Read Online Bad Boy Brawly Brown by Walter Mosley - Free Book Online
Authors: Walter Mosley
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would have been easy enough for 26
me to go to John and tell him that murder was more than I had 27
signed up for. I didn’t even have to tell him, because it was bound to 28
get around about the death in Alva’s cousin’s home. John would 29
know that I couldn’t get involved with that kind of trouble. He knew 30 S
what trying to make a normal life meant.
31 R
I decided to call him and say that I’d gone to the First Men, that 5 6
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 57
B A D B O Y B R AW LY B R O W N
I saw Brawly and he looked fine. He would have heard about the 1
murder by then. He’d understand.
2
I breathed a deep sigh, relieved that my insanity was only a 3
twelve-hour bug. But when I dozed off I found myself in the middle 4
of a very real dream. I walked into a room where Mouse was seated 5
at a small round table. He was wearing a dark suit and a short-6
brimmed hat. I remained on my feet and told him the story of my 7
day. He was looking down while I spoke, listening to my words with 8
gravity. When I finished he looked up with his gray eyes glittering.
9
He shrugged as if to say, Hey, man, what’s to worry?
10
I felt that giddiness in my gut again. I woke up in the middle of 11
the night realizing that I was trying to stifle a laugh.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
S 30
R 31
5 7
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 58
1
2
9 / “MOUSE! HEY, RAYMOND, wait up!”
He was walking down the street a block ahead of
3
me. I increased my pace but couldn’t manage to gain on him.
4
“Wait up, man!” I cried.
5
And then, suddenly, he turned around. His pistol was in his hand 6
and he opened fire. I froze in place, knowing the deadly accuracy of 7
his marksmanship. He let off five or six rounds and I was still standing.
8
I looked around behind me and saw three dead men on the ground.
9
When I looked back in Mouse’s direction he smiled and tipped his 10
hat to me. Then he turned and walked away quickly. I wanted to fol-11
low but was so frightened that I couldn’t make my legs move.
12
“Daddy.”
13
I felt a slight nudge at my arm.
14 S
“Daddy, wake up,” Jesus said. He was kneeling over me.
15 R
I was on the floor next to the bed, partly wrapped in sheets and 5 8
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 59
B A D B O Y B R AW LY B R O W N
covers. I wondered how I got there. I didn’t think I could have fallen.
1
Maybe I was trying to hide from those killers under the bed.
2
“Uncle John’s here,” the boy said.
3
“What time is it?”
4
“About eight o’clock.”
5
“Go out and tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
6
7
8
F IFTEEN MINUTES LATER I strode on cramped feet into our 9
small living room. John was standing there looking like a fish 10
out of water in his overalls and work boots.
11
“Easy.”
12
“What can I do for you, John?”
13
“I need your help.”
14
“Didn’t we already have this talk yesterday?” I asked.
15
John shifted his shoulders, looking all the more uncomfortable.
16
“You want some coffee or something to eat?” I asked him.
17
“I got to get down to the lots.”
18
“Come on in the kitchen anyway. I just woke up.”
19
“I ain’t got time to fool around, Easy. I need your help and I need 20
it now.”
21
I turned my back on him and went into the kitchen.
22
I always liked the kitchen in the morning because that’s when 23
the sun flooded the windows. While I was filling the percolator with 24
tap water, John walked in.
25
“Hey, man,” he said. “I’m sorry. I know you just woke up, but 26
things got worse overnight.”
27
He slumped down on one of the kitchen chairs as I measured 28
out four level tablespoons of MJB.
29
“What happened?”
S 30
“It’s Brawly. I think he might’a killed somebody.”
R 31
5 9
REAL
me to go to John and tell him that murder was more than I had 27
signed up for. I didn’t even have to tell him, because it was bound to 28
get around about the death in Alva’s cousin’s home. John would 29
know that I couldn’t get involved with that kind of trouble. He knew 30 S
what trying to make a normal life meant.
31 R
I decided to call him and say that I’d gone to the First Men, that 5 6
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 57
B A D B O Y B R AW LY B R O W N
I saw Brawly and he looked fine. He would have heard about the 1
murder by then. He’d understand.
2
I breathed a deep sigh, relieved that my insanity was only a 3
twelve-hour bug. But when I dozed off I found myself in the middle 4
of a very real dream. I walked into a room where Mouse was seated 5
at a small round table. He was wearing a dark suit and a short-6
brimmed hat. I remained on my feet and told him the story of my 7
day. He was looking down while I spoke, listening to my words with 8
gravity. When I finished he looked up with his gray eyes glittering.
9
He shrugged as if to say, Hey, man, what’s to worry?
10
I felt that giddiness in my gut again. I woke up in the middle of 11
the night realizing that I was trying to stifle a laugh.
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
S 30
R 31
5 7
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 58
1
2
9 / “MOUSE! HEY, RAYMOND, wait up!”
He was walking down the street a block ahead of
3
me. I increased my pace but couldn’t manage to gain on him.
4
“Wait up, man!” I cried.
5
And then, suddenly, he turned around. His pistol was in his hand 6
and he opened fire. I froze in place, knowing the deadly accuracy of 7
his marksmanship. He let off five or six rounds and I was still standing.
8
I looked around behind me and saw three dead men on the ground.
9
When I looked back in Mouse’s direction he smiled and tipped his 10
hat to me. Then he turned and walked away quickly. I wanted to fol-11
low but was so frightened that I couldn’t make my legs move.
12
“Daddy.”
13
I felt a slight nudge at my arm.
14 S
“Daddy, wake up,” Jesus said. He was kneeling over me.
15 R
I was on the floor next to the bed, partly wrapped in sheets and 5 8
REAL PAGES
12374_i-vi_1-314_r4sw.qxd 4/18/2002 2:00 PM Page 59
B A D B O Y B R AW LY B R O W N
covers. I wondered how I got there. I didn’t think I could have fallen.
1
Maybe I was trying to hide from those killers under the bed.
2
“Uncle John’s here,” the boy said.
3
“What time is it?”
4
“About eight o’clock.”
5
“Go out and tell him I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
6
7
8
F IFTEEN MINUTES LATER I strode on cramped feet into our 9
small living room. John was standing there looking like a fish 10
out of water in his overalls and work boots.
11
“Easy.”
12
“What can I do for you, John?”
13
“I need your help.”
14
“Didn’t we already have this talk yesterday?” I asked.
15
John shifted his shoulders, looking all the more uncomfortable.
16
“You want some coffee or something to eat?” I asked him.
17
“I got to get down to the lots.”
18
“Come on in the kitchen anyway. I just woke up.”
19
“I ain’t got time to fool around, Easy. I need your help and I need 20
it now.”
21
I turned my back on him and went into the kitchen.
22
I always liked the kitchen in the morning because that’s when 23
the sun flooded the windows. While I was filling the percolator with 24
tap water, John walked in.
25
“Hey, man,” he said. “I’m sorry. I know you just woke up, but 26
things got worse overnight.”
27
He slumped down on one of the kitchen chairs as I measured 28
out four level tablespoons of MJB.
29
“What happened?”
S 30
“It’s Brawly. I think he might’a killed somebody.”
R 31
5 9
REAL
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