Top Shelf Read online

Doc said.

  "You plead temporary insanity," Neil said. "The Judge knew of my war decorations. He used his connections to get me committed in the Vets Hospital."

  "Sweet Jesus," Deacon sang, "All of God's children got a place in the choir. Some sing low and some sing higher. Some sing out on the telephone wire and some just clap their hands.

  Neil," Conductor said, "listen to this poem.

  Life is like a mountain railroad,

  If you’re the engineer so brave.

  You can make the run successful,

  From the cradle to the grave.

  You will chug up grades of trouble,

  Cross the ridge of strife,

  But God is your connection on this suffering road of life.

  You will see the heavenly depot, to which every train must glide,

  There awaits the Great Conductor.

  The Holy Spirit and His Son,

  You have made the run successful,

  Weary pilgrim welcome home."

  "Ole' brave buddy," Top Shelf hugged Conductor, "I ain't goin' any place you ain't goin', an wherever that is we be goin' together."

  If we goin' to help the kid," Doc said, "we all better get goin."

  "Watch out for that Sharkey," Conductor said. "I'm seein' a little better that means he is too."

  "I knock that big clown flatter than a pancake," Top Shelf said, then handed Neil a pen knife. 'cut a "V" notch in the heel of you right shoe."

  "What for?" Neil asked.

  "Sonny", Doc said, "It's time you did what you're told!"

  "Deacon," Top Shelf ordered, "Lead these three handsome fellas back to the park. Wait for me behind the statue." Top Shelf shuffled off between the warehouses.

  +++

  In the park behind the statue Neil asked, "Conductor, can you see any better?"

  "I can make out the people waitin' for tickets an Charley Chaplin looking down an' laughin' at us.

  "He's laughin' wit' us," Doc said

  The booming sound of a bass drum brought deacon upright in his box. "Sweet Jesus, it's the Salvation Army!"

  "That's not marchin' music," Doc said..

  "Who is it?" Conductor asked. "I can't see."

  "Sweet Jesus!"

  "Hell no!" Top Shelf said as he pushed through the bushes.

  "What in the hell is that contraption?" Neil said.

  "This is the one man band I was on radio with!" Top Shelf said. He brought down the heel of his right sneaker. It was connected by a rod to the drum on his back and it boomed. He rippled his lips across a harmonic fixed by a brace around his neck and he strummed several chords on the stainless steel guitar resting infront. He flapped his left elbow and the cymbals under the drum clanged together.

  "What's that umbrella hat on top a your head." Doc asked. "It ain't rainin'?"

  "Protection against moon-burn, violet-rays an acid-rain!" He walked over to Deacon the drum booming at each step. "Take this tambourine. You religious guys are good collectin' money." Top Shelf reached into his raincoat pocket and pulled out a new plastic kazoo for Doc, "You play this."

  "What about me?" Neil said.

  "You're getting' this whole contraption," Top Shelf said. "Payment for your guitar. I'll teach you after we make some money in the square. Right now you collect the money like you did last night." He threw the baseball cap to Neil.

  "You're giving me too much," Neil said.

  "You are the only one I know who can use this," Top shelf tapped the instruments back and front. I can no longer carry the weight. This one-man-band is your way back to Cathy and the land of the living."

  "You're talking cultured again" Neil said.

  "I'm talking human," Top Shelf replied. "Listen to what I say, not how I say it. We four look at you and see ourselves a few years ago. Nobody took the time to show us the way out of here. It's too late for us. Not you."

  Truth is," Neil said, "I came on the street to become al-io-non-a-mous." He smiled

  "You're even learning to talk like us," Top Shelf said.

  "I'm afraid to go back."

  "Don't you understand?" Conductor said. "Sharkey was right. Down here we're all cowards. For a few minutes we get brave, but it passes. If we can get you off the street then we be heroes."

  "I don't know if I can do it," Neil said.

  Top Shelf boomed the drum, "Wherever you go with this, you can make music, friends and enough money to stay off the street. Return to Cathy, wake her up and play for her.

  "Now lets go out an' make some money!"

  "Yeah, Conductor said, "those matinee people like music."

  Neil brushed a tear from his eye and led the group into the square singing.

  "We Sons of the Bottle are brave men and bold,

  And quite accustomed to cheer.

  But the bravest of all and the man to behold,

  Is Top shelf that slick cavalier!

  Brave heroes are many and well known to fame,

  Who drink in ranks at the bar,

  But the most famous of all and the man we acclaim,

  Is Top Shelf, the most pop-u-lar!

  La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la, La-la…

  THE END

  PUBLISHED BOOKS

  BY DOV SILVERMAN

  THE FALL OF THE SHOGUN

  THE BLACK DRAGON

  THE SHISHI

  TAIRO

  TO THE GATES OF HELL

  LEGENDS OF SAFED

  REVENGE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERDS

  THE KABBALIST

  NIGHT TRAIN TO RONKONKOMA

  THE POOR FARM

  AMETROPIA

  GOD'S DANCER

  EIGHTH DAY OF CREATION

  JEWISH SHORT STORIES

  THE PROPHET AND THE PRIEST

  LITERARY ACHIEVMENTS

  1) Historical Society Literary Prize at Stony Brook University, 1970.

  2) Winner of Japanese Suntory Award for Mystery Fiction: REVENGE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERDS. 2/88.

  3) Award of a month's stay as Writer-in-Residence at ACTS, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA, 1991.

  4) Winner of Immigrant Literary Award in Israel, 1998.

  5) Cultural award by Ra'anana Municipality 2012