Sunday, January 06, 2008

Guns On Layaway



Been listening to a lot of stories about love gone wrong this week, got plenty of material for stories for the new year. My friend Hank's sister Robin is a font of such tales -- she even loaned me a pen to write down notes. That's one of the great things about her having Hank as a brother -- she's used to us writer types and doesn't fear being used as material. You use that one, she said about the time she held her boyfriend hostage while finding out whether or not he had secretly been firing her granddaddy's pistol (I'm not stupid. I can smell the gunpowder and I told him after sticking the gun under his noise, yes, asshole, it's loaded), confronting him on his return to nicotine, and the probability that he was getting some on the side from a coworker who'd had a double mastectomy (Guess you won't have to pay for her boob job, Robin commented, with the same wry sense of humor her brother had). She informed me that said jerk had several guns on layaway and kept purchasing pistols and whatnot even when they couldn't afford them. You know me, I love a good gun, but when you can't pay rent . . . God, I love Texas girls!

So I'm picking at the last bit of Mexican food I'm likely to have in a very long time (Detroit, while being the most wonderful place on earth in many ways, does not fare well in this area) and thinking about how much Robin reminds me of Hank at times, certain turns of phrase and whatnot. Old age and treachery, she said of showing up late for supper after falling asleep for what was supposed to be a much shorter nap. I had to laugh. Her brother would have said the same thing. She handed me a bag at the end of the night her mother had filled with some of Hank's things, including a copy of The Big Sleep, some t-shirts, and a pair of his shoes that I bought him for a job interview in Detroit. The shoes are very Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, dad shoes, interview shoes, nothing anyone would wear except for work or weddings and funerals. I don't know what I'll do with the shoes, but it seems fitting that they'll be returning to Detroit, their first home, a place where it's often cold and hard, where a person can use a good pair of sturdy, if not completely fashionable, pair of shoes.

Michelle's Spell of the Day
"Looked at where I was and where I wanted to be. The gap was big." Larry Brown

Cocktail Hour
Drinking movie suggestion: The Big Sleep

Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Sunday!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your words smile when you write about Hank. I read the essay of his that you provided a link to a few weeks back and could see why he was your best friend. Thanks again for the blog.

Charles Gramlich said...

I like the line about how "She loves guns but when you can't pay the rent." Reminds me, I need another gun. I want a civil war replica revolver, a Colt Navy with the brass backstrap. A good looking weapon.

Tim said...

Hey there purdy lady,
It sounds like a guy has to be pretty tough to hook up with one of you Texas girls, what with all your guns and tempers. :)
Hope you do find some good Mexican food up there in the motor city. I never knew what real Mexican food was like until my friend, who had lived in El Paso for years after being born in Mexico, would invite me to eat something she had made. What a difference compared to the restaurant fare around here!
Hope you're having a great day!

Anonymous said...

myCajunQ
RockinMamaD
GunsRGood4theLadies
SpeciallyinTexas
OMightyEys
R2C2Shzammmmm!!!!!

the walking man said...

Uhhhhhhhhh ever hear of Taco Bell?


Peace

mark

Anonymous said...

Michelle, get a good pair of shoe lasts for Hank's shoes and keep them under your bed with your biretta so that they don't lose their shape.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Sarducci, Hank faked his own death and lives with Michelle in Detroit. I've seen them shopping together at Target.

eric1313 said...

Xochimocho's in Mexican town is excellent fireside dining.

"Old age and treachery will trump youth and beauty every time."

I remember saying that and getting the strangest look for having done so. Now I know why.