Properties
- end_line
- 2137
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-27T17:15:17.643Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 2094
- text
- 2005 that good. About three couples, besides me, were waiting for tables, and they were all
2006 shoving and standing on tiptoes to get a look at old Ernie while he played. He had a big
2007 damn mirror in front of the piano, with this big spotlight on him, so that everybody could
2008 watch his face while he played. You couldn't see his fingers while he played--just his big
2009 old face. Big deal. I'm not too sure what the name of the song was that he was playing
2010 when I came in, but whatever it was, he was really stinking it up. He was putting all these
2011 dumb, show-offy ripples in the high notes, and a lot of other very tricky stuff that gives
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2012 me a pain in the ass. You should've heard the crowd, though, when he was finished. You
2013 would've puked. They went mad. They were exactly the same morons that laugh like
2014 hyenas in the movies at stuff that isn't funny. I swear to God, if I were a piano player or
2015 an actor or something and all those dopes thought I was terrific, I'd hate it. I wouldn't
2016 even want them to clap for me. People always clap for the wrong things. If I were a piano
2017 player, I'd play it in the goddam closet. Anyway, when he was finished, and everybody
2018 was clapping their heads off, old Ernie turned around on his stool and gave this very
2019 phony, humble bow. Like as if he was a helluva humble guy, besides being a terrific
2020 piano player. It was very phony--I mean him being such a big snob and all. In a funny
2021 way, though, I felt sort of sorry for him when he was finished. I don't even think he
2022 knows any more when he's playing right or not. It isn't all his fault. I partly blame all
2023 those dopes that clap their heads off--they'd foul up anybody, if you gave them a chance.
2024 Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again, and I damn near got my coat back
2025 and went back to the hotel, but it was too early and I didn't feel much like being all alone.
2026 They finally got me this stinking table, right up against a wall and behind a
2027 goddam post, where you couldn't see anything. It was one of those tiny little tables that if
2028 the people at the next table don't get up to let you by--and they never do, the bastards--
2029 you practically have to climb into your chair. I ordered a Scotch and soda, which is my
2030 favorite drink, next to frozen Daiquiris. If you were only around six years old, you could
2031 get liquor at Ernie's, the place was so dark and all, and besides, nobody cared how old
2032 you were. You could even be a dope fiend and nobody'd care.
2033 I was surrounded by jerks. I'm not kidding. At this other tiny table, right to my
2034 left, practically on top of me, there was this funny-looking guy and this funny-looking
2035 girl. They were around my age, or maybe just a little older. It was funny. You could see
2036 they were being careful as hell not to drink up the minimum too fast. I listened to their
2037 conversation for a while, because I didn't have anything else to do. He was telling her
2038 about some pro football game he'd seen that afternoon. He gave her every single goddam
2039 play in the whole game--I'm not kidding. He was the most boring guy I ever listened to.
2040 And you could tell his date wasn't even interested in the goddam game, but she was even
2041 funnier-looking than he was, so I guess she had to listen. Real ugly girls have it tough. I
2042 feel so sorry for them sometimes. Sometimes I can't even look at them, especially if
2043 they're with some dopey guy that's telling them all about a goddam football game. On my
2044 right, the conversation was even worse, though. On my right there was this very Joe
2045 Yale-looking guy, in a gray flannel suit and one of those flitty-looking Tattersall vests.
2046 All those Ivy League bastards look alike. My father wants me to go to Yale, or maybe
- title
- Chunk 3