Iggy, Son of Ah Pook, the Destroyer Alvin King

It was the middle of the night and Iggy lay in the dark listening to the low thunder in the east. A breeze moved humid air through the window and staring into the night he decided since he could not sleep to go for a bike ride.

The night was pleasant, perfect for a bike ride. Traffic was almost non existent at 2am. And the breeze added to the mild October brought a smell of rain on the way.

Pedaling down the middle of Broad St. he knew he was going to her house. When he’d gone down the stairs and unlocked the bike from the fence, the charge in the air, his body’s need to move , the anticipation of a pleasant night ride were replaced with convictions he was not going to go to her house, he was not going to ride down her street, he wasn’t even going in that direction.

French Quarter, City Park, Zotz Coffee House, his Bayou St John neighborhood, Pal’s Lounge? As the cruiser gained momentum the thunders slow roll seemed a little closer, the cloud valleys silently bulged with light. Orientations for the ride rotated but as he pedaled automatically he knew underneath he couldn’t go anywhere else.

He turned into the neighborhood. Only a few blocks away, the ride to her house was quiet and treed. He made an effort to notice his surroundings and be with the ride but it was a struggle to keep from being already in the place he was moving to. The vision wanted primacy over all others and it hummed like a pair of electric clippers.

A block away he could see the house was dark through the windows. As he rolled towards it he scanned the neighbors quickly. Often someone sat in the shadows on a porch chair or behind plants allowing outward surveillance while remaining hidden. No sense of anyone and now upon the little house he could see that all lights were off and the air conditioner whined. The a.c. was in the bedroom window and always on when she’d gone to bed.

Iggy felt released. The breeze was immediately more relieving. The sudden tensionlessness was euphoric. He made a slow, languid circle on the bike in front of her house keeping an eye open for any signs of life then exiting the circle just as languidly as he made it he rolled on towards Pal’s Lounge already psyching himself up for encountering the public.

As he locked the bike to the rack he could see it was a quiet night though Pal’s large picture windows. This suited him fine. All he wanted right now was a couple of $1 Pabst’s to put him to sleep and perhaps a little perfunctory chitchat.

Laura, his favorite bartender, was working and he could always depend on a nice vibe from her. Anyway, almost always. Rarely there was a bad mood. Sometimes a little snippishness, sources he guessed to be a range of things: her occasional on shift over drinking, previous bad encounters with other customers, or possibly her time of the month. His time of the month assumption usually corollated to others confession that it was now, in fact, their time. The idea that at least half of the female population was bleeding at any one time was a “theory” he found continually amusing. Laura was a person with whom Iggy would not let bad blood stand between them. He had a genuine affection for her. They went way back. He also liked to drink.

Through the door he hollers “Laura!” to Laura who has her back to the bar looking up at the television mounted high above rows of hard liquor bottles. “Kill Bill II” is playing and she turns and hollers back “Hey Iggy!”. There are only three other people in the place, one in the back on the video poker and the other two are familiar but he doesn’t know them.

“How are you, Laura.”

“Iggy, how’s it going. What can I get for you .”

“Cheepest shit in the house. I’m poor as shit.”

“Pabst.”

“Yep.”

The other two took their eyes off the t.v. and gave nods. Iggy nods. “What’s up.” he says to them. “Its quiet tonight.” he says as he pays. He gives her two dollars. He always tipped a dollar. He wouldn’t drink if he didn’t have the dollar to tip. When he could stand it. Sometimes he’ld give the money to one of his “cruder” friends and have them buy it for him. Tonight, he had five bucks and usually that meant two beers and the help of an ally to have a third, but with Laura it wouldn’t be necessary. She would readily buy him beer, especially under these slimmly witnessed circumstances, if he’ld let on, but a tipless beer was nothing at all to her he knew, though it always caused him some discomfort.

“Thank you, Iggy.” She opens the can then she takes the money. “It was busy earlier. It’s probably gonna surge again before we close.”

“Anybody I know earlier.” he asks. He couldn’t help asking that question. He takes a quick sip.

“Oh I don’t know. I think,…. yeah, your girl was here. With some people at a table.”

“Yep.” he says, and he resists saying anything else. He begins watching Uma pound away at the coffin in which she‘s trapped. Her short smashing jabs cracking into the pine resonate, the sound effect transfixes. He takes another swig, longer this time.

*******

Outside the thunder is getting closer. They’re all watching Kill Bill. Someone comes in and Laura says “Hey Ben.” Iggy turns around quickly. “Hey Ben.” he says. Ben walks over to stand next to Iggy. Big grin on his face and he says “Hey.” smiling back and forth from Laura to Iggy. Talking to Iggy “I thought that you from outside. What are ya’ll watching.”

“Kill Bill.” Iggy says quickly.

“What can I get you Ben.”

“Oh…..let me see……hu-umm….”

“Give him a Pabst.” Iggy says.

“Yeah.” asks Laura.

“Hold on. Let me think…….A Pabst.”

They’re all grinning.

“Where you coming from Ben.” asks Iggy. He watches Bens face when he asks the question.

“Lions Den. Liquidrone was playing.”

“Any good.”

“Yeah, they were great. I’m liking them more and more.”

“People were talking about going over to see that show tonight.” Laura says. She hands Ben his beer.

They’re all drinking and watching Kill Bill. The part where Michael Madsen is about to open the suitcase that one eyed Darryl Hanna just gave him is on but he hasn’t opened it yet and they’re just sitting there talking.

“I’ve been up working most of the night but then I tried to sleep but I woke after a little while and I couldn’t get back to sleep. So I came to get some sleeping potion.” Iggy said to Ben. Ben was drinking his beer rather quickly and Iggy could tell he had been drinking a bit. Iggy slowed his own pace.

“Was the show crowded.” Iggy asked.

“Packed.”

“Any body I know.”

“Yeah, a lot of people. Carl , Anthony, L.J., Stewhead, Donna,….. ZeeZee. A lot of people you know, you should have come out, why didn’t you come out, did you know about it.”

“Yeah I knew about it. I wasn’t in the mood. Besides I work to get done.”

“Lots of good looking chicks. It was a great show, you would’ve loved it. Why weren’t you I in the mood.”

“Was Jessie there.” Iggy aked.

“No. I didn’t see her.” Ben said. He suddenly looked puzzled. He took another swig from his can. He emptied the can. Iggy then said to Laura “Can I get two more, Laura.” and he pulled out his three dollars. On the tube Michael Madsen opened the suitcase and the Black Mamba sprang out and struck him in the chest several times before he spasmed to the floor and started foaming at the mouth. They were watching this when she brought the beers. Iggy gave her the three dollars and he took one of the beers and gave one to Ben. He waited for Laura to attend one of the other patrons. Then he asked “Were you here earlier.”

Ben turned and looked at him it was a serious look but a blank look, a little too blank, Iggy thought. Outside the wind was moving the trees and the thunder was real close, the muffled rolling threatening but not quite there kind of thunder.

“No.” Ben said.

Iggy took a long drain from his beer emptying half the can. “I have to go.” he said, “I’m riding my bike and it’s gonna pore.” He turned up the can and emptied it.

************

It started to rain while on the way to her house. Not a heavy down pour but he got wet none the less. He got off his bike in front of her house, left it on the sidewalk and went up the steps to her door. The thunder was quite frequent and and he hesitated for a moment in between to give his knock a chance to be heard. He knocked on the door. It must have been somewhere between 3 and 4am. He knocked again. Without a light coming on or a peek out to see who it could be the door was unlocked and opened. Jessie stood there in her nightclothes puffy eyed and moving slow. She walked back into the house without saying a word leaving the door open. Iggy followed her. She went back to the bedroom and got back into bed. Iggy followed her, stopped at the doorway of the bedroom for a second then went in and sat at the edge of the bed.

“What do you want.” she said.

“Are you drunk.” he said.

“No, are you.”

“I know you were at the bar. Don’t tell me you didn’t drink.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t drink. Look I can go and I’m going to go out whenever I want.”

“Who were you out with.”

“I wasn’t out with anyone.”

“Were you out with Ben.”

“No, I wasn’t out with Ben. I didn’t even see him tonight.”

“Well I just saw him and he told about the hot chicks he was with at the Dragon’s Den. He was pretty hammered. He gets hammered all the time. Every night practically.”

“I don’t care what Ben does. Look Iggy, our breakup has nothing to do with Ben or any other body. We’ve got much deeper….”

“Look, I can take it. It’s just the secrecy I can’t take. I hate it when people smile in your face and pretend they’re your friend and they trying to make a fool of you. You can tell me.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, it’s too late for this shit. You have to go.”

“You know I love you, don’t you.” he said.

“Yeah I love you too. You have go now.”

“Who were you with tonight. You were seen with someone.”

“Nobody! Go!”

“Fuck you too. I hate your fucking guts.”

“Get the fuck out.”

He went out back into the rain which now down steadily hard and got onto his bike that had been standing on the sidewalk the whole time. He really didn’t feel the rain. He had a feeling of solidity that started from crown of his head down through his shoulders and back and into the pit of stomach. It felt very focused and simple and with the feeling and the fact of what had just occurred there was a sense of satisfaction that was preferable feelings of earlier.

*********

After a shower and another glass of wine he got into bed his head still humming and picked up the to make a phone call to Sheila who he hoped wouldn’t mind the lateness of the call.