| 3:10a |
@@@@@He closed his eyes and began to thinkThe
@@@@@He closed his eyes and began to thinkThe morning passed quite easily; he was feeling cheerful and confident, and when he recalled the doctor's visit he decided it was a good sign the doctor had paid no attentionThey gave up on me; they're gonna send me to another island soon
He began to dream of what it would be like returning homeHe thought of the ribbons he would be wearing, and he pictured himself walking through the streets in his neighborhood, talking to the people he met"How was it, rough?" they would ask"Naw, naw, it wasn't so bad," he would say"You can't kid me, it must have been pretty bad He would shake his head"I can't complain, I had it easy Minetta laughed to himselfThey would be going around saying, "That Steve Minetta is a pretty good kid, you got to hand it to himThink of all he went through, and look how modest he is
That was the thing, Minetta decided, you had to get back firstHe could see himself at all the parties; what a hit he'd makeThe girls would be looking for men, and he was gonna play hard to getRosie'll come across this time, he said to himselfHe was going to take it easy when he got back; a guy was a sucker to take a job where he worked his balls offWhat did work ever do for a guy?
Lying motionless for so many hours, he began to be bothered by sexual fantasiesThe tent was becoming hot from the sun again, and he lay in a pleasurable welter of heat and sweatHe progressed through long seduction scenes, creating them in detail, remembering with little shudders of passion how firm the ripple of flesh above Rosie's waist had feltRosie's a good kid, he said to himself, I'm gonna marry her one of these daysHe remembered her perfume, and the shiny exciting line of her eyelashesShe put vaseline under them, he decided, but it's all right when a girl knows all the tricksHe was beginning to think of the women he had had at different Army posts, and his fantasies transferred to them; he began to count the women with whom he had coupled |