Airtight Willie & Me Read Free

didn’t—”
    I said, “Hush up, Mr. Ellis! I won’t let you talk me out of it. Friends, we gonna share equally fifteen bucks or fifteen thousand bucks.” I gave them a flash of apparent long green stuff inside the bulgy hide.
    Willie said, “You’ve hit the jackpot! Let’s move! The white man is positively gonna miss that load of cash!”
    We steered the mark to a bench on the strip of grass that ran down the center of the boulevard. I started to examine the wallet’s contents. I let excitement make me drop it. Willie scooped it up and turned away from the mark’s ravenous eyes.
    I started at the mark’s flat, brutish profile. I recognized him! . . . from somewhere long ago!
    The big vein on the mark’s neck ballooned when he saw Willie let fall and retrieve our lone “C” note before he handed the wallet back to me. Willie exclaimed, “This damn thing is packed with hundred dollar bills!”
    Willie gave me an evil eye because I was a split-instant tardy delivering the next line. My mind was at the brink of recalling the where-and-when about the mark.
    I said, “That white man is a big-time something.”
    Willie said, “He could be a crooked high roller.”
    I said, “Maybe the money is stolen, or even counterfeit . . . What we gonna do?”
    Willie said, “The money’s real, but we need the help of some big-shot colored man or understanding white one. Now about you, Mr. Ellis, you know some big shot we can trust?”
    Before the mark answered, I snapped my fingers and said, “I got somebody! My boss, Mr. Gilbranski. We can trust him because he loves colored folks for sure. He’s been married to one for twenty years. He’s got a fine suite of offices two blocks around the corner in the Milford Building. My stars, I just remember I was on an errand for Mr. Gilbranski when we had our good luck. You good people wait right here. My boss will solve our problem so we can split safe and fair.”
    After I left, Willie would say, “Mr. Ellis, I think we’ve found a pure-in-heart man and a small fortune. If he’s not pure and doesn’t show back here, we can’t lose what we never had.”
    I drank greasy spoon coffee for fifteen minutes before I came back to the mark’s wide grin. The mark’s relaxed face jibbled a bit of the puzzle into place! OHIO! DEATH!
    I pumped their hands and said, “Good people, I knew my boss is a sweetheart! The wallet belonged to a racist politician he despises. He’s ready to give us equal shares of the eighteen thousand in small bills.”
    I paused and chuckled. “So, he couldn’t have no reason whatsoever not to help us, I fibbed and told him two kinfolks was in on my good luck. He knows I’ve only got two kin in the world, my Uncle Otis and Aunt Lula, both he’s never seen . . . He ain’t gonna hassle us. He just wants to meet you and find out you’re people with mother-wit and won’t go crazy with the money and get him in a squeeze for coming to our rescue.”
    Then I said, “He’s awaiting on the ninth floor of the Milford Building.”
    Willie touched the mark’s arm, and they started to walk away.
    I said loudly, “What you gentlemen gonna do, make me out a liar and fix it so my boss won’t help us? I told you he knows all the kin I got is Uncle Otis and Aunt Lula. Mr. Ellis ain’t no woman.”
    Willie shook the mark’s hand and said, “Mr. Ellis, rest easy! The same arrangements I make for me, I’ll make for you!”
    I said, “Don’t you think you oughtta tell the boss the excitement is got old Aunt Lula feeling poorly, so she went home to rest?”
    While Willie was gone, I brought the mythical office and boss to life for the mark with detailed descriptions. Willie returned breathlessly, reinforcing my wonderful boss and his luxurious