Page:Big Sur (1963).djvu/53

RV 45 (BIG SUR45) ting crosslegged on the back mattress of Dave's jeepster (Willie the Jeep), a terrific trip through Las Vegas, St. Louis, stopping off at expensive motels and drinking nothing but the best Scotch out of the bottle all the way—And what better way to go back to New York, I could have blown 190 dollars on an airplane—And Dave’s never met the great Cody and will be looking forward to that—So me and Ben leave the park and slowly walk to the bar on Columbus Street and I order my first double bourbon and gingerale.

The lights are twinkling on outside in that fantastic toy street, I can feel the joy rise in my soul—I now remember Big Sur with a clear piercing love and agony and even the death of Tyke fits in with everything but I dont realize the enormity of what’s yet to come—We call up Dave Wain who's back from Reno and he comes blattin down to the bar in his jeepster driving that marvelous way he does (once he was a cab-driver) talking all the time and never making a mistake, in fact as good a driver as Cody altho I cant imagine anybody being that good and asked Cody about it the next day—But old jealous drivers always. point out faults and complain, “Ah well that Dave Wain of yours doesnt takes his curves right, he eases up and sometimes even pokes the brake a little instead of just ridin that old curve around on increased power, man you gotta work those curves”—Obvious at this time now, by the way and parenthetically, that there’s so much to tell about the fateful following three weeks it’s hardly possible to find anyplace to begin.

Like life, actually—And how multiple it all is!—“And what happened to little old George Baso, boy?”—“Little old George Baso is probably dyin of T.B. in a hospital outsida Tulare”—“Gee, Dave, we gotta go see him”—“Yessir, let’s do that tomorrow”—As usual Dave has no money whatever but that doesnt bother me at all, I've got plenty, I go out the following day and cash 500 dollars worth of travelers checks just so’s me and old Dave can really have a good time—Dave likes good food and drink and so do I—But he’s got this young