Oliver Benjamin
business seemed far more glamorous than it actually was. Yak did not
realize this.
“Well of course there isn’t anything valuable in there,” Yak said.
“This guy would just steal it!”
The lifeguards looked glum and remained silent.
“Let’s see your identification,” one of them finally demanded.
“Of course.” He pulled out a badge and an identification card.
The photo showed him wearing a police uniform. It looked very
official. They stared at it for a long time, having never seen an officer
with long hair and a beard.
“It doesn’t look much like you. Where’d all your hair go?”
Yak acted as if this was the stupidest question in the world.
“Shaved it, of course. Have you ever seen a cop with long hair and a
beard?”
The lifeguard nodded blankly and handed the card back to him.
“I’ll take him into custody now. You can consider yourselves
heroes.”
“Thanks, officer. We always do,” one of them said. As they shook
hands, his left pectoral muscle flexed involuntarily. Seen in slow-
motion it would have resembled the graceful billowing of a sail. But
it just looked vulgar.
Held tightly by his upper arm, the boy fought as Yak pulled him
down the beach.
“Stop struggling,” Yak said.
“Lifeguards is right!” the boy screamed, “Like guards in a prison,
enforcing a life sentence. Attica! Attica!”
“Shanti, shanti,” Yak countered. It meant ‘peace’ in India. The
boy didn’t know this. He thought Yak was talking about the
makeshift cardboard home in which he used to sleep. He thought Yak
was making fun of his destitution.
“You fucking pig. You’re one of them.”
“I’m not a cop,” he said.
“I saw your I.D. Pig.”
“I bought that in Bangkok for three dollars. I also have one that
says I’m a priest and another that says I have diplomatic immunity.”
Yak let go of his arm. The kid fell silent for a while. He no longer
tried to run away. He pulled a soaked pack of Camels from his pocket.
“Gimme a cigarette,” he said.
Yak gave the boy a smokeless signal, palms up against his chest.
“Aren’t you a little young for that?” he said.
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