Chapter 18

After leaving the skating rink, I went and got a Swiss cheese sandwich and a malted milk. Then I got Jane on the mind again, I though about calling her. I remember the time I saw her at a dance with a boy that was obviously a show-off, but Jane argued that the boy had an inferiority complex. Girls always use that same excuse to date arrogant boys. Finally, I called Jane, but no one answered. Then I thought I would give this guy I knew from Whooton School a buzz, he was called Carl Luce, he said he would meet me for drinks later that night.

To kill time, I went to see a movie at Radio City Music Hall. The show I watched, the Rockettes’ Christmas stage show, was ridiculous, full of phoney actors who knew they where good, a bit like Ernie, the piano player. I remember when me and Allie used to love the kettledrum player in the Radio City pit orchestra. The man was an unnoticed, minuscule part of the show, but he seemed to take joy and pride in what he did. After the show and the movie began, which was boring as well. When the movie was finally over I started walking to where I was supposed to meet Luce, it was called the Wicker Bar. After watching the movie, which was all about war and all I started think about what D.B. used to tell me about the army, I decided that I could never be in the military. I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war, I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to god I will.