Beginning by Michael Farris Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

head. Tugged at the bottom of his shirt.
    â€œYou want something else?” Charlie asked, poking his head toward the man.
    â€œGimme some of them lanterns and some of them batteries.”
    â€œWhat is some?”
    â€œThree.”
    â€œThree lanterns or three batteries?”
    â€œThree lanterns and enough batteries for all of them and then some more. Come on, Charlie.”
    â€œDon’t come on me. It ain’t that hard to tell me exactly what you want the first time. I ain’t got all day.”
    Charlie reached over into a box filled with camping lanterns and he lifted out three and handed them to the man. Then he took a plastic bag from his back pocket and reached into another box and filled the bag with D batteries. He gave the man the bag and then he counted on his fingers and mumbled to himself. “Fifty dollars,” he said.
    â€œJesus,” said the man.
    â€œI meant eighty.”
    â€œFifty’s fine. Don’t piss on me.”
    The man set down the plastic bag and unbuttoned his shirt pocket and took out two poker chips and held them out.
    â€œWhat in God’s lovin name is that?” Charlie said and he shook his head in frustration. “You think the damn counter is open over there for me to cash in?”
    â€œThese here are hundred dollars apiece.”
    â€œHundred dollars apiece in what world? Where the hell are they a hundred dollars apiece?”
    The men with guns and the other men waiting began to laugh as they watched and listened.
    â€œTake em on up to Tunica,” the man said. “You can use em there, I’m guessing.”
    â€œTunica? Tunica floats.”
    â€œVegas, then. Or somewhere.”
    â€œYeah. Vegas. Hell yeah, let’s go to Vegas, like they’re gonna give me two hundred dollars for two dirty old chips from the shithole casino in Gulfport, Mississippi. Not to mention it’d cost me how much to get to Vegas? Spend three grand to cash in two hundred damn dollars. Hell, maybe I’ll just mail em to them and they can mail me back my money.”
    The man put the chips back in his pocket and looked at his feet. He bit at the inside of his cheek. “I ain’t got no money this time,” he said. “I ain’t got nothing.”
    Charlie propped his hands on his hips and walked a circle and then turned back and said, “I ain’t the Red Cross and I ain’t running no credit applications. You want something, you got to have money or something mighty fine to trade up. You got neither. Gimme them lanterns.” He didn’t wait for the man to hold them out but reached over and took them out of his hand. Then he scooped up the bag of batteries at his feet. Charlie set two of the lanterns back in the box and he gave one back to the large man. Then he took two packs of batteries out of the plastic bag and handed them over.
    â€œTake this shit and go on and you owe me next time. You got it?”
    The man nodded and said I got it and then he turned and walked down the metal ramp that led in and out of the truck.
    Charlie stepped to the edge and said, “Anybody else out there got anything other than money or trade needs to go on. I thought that was common knowledge.”
    Two of the men in line stepped out and walked away.
    Charlie looked to the back of the men and saw Cohen and waved at him. “Come on up here, Cohen. You ain’t got to wait.”
    â€œHell naw,” said the old man with the sign. “You know how far I had to walk to get here?”
    â€œTake that stupid sign off and shut up. How long you gonna wear that thing?”
    â€œI’m gonna wear it till I want to.”
    â€œThat don’t even make no sense.”
    â€œWell, that don’t matter. I’m sick of standing in this rain.”
    â€œThen dance around.”
    Cohen walked past the line and set the empty gas cans down at the back of the truck. He walked up the ramp and shook hands with