Follow the Stream Back Up
CONTENT WARNING: READER DISCRETION ADVISED “Whilst Man, however well-behaved, At best is but a monkey shaved.” —W. S. Gilbert (1884) What I remember is Richie and I had our backs jammed against a freezing curb on a bitter January morning. We should have been trudging through the snow to classes at the U instead of wrangling a junkyard transmission into a ‘53 Packard. The massive car was jacked up on blocks. We were lining up the Ultramatic transmission, biggest I’d ever seen, when two cars rolled up. Alan would come upon you anywhere, anytime, and frequently intoxicated: “Charlie?” “Yeah, what?” “It’s your lucky day.” “Oh, yeah? What are you doing here?” The transmission teetered. “We got two women.” Alan peered under the car. “Hear that? Back-to-back racks.” “Hold it, right there, Richie. It’s Alan.” “Not Alan. Fuck no!” “Check it out,” said Alan. I edged out for a look. Alan fished a loose cigarette from his jacket and lit it. “ The one in the Studebaker has the hots for yo