A Thousand and One Afternoons in ChicagoHecht, Ben
General
A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
Hecht, Ben
Chicago (Ill.) -- Literary collections; Hecht, Ben, 1893-1964 -- Homes and haunts -- Illinois -- Chicago
Anton comes home and he goes in the bathroom and he sits and looks at the
pig and complains the mud is dried up and why don't somebody take care of
his pig. His damn pig. He brings up more dirt and makes more mud. And the
pig tries to climb out and throws mud all over the bathroom.
That's one day. And then there's another day. And finally a third day.
Will Anton let anybody kill his pig? Aha! He'll break somebody's neck if
he does. But, your honor, Mrs. Popapovitch killed the pig. A terrible
thing, isn't it, to kill a pig that keeps squealing in the bathtub and
splashing mud all day?
But what does Anton do when he comes home and finds his pig killed? My
God! He hits her, your honor. He hits her on the head. His own wife whom
he loves and lives with for ten years. He throws her down and hollers,
"You killed my little pig! You good for nothing. I'll show you."
What a disgrace for the neighbors! Lucky there are no children, your
honor. Married ten years but no children. And it's lucky now. Because the
disgrace would have been worse. The neighbors come. They pull him away
from his wife. Her eye is black and blue. Her nose is bleeding. That's
all, your honor.
A very bad case for Anton Popapovitch. A decidedly bad case. Step forward,
Anton Popapovitch, and explain it, if you can. Did you beat her up? Did
you do this thing? And are you ashamed and willing to apologize and kiss
and make up?
Anton, step forward and tell his honor. But be careful. Mrs. Popapovitch
has a lawyer and it will go bad with you if you don't talk carefully.
All right. Here's Anton. He nods and keeps on nodding. What is this?
What's he nodding about? Did this happen as your wife says, Anton? Anton
blows out his cheeks and rubs his workingman's hand over his mouth. To
think that you should beat your wife who has always been good to you,
Anton. Who has cooked and been true to you! And there are no children to
worry you. Not one. And you beat her. Bah, is that a man? Don't you love
your wife? Yes. All right, then why did you do it?
Anton looks up surprised. "Because," says Anton, still surprised, "like
she say. She kill my pig. You hear yourself, your honor. She say she kill
him. And I put him in the bathtub and give him mud. And she kill him."
But is that a reason to beat your wife and nearly kill her? It is, says
Anton. Well, then, why? Tell the judge, why you were so fond of this pig,
Anton.
Ah, yes, Anton Popapovitch, tell the judge why you loved this little pig
so much and made a home for him with mud in the bathtub. Why you dreamed
of him as you stood working in the factory? Why you ran home to him and
fed him and sat and looked at him and whispered "Nice little pig?" Why?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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