Monologue at Earnestine & Hazel’s

Derek KhoopmanPhotos by Wim van Zon

A WIMVANZON PUBLICATION

WRITTEN IN MEMPHIS, TN ON SEPTEMBER 17th, 2007 AFTER VISITING EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S,

THE MEMPHIS CLUB WHERE GHOSTS ARE RULING THE PLACE.

I entered the bar. There were only four customers inside. Two were sitting at the bar, far from each other, and two were playing pool. Karen was the bar tender on duty that night. I ordered a Heineken and sat next to a about 50 year old guy in workman’s clothes. I said hello and he just started talking.

‘Hey boy, I can see you’re an artist. You’re an artist, right, making a whole lot of money. I’m an artist too, you know. I can make whatever I want. I draw with my left hand first and then I continue with my right hand. You can’t say that. You can’t do that. Not many people are two-handed. What I can see I can draw. A boat, or a car, or an aero plane, I can do it all.You know, I was a pilot on the river. Twenty years ago you could work as a pilot on the river without papers. Now you can’t. But hey, how come you gotta whole lotta money. I can see you have a lot of money, you’re rich, boy. You came in and I saw, he’s a rich artist. But ehh, artists don’t have money. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel on water and bread. And when he was dead, he became famous. You have money now, I can see. You’re a gay artist. All artists are gay. What, you say you only work for artists? Well I’m an artist, I can make you rich. One day they will discover that I’m a great artist. But you’ll need somebody who’ll pick you up. You’ve got somebody who is backing you up. He must be gay too. Turn around then I can see that you’re gay. - But I can draw a boat. A boat that’s crossin’ the river. On fuel, you know, on fuel, like all these boats in the old days. Twenty years on the river, then you can draw a boat. But they sacked me. See, look at this, I miss my left ear. Look! Two years I was with the US Navy. That broke my

life, those two years. Now you know, I love my country, I respect my country, but I don’t respect people.

Hey, you’re from England, or The Netherlands, hah. I could bomb these countries if I had to defend the United States. It’s not the United States that put me down. It’s the people. I hate people. But don’t touch the US. You understand what I’m saying, hah, don’t you understand? Cause people like you are causing all the trouble. They’re partying, they’re not working anymore. No honest labor. What has an artist ever contributed to this country? NOTHING, you hear! Can you as an artist be proud? I’m proud, I was with the US Marines. But the people put me down. They say gay people caused that aids explosion. Maybe you’re gay…., and maybe you’re not. But it’s not the gay people. It’s the infection. IT’S THE INFECTION! You hear me, they have to kill the infection. Hey, come on now, say you’re gay. You’re an artist, I know. I can make you rich. Within a few years you can sell all my drawings. I’m gonna be famous. You’re the first to know. You can pick me up. You will be rich too. I can draw the boats on the river. In fact I’m already more famous than Mark Twain, he didn’t spend twenty years on the river. Say what you want me to draw. A boat made of wood, or a steel one, I don’t care. If you’re a pilot on the river you know all of these boats. So you have them in your mind. I can draw all of them boats right away. But the people sacked me. Don’t tell me now that you’re an enemy of the United States, huh? I will destroy everybody that attacks my country. I hate all people but I will protect my country, I’m proud of my country, you know. Thirty years ago everybody was hard working people. But now the people are just partying. It’s the end of this country. An you are a party type of person as well. I can see that. You’re an artist. You don’t know that you are ruining this country. Do you? So you say you’re not from the USA. How come you have a permit then? How

come you earn a lot of money? Years ago they would come from Europe, and from all over the world. And they pick up a job. A decent job, and they work hard. Be a decent baker, or a truck driver, or an engineer.

They worked hard, man. Now everyone’s partying. Artists are of a different category. They see things no one else sees. I’m an artist, I see this country go down. But they don’t see. That’s why I have no respect for people, they don’t see.Got to catch a train within 25 minutes now. I’m gonna leave this city. This city puts you down. I tell you, within three months I never come back here. No future in this town. And I tell it to you: See it and leave it. See it and leave it! See that car driving by? These lines of the doors and the roof? I can draw that with my left hand. And then I fill in the shades and the color with me right hand. When I was young I decided to write with my left hand, and play baseball with my left hand. But for all other things I use my right hand. But the people don’t treat you right. In the Marines I lost my left ear. Can’t you see? I want to defend my country. I don’t give a damn about that ear. They don’t understand we’re being attacked. They’re just partying. But I can’t defend my country anymore. I can’t do my job with the Marines. I don’t blame the US, I blame the people, are you listenin‘? You GOTTA respect your country. Do you respect this country? Now DO YOU RESPECT THIS COUNTRY? I can kill people that don’t respect the US. But they don’t say, they’ll never say. They’re just partying. How many people over there have aids? It’s an infection. And in Asia and in Africa… They can’t help. It’s the infection you have to fight. Listen, I have nothing against artists. They’re just different. You must be partying every day, huh. Somebody is backing you, yes I know. Turn around. Yeah, if you put your trousers down I was sure. Haha. I don’t care what people are. Gay? In my little town you have gays too. Thirty years ago there weren’t any of them. It was like paradise there. And now the city changed everything. This city has

come too close. City limits extending and ruining nature. Strange people coming in. Yeah, that’s north, up the river. It’s muddy out there. I was a pilot. But I had no

official papers. Now you need papers for everything. But I was a damn good pilot. No papers needed, they knew. I wonder how you got a permit. See that painting on the wall? No, up there, dude. With those partying animals. I don’t think it’s great art, I can do better. But it’s what the people are now. See, partying that’s all. Do you think they will defend our country? Do you think they even care? No, they don’t care, they’re just partying. But I can tell you this, this country is lost. And I respect this country. And nobody seems to care. But if they ask me, if England, or The Netherlands is threatening this country I will defend this country. No matter what asshole is running this country, It’s the country I respect, you know. Gotta drink my beer no, the last train is running within a 15 minutes. But for the last time I tell you: Pick me up, I’m gonna make you famous. I’m already more famous than Mark Twain. I know the river. Say you pick me up, boy. You’ll be rich. I’m gonna make all these drawings just like Michelangelo. So I can make some money for my family again. I always wanted to make money for my family. But I don’t give a shit anymore. I gotta get my train, got 10 minutes left. But I tell you this: See it and leave it. Don’t expect this city will do you any good. You’ll leave here without having any success, I can tell you. You might be pickin’ up somebody in your country, but here you can’t make it. You’re on your own, boy. This city caused me my marriage. And in this city I lost my job. I tell you, you can think you’re loaded and you can make anything but I’ll tell you: See it and leave it. Understand? Hey man, it used to be magic out in the country. I can tell you that. And I can make pretty nice drawings of that. I got nature in my head. It was God’s country. And what have they made of it? But thank to God I’m still alive. He make me being an artist. But

look at them. We’re lost. But I use both hands. Do you think they are two-handed. Don’t think so. So this is your last chance. I can give you the address. 506 Pecan Avenue, that’s where I live. In Debukah.

I won’t write it down. You got it? Tomorrow you will understand you have a big chance. 506 Pecan Avenue. Come here, I go.’

He embraced me and walked out of the door. Without looking he crossed the street towards the station. I stared out of the window and turned to Karen.‘What a creep, he’s frightening me. He comes by often the last few weeks,’ she said.‘Was he here for a long time already?,’ I asked.‘No, just five minutes before you came.’‘I saved you then.’‘You sure did. He’s wasting my time. At some point I thought he was going to hit you . Thank God you stayed calm. Wanna have another beer?’‘Yes please, did you see he had both his ears?’‘Yeah, why shouldn’t he?’‘Mmm, nothing special, cheers.’

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