Page 6 - Contrast19731974

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The village was here, l~eeminglY deserted.
Fifty or so shanties spit out smoke. Tommy
walked into a small briek ~Uilding. Here there
were tOilets, showers and washing and drying k
machines. He had helped bUild it. Tonmty stuc
his clothes in the machine, used the toilet, then
saw his face Covered with stubble in a mirror.

"To hell with it."

The shower was great, plenty of hot water,
He dried himself, put his clothes on and
then placed his clean elothes in one of the t~o
drying machines.

'!'herewas one store in the village. It had
a gas pump in front of it and a liquor section
that did quite well. The cagey old Indian that
ran it was an asshole, but h6 was forced to keep
his prices down or he wouldn It sell anything.
Tommy got a loaf of bread, canned vega tables ,
and some cheap meat. There were big oranges.
for five cents apiece, and he took one. Thirty
cents change came back.

"Great. Give me a pack of Cigarettes."
He left, went to the brick building and
quickly PUlled out his few old clothes, and started
the long walk home. He didn't stop to see anyone,
deciding he was gOing to take his mescaline
that afternoon.

Tommy was relaxing with a cigatette When
he seemed to notice a little more life in him.
He wasn't one to antieipate something that wasn't
there, but he'd Waited, something should happen and
soon it was. Tommy found himself gazing at the
fire, his mind moving. He walked on air, it seemed,
to the window. Everything out there was bright,
an endless white glistening, big clouds farming

in the blue sky. Tommy was faScinated and a little
nervous. SOOft the four walls became oppressive
and he grabbed his coat and walked outside.

He walked on and on. He found himself
thinking about his own thoughts. A rugged rise
loomed ahead, and Tommy realized that he had