Properties
- end_line
- 2557
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-27T17:16:00.017Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 2504
- text
- 2397 and fast, too--but I'll bet anything Jesus didn't do it. Old Childs said the trouble with me
2398 was that I didn't go to church or anything. He was right about that, in a way. I don't. In
2399 the first place, my parents are different religions, and all the children in our family are
2400 atheists. If you want to know the truth, I can't even stand ministers. The ones they've had
2401 at every school I've gone to, they all have these Holy Joe voices when they start giving
2402 their sermons. God, I hate that. I don't see why the hell they can't talk in their natural
2403 voice. They sound so phony when they talk.
2404 Anyway, when I was in bed, I couldn't pray worth a damn. Every time I got
2405 started, I kept picturing old Sunny calling me a crumb-bum. Finally, I sat up in bed and
2406 smoked another cigarette. It tasted lousy. I must've smoked around two packs since I left
2407 Pencey.
2408 All of a sudden, while I was laying there smoking, somebody knocked on the
2409 door. I kept hoping it wasn't my door they were knocking on, but I knew damn well it
2410 was. I don't know how I knew, but I knew. I knew who it was, too. I'm psychic.
2411 "Who's there?" I said. I was pretty scared. I'm very yellow about those things.
2412 They just knocked again, though. Louder.
2413 Finally I got out of bed, with just my pajamas on, and opened the door. I didn't
2414 even have to turn the light on in the room, because it was already daylight. Old Sunny
2415 and Maurice, the pimpy elevator guy, were standing there.
2416 "What's the matter? Wuddaya want?" I said. Boy, my voice was shaking like hell.
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2417 "Nothin' much," old Maurice said. "Just five bucks." He did all the talking for the
2418 two of them. Old Sunny just stood there next to him, with her mouth open and all.
2419 "I paid her already. I gave her five bucks. Ask her," I said. Boy, was my voice
2420 shaking.
2421 "It's ten bucks, chief. I tole ya that. Ten bucks for a throw, fifteen bucks till noon.
2422 I tole ya that."
2423 "You did not tell me that. You said five bucks a throw. You said fifteen bucks till
2424 noon, all right, but I distinctly heard you--"
2425 "Open up, chief."
2426 "What for?" I said. God, my old heart was damn near beating me out of the room.
2427 I wished I was dressed at least. It's terrible to be just in your pajamas when something
2428 like that happens.
2429 "Let's go, chief," old Maurice said. Then he gave me a big shove with his crumby
2430 hand. I damn near fell over on my can--he was a huge sonuvabitch. The next thing I
2431 knew, he and old Sunny were both in the room. They acted like they owned the damn
2432 place. Old Sunny sat down on the window sill. Old Maurice sat down in the big chair and
2433 loosened his collar and all--he was wearing this elevator operator's uniform. Boy, was I
2434 nervous.
2435 "All right, chief, let's have it. I gotta get back to work."
2436 "I told you about ten times, I don't owe you a cent. I already gave her the five--"
2437 "Cut the crap, now. Let's have it."
2438 "Why should I give her another five bucks?" I said. My voice was cracking all
2439 over the place. "You're trying to chisel me."
2440 Old Maurice unbuttoned his whole uniform coat. All he had on underneath was a
2441 phony shirt collar, but no shirt or anything. He had a big fat hairy stomach. "Nobody's
2442 tryna chisel nobody," he said. "Let's have it, chief."
2443 "No."
2444 When I said that, he got up from his chair and started walking towards me and all.
2445 He looked like he was very, very tired or very, very bored. God, was I scared. I sort of
2446 had my arms folded, I remember. It wouldn't have been so bad, I don't think, if I hadn't
2447 had just my goddam pajamas on.
2448 "Let's have it, chief." He came right up to where I was standing. That's all he
- title
- Chunk 2