johnny and eddie, part 4

by nick nelson

part four of four

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when marcia began telling ed callahan what she liked, johnny’s mind went blank. he was back in the movie, the movie he had seen one time and really liked. even though he could not remember the name of it. he, johnny, was the star of the movie, and the movie star playing the role of johnny was eddie. johnny/eddie was walking along the river. it was night. it was dark, with no moon or stars. or lights from boats or from the low dark buildings on the other side of the river. johnny had a gun in his pocket. he had to get rid of it. the big guy told hm to get rid of it. and zelma, the big guy’s blonde girl friend, told him to get out of town after he got rid of it, because the big guy would want to make sure he couldn’t squeal to the cops. but he could not just throw the gun in the river. it would make a splash, and the night would explode with a thousand headlights from the thousands of police cars out looking for him. he was in a fix, that was for sure. he just kept walking. walking. and looking back. maybe zelma would drive up beside him and tell him .to get in, she would take him to the next town where he could get a bus to nowhere. a bus to nowhere. that was the name of the movie. a banana to lincoln nebraska, johnny said out loud. and he heard laughter. marcia and ned callahan, and bill senior and bill junior and betty in her mom’s apron she cooked dinner in, with a wooden spoon in her hand, were all laughing sat him. and eddie, his best friend - where had he come from? - was laughing too. laughing at him. it was the story of his life. the end