OCR Text |
Show 74 over on the inside. And when I was done fighting it didn't go away, it 3 stayed for hours. "Willie can't beat him," I told Red. "You never know what can happen in a fight," he said. "If Willie gets up enough) but stays cool, maybe he'll take him off balance, then, boom." Red put his fist in his hand and it popped. I looked at that fist and realized no matter what, this whole business had distracted Red axaxaxxaxixxaxxxxixxixaxxxxxa enough so that he hadn't clouted me for weeks. Maybe after this I could get him reading again or something. I aixxxji didn't mind not hating Red and a lot of times I was proud of him. So Willie kept sparring with me and he really did get better. It was getting x harder and harder to get punches underneath his guard and he was hitting me more and more with his counter punches. He was talking a less and less about his hammer and getting a quiet look in his eye and a set to his chin that appeared as xa nigger-mean as anybody a I'd seen. By the morning of the fight he wasn't a saying a god-damn thing. Red patted him on the back and Helen said she'd pray for him though she was of course against the whole thing. "He should just hit him xiik on the head with a hammer," said Helen. Willie moved one eyebrow. "He's going to beat him fair and square," said Red. "You never fought a fair fight in your life," said Helen. "Who ever won anything being fair?" Helen was holy but she sure wasn't dumb. "Don't put things in his head," Red told Helen. "Come on, Willie." And xaxR Willie and Red and me left for Blanion's in the Rainbow. Blanion's front yard was full of kids, mostly Italians and mostly from Blanion's gxx gang. Georgie and Stubie were there too, on the porch with Blanion and his Dad. They were all smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. Blanion's Dad waved when he saw us. "Hello, hello," he said. "Which one's the nigger?" Blanion's Dad was stocky with wavy gray hair. "Let's get going," said Red. Kia^aHSgfe |