A Fairy Tale of New York Read Online Free PDF Page A

discovered the place. Put him up there made of metal. With horns blasting and traffic pouring round him day and night. Get ready to get off. A man with a grey cap gets on. Smiling between big fat cheeks stubbled with beard. He gaily salutes the passengers as he comes along the aisle. And sits sad and silent when no one salutes or smiles back. His eyes light up as I give him a nod. The friendly kind they give each other at the institution.
    Walk east crosstown. Wind biting and raising whorls of grit and paper scraps. See the sky blown blue somewhere far out over Flushing. As a little boy I thought it was some strange big toilet bowl. Where giants took their craps.
    Dark between these buildings. Cabs go bouncing over bumps. Thick iron manhole cover clanks and rocks under the passing wheels. And little clouds of steam puff out. A button off my coat. That's all you need in this town to show you're going down. And for friends to look fast for other faces.
    Bronze plaque now below where the neon sign used to be. And the thunderous letters of Vine. Above the smaller words of Funeral Home. He must be going up. High over the tiny letters of Incorporated. Where he can swing from his trapeze into his heap of dollars.
    Christian pushing through the gleaming glass doors. The reddish yellow carpet. Under the potted palm tree, a black urn filled with white sand to extinguish cigarettes. Knock on Vine's door, the main motif of which is contemporary splendor. Green light looked warm last week now looks cold.
    "Come in. Ah Mr Christian. Good to see you. Here let me take your coat. Sit down. It's cold out."
    "Cold and windy."
    "Well now Mr Christian you're settling in."
    "I think so"
    "I'm glad. Takes time. You're young. Events finally erase the most painful part of sorrow. If they didn't this town would be so many weeping cripples. But you'd like to discuss your position wouldn't you."
    "Yes."
    Vine in his chair swivels. Light catches the side of his face. He tilts his round head. Shakes out the cuffs of his shirt so white and stiff. Diamonds sparkle there. Short hair standing up with little flecks of grey. All of him tucked neatly in his leather seat, eyes glistening. Finger pushing at a pair of black leather gloves on his desk. The world sinks down a little. On the carpet where you come out of the dirty street and walk softly.
    "May I ask you just one question Christian. I'm going to put it to you man to man. There's a place for you here. And I mean that. The salary's not bad. It would be a beginning. And there'd be a future. I can tell you that. Will you come to work for me."
    Christian bowing his head. As eyes stare out of control at the ceiling. Get them back to sea level. Saliva flows into the mouth. Swallow it all down and try to keep my shoulders from twitching.
    "Mr Vine I don't know what I'm going to do yet. When you said first you were glad to see me the words I nearly said were boy it's really swell to be seen. I've hardly even spoken to another person since the funeral.''
    ''Well I 'm glad I 'm seeing you then Mr Christian.''
    "Mr Vine I don't know what I owe you. But I've only got forty six dollars and ninety two cents to my name. I can't even pay the bill they charged me for freight and storage and packing my wife on the ship. You've got me at your mercy.''
    "Now wait a minute, Mr Christian. Now you just wait a minute there boy. I haven't got you at my mercy. And I don't like that remark.''
    "Well maybe you haven't. But I need mercy.''
    "You may need it but I haven't got you at my mercy. Don't you ever think that. I'm offering you an opportunity to assume a role in a hallowed vocation. I know the normal everyday person does not gravitate towards this calling. But I'll tell you something. I'm a good judge of men. And I recognize in you Christian the imaginative capacity to pursue this mission in life. I'm convinced you could be outstanding.''
    "You mean going back in there and handling dead bodies. People I don't even know.''
    "If