Edge of the City Page #3

Yeah? Hear it's a nice town.

Yeah, it's all right, I guess.

And my name isn't really North,

it's Nordmann.

- Nordmann?

- Axel Nordmann, yeah.

I like North better. It's more American.

And these days,

it pays to be 110 percent American.

Yeah, well, I just wanted you to know.

I didn't want you to invite me

over to dinner...

...and introduce me to your wife,

you know?

- You should know my name, you know?

- Sure, I dig.

So in my whole life,

I loved only one person.

My brother, Andy.

Andy. Andy, well...

Oh, Andy was the kind of a guy...

Andy was the kind of a guy

that everybody loved.

But I was never, you know,

jealous of anybody.

Because with Andy...

With Andy I was different.

He treated me special.

Like, sometimes, we didn't even

have to talk to each other.

I mean,

we knew what each of us was thinking.

- Did you ever have that with anyone?

- Yeah, man.

- Me and Lucy, boy.

- Yeah.

I mean, like...

I didn't even mind when my mom

and my pop favored Andy more than me.

I mean, that was to be expected,

you know?

He was everything I wasn't,

you know?

Well, see, he had this

great sense of humor, you know?

He laughed all the time.

And you know,

whenever my old man got sore at me...

...Andy would come right by,

boom, he'd joke him right out of it.

Oh, man, he was great.

Anyway, he died.

I killed him.

It was an accident.

Andy got this car

Pop got him for his 21 st birthday.

I was only 17, I didn't have a license,

but Andy wanted me to drive the car.

I didn't ask him.

He wanted me to, you understand?

He told me it could do 95

on a straightaway. He kept on saying:

"Go faster, Axel, go faster.

Stand on it, baby, stand on it."

He was wrong about it doing 95.

I had it up to 98.

Anyway, the tire blew, you know.

I wasn't even scratched, you know.

I had a bump on the head, that's all,

and some sore ribs.

My old man came over to the hospital.

He grabbed ahold of me, and he said:

"You killed him,"

and he hit me right across the mouth.

It's funny, because that hurt me

more than anything else when he hit me.

I don't know, I don't know.

I could never talk to my old man.

In my whole life...

In my whole my life, we maybe said

three things to each other.

Good morning, good night,

and go to hell.

I mean, it was all right

while Andy was alive.

The thing is, Tee...

I don't know.

He was the only person I ever loved.

- Hey, come on, while I pick up my boy.

- No, no, I'll wait here for a while.

I want you to meet somebody. Ellen.

- Ellen? Who's that?

- Ellen Wilson.

- That's her standing over there.

- No, no.

Yeah, she's a good friend of Lucy's.

And they study a lot together.

- Come on.

- No, I'll wait around.

We have a very important game going.

Do you mind waiting?

- You play ball.

- Okay.

Come on, I gotta hang around

for a little while anyhow.

You ever tried to

break up a game of Red Rover?

No.

- Here.

- Thanks.

Ellen, this is Axel. Axel North.

This is Ellen Wilson.

- We just met over a basketball.

- Yeah.

Now you got it.

Come on, let's make this one,

me and you.

Let's make this one you and me.

Look, I made my penance

for staying out all night.

Besides, a handsome cat like me asks

an old ugly chick like you to dance...

...you can't afford to turn him down.

Come on.

Hey, Axel, would you believe it?

This old ugly chick and me

used to win contests up at The Track.

- What's The Track? The Track? What's...?

- The Savoy Ballroom, man.

Every Sunday and Thursday night.

"What's that?"

Didn't I tell you he was a square?

A natural born.

I bet if he had a girl, he'd show you

a thing or two, wouldn't you?

I'd cut you right down to size, Tee.

I mean, I really would.

You move pretty bad, you know.

Well, I mean, put down by my wife,

and slandered by my best friend.

I'll get the door.

- Axel, come help me move the table.

- Oh, sure.

- I'm glad you came tonight, Axel.

- Oh, so am I.

You know,

Tommy doesn't have many real friends.

I'm just glad.

Even when I keep him out

almost all night?

Talking.

- Oh, hi. Something's spilling over.

- Hi.

- You two know each other, don't you?

- Yes, yes.

- Hello, Axel.

- Hi, how are you?

Fine, thank you.

Where are the kids, Tommy?

Oh, you noticed how quiet it was, huh?

They're downstairs with their grandma.

- See, it's her Thursday night to suffer.

- Tommy. Help me carry things in.

I'll do it.

Dinner will be ready in a minute.

Hey. You didn't tell me

she was staying for dinner.

Maybe I didn't know, Jack.

Would it kill you

if she stayed to dinner?

- You should've told me, that's all.

- Why don't you relax?

I mean, this is just a girl...

...just an ordinary girl

with the usual equipment.

About 5'5",

like any normal American girl.

With nine college degrees.

- Ha-ha-ha-ha!

- I'll belt you.

Well, would you do me a favor

for once, I mean?

- If I can.

- All right, just for kicks.

I know you're a genius.

I thought maybe

you could like him a little.

- I mean, give it a chance.

- Lucy.

Just be casual.

- Casual?

- Casual and a little sexy.

- You know what I mean?

- Not really.

All right.

Just as a special favor to you.

There's my mother

when she was younger.

That's a nice shot.

Yeah, that's my aunt.

She's out in the west end of town.

Hey, dig this one. Guess who.

- That's you?

- Yeah.

I guess dinner's served.

Then this so-called expert from

the commission had the nerve to say:

"If the Puerto Ricans are so concerned

about sub-level housing...

...and lack of employment, they should

show more constraint in emigrating."

I know that idiot.

Remember, we heard him speak

at the settlement house?

- I wanted to throw something at him.

- Axel.

Have you ever heard such a long,

dull, drawn-out discussion?

It's been going on for a half an hour.

I don't know, it was very complicated.

- I was very interested.

- Thank you, Axel.

The trouble with your friend Tommy...

...is that he's suffering

from a deep guilt complex.

Guilt? Who, me? What for?

For cutting off my brilliant career just

as it was about to come into full flower.

Look, let's get out of here,

if we're going someplace.

Come on, Ellen.

As two members of the submerged class

of women, we'll do the dishes.

But under protest.

Now, us men will retire

to the drawing room...

...for brandy and cigars.

Now, these are important, good friend.

I mean, these are the good things of life.

Now, if I want to make-believe

this is 20-year-old brandy...

...instead of 98-cent blueberry wine,

who gets hurt, right?

Twenty-year-old brandy?

If you miss those 42nd Street movies,

I can always turn on the television.

- No, thanks, these cigars are bad enough.

- Ah, ah, ah!

Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me.

I love this perfecto perfecto.

Perfecto. Three perfectos.

- Perfecto perfecto perfecto.

- Perfecto perfecto.

What are you looking at?

Oh, just measuring you.

You're about at

...with two-and-a-half to go.

- It's that easy?

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