Ink Me

by Richard Scrimger

  Did he say any thing about the outhouse blowing up? I ast.

  What r you talking about Bunny? Outhouse? What outhouse? There in New York City. There r no outhouses in New York City Bunny.

  O I said.

  I have to think about restronts for them she said. Your father and I went to a wonderful place down in so ho. I wonder if Spencer wud like it.

  Im used to being rong. In histry class say if I think the anser is pine ears and sum 1 says the anser is water vaper then water vaper is probly rite and it probly isnt histry class. Thats what I am used to. But I was pretty sure I wasnt rong this time. Spencer said they were in Torrents. Not New York. I dint think he wud tell me a ly. But if there was a problem he mite ly to Mom. A problem like the outhouse xploding.

  What is it Bunny?

  I wasnt used to lying. But I dint want to give Spencer away.

  Nothing I said.

  She put away her phone and got her golf clubs out of the closet. She goes golfing evry Sunday with sum other profs. Dad laffs at her for being boor jaw. Its 1 of his things—he hates the boor jaws. She tells him to shut up but shes smiling wen she says it so its OK.

  On her way out she gave me a hug.

  Ill be back in the afternoon she said. You have my sell number.

  OK.

  Ware will you be?

  I dunno. With Jaden I gess.

  Good. Thats good.

  She stood in the door looking back at me.

  Have fun today she said.

  You 2 I said. Get a bird.

  Is that coffee? Wen did you start drinking coffee?

  Yesterday I said.

  And that was tru. I dint have to ly all the time.

  The streetcar stoppd. Cars around us were honking. No 1 moving as far as I cud see. The driver said there was an axident and let us off. I startd walking. I went the same way the streetcar wud of bin going. After a wile I came to the axident. No blud or any thing just cars and pleece and toe trucks and glass. The Lakeshore was clear now but no streetcars. I kept walking.

  I saw a hole lot of tags on fences and bildings as I walkd by. And on the side walk. Differnt sizes but all white and all the same kind.

  Angel tags. I gess they were there all along but I saw them now cuz I was walking and cuz of what me and Jaden did yesterday. I past a sine that said Mimico. The rode bent round. A cupl of guys stood outside a corner store. They yond and smoked and spat. Wen I past they spat at me and told me to go away. I kept walking. It was a sunny day but I felt cold.

  I herd a bike far away. That farting sound they make—brrrap.

  The stores all had Mimico in the names. Mimico Hardware. Mimico Bar and Grill. Mimico Daycare. The bike sound got louder. It was going faster now and the sound was more like vroom. I went faster 2. I tryd counting my breths. In 2 3 4 out 2 3 4. I came to the number streets.

  There was a junk store with a big Angel tag on the front. A guy with a beerd was going in. He stoppd and stared at me. I kept going. At the next lite the bikes cot up to me. 2 of them. The lite was red and the bikes were going brrrap and the guys were pointing at me. They both had jackets with the Angel sine on the back.

  In 2 3 4.

  I was all alone. The Angels were the bad guys. I felt it. I wantd to see sum 1 from 15—Jaden or Morgan or Cobra. Even Jello. I wud of bin happy to see Jello even tho he dint like me.

  I textd Jaden hoping he wud text back and I wudnt be alone.

  The bikes went slow like they were wating for me to catch up. I duckd down 3 Street so I cud miss them. At the first corner I turnd and startd running. In 2 3 out 2 3. I herd the bikes. They made a vroom sound now. They were coming after me. I took the next left. And the next rite. I dint stop to think about what the bikes wud do to me. Probly nothing. Probly just laff. These were streets with houses and kids on wagons and guys cutting there front lons. I dint think about that. I dint think about us doing a deel with the Angels. All I new was that they were the bad guys and they were after me. In 2 out 2 in 2 out 2.

  The Angels gave up and vroomd away the noys getting softer and softer. I took a big breth and kept going. Wen I got to 9 Street I saw my first 15 tag and felt warm inside. Weerd eh? Last week I dint no what a tag was. On 10 Street there was a big place with lots of peepl coming out and music 2. Today was Sunday. We dont go to church cuz Mom and Dad say theres no God but lots of peepl do go and this was a church. The music sounded nice and the peepl were dressd up and smiling at each other. And there was Jaden. He was with an old lady in a big white hat. Wen he saw me he ran rite over.

  Bunny!

  He was happy to see me—I new that. But he was sum thing els 2. He ast what I was doing there. I told him about the Angels chasing me and he shook his head and said yah. We made a plan to meet at the jim. He wantd to go home and put on new close.

  You sure do I said.

  He was waring a flower shirt and tite pants.

  Shut up Bunny.

  Just joking I said.

  The church peepl dint like me. They dint smile or any thing. Most of them dint look at me. I ast Jaden who was the lady in the hat?

  Who? O you meen Gramma.

  He shut his mouth with a snap. He dint want to talk about her. See you soon he said and I said see you 2 and he walkd away down the street. Wen his gramma tryd to put her arm round him he shovd it off. He dint look back at me.

  ALL AFTERNOON WE TOOK TURNS

  FITING IN THE RING. Morgan checkd our gear and rang a bell and we went at each other. Me and Xray and Jello and Snocone. I was pretty good. Fiting is sum thing I can do. I cant run fast but my hands can—I meen they go fast. They move on there own. I dont try to make them do things but they do them anyway. And Im sort of strong. I can lift stuff—like desks and stuff. Dad calls me wen hes cleening the kitchen and I get the frij out of his way.

  The first fite was me and Xray who does marshal arts with sum kind of belt. He kickd a lot and I kept catching his feet. He dint like that. Wen I turnd away he jumpd in the air to kick me from behind. I dint see him coming but my hand did. It movd on its own and pushd his leg in the air and he fell on his head and went uhhh. Yesterday he said wo—today it was uhhh. His hair spred out on the floor like a mop.

  Poor Xray said Jaden.

  Morgan climed into the ring to help Xray up.

  I ast Jaden if he wantd to fite but he shook his head. He liked hanging out at the jim but he hated fiting.

  And anyway I wudnt have a chance aganest you Bunny he said. Your good. You mite be as good as Jello he said. What do you think Morgan? He as good as Jello?

  Probly not said Morgan.

  He was holding Xray so he cud sit up. I ast Xray if he wantd to fite sum more. He tryd to say sum thing but all that came out was uhhh.

  Morgan laffd.

  Then Jello came into the jim. He had his fiting shorts on like befor and he pulld off his shirt and said it was his turn. He calld me white boy and ast if I was reddy.

  Sure I said.

  Morgan blew his wistle and Jello ran rite at me. I pushd him sideways to spin him and he was suprised and went down. I jumpd on him and got him in a key lock and his eyes got big and Morgan blew his wistle agane. The hole fite took like 10 seconds. Jaden cheerd. Jello told him to shut up and said I was lucky. He was panting and his eyes were small and mad.

  1 more time he said putting his mouth gard back in.

  Sure.

  This time he went slower and I made a mistake and got 2 close. He swung left rite and wile I was catching his fists he need me rite there.

  You no—there?

  Wo that hurt.

  He swung agane and I cudnt get my hands up in time and I went down and he fell on me. I wasnt breething yet. Morgan blew his wistle.

  Got you said Jello.

  Took me a wile to get back on my feet.

  You dint drop and roll Morgan said to me.

  I dint think you were sposed to kick there I said to Jello.

  I fite 2 win he said. I do what I have 2.

  We had
a brake and Morgan took me a side. Who tot you to fite? he ast.

  Tot? I said.

  Your hands r so fast. I saw it yesterday and agane today. You missd Jellos rush and got him off balance. And then the lock. Sum 1 show you how to do that?

  Sum times at the cottage thered be fites. 6 boys and we all liked each other but we wud still fite. Weed be in the forest with no grone ups and DJ wud push sum 1. Adam or Webb wud start things 2 but mostly DJ. Hes bossy. 1 time we were all in the yard behind the barn and DJ pushd Steve down and then Adam pushd DJ down and we all got fiting and Grampa saw us and got the hose. We were wet and he was laffing and he took us into the barn and showd us how to do it better.

  Dont push strate he said. Spin the other guy round. Thats how the empees did it back in the war. Like this. And he hit Adams sholder and he spun round and down. Like this. And he hit Steves sholder.

  Like this! said DJ and he tryd to hit my sholder but I cot his hand.

  Good for you Bernard said Grampa.

  After that we wud all try to do it—catch sum 1 on the sholder and spin him round. Spencer hated the game but I was good at it. Dad said it was OK at the cottage but I cudnt do it at home cuz it was too a gress of. I said I liked being a gress of. Dad said a gress of was bad.

  Want to lern sum more? Morgan ast me. Come here and Ill show you about kicking. We went over to the hevvy bag and he told me to side kick it. I did and he said No. Your close and 2 strate on he said. Start back and step into the kick. So I did that and it was better. Now turn your body wen your kicking said Morgan. You want to make the bag spin with your foot like you wud with your hand.

  I thot about that and I kickd the bag like it was my cuzzen DJ and I was kicking his sholder. The bag movd a bit and Morgan nodded. There you go he said. Now do it agane. So I did. And agane and agane and agane. I tryd my left foot but I wasnt as good with that. Keep on said Morgan. Feet r stronger than arms. And longer. Now you no what to do if sum 1 comes at you with a nife.

  What? I said.

  Use your feet gainst a nife. You dont want to catch a nife in your hands he said.

  A nife? I said.

  He put pads on his hands and told me to punch them. He startd moving the pads around and I kept punching them. Good he said. Then he told me to kick and I did that 2. Morgan movd the pads faster and faster. Sum times he said kick and sum times he said punch. Jello came over to watch and I let my mind go blank and I kept hitting the pads. I dint miss ever. After a wile Morgan got tired and put down his hands and I took a big breth.

  Good Bunny said Morgan. Reel good.

  Good for a white kid said Jello. Hes good but not as good as me.

  You hit harder than what he does said Morgan. You work on your wind and your ground and pound you going to go to the octagon 1 day Jello. But the kids faster.

  I dont need you to tell me where Im going to go 1 day old man said Jello. I dont need you at all. And as for the kid Ill hurt him next time.

  He turnd to me. I will he said.

  We went to the room with the TV and sofa. There was a cooler with coke and beer. We were watching a nature show—bugs and things. Pretty gross. Jello came up behind me and said my name. I said hi and he punchd me in the face. Just boom without saying any thing. I cot his fist befor it landed.

  Wide you do that? I ast.

  He sat down next to me. He was shaking his head.

  Man your fast! he said. No wonder they call you Bunny. How you get to be that fast?

  I dunno I said.

  We watchd the TV bugs for a bit. They were eating the hole forest.

  You going to punch me agane? I ast.

  I dunno he said and smiled so it was a joke.

  I smiled back. And wonderd.

  It was dinner time by my phone. I sent Mom a text that I wudnt be home for a wile. Im with my crew I said. Cuz thats what a possy is—a crew. And I was a reel part of it now. Xray sat next to me on the sofa with his head in his hands and wen I said I was sorry he said it wasnt my bad. His life suckd anyway—it just suckd more now.

  Jello rolld his eyes at me. Xray talks like this all the time he said. Youll see.

  Poor Xray said Jaden.

  Wen Snocone nockd at the door of the jim I went to let him in and wen I gave the sine—fist and open—he gave it back to me. He had pizza boxes in the other hand.

  Who r you? he said.

  Cobra came up behind him. He had a long white shirt and a littl hat like a hocky puck on his head—like they have in Africa. Car keys in his hand.

  Snocone this here is Bunny he said. Watch out for him. Hes a killer.

  But hes—

  White? Yah. He is. And who r you to talk?

  Snocone had curly tite hair like a black guy but the hair was white. His skin 2—white like milk.

  After the pizza we did sum more fiting. Jello beet Snocone and Xray and then I beet Snocone who was tricky fast but not very strong. Without sunglasses I saw his eyes were pink. Jello laffd at the 2 white guys in the ring. He wantd to fite me agane and I said OK. I tryd Morgans spin kick wen he ran at me but I missd and he pushd me down. He jumpd on me and tryed a kamora but I got my hand up in time to block. I wiggld my fingers on his ribs to try to grab sum thing and his mouth opend and he startd laffing and rolld off me.

  No fair! he said. Morgan hes tickling me.

  Morgan cudnt blow the wistle he was laffing 2 hard.

  Secret wepon! yelld Jaden. Jellos ticklish!

  I cudnt tell if Jello was mad or not. This isnt over! he said. The rest of us were laffing—but we stoppd wen the pleece broke in.

  They said they nockd and we dint anser witch was why they broke down the door. They came into the jim with there guns out—2 3 6 8 of them. I countd. 8 cops spred out over the jim in there blu uniforms. They held up a paper and said they were serching the jim. Then they took us out thru the broke door and put us in pleece cars. Weerd eh? 1 of the pleece men took me aside.

  What r you doing here? he ast witch was funny cuz I was wondering the same about them.

  Your differnt he said.

  DIFFERNT

  IS WHAT MIKE CALLD ME back in Grade 4 wen I cudnt do up my shoos.

  Evry 1 els in the class can do up there shoos he said. And walk to skool. And tell time. You cant.

  I walk to skool evry day I said.

  With your brother.

  I can do it by myself.

  No you cant. Your differnt.

  So we bet on it. He said Id get lost on my own and I said o yah? and we made a bet. Next day I told Spencer to go without me. I wated and then went out the front door on my own. I wasnt worryd. I new my way round. I walkd a lot. Spencer wud be watching a movy on his computer and Dad wud be doing londry and Mom wud be away and I wud walk. I new the streets and stores and parking spaces and hiding places by our house. I was good at finding things. I found the skool befor and I cud find it now. I walkd down our street to the silver house and across to the park with the broken slide and thru to the lane with the hobos sleeping. I said the root out loud as I went. Rite then strate then rite then left. Past the hobos and at the end of the lane I went left and there was the skool. Easy. I went rite up to Mike and said here I am. Here here here. Evry 1 round was laffing and pointing but I dint no why until Mr Ogden came over and ast ware my pants were.

  I was so xited about the bet I forgot I had my pjs on. Witch is funny cuz they were yello with stripes and youd think Id notice.

  My pants r at home I said.

  Do you see any 1 els dressd like you? said Mr Ogden. Or r you the only 1?

  He smiled round so evry 1 wud laff. He was that kind of teecher.

  Im the only 1 I said.

  I had to go home and change. The bet was for a pack of gummys but Mike never payd.

  I thot about this wen we were being lined up on the wall of the jim and 1 of the pleece men took me a side and ast me what I was doing.

  Your differnt he said. You dont belong here.

  And then a pleece woman pushd me back into line
.

  Dont be color blind Steve she said. Hes here. Hes part of the possy. He belongs. Dont you white boy?

  She was taller than me. She put her hand under my chin and liftd my head up.

  I said hi. She made a tuna face—like I make wen I get tuna for lunch witch Dad nose I dont like but he does it any way.

  Your all the same she said and turnd away.

  All the same I thot. All the same. Ha.

  Xray was with me in the back of the pleece car. What happens now? I ast him. Ware r we going?

  Stashun. Ware you think?

  The driver turnd on the siren and cut thru traffic. Xray put his head in his hands and startd moning. Poor old Xray.

  This is so cool I said.

  The pleece man in the front seat turnd round.

  Your a happy 1 he said. You saying you want to go to the stashun?

  Why not? I said.

  We turnd uphill with the siren wooping the other cars out of the way. Stop sine. Stop sine. The sun was on my side of the car. Stop sine. We dint reelly stop for any of these sines—slow down then fast agane. Xray moned evry time.

  Hey r you the guy? ast the cop in the front seat. Phil is he the guy were sposd to watch for? Your name Jackson kid?

  Whos Jackson? I said.

  A frend of ours—guy the sarj said to look out for.

  Shut up Tony said the driver.

  I finally got a text back from Mom. ware r u?

  I sent back in a pleece car.

  I thot she wud be worryd but she wasnt. very funny.

  I never no with Mom.

  They put me in a room by myself and closed the door. The lites buzzd and flickerd. Nothing happend. I slid down my chair and back up agane and sent Jaden a text. what now?

  A fat pleece man came in with a tape recorder. He made me say my name and address into the tape recorder. His name was Sarjent Don. He filld up his chair. I dint. I kept sliding down and then trying to get back up agane.

  Don ast me was I in the possy? I said I was. Then he ast about the deel we were planning. He new all about it.

  You and the Mimico Angels rite? he said.