billy waited as johnny, mary, and frankie came up the road..
as they got nearer he knew right away that johnny was number one, mary was number two, and frankie was number three.
the trio approached billy the way three dogs might approach some small furry creature of a kind they had never encountered before.
“hello,” billy said. his voice didn’t shake, which surprised him.
“hello yourself,” johnny answered.
mary and frankie came closer, and the three formed a semicircle around billy. he still had his back to the hill.
“what are those things?” billy asked, pointing to the shoe shine kit slung on mary’s back.
johnny looked at the kit, surprised by billy’s question. after staring at billy for a few seconds to give him the message that his question was idiotic, he said, “it’s a shoe shine kit, what did you think it was?”
“i never saw one before,” billy admitted.
that all laughed. “i guess you never shined shoes,” mary sneered.
“um - sure i have - “ billy stammered. “i mean - “
“you mean what?” johnny demanded.
“i mean i never shined anybody else’s shoes,” said billy. he thought that was a good answer.
“do you shine your own?” mary asked.
“sometimes.”
“sometimes?” mary raised her eyebrow. “who shines them the other times?”
“my governess,” said billy. as soon as he said it, he knew it was the wrong answer.
“what’s a governess?” frankie spoke for the first time.
“a shoe shine kit with wings,” said mary, and frankie and johnny laughed.
“maybe you could use a shine right now,” johnny said to billy. “those nice brown shoes look a little scuffed up.”
“i don’t think so,” billy answered.
“i think you do. you got any money on you?’
“no.”
“i think you do,” said johnny, coming closer to billy.
billy tried to turn to run back up the hill, but johnny and mary each grabbed one of his arms.
“look in his pockets,” johnny told frankie.
frankie put his hands in johnny’s pockets, but all he found was a little pack of kleenex.
“no money, huh?” johnny looked billy in the eyes. “what, your butler and your chauffeur carry your money for you? you’re rich, aren’t you? live in a big house with a hundred butlers and maids.”
“do you play doctor and nurse with the maids?” frankie asked.
“shut up!” mary said, and smacked frankie on the side of the head.
“i don’t have any butlers and maids,” billy insisted. he pulled away from johnny’s and mary’s grasp. they let him go.
“no?” johnny raised an eyebrow.
“just a governess.”
“just a governess,” johnny repeated, and they all laughed again.
“let’s get out of here,” said mary. “we’re wasting time.”
they started away.
“wait!” billy called after them.
“what now?” johnny turned back to him.
“can i go with you?”
johnny laughed. “you mean just tag along?” he glanced at the others. “sure, why not?”
“what’s your name?” mary asked billy.
“billy.”
“i bet they call you william.”
“no, billy.”
they started off down the road, walking fast. billy had a hard time keeping up with them, and they did not speak to him, or to each other, until they reached the town, which consisted of a single square with about eight buildings.
there were no people in the streets.
“look at this hick town,” said frankie. “i knew there’d be nothing here.”
“let’s look around,” johnny told him. “any bars?”
”mickey said the town was dry,” mary reminded him.
”there’s a drugstore over there,” said johnny. “the next best thing.”
they headed over to the drugstore, with billy bringing up the rear.
there was a narrow alley between the drugstore and a barber shop.
a bum was lying in the alley, asleep.
johnny and mary began going through the bum’s pockets.
frankie grabbed the bewildered billy and stood him beside him so that the two of them blocked the alley from anybody passing by - not that anybody was.
“nothing,” said johnny. he stood up.
“let’s take his shoes,” said frankie.
“why would you do that?” billy asked. “can you get any money for them?”
“no, stupid, just for fun,” frankie told him.
“we aren’t taking his shoes,” said johnny. ”or even his hat. let’s get out of here.”
they walked down to the other end of the alley.
“maybe this isn’t the town,” said mary. “maybe there’s another town down the road.”
they looked across a vacant lot and down the road leading out of town.
but there was no sign of another town on the horizon, just a range of low hills.
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