Free Bloodbrothers by Richard Price

drink. He wasn't laughing. He looked Stony in the eye. "Stones, you're seventeen now ... in my book that makes you a man. You're still a kid in a lotta ways but in the heart you're a man."
    Stony frowned at Chubby.
    Chubby chewed on his thumb and stared beyond his nephew. "O.K. I'm gonna tell you somethin'. Stones. I'm gonna tell you a story that only me an' your old man know about."
    Stony felt better for telling his uncle about his grief.
    "I wanna tell you about Sooky."
    "Who?"
    "Lissen, lemme ask you something. Whatta you think a your Aunt Phyllis?"
    "Whada you mean?"
    "You know." Chubby shrugged, pouting. "You know." He curved out a female form on the bar. "Whada you think?"
    Stony was embarrassed. "I dunno."
    "Yeah, bullshit you don't know. She got a nice ass, hah?" Chubby smiled.
    "I dunno." Stony blushed. He didn't think so.
    "I dunno," Chubby mimicked in a moronic bass. He downed his Scotch and the rest of Stony's. "I seen you lookin'." Chubby made a jerk-off motion. Stony started to protest. "Screw that." Chubby waved his hand. "Sooky ... Sooky made Phyllis look like a
rag.
" Chubby nodded his head. "Twenty-fuckin'-eight years ago." Banion brought another round. "Met her in Surinam in the war. I was fuckin' twenty years old." He looked astonished at the thought. "God, I was a
sleek
stud!" Chubby banged the bar, then screwed his face in disgust. He grabbed Stony's hand. "I made you look like a goddamn pissant
faggot
then!" Stony was too scared to be insulted.
    "She was Java
neese,
Stony, you know what that means?"
    "A Jap?"
    "No, lissen, Ja-va-nese."
    "I dunno."
    "A
Dutch Chink!
" Then to himself in a slow whisper, "Naked."
    Stony conjured up an Oriental face bordered with flaxen bangs.
    "Naked." Chubby clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. "Ooh, baby, that fuckin' smoky bitch. God, she had nipples. Stony, those were friggin'
jungle
titties." He threw down the rest of his drink.
    Stony flashed on green shimmering jungle. The flax turned wet black in his mind.
    "I just
took
the bitch!" Chubby whispered, "Soft ... Sooky." Banion brought another round of drinks. Chubby gulped his. "Fuckin'...cunt..." He was weaving on the barstool. Stony got scared. He didn't know whether to steady his uncle. He raised his arm to catch him if need be. Stony had the vague fear of being punched.
    "Blackest ... sweetest," Chubby trailed off.
    "She was black?" Stony asked amazed.
    Chubby opened his eyes. "She was
gold ... took
the bitch! First time." His head started bobbing. "She had a cunt like a wet black rose ... loved her so bad."
    Banion caught Stony's eye and winked. Stony didn't know what the wink meant.
    "Cat face ... cat..." Suddenly he stopped and straightened up. "She never fuckin' said nothin', ever. Big slanty eyes, but she would never never say nothin'. I would ram her right up..." He cut himself off and motioned for another Scotch. "Phyllis don' mean shit."
    Chubby stared at the bar top tight-faced. He looked at Stony and for an instant Stony knew exactly how his uncle would look in his coffin. "You only get one shot, Stones. Don't fuck it up."
    Stony got up from the bar. "I gotta go home, Chubby."
    Chubby rested his head on his folded arms. Stony walked out. After a while Chubby struggled to his feet and staggered to the john, supporting himself on the shoulders of the men sitting along the bar. The last shoulder he grabbed was Sylvia's. Startled, she spun around, saw Chubby and quickly turned back to her drink. Chubby stood weaving for a second before going into the bathroom. He slouched over the urinal, his forehead pressed against the cool wall, his body gently rocking back and forth, his dick in his hand.

6
    S ATURDAY, 5:30 A.M., Stony moved under the covers like a shifting mountain range. Only his hair was exposed like a small black shrub. Albert had been up a half-hour, teeth brushed, hair combed, shoes tied. He sat on the edge of his bed watching Stony's sleeping shape. Every time Stony's snoring pattern changed or