … I know, she said, I’ve had that ages, didn’t you notice, an so what? … nothin, it’s nice … but … something about her was strange, and then suddenly I saw what … she had on a dress, an ordinary dress, the kind women wear … in the kitchen … she’d sold her old stuff, or traded it … this’s gotta stop, it’s like we’re in a trap … Černá, I’m sellin the gun an that’s that! We’re outta here. I patted Madonna under my shirt to make it official. You talk with Pepek? I steer clear a that moron … I met a guy, says his name’s Štefan, an he’s got a car … Pepek says those officers’ve been askin around about us, says some guy an a girl held up a gas station nearby … yeah, so? Don’t you get it, as long as we’re with Vandas, it doesn’t matter what we did … but the cops’re lookin for them, an if they happen to nab us somewhere … then y’know, you know … Sister, if we go with Štefan, he’s got family in Hungary … hey, we got no cash, no ID, we can’t even buy food, are you nuts?! I got the pistol. Sell it, but watch out. I mean, you know … that Greek, or whoever he is, you know damn well he wants to get me into bed, an how’re we sposta protect ourselves? What’re you talkin about, c’mon, you’re with me! You’re so fulla shit … how many times’ve you been drunk or off with your buddies while he was hittin on me? An how many people has he got around here?! He can do anything. Is he harassin you? No, cross my heart, an that’s what scares me. Maybe he wants more than just to sleep with me, maybe that’s why he’s so serious. Aha, I said thoughtfully. An you know he’s got that Pepek guy, like his jester or whatever … an know what he told me? What? He told me he admires me for scrapin potatoes instead a doin that, an that if I did … he says Pepek goes berserk when Vlasta’s on the rag, low turnover, the brute says … if I did do it, he said, he wouldn’t like me anymore … Černá, I’m amazed, you blushed just now, damn, it’s flattering on you! Listen, little brother, this dress is from him, since you obviously don’t give a shit. Huh? You just don’t get it, if it wasn’t for Vandas I couldn’t even walk through this market alone practically … an what’m I, a bar singer … an you … who’re you … honey? What’re we, what’ve we got, what the hell’ve we got … nothin. That’s the way it is. What’ve you got to say? What’ve you got to say for yourself … you’re a wreck. Those rats’re makin you stupid. Vandas may be horrible, but at least he’s a man. But you’re my sister … Yeah, I am. Don’t worry, I hugged her, squeezing her tight but … gingerly … Like I said, I’ll sell the gun, an we’ll round up some clothes an hop a train, an in two days everything’ll be back to normal.
I trust you, she said. But I don’t have much strength left. We can’t stay here anymore. Do something.
I did. I went to find Štefan to tell him about the pistol. But along the way I got caught up in an argument with some asshole. We made up over a bottle and went to place our bets. I took him and then bought another bottle. The vodka with the skull on the label, most expensive stuff they had. I didn’t want to see her after that. I slept outside, just peeked in to make sure she was there. She was lying down already. I’ll stand guard … I can see the door from here, I said to myself. Reflecting off the metal stairs, the moon chilled my eyes till I fell asleep. Next morning she woke me up. See you at Spinach, she said. You okay for coffee?
Yeah.
After two I felt better. After the third she finally came. Looking pretty fresh, it was the dress … actually it suits you. It really does, Černá … if those fan clubs a yours could see you though …
Yesterday I wanted to hurt you … but you were asleep. Lucky you! Černá said angrily. You have no idea how worried I was where you were. I wanted to take the pistol. I’m gonna sell it myself.
Uh-uh, darlin, I said. I’m outta your league.
I don’t wanna be in your league. I want outta here. An fast. Or somethin bad’s gonna happen, I can feel it.
She got up and walked to the pump. Two rusty-haired curs lapped at the damp stones. Suspicious, they looked up, the bigger one bristling, showing his teeth. Shoo varmint, I’ll tap you one, she said, pumping the handle. The dogs crept warily toward the stream of cold water splattering against the stones, both flashing their canines.
From my vantage point by the watering hole, day in, day out, I could see why the stray dogs, living off whatever they could beg, scavenge, or steal, had plenty of reasons not to trust anything human. Their lifestyle fit the marketeers’ to a T, only they didn’t drink, do drugs, smoke, or blaspheme at all, I don’t think. It occurred to me that afterwards … they’ll have a better chance. When they go riding off on that doggy shinkansen. Anyone anyplace on this shared planet of ours who says dogs don’t have a soul is an idiot, I don’t care how high up he stands in his worldly church. He could have a cap a gold an a cassock to his heels, I’d still think ill of him.
The canine bandits’ purchasing power was of course negligible. Unless you call a bone for a kick, a lump of suet for a rock in the head, commerce. They traveled in the market’s lowest circle, a whole pack of them.
Pepek teetered over from his post at the Spinach Bar and tried to give Černá a slap on the ass, fuck off, she told him, irritated. The pimp turned his attention to the dogs instead. Pussycat doesn’t want any, so I’ll give the pooch a pet, he said, but he didn’t. The mutts froze, baring their fangs. Pepek went on a while giving us his spiel, which we now knew by heart, and then staggered off toward a carload of German tourists. He was a professional, the instant he caught wind of prey his swaying frame would tighten up, a look of “reluctant and perhaps somewhat humble pride” appearing in his eyes and spread across his boozy face like a map of freshly conquered territory. No doubt he had already zeroed in on the Germans climbing out of their car as he donned the mask of the “well-meaning lush” for us, hand outstretched toward Černá’s body. He didn’t really want to touch her, he knew by now.
The dogs, who had meanwhile retreated to a safe distance, slowly began creeping back, scanning the area cautiously, and when neither of us made a move they drank. The smaller one, with a speckled muzzle, had a rope around his neck with tiny red sores underneath. Probly considered it pointless to belong to anyone. His big brother had one dead eye. After drinking their fill, they slunk off on their bellies to about a meter away from us, hoisted themselves with dignity, and trotted off. I didn’t see them again till a few minutes later. Černá stormed off, splashing water at me. She was mad. Today I make a move with our fate, I promised myself. She’s scraped enough potatoes. And as for me … aright then, bye, I bid farewell to that dusty place, to the mountains of junk, I know what’s cookin here, I know what it’s all about. I can tell. I’ve got every stand, every one a those ugly mugs inside me, an that’s not it. But actually I donno too much else. What’m I gonna do? The Austrians brew their coffee without grounds, I tossed back the whole cup, gargling a little for fun. The waiter, who’d been staring at Černá the whole time, turned away from the glass in disgust. Closin time, I said to myself, letting the water stream over my face, it sloshed into the mud in the drain, pump creaking, like a requiem, I thought.
Just then they came tearing over, accompanied by screams and curses in Hungarian. The puny dog dashed out in front, the big one lagged a little behind, tripped over a huge carrot jutting out of his mouth.
The dogs took cover under a bus, a battered Czech coach. From their insistent, soft, menacing growls it was plain they had no intention of giving up the carrot. The bus belonged to a crew of Gypsies who’d just pulled in. They communicated with Vandas in Russian until the basket seller, a shady character, stepped in to translate. It looked like Vandas wanted to be done with the dogs once and for all. His tent, full of heat and smells, full of food, must’ve been a big draw for them. The Gypsies were apparently arguing that no one was gonna mess with their bus while the dogs were underneath it. Hard to say if they were hoping for some doggy delight, or if they just didn’t want to fall afoul of whoever owned the little thieves, but they most definitely weren’t eager to have anyone poking around that bus of theirs with who knew what inside … all those oddballs, lured out of inactivity and away from their byznysses by Vandas’s furious uproar, cause there’s only so long you can go on peddling T-shirts of Batman, who flies wherever he wants, while your average guy’s gotta stick it out in the heat, picking his nose, waiting for a miracle … and the most he’s got to look forward to’s a bottle of rotgut. Or Vlasta.
You can’t argue, haggle, steal, and wheel and deal all day long either, and Vandas’s efforts, assuming he could penetrate the dogs’ defense, promised to be an exciting spectacle for the growing crowd. Tiring of his debate with the Gypsies, who were gently but emphatically trying, with several willing interpreters’ help, to persuade him to forget the dogs, the boss got down on the ground. His paunch brushed the soil, leaving it armored the rest of the day in a sticky plating of dirt, goulash grease, and sweat. From his back pocket he fished out a piece of metal, which with a click like a quiet “yes” turned into a lengthy dagger, and plunged under the bus, poking and stabbing. He wheezed with the effort, it wasn’t about the carrot now, for him or the dogs. The people from the market accompanied him with advice and jeers in several languages, while the Gypsies, who’d stiffened a bit on first seeing the dagger, exchanged haughty grins. They looked like they would’ve preferred to settle things fair and square with the mutts, after all they had sought asylum with them. I wanted to get up and walk away. But I didn’t budge. Screaming, Vandas yanked out his now empty hand, gushing blood, from under the bus, raised it skyward and collapsed on his back, it was shredded up to the elbow. Now the dogs had the carrot and the dagger. The crowd howled with laughter. One of the dogs barked and charged out into the legs. The crowd rippled to the sound of sparse applause, legs dodging as the dog snapped at them wildly, rising, falling, stirring up clouds of dust, until eventually one well-aimed kick drove the dog back under the bus. Growling, he crawled off into the back where he couldn’t be seen, it was the one with the bad eye, the big one, the carrot thief. The little one didn’t show himself. Vandas was back on his feet now, holding his hand while some woman tried, unsuccessfully, he wouldn’t keep still, to wrap it in a wet rag. He fed bills to the Gypsies. Urged them to run over the dogs, I gathered, they just shrugged their shoulders, telling him, Nyema benzina, nein gazka, neni petrol, sir, looked like they were squeezing enough out of him for a good couple kilometers instead of the short stretch it’d take for a dog’s backbone.
