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Ask us about our special bus trips to Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and other points.
NEW FROM OLIVIA!
a national women's OLIVIA recording company
RECORDS
proudly presents
woman-identified music
BeBe KRoche
danceable latin, jazz, rhythm and blues
WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOU
an album of poetry by Pat Parker and Judy Grahn Meg Christian: I Know You Know
Cris Williamson: The Changer and the Changed
and distributing
Casse Culver: Three Gypsies
Berkeley Women's Music Collective
Kay Gardner: Mooncircles
All albums $5.50 plus .55 mailing each, from Olivia Records, Dept. HG, PO Box 70237, Los Angeles CA 90070. Cleveland distributor Lori Holmes (216) 321-7026.
JJ'S DISGO on the strip
PROUDLY PRESENTS
McQueen & Saxton
in concert
Sunday, November 21 With Special Guest Star Miss Gay Cleveland Melissa Ross Hostess
Rosalind St. James
2402 St. Clair, Cleveland, Ohio 8:30 pm to 2:30 am
GAMES
NO COVER
HIGH GEAR
GOING HOME
RK
By David B. Akers
"Now you make sure you get my Masonic ring. It's worth something, and I don't want your damn step-mother to sell it off. You keep it, hear?" "Sure, Daddy."
"When I was in France, during the war, they named all their streets after saints. The people who named the streets, their great-great-great-grandparents made 'em saints--tortured 'em to death! Think your brother's kids'll give me a street?"
"Christ, Daddy, George'll be here, he'll be here. He'll remember before..." He trailed off, and looked away, unwilling to finish his sentence. It would have been merely redundant, just another invitation to spar. Jimmy Howell did not fear his father's death, but he did fear his father.
"Do you think George will come? I know he doesn't give a damn about me, but the pompous bastard shouldn't miss a chance to stand over me. Remember when I whipped his ass for taking the car without asking me? And when he wrecked it...what was it, the...he was sixteen, seventeen--just right before your mother died-so it must have been the Roadmaster. That Buick was a good car, I busted my ass to get that. He never forgave me for beating his bare ass that way, hurt his pride, but he had it coming. I ever beat you? No,
don't think I did. You always do what you're told. So how come you never gave me grandchildren?"
"I never met the right girl." "Jimmy, I haven't got more than a month left. So let's level on a lot of things, okay? First of all, I want you to do me a favor. I don't want to die in this hospital bed. I want to go at home, in my own bed, with the windows open, so I can see the mountain, and hear the birds..." He drifted away, quiet for a moment, but his eyes quickly re-focused. "Or if I died in Chicago, with George, I could still do a few thingscould vote for years and years. Wouldn't like that, on second thought-I'd rather die than vote Democrat!" Hollis Howell's laughter overwhelmed his lungs, and grew to raspy coughing. He twisted his reluctant torso toward the basin beside him, and spat.
"Christ, Daddy." Jimmy reluctantly acquiesced to his father's humor, for it was the old man's last conscious weapon, and it was growing in its sharpness. He could not excise the malignancy from his chest, but he was determined to remain conscious and ornery to the end. Orneriness was leading the way.
"Where's the nurse?" There was a silence, after the hoarseness, which erased all laughter. "Have that damned
NOVEMBER 1976
nurse bring me a...cigaret." "Here. You don't need to make her run in here all the time. I'll light you one of mine. Don't ring for the nurse, you don't need her."
"I've sweated through my goddamned pajamas."
"Daddy, I gave you a bath yesterday. You're not that bad. Daddy!" Jimmy hesitantly pulled his father's hand back from the buzzer. It was frail and small, nothing like that powerful hand which had so gently encircled his, long before. Now Jimmy's strength met no resistance.
"Jimmy, I need your promise. Today. You could take care of me. We could bring in a nurse for when you're at work."
"But what about Emma? She doesn't seem to like me coming anywhere near the house."
"Your step-mother moved into that motel so she wouldn't have to sleep alone, in our double bed, or anywhere else, for that matter. That woman's only been here three times in one-and-ahalf weeks, you know that. So what about her, huh?"
"But how do I manage it, all by myself? I could get an ambulance, but that's expensive. Shouldn't you just stay here, where they know what to do?"
"For Christ's sake, use your head. Now you level with me. You know that big, strong guy waiting for you down in the lounge? He'll help."
"What are you talking about?" Jimmy straightened in his chair. "You know what I'm talking about, dammit. Your mother and I guessed when you were little. That's why no grandchildren. He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"
At first, Jimmy could not speak. He paled, then a deep, tautening breath. "Yes, Daddy. For five years. But how do you know about Peter?"
"You remember a Christmas party you threw two years ago, that Emma and I weren't invited to? Well, we came to the door with a box of Christmas cookies, to crash the party. We looked in the sliding door on the terrace, and you had a houseful of homosexuals, and you had your arms around him. And I've heard the nurses talk about the big, handsome man who comes into the lounge with you. I put two and two together.
"Now. He's gonna be a big help from his looks, no nellie fag. The two of you are going to take me home with a wheel chair, that's all. You can do the moving between the two of you. So go make the arrangements, then bring that man in here, and introduce him to his father-inlaw: Now!"
"You put Emma in a compromised position, Jimmy. You oughtn't have embarrassed her by moving Father back home without consulting her, especially after she moved out. The old bastard's out of his head, anyhow. He should be back in the hospital." The Howell front room was growing claustrophobic.
"George, he's got two or thee days left, and you show up, giving me orders. Well, we're too old for that.".
"You shouldn't have brought