Read Online The Bell Tolls for No One by Charles Bukowski - Free Book Online

action town. My reading had gone all right. I had opened a pint and gone on through it. The regents and the English dept. had backed down at the last moment and I had to go on backed by student funds.
    After the reading there had been a party. Vodka, beer, wine, scotch, gin, whiskey. We sat on the rug and drank and talked. There had been one next to me . . . . long black hair, one tooth missing in the front when she smiled. That missing tooth had endeared me. That was it, and there I was.
    I got up to get a drink of water. Nice place. Large. I saw two babies crawling in a crib. No, it was one baby. One was in the crib, crawling. The other was outside walking around naked. A clock said 9:45 a.m. Well, it didn’t say 9: 45 a.m. I went into the kitchen and sterilized a bottle and warmed some milk. I gave the baby the bottle and he went right at it. I gave the walking kid an apple. I couldn’t find any seltzer. There were 2 beers left in the refrigerator. I drank another glass of water and opened the beer. Nice kitchen. Nice young girl. Missing tooth. Nice missing tooth.
    I finished the one beer, opened the other, cracked 2 eggs, put on chili powder and salt, and ate. Then I walked into the other room and this kid said, “I can see your Peter.” And I told him, “I can see your Peter too.” Over on the mantle I saw a letter, opened, addressed to a Mrs. Nancy Ferguson. I walked back into the bedroom, placed myself down behind her again.
    â€œNancy?”
    â€œYes, Hank?”
    â€œI gave the kid a bottle, the other one an apple.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œYour husband?”
    My penis got hard again. I inserted it into her butt.
    â€œWe’re . . . . ouch!—go easy there! . . . we’re separated.”
    â€œDid you like my reading?”
    â€œOooh, goddamn it! Easy there! Yes, the reading was great. I liked it better than Corso’s reading.”
    â€œCorso? You’ve heard him? How about Kandel?”
    â€œI missed the Kandel . . . .”
    â€œI met Corso the other night,” I said.
    â€œAh, you’ve met him?—Please! It doesn’t feel bad, but go easy . . . . What was Corso like?”
    â€œFine, he was fine. I’d heard he was very mouthy, but really he wasn’t. Really gentle and entertaining . . . .”
    â€œListen, don’t rip me up!”
    â€œHe wore this white outfit with little rivulets and strings hanging off of it. He wore beads, an amulet . . . .”
    â€œThat’s good, that’s good . . . .”
    â€œWhat’s good?”
    â€œYou’re going good, or maybe I’m getting used to it.”
    â€œOh yeah?”
    â€œOW! Not that!”
    â€œCorso read the cards. He said I was POWER!”
    â€œOh, I believe it!”
    â€œCorso asked me why I didn’t wear any beads or rings . . . .”
    â€œWhat did you tell him?”
    â€œI . . . .”
    â€œListen, take it OUT, you’re KILLING ME!”
    I pulled it out. She turned around. I was right. It was the one with the missing tooth. She looked down at me.
    â€œDo you mind if I kiss it?” she asked.
    â€œNot really,” I said.
    â€œThey say I’m the greatest poet since Rimbaud,” I said.
    â€œGo ahead,” I said, “go ahead.”
    â€œI gave the one kid a bottle,” I said, “I gave the other one an apple.”
    â€œYou’ve got a nice place here,” I said.
    â€œGo ahead,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”
    â€œOh Jesus!” I said.
    â€œUh uh uh uh uh, oh uh oh uh,” I said.
    She went to the bathroom. When she got back she climbed into bed and looked at me.
    â€œI’ve bought all your books, I’ve read all your books.”
    â€œGreatest since Rimbaud,” I said.
    â€œHow come they call you ‘Hank’?”
    â€œCharles is really my middle name.”
    â€œDo you like to give poetry readings?”
    â€œYes, when they end like