When he got back to the steps he took a swig from his bottle and lit a cigarette. The cat was watching him from where she’d scrambled up into the mulberry tree. He called to her but she didn’t come over. A light came on in the house. Mao tossed his cigarette to the ground and started to run.
Michalis hung naked from the window and watched as Mao disappeared at the end of the street. The darkness fell on him like an enormous shadow that had finally found its body.
True or false that’s what Michalis said.
• • •
The next morning we gathered at the deafmute’s house. There were at least ten of us there, maybe more. The deafmute was really pissed. The bullet had shattered the windshield of his car. He kept cursing Mao with his hands and Mao’s mother and his own bad luck because he always parked his car in front of his house but the night before some stranger had taken his spot so he had to park his car on the corner. He waved his hands and rolled his eyes and the veins in his neck bulged like they might burst. Someone said it was the whole neighborhood’s fault since no one called the police and someone else said no one realized the sound was gunfire — who ever heard of such a thing, guns going off in the middle of our street — and then the first guy said we were all chickenshit pussies and if he’d been here last night — he was at a wedding — he would have grabbed the bastard by the throat and shoved the gun up his ass. Pretty soon all hell broke loose since the calmer among us were getting annoyed with the deafmute who kept thrashing around and saying mmmmm nnnnnn and we told him to sit down and shut up so we could figure out what to do and the deafmute got even angrier and turned bright red and grabbed a telephone book and started banging it on the table. Everyone was furious and scared. Some people wanted to go down to the police station and others were cursing Mao’s mother who wandered the streets like a priest’s dog and had turned her house into a bordello. One guy said that women are the world’s great weakness and ever since they started to do other things than the only one they’re made for — which is to say having babies and raising them — they’d ruined themselves and their kids and all the men in the world. And everyone said something had to be done because who ever heard of a bratty doped-up bastard out loose in the streets with a gun in his hand and if we don’t do something for sure tomorrow or the next day he’ll go out and shoot the first guy he sees. And Iraklis with the beard who has a stall in the market asked who wanted to come with him to Mao’s house to beat the kid up and someone said Mao never came home last night. Everyone was furious and scared. Then Michalis said let’s not go overboard we have to find some way of dealing with the situation. He reminded us that Mao guards the whole neighborhood and lots of people feel safer knowing someone is staying up at night and watching over things. And let’s not forget what Mao went through with his sister. Let’s not forget that those assholes from Korydallos swore they were going to come to his house one night and hurt his mother and his little sister.
Are you crazy, Michalis? Vayios jumped in. You mean because they fucked his sister it’s fine if he fucks us next? Do us a favor and get lost, the last thing we need is you taking his side.
Yeah, Iraklis said. And how do we even know that’s how it went down? How do we know what happened? I’m telling you, the asshole’s gotten mixed up in drugs and that’s why they’re after him. It’s as clear as day. And I’m sure that little whore was into something too and that’s why they kicked her out of the house. And the mother’s just covering the whole thing up. What’s all this shit about guarding the neighborhood. Guarding my ass. Don’t try and turn some junkie into a hero.
Eventually they agreed that Michalis and Iraklis would go together to talk to Mao’s mother and see what the hell could be done. The people who initially wanted to go straight to the police agreed because someone said that if the police got involved Mao and the guys from Korydallos might all come after us and then we’d be up shit creek — this is dangerous stuff not fun and games. Better for us to take care of things ourselves without involving the cops.
So that’s what happened. Only Mao’s mother said she didn’t know where Mao was. She said she was out of her mind with worry that he might do something stupid with that gun. She said she didn’t know what kind of gun it was or where he’d gotten it. She didn’t know anything.
The others want to go to the police, Michalis said. We convinced them not to, but it wasn’t easy.
I know, the woman said. They should go. I’ll go with them. I don’t know what else to do.
Then she said she’d talked to Mao’s boss at the Lido who promised to try and track her son down. He told her to wait until afternoon. Don’t worry, he said. Leave it to me. I know how to find him.
Fine, Iraklis said when he heard that. But there’s the mute, too. You know your boy broke his windshield? What are we going to do about that? Who’s going to pay for the damage?
The woman looked at them and then collapsed into a chair and started to sob. She was shaking all over, she couldn’t breathe. Her daughter Thomai went over and hugged her and tried to wipe her mother’s eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas. Then the woman got up and opened a drawer and pulled out a fifty-euro bill.
What is that? Iraklis said. What are we supposed to do with that, woman? You can’t even buy a pair of wipers for fifty euros, much less a new windshield.
It’s all I have, she said. I’ll get more by the end of the week. This is all I have right now. I don’t have anything else.
Okay, said Michalis.
No way, man, Iraklis cut him off. You think he’s going to get off with fifty euros? He could have killed someone last night. No way.
It’s all I have, the woman repeated. Take it and leave me to my worry. Where’s my son? My Mao. Why don’t you go out looking for him? What did you do to him? Where’s my Mao?
The daughter who’d been watching silently all this time went into her room and came back out carrying her accordion.
Take this, she told Michalis. It’s German. It’s worth at least a thousand euros. Take it and leave us alone.
The mother looked at the girl and then at the men. She seemed not to understand what was happening. She was bobbing her head up and down like a broken doll. Her blouse had slipped down on one shoulder and you could see her bra strap. It was pink.
Let’s go, man, said Michalis and grabbed the other guy by the elbow. Come on, let’s go. Move it.
Iraklis reached out a hand and pressed a black button on the accordion. It made no sound at all. The girl shrank from him. Her shoulders trembled and her cheeks were bright red.
We’re not through, said Iraklis. Don’t think you’re going to get off so easy. You can tell your son I’m waiting for him. Tell him that’s what Iraklis said. I’m waiting. He won’t get off so easy, you hear? I dance a tough dance.
When they went outside they stood on the sidewalk to light cigarettes. It was windy and it took a few tries to get the cigarettes burning properly.
You noticed, right? Asked Iraklis.
What?
Her mouth, man. It stank from a thousand meters. From all those blow jobs. She reminded me of a girl I did once in Keratsini. An incredible whore. Didn’t leave a single dick limp. Just like this one here.