coaltown jesus by ron koertge - chapter sampler
TRANSCRIPT
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7/27/2019 Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge - Chapter Sampler
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7/27/2019 Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge - Chapter Sampler
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Walker Sat in His Dead Brothers Car
It still smelled like Noah.
A little, anyway: beer, cigarettes,
a whi o the perume Julia
always wore.
McDonalds bag on the oor.
Coke cans. A wrench. Guitar
strings coiled like barbed wire.
On the dash, that hula girl.
From the mirror, a purple garter.
In the glove box, a wrinkled
photo: All o them at the beach.
Dad in red trunks and a cap with
a long pointy swordfsh bill. Mom
holding a sandwich and grinning.
Walker in a diaper and big
sunglasses.
Noah ashing the Hawaiian hang loose
sign: pinky and thumb
making little goalposts.
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2
His Mothers Voice Startled Him
I knew youd be in here.
Get out right now. I mean it!
I swear to God, I am going to
have this thing towed away.
Im not doing anything.
Im just sitting here.
Out, Walker. Now!
He threw the door open.
Okay, Im out. Are you
happy?
No, Im not happy. Ive got
a business to run and you
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3
Walker Bolted
or Bissell House,
the nursing home
his mother owned.
He shot past
Nila, the receptionist,
and straight
upstairs.
Through the small
living room
o the apartment
he shared
with his
mom.
Through the smaller
kitchen,right into his bedroom.
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4
He Destroyed the Solar System
Sci-f Mars,
stupid Jupiter,
the Earth,
upside down
the whole
mobile
in pieces.
Smaller
and
smaller
pieces
as he tore
at the plastic
and the wires.
And
kept
tearing.
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Finally
he threw himsel across the bed.
His bed.
Not the other one.
Never the other one.
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Across the Room
Noahs poster o Jimi Hendrix.
Walker stared at that until
his breathing was even again.
Nearly even.
Better.
His brother worshipped
Jimi Hendrix. Walker could
almost hear All Along the Watchtower.
Noah thought lie was a joke,
too.
He said so all the time.
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7
Sleep Filled the Room
It sited down rom the ceiling,
through the bars o aternoon
sun.
Walker gave himsel up to it.
He elt like a cup alling rom
a table. Turning and turning,
about to shatter.
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8
The Water Was Freezing
Hold on, Noah! Walker shouted.
Hurry, bro. Im slipping.
He ran upstream. Plunged in, gasping.
Started to swim. Angled toward
his brother.
Walker elt his shoes go, torn
away by the current.
But he got closer. Almost there.
Noah, take my hand. Take it!
Just or an instant, the cold,
slippery fngers met.
Noah! he shouted. Hold . . .
But he couldnt. Or didnt.
Then Walker was swept away, too.
The water did whatever it wanted
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with him: bounced him o rocks,
turned him this way and that,
and fnally poured down his throat
and roze everything inside him.
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7/27/2019 Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge - Chapter Sampler
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10
He Sat on the Edge of the Bed,
choking and panting. Oh, God,
he wheezed.
Walker?
Ill be right out.
He stood up, ound his shoes,
took a deep breath, and made his way
down the hall.
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In the Kitchen
his mother stood in ront o the stove,
holding a long wooden spoon.
Just holding it while the sauce
in the pan bubbled.
Dinners almost ready, she said.
What did you do, all asleep?
Yeah, I had another dream about Noah.
This time he was drowning. Now Ive
got a headache.
Eat something. Youll eel better.
Walker leaned on his chair. About what
happened beore. Ill stay away rom
the Camaro rom now on. I promise.
Okay, she said. Good. Get some
silverware.
His mother didnt turn around. She just
wiped at her eyes with one sleeve.
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He reached or some paper napkins.
Are you crying again?
No.
It sure looks to me like
Walker, Im not crying. Just . . .
just . . . just set the damn table.
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After Dinner
while his mother was downstairs talking
to a new LVN, Walker went out onto
the landing o their apartment.
Leaning on the railing, he could see
the parking lot. Maybe a dozen cars.
Visitors. Employees. Noahs battered
Chevrolet.
Beyond that, Locust Street and the little
D&G Market, where he and Noah
bought candy.
When Walker looked up, the sky
was immense. Lots o stars, then big
dark spaces, then stars.
Walker gripped the railing. Everythingwanted to bend, to go in and out o ocus,
pulse.
Look, he said, i youre up there, help
my mom, okay? My brothers been dead
two whole months, and shes still crying.
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Walker Stood on the Landing
or a little while.
Waiting.
Watching.
Listening.
Nothing.
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When He Went Back Indoors
Jesus was standing in the center
o the room, between Walkers bed
and what used to be Noahs.
Walker retreated. Back to the door.
Fumbled or the knob.
Are you kidding me? he gasped.
You prayed, said Jesus. I showed up.
I would have been here sooner,
but trafc on I-55 was awul.
Walker stared. You look just like
your pictures.
One o my least distressing disguises.
Is this really happening?
You can touch me i you want.
Walker reached or the outstretched hand.
Retreated. Tried again. Youre warm.
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Ninety-eight point six. Just like you.
Youre here to help my mom, right?
Its been hard on you, too, my riend.
Youre just a kid, and look at what
Im not a kid. Im ourteen. Im fne.
Concentrate on my mom.
Jesus smoothed his beard thoughtully.
Ill fgure something out. Lets take
things one step at a time.
You cant just, like, perorm a miracle
or something?
Jesus nodded. Thats always an option.
Im really good with prompts. Like
a loa and a couple o fshes. Do youhave anything like that?
Walker leaned on the desk. I think
Id better sit down.
Why dont you just go to bed?
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What are you going to do?
Oh, you know check my e-mail,
answer a ew prayers.
You should lie down.
Seriously. You look a little pale.
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Coaltown JesusRon Koertge
www.candlewick.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coaltown-jesus-ron-koertge/1114194330?ean=9780763662288http://www.amazon.com/Coaltown-Jesus-Ron-Koertge/dp/0763662283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375298293&sr=8-1&keywords=coaltown+jesushttp://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763662288