Reunion and Dark Pony Read Online Free

feeling?” he asks.
    “Like a big piece of cow shit,” I tell him.
    “You gotta come in today,” he says.
    “Jim,” I tell him, “I'm sick, it's New Year's, get someone else.”
    “Everybody else is drunk,” he says. “I'm the only one here, and some asshole knocked down a pole near Truro.”
    . . . So I tell him my car won't start. He says he's coming over in the truck to get me.
    So I make some coffee and he comes and we go over to Truro to fix the pole.
    He's cursing the whole way:
    “Jagoff” this and “Asshole” that . . .
    And what with the overtime and holiday pay and the twenty Jim slipped me for coming along I made about ninety bucks for one afternoon. And Jim was so mad, he did most of the work himself and I spent most of the time in the cab drinking.
    Scene X
    BERNIE : But I can't work for the Phone Company anymore.
    When they finally pulled my license, that was it. I hit a cop car. Actually it sounds more exciting than it was. It was an unmarked car. He was parked anyway. Only time I ever got a ticket in Boston. A heartbreaker.
    Anyway, I lost my license and that was it. I got fired and they meant it.
    Jim Daugherty went down to Boston to talk to ‘em.
    No Dice.
    He even wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees for me.
    The Board of Trustees of the Phone Company.
    No good.
    He said if I got fired he was going to quit, too.
    . . . He didn't, though. . . .
    But he would've. . . .
    Broke him up, too. Best goddamn lineman on the Cape.
    Eight years, best record.
    We were very close. . . .
    Canned. Like that. Pension, benefits, seniority.
    Shot. . . .
    It was probably for the best.
    But I'll be goddamned if I can see how.
    I used to drink a bit on the job. But who didn't?
    Jim knew that. Nobody cared.
    If it hadn't showed up in the accident report, I'd be working today.
    What the hell.
    CAROL : How long till you can get your license back?
    BERNIE : Supposedly never, but, actually, in about a year.
    They review it.
    They told me about it at the A.A. The guys there go up with you.
    Their opinion is very respected.
    CAROL : I was a teacher for a while.
    BERNIE : You were? Where?
    CAROL : In Newton. I taught sixth grade.
    BERNIE : How about that! Where.
    CAROL : At the Horace Mann School.
    BERNIE : You were at the Horace Mann School?
    CAROL : For a year and a half.
    BERNIE : And I was right across the street?
    CAROL : Where?
    BERNIE : At the Garage.
    The Company Garage is right across the street. I was out there all the time.
    We used to eat at Mike's. Did you ever go in there?
    CAROL : No. I went in for cigarettes once in a while.
    BERNIE : I used to go in there all the time. I was there—easily—twice a week.
    For years.
    Goddamn.
    When were you there?
    CAROL : 1969.
    BERNIE : . . . I haven't worked for the phone company since ‘55.
    You want some tea?
    CAROL : You have any coffee?
    BERNIE : Yeah, sure. Instant.
    CAROL : That's fine.
    BERNIE : But I bet I saw you around. Boston, Boylston Street . . .
    CAROL : We must've seen each other . . . in the Common . . .
    A hundred times.
    Scene XI
    BERNIE : I remember the day you turned twenty-one.
    February fourth, 1968.
    Your birthday.
    I was going to call you up.
    You probably don't believe it.
    It's not important.
    The actions are important.
    The present is important.
    I spent a couple of days in jail once.
    What it taught me, you've gotta be where you are.
    . . . While you're there.
    Or you're nowhere.
    Do you know what I mean?
    As it pertains to you and me?
    Because I think it's very important. . . .
    Does this make any sense to you?
    CAROL : I want to get to know you.
    BERNIE : And I want to get to know you. But that's not going to magically wipe out twenty years. . . .
    In which you were growing up, which you had to do anyway, and I was drunk. . . .
    I don't mean to get stupid about it.
    But let's get up, go out, do this, go look at thelocomotive if they've still got it there, something . . . you know?
    Because, all kidding aside, what's between us isn't