12.09.2010

12.9.10 Gods and Devils, Monkeys and Men

12.9.10
0830

We get back to the small town _____ near daybreak.  I been awake all through the night.

I am pretty sure Carlos the monkey returned with 20 or so of his brothers and attacked the caravan during the night drive. If ya never leaned out a bus window with an AK to fire at a gang of chimps, ya ain’t ever lived.

Now, the crew is reunited. Cept for a handful that left, for whatever reason.

Id like to know why Lexi left.  And the cook.  But I guess I already know that.

I check the area I had staked out as my bunk.  Find pack 6 on my rack, three cigarettes in it, w “I’m sorry” written on it w a Sharpie.

I take the cigs, stick two into pack 10, crumple pack 6 an toss it, and light up the other smoke. I sit on top a crate and stare at nothing, and I think I hear a chain rattle and the pop of a high tension wire, or barbed wire fence, snapping.

Movement. The Turk comes walking up to me.  He actually has his hat in his hands, I mean literally.

Sir, he says.

Jus Seth, man.

Seth, he says, I have two things to tell you...

I turn my gaze to him.

Your friend, with the blue hair...she left with the cook last night.  They left this behind...and he hands me the mystery fun bottle.  Empty.

My stomach does a little roll and I jus shake my head and wanna laugh.  What was the other thing?

An he drives his fist into my guts so hard he almost grabs holda my spine.  Feels like a freight train. Then his left hand crashes into my head above my ear.

Clever fucker.

Turk ain't a small guy.  6'1 and a good 2 ana half bills. When I first approached him bout his wanderin eyes, we had words, and I rammed my knee into his balls so hard I though I snapped his pelvis.  I was ready, he wasnt.

Guess I'm the sucker this time.  His left hand grabs the back of my neck and flings me to the ground.  The he’s on top me and smashes his fist into the side of my head, and I see all kinds a pretty lights. An I think I’m goin out, an then I’m out…

...an then I’m back and my vision clears and is crimson an Im on top the Turk, full mount, my left hand crushing his throat and my right pummeling his face.  My world is red an my blood pours from my mouth into his eyes. My hands turn to wood then into the clawed hooves of Minos.

An then I’m bein pulled off him from behind, an it’s three devils and they got me by the head and both arms. An Minos roars and bares his chest, but then the Monkey God screams out…

And I hear Manoi’s voice and see his face, an he’s sayin to me, ease down. Then see our mechanic, and one of the PSD guys, relaxing their grip some but still holding on.

Minos grunts and turns and pouts back into shadows, an I relax, go limp, an they drop me.  And the sky above turns blue and I’m still.

Security says a bunch a shit at both of us.  He ain't loud but he knows his command presence. I don really hear what he says but I nod when I'm sposed to. They leave. Manoi lingers, asks if I’m OK, and I ask for him to get 4 beers.

Lyin in the mud.  Fish out crumple pack of smokes. Light one. Inhale. Exhale. 

Manoi brings beer and I suck one down an tell him to crack one open for himself.

Then I crawl over to the Turk.  His face looks like somebody used it to drive tent stakes. He's comin to and sittin up.  I hand him a beer. He grasps at it twice an a heavy set of brass knuckles slips from his muddy fingers and plops into the mud. Then gets a hold of the beer.

I ask him his name and lean back against a crate next to him. I ask his name an take a drag.

He says, Amir, winces, then hits me across the forehead with the beer bottle. 

An we're back at it.

I can hear the security guy in the background yell somethin like, Jus make sure they don't kill each other.

He tries to bullrush me over, but I land a pair a elbow strikes into his nose an jaw, reverse him, and choke him out with his shirt collar. Im respectin this guy more by the second. 

I crumple to the ground next to him, breathin hard an wantin to puke. Fish out cigs. Light one.  Inhale. Fish for my bottle on the ground. Find it. Open it. Suck it down.  Exhale. 

Amir stirs. I say, hey man, truce?

His hand starts wanderin for his bottle but freezes when I unsnap my kabar. I say to him, I can do this all day...or be done in a second, one way or nother…you pick.   

He relaxes and sputters out, truce. 

Smoke, Amir?

He says yeah and takes one.

We lie there in silence for a few.  I look over at him an ask, so was it good for you, too?

He makes a face and groans and stirs.

Does this mean we’re datin now? I think I might love you.

An he tried to get up but sinks back down and falls against the only crate that we didn’t smash.

I pick up my empty pill bottle, shake it, let out a deep breath. An then I say to myself and Amir and anyone else, I wonder if none, one, or both of em took the ipecac I had in there.

I start laughin and my head and neck and face hurts but otherwise I’m feelin better than I have in a couple days. 


-HMout

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