Porn Again, A Novel-Part Fourteen

CONTINUED FROM PART THIRTEEN...

When the bartender finally arrived with their food, Barabbas wolfed it down as if it were his last meal on Death Row. Igor’s was a very popular bar and grill, right on St. Charles Ave. It seemed as if nearly every day, Happy found something quirky and unique about New Orleans. Not only was the place a bar and grill, but you could also shoot pool and do your laundry inside. Two Cajun burgers complete with fries and Cokes later, and they were both feeling awesome.

“You know, normally in a situation such as this I’d have to fire you,” Happy said as he stared directly at Barabbas. “What the hell were you thinking, coming into the store like that? And don’t give me some bullshit answer about it being your day off.”

“I’m sorry Hap. I guess it was just one of those days.”

“I beg your pardon? It was one of those days?? That’s the best excuse you could come up with??? Barabbas, you just became Assistant Manager. What kind of example do you think you’re setting for the staff?”

“It won’t happen again Hap, I promise. I just...shit, I don’t know.” “What happened? Why were you shitfaced in a strip club?”

Barabbas tried searching for the words but found none. Instead, he reached into his pocket, handing Happy a picture. The photo was of a beautiful White woman standing next to him. Both were smiling at some amusement park.

“She’s beautiful,” Happy remarked. “Girlfriend trouble?”

“If only it were that easy. Nope, that’s the least of my problems.” “Well, you better start explaining. I didn’t exactly take you out to get food for nothing.”

“That’s Caroline,” he continued. “We’ve been good friends since college. Then we started dating. Didn’t work out so well.” “What was the problem, besides you being a drunk?” “Come on Hap, cut me a break. I’m not a drunk.”

He waited patiently for the answer.

“It’s her parents. We broke up because of them. They didn’t want their daughter dating a Black guy.”

As soon as he heard those words, he immediately thought back to the night he caught Candy in bed with Marcus.

“Wow, and why would I do that? So I can be just as scandalous as you were in here fucking some nigger in my house?”

While he’d often said the word in his mind, and even thought it about some people, he’d never allowed that word to exit his mouth until that moment. The realization of it and the history behind it never really mattered that much to him until that very moment. Barabbas was a nice kid. He wasn’t some knucklehead on the corner with his pants sagging. Happy liked him, and felt sorry a bit.

“You ever tried talking to her parents? Maybe if they got a chance to get to-“

“Ha! Fat chance of that happening,” he remarked. “They don’t want to have anything to do with me. They don’t even want to meet me.”

Happy patted him on the shoulder.

“My wife cheated on me. That’s why I’m here.”

The young man lifted his head at the words.

“We too were college sweethearts and much like yourself, I was madly in love. Candy...Candace was everything to me, and for years I did envision us spending the rest of our lives together. One night changed all that.”

“What happened?”

“She cheated on me, that’s what happened. I lost my job, came home and there she was in bed with another man. Funny how you can invest so much of yourself into something, and one night changes everything. You spend so much of your time investing yourself into a job or a marriage and when it’s over, you realize you don’t have anything left for yourself. She didn’t just cheat on me. She took years out of my life, years that I’ll never get back no matter how hard I try.”

For a moment, Happy wasn’t sure if it was Barabbas’ pity party or his. The words echoing from him, he’d never really put it in that perspective. When the realization hit that he didn’t just lose a marriage but years of his life, that well of bitterness and melancholy turned to anger. Barabbas could easily sense it and motioned to the bartender.

“Two Abita Ambers and shots of Fireball.”

“Barabbas, what the hell are you doing?”

The kid shot him an awkward look.

***

“Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true. Wanted a woman, never bargained for you. Lots of people talking, few of them know, soul of a woman was created below...”

Several Abita Ambers and shots of Fireball later, Barabbas cranked up the jukebox to some Led Zeppelin hits while they played a few games of pool. Using pool sticks as makeshift guitars, they both sang along as obnoxiously as possible...

“Every day I work so hard, bringing home my hard-earned pay. Try to love you baby, but you push me away. Don't know where you're going, only know just where you've been. Sweet little baby, I want you again...”

“You think you’ll ever go back and work it out?”

“I don’t know. There’s a part of me that thinks about it. Then there’s another part of me that’s pissed over all the years I’ve wasted so far. I’ll tell you this Barabbas, when the day comes that you consider marriage, your ass better think long and hard about it because it is one hell of a decision.”

“I get where you coming from Hap, but I’ve already found the one for me. Caroline is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been around. They just don’t make ‘em any better than her. And I’m probably going to lose out on the best thing that’s happened to me all because of my skin color. Who knows, maybe one day it won’t be that way. What do you think?”

That was a question for the ages. For all its posturing and posing as the greatest country in the world, America was still in many ways stuck in the Dark Ages. The country had finally elected its first African-American President, and all hell broke loose. It was the one thing that in the hearts and minds of many closeted racists would and should never happen. Here we were, a country with significant advances in science, medicine, and technology...and yet we were still waging the same ridiculous war over Black vs. White. And yet somehow we dared not only call ourselves intelligent people but also say it with a straight face. Happy studied the faces of the people in the bar. Black, White, Hispanic, Korean, gay, straight, and everything in between were represented. There were no subtle racist gestures or innuendos, no off-color remarks, or any of the random right-wing bullshit that was indicative of where he came from. These were people, human beings from all walks of life, getting drunk and living life in one of the most amazing and colorful cities in the entire world. And for all their differences, whether it was racial, economic, or otherwise, it was these differences that made them special and appreciate life even more. Just as he tried to force an answer, his cell rang.

“Sorry Hap, bad news. It’s Blake. He’s in the hospital.”

***

The emergency room at University Medical was packed with the usual poor, unfortunate, and disenfranchised. Disheveled television monitors hung from the ceilings flashing news reports and movies from the confines of dusty and cracked screens. The place reeked of sickness, rubbing alcohol, and misery as gunshot and stab wound victims were wheeled in and out. Happy made it as fast as he could, rushing up to the room where Blake was. Just as he was about to enter his room, a stout, commanding figure of a man stepped out, nearly bumping into him.

“Oh I’m terribly sorry,” he said. “Thought you were the doctor.”

“No, actually my name is Harper Downman. I’m here to see Blake.”

The man replied with a firm handshake that held within it an undercurrent of power and menace.

“Well, I’m Blake’s father. So you’re the new Store Manager at that palace of sin and filth. What brings you by?”

Happy stood stunned. “I got the call from one of my Assistant Managers that Blake had been beaten. I wanted to come and check on him.”

“Well that won’t be necessary Mr. Downman, I can take it from here.”

“How is he?”

“Not that it’s any of your concern Mr. Downman, but he’s got some bruises and scrapes, not to mention a broken arm.”

“Does he know who did it?”

“I don’t believe that to be any of your concern, sir. Let’s just hope that this little lesson in God’s mercy and judgment will teach Blake a valuable lesson in moral decency.”

“Come again?”

“Mr. Downman, my son is a faggot, pure and simple. Not exactly something I like to admit, but he is nonetheless. Do you know what it’s like to bring a child into this world that you can’t even look in the eye and be proud of? Do you? Do you have any kids?”

The man’s words rocked Happy to his very core. “No sir, I don’t.”

“Well Blake is my only boy, and it pains me deep inside to see him losing himself to the sin and mental illness that we’ve given the name of ‘homosexuality’ to. I see it all the time and it sickens me. Little boys running around trying to be girls and vice versa-it’s sinful and ungodly. The Devil is amongst us Mr. Downman. He’s amongst us and walking around each day.”

“Sir, are you even listening to yourself? Your son is in a hospital bed because he was just beaten over his sexuality.”

“A valuable lesson in God’s mercy and forgiveness. I’ve prayed every day that the Lord will cleanse Blake of this sickness and show him the way of the light. Hopefully, he’ll take heed to this and try to live a decent life.”

Just as the man turned to go back into the room, Happy grabbed him by the arm. The man spun around, pushing him back.

“You have no business here Mr. Downman. Blake is my son and I’ll deal with him how I see fit. Now I suggest you get going before I call the police. Like I said, you have no business here, go on.”

***

Chas sat alone in the lunchroom watching stocks crawl across the television screen while news media jockeyed for position reporting the world news at large. The subdued whir of Pamela’s neck massager was doing wonders for the day he was having. Now he could fully understand why she wanted to keep this one away from him so much. Nothing against the Hitachi Magic Wand-it was a nice item, but this thing worked wonders. A few minutes later, a young nurse walked into the lunchroom carrying a magazine. They smiled politely at each other and went on about their business. Digging into the pages of her magazine, she couldn’t help but notice the buzzing coming from Chas’ little pink massager.

“Sorry if the noise is too much,” he smiled. “I’ve been having a few rough days and this neck massager has certainly come in handy.”

The nurse’s mouth gaped open once she noticed what it was he was holding. He smiled.

“Cute little thing isn’t it? Yeah, my wife found out about this from a few friends of hers and brought one home the other day. It’s one thing for me to talk about it, but see for yourself.”

The nurse recoiled in her seat. “I beg your pardon?”

“Well it’s perfectly fine, and this sucker packs quite a punch. See it’s got two speeds and it’s waterproof. Don’t tell my wife, but yesterday when I was in the shower-“

“Um, do you know what that is you’re holding?”

“Of course, I know what it is. It’s a neck massager.”

“No. It isn’t.”

The man was dumbfounded. “Well if it isn’t a neck massager, then what is it?”

***

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART FIFTEEN...