THE SMOLDERING WRECKAGE
OF BETTERTOWN BLUES
Primarily, nothing ever happens that
wasn't pre-ordained. We all know
that. Some President will die, the
toastmasters will talk, The Pope
will skip Communion, and maybe
even old Joe Stalin and Margaret
Thatcher will dine together; to
talk sense to a better Magistrate
then anyone else can find.
-
I once sat watch over some stolen
money. Thirty-one thousand dollars,
to be exact. It was in two bank bags
made of a canvas I'd never seen
before : creamy white, thin-gauge,
and a tiny bit shiny too. I guess they
figure all that our ahead; you'd not
want those kinds of bags to burst.
-
The two guards, black guys acting
big with little guns, had been clonked
on the head, knocked out, by Henry
Hymes, at the second Newark stop
along New Jersey Railroad Avenue.
Yes, weird name, but that's really
what it's called. A trestle street,
adjoining the railroad above, and
made from huge brown stones.
They much have built it long ago,
when they lifted the railroad through.
Things were done differently then.
-
Both guys were out cold, on the
curb outside their armored car.
There's a spot there where the
Salvation Army has a big building,
and a used-goods store right next to
it, across the way. They come and go
with cash all day, receipts and money.
The armored car guys come, pretty
regularly and on time. Foolishly.
-
If you ever read a book called
'American Pastoral,' by Philip Roth,
there's a really great reconciliation
scene that takes place right near here,
at the stone wall. The main guy, Swede
Lvov, finally finds his criminal, runaway,
terrorist daughter, and they have this
torrid scene right here. Worth a read.
Maybe moreso for me, since I know
the spot, and did a crime of my own
right here too. Really something.
-
I call it 'Bettertown,' because we're
all trying to get there; but no one
ever really does. Take my word.
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