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‘He Ain’t Heavy’, Part II

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(Cont’d from Part I)

. . . V. E.’s size works against him.  He is unable to lower his center of gravity and thus has to grab Rhappy around the chest rather than lower down — that is, what would be beneath Rhappy’s center of gravity.  This makes V. E.’s task of getting Rhappy into the dumpster hard going, and, as such, Rhappy at length wins the struggle.  Winded, V. E. shifts his attention to our fourth character, the proud and poised Giorgi, “Gio” for short.

Giorgi, the energetic young go-getter working his way out of hard times, is as stark a contrast to his peers as it is possible to be.  Each morning Gio brings delicious-looking baked goods to the supermarket.  Sober and walking tall, he delivers the delights with a quip and a smile not only for the drunkards but also for the ladies working in the store.  He even tosses V. E. a warm treat for free.  Thunderous lip-smacking and finger-sucking — and the jelly doughnut is promptly reduced to oblivion.

Gio then holds the door open for a second delivery man who, just a moment ago, had to honk his horn twice to get V. E. and Rhappy to move from the driveway so that he could park his van.  Instead of moving, the pair had given him the “I ain’t the one” shoulder shrug, arms straight and pointed down, palms out flat, as if to ask also, Why can’t you just drive around us, you lazy bastard?

The shenanigans are coming to a close.  The boys, including a revived Number Three — Lazarus — are done playing grab-ass, their buzz wearing off.  Rhappy is squatting Asian-style on his haunches.  V. E., now satiated, issues a solemn good-bye and starts to cross the street. 

Not two minutes later I hear a commotion in the landing: a heavy banging on my neighbor’s door.  I look through the peephole.  I had moved in only two months earlier and had not met any other tenants.  As far as I knew, my neighbor was an octogenarian so hard of hearing that her television was also mine.  I thought she lived alone.  But sure enough she just opened the door for a huge shadow with a now-familiar voice.

Catching myself in the act of spying, I realize that it’s high time I get some proper sleep lest I myself end up on the streets with the boys.

   *  *  *
Select Enlightenment:
F. MacLean, Eastern Approaches (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949).

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