Post on 01-Mar-2018
7/25/2019 Bukowski, Charles. the Most Beautiful Woman in Town
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bukowski-charles-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-town 1/5
t4i
:l-qr.tiqi $ffisti.:1l8+.6asf#lqf{
CI-IARLES
UKOWSKI
The
Most
Beautiful
Woman
n
Town
& other stories
Thesc rad nrrnortal
tories.
ow
surfaccd
l-orr
he
itcrary
underground.
have
addictedegions
l'American
eaders. ven
hough he high
itcrary
cstablishnrent
ontinucso ignore
hern.
n Eunrpc, owever
particularly
in Gernrany,
taly,
ndFrancc
hcre e s
published
y
he
grcat ublishing
houses),
e is critically ecognized
s onc
ol'Arncricar's
reatest
iving
realist
writers.
Charles
lukowski.
born ttll6l2t).
Andernach.Gernran_v.
rouglrt
to
America
at
he
agc
ol'two. E,ightecn
r
twc'nty ooks
l'prose
nd
poctry,
tsukowski. fterpublislring rosc n S/olv and 'rtrtfolirt. ttlppcd riting
tbr
lerr
_years.
lc
arrivcd n
thc
charity
ward
of thc -<ls ngclcsCounty
General
lospital.henrorrhaging
s
a clinrax o
a len-ycar
rirrking
out.
Some
ayhe
didn't die.
Alicr leaving
he
hospital
er ot
a typcwritcr nd
began
writing again-=this
inrc,
poetry.
He
later eturncd o prosearrd
gained omc
ame with his
colurnrr,
Notcs
'u
Dirtv
Old
Man.
Al'tcr
4
years n the PostOtTicehe rcsigned t
agc
50,
he
says. o kcep rom
g<ling
insane.
c
now claims
o he
uncrnployitblcrrd ats ype
,riter
ibbons.
Other
Bukowski
books
'rom City Lights
' l 'ales
of Ordinary
Madncss
Notcsof'a Dirtl ' Old Ma n
$
10.95
780872
ISBN U-B?eBt- I5t-e
illill
illtl
4
5o
61
095>
illillill
7/25/2019 Bukowski, Charles. the Most Beautiful Woman in Town
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bukowski-charles-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-town 2/5
THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL
WOMAN N TOWN
Cass vas heyoungest nd most
beautiful
f
5
sisters. ass as
the
most
beautiful
girl
in town.
%
lndian
with
a
suppleandstrange
body, a snakelikeand
fiery
body
with
eyes
o
go
with
it. Cass
as
fluid moving
fire. She was
ike
a spirit stuck
nto
a form
that would
not
hold her. Her hair was
blackand ong and
silken
nd
moved
nd
whirled
about
as
did
her
body.
ler
spirit
waseither
very
hrgh
or very
low.
There
wasno
in between
or Cass.
omesaid
she
was
crazy.
The
dull
ones
said
hat. The
dull
oneswould
neverunderstand
ass. o
the
men
she simply seemed sex
machineand
they didn't
care
whether
she was crazy or
not. And Cass
ancel and flirted, kissed
the men,
but
except or
an instance r two,
when
t came
ime
to
make t with Cass, ass ad somehow lipped way,eluded he men.
Her
sisters
ccused
er of
misusing er
beauty,
f
not
using
er
mind
enough,
ut Cass
ad mind
andspirit:
she
painted,
he
danced,
she
sang,
hc nade hings
of clay,
and
when
people
werehr-rrt
ither
in
the
spirit or the flesh,
Cass
elt a
deep
grieving
or
them.
ler
mind
was simply
different; her
mind
was simply not
practical.
Her
sisters
were
ealous
of
her
because
he
attracted
heir men,
and they were
angry
because
hey
felt
she
didn't make
he
best
useof
them.
Sh e
had
a
habit of
beingkind
to the uglierones; he so-called
andsome
men
revolted
er -
"No
guts,"
she aid,
no
zap.
They
are iding
on
their
perfect
little earlobes
and
their
well-shaped
ostrils . .
.
Al l
surface
and
no insides
. ." Shc
had
a
temper that
came close o
insanity;shehad a temper hat somecalled nsanity.
Her
father
had died of alcohol and her
mother
had
run oll
leaving
he girls
alone.The
girls
went to a
relative
who
placed
hem
in
a convent.
he
convent
ad
beenan
unhappy
lace,
more
or
Cass
than
he
sisters.
he
girls
were
ealous
of
Cass nd
Cass
ought
most
of
them.
She
had
razor
marks all
along
her
left
arm
rom det'ending
herself
n
two fights. There
was
also a
permanenl
car
along he eft
7/25/2019 Bukowski, Charles. the Most Beautiful Woman in Town
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bukowski-charles-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-town 3/5
check
but
the scar
athcr
han esseninger
beautyonly seemcd
o
highlight
t.
I rrrct
her
at the West
End
Bar several
ights after
irer
release
fiorn lhc
convent.Bcing
or-rngest,
hewas
he last
of the sisterso
be relcased.
hesirirply arne n and sat
next
to
mc. was
probably
the
ugliesl rnan
ir;
town
and
this might have
had something o
dcr
with t .
"Drink'I"'
asked.
"Sure,why not'?"
I
don't
supposeherc
was anything
unusual n
our
convcrsa-
tion
that
night, it was sinrply in
the
feeling
Cass
gave.
She
had
chosenme
and
t
wasas sirnple
s
hat.
N<-r
ressure.
he
iked
he r
drinks
and
had
a
great
numberof them. She
didn't seem
uite
of
age
but
they
served
her
anyhow.
Perhaps hehad
a forged .d., I
don't
know.
Anyhow, cach
ime
she ame ack
rom the rcstroom nd
sa t
down
next
to me,
I did feel some
pride.
She
was not
only
the
most
beautiful
woman
n
town
but
als<l
ne
of
the
most
beautifui had
ever een.
placed
my arm abouther waist
and kissed er
once.
"Do
you
think 'm pretty?"
she
asked.
"'Yes,
of course, ut tl 'rere's omething lse . . there'smore
than
your
ooks
. ."
"Peoplearealways cc:using
ne
o1'being
retty.
Do
you
really
think I'm
pretty?"
"Pretty sn't he word,
t
hardlydoes ou
fair."
Cass eached nto hc r handbag.
thought shewas cachi ng or
her handkerchief.Sl-re ame
out
with
a iong hatpin. Belbre I couid
stop her she had
run this
long hat
pin
through her nose,sideways,
just
above
he
nostrils. felt disgust ndhorror.
She
ooked at me and aug hed, Now do
you
think
rne
pretty?
l\'irat do
you ttrink
now,
man'i
I
pulled
the
hatpin
out asd held my
handkerchiefover the
bleeding.Several eople, ncluding he bartender,had seen he act.
Thc bartender
amedown;
"Lrok,"
he
said
o
Cass,
you act up againand
you're
out.
We
don't
need
your
dramatics
ere."
"Oh,
fuck
you,
manl"
she
aid.
"Better keep
her straigtrt,"
he
bartender
aid
o
me.
"She'll
be ail right,"
I
said.
"lt's
nty nose,"
said Cass,
I
can
do what
I
want with
my
nose."
"No.'"
I
said.
it hurtsme."
"You urean t hurts
you
when stick a
pin
in
my
nose?"
"Yes,
t
does.
mean
t. "
"All
right, I won't
do it
again.Cheer
up."
Shekissed
me,
ratherginning through he
kiss
and holding
he
handkerchief
o
her nose.
We
e
't for
my
place
at
closing ime.
I
had
somebeerand we sat here alking. It was hen that I got the percep-
tion
of her
as a
person
ull
of kindness nd
caring.
She
gave
erself
awaywithout
knowing t.
At
the same ime
shewould
leap
back nto
areas f
wildnessand
incohercnce.
chitzi.
A
beautiful
and
spirituai
schitzi. Perhaps'
ome man, sornething,
would ruin her forever.
hoped
hat
t
wouldn'tbe
me .
We
rvent
to
bed
and after I turned out the
lights
Cass
asked
me, "When do
you
want
it?
Now
or
in
the
morning?"
"In
the morning," I
said
and urned
my back.
In
the
morning
got
up
and
made
a couple
of
coffees, rought
her one n bed.
She aughed.
You're the
first
man
've
met
who has
urned
t
down
at
night."
"It's
o.k.,"
I
said, we
needn't
o t at all."
"No,
wait, want o now. Let me
reshen
p
a
bit."
Cass
went to the
bathroom.
She came
out
shortly,
looking
quite
wonderful, her
long
black
hair
glistening,
her eyes
and lips
glistening,
her
glisLening
. .
She displayed
her
body calmly,
as a
good
hing.
She
got
under he
sheet.
"Come
on, over
man."
I
got
on
in .
She
kissedwith abandon ut
without
haste. let
my
hands un
over her body,
through
her hair.
I
rnounted.
t
was
hot, and
ight. I
began to stroke slowly, wanting to make it last. I'Ier eyes ooked
directly nto
rnine.
"What's
our
name?"
asked.
"What
the
hell
differencedoes
t make?" sheasked.
I laughed
nd
went
on ahead.Afterwards he
dressed
nd
I
drove
her
back to
the bar
but
she
was difficult
to forget. I wasn't
working
and
I slept
until 2
p.m. then got
up
and
read he
paper. I
7/25/2019 Bukowski, Charles. the Most Beautiful Woman in Town
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bukowski-charles-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-town 4/5
was n the
bathtub when
she amc
n
with
a arge eaf an
elephant
ear.
"l
knew
you'd
be n the
bathtub,"
shesaid, so I brought
ou
something
o covcr hat hing
with,
rtature oy."
She
hrew he
elephanteaf
down on me
n
the
bathtub.
"Llow did
you
know
I'd
be n
the
tub?"
"l knew."
Almost everyday ass rrivcdwhen was
n the ub.
The
imes
were diffcrcnt but she seldornmissed, nd there was he elephant
lcaf.And
thenwe'd
make ove.
One
or
two
nights
he
phonedand
t
had o
bail
her
out of
jail
for drunkenness
nd
fighting.
"These
sonsof bitches,"she
said. Just becausehey
buy
yo u
a few
drinks
hey think they
can
get
nto
your
pants."
"Once
you
accept drink
you
create
our
own
trouble."
"I
thought hey
wcre nterested
n
me,
notjust
my'
body."
"I'm
interestedn
you
and
your
body. doubt.
though,
ha t
most
mencan
see eyond
our
body."
I left town lbr
6
months,bummed
around, ameback.
ha d
never
brgotten Cass,
ut we' d had
sorlc type
of
argument
and
felt
like moving n anyhow, nd when gotback figured he'd e gone,
but I had beensitting n the West
End
Bar
about 30
minutes
when
she
walked n and
sat down next
to
me.
"Well,bastard,
see
ou've
con]e
back."
I orderedher a
drink.
Then I looked at her.
Shc had on a
high-necked
ress.
had neversecn
her
in one
of those.
And
under
each
eye,
driven
n,
were
2
pins
with
glass
eads.All
you
couid
sc e
were
he
glass
eads f the
pins,
but
the
pins
weredrivendown
nt o
her
face,
"God
darnn
ou,
still
trying o dcstroy
'<-rur
eauty. h?"'
"No,
it's the
ad,
you
fbol."
"You're crazy."
"l've
missed
ou,"
she aid.
"Is
thereanybody
else?"
"No,
there
sn't anybody else. ust
you.
But I'm hustling. t
costs
en bucks.But
you get
t
free."
"Pull
those
ins
out."
"No.
it's
the
ad."
"lt's rnaking
me very
unhappy."
"Are
you
sure?"
"I{ell
yes,
'm sure."
Cass lowly
pulled
the
pins
out
and
placed
hern n her
purse.
"Why do
you
haggle
our
beauty?" I
asked.
Why
don't
you
just
live with it?"
"Becausc
eople
hink
it's all
I
have.Beauty
s nothing,
eaut,v
won't stay.
You
don't know how lucky
you
are o
be ugly,because
if people ike you thenyou know it's or something lse."
"O.k.,"
I said,
I'm
1ucky."
"I don't mean
you're
ugly.
Peclple
ust
think
you're
ugly.
Yo u
have
a fascinating ace."
"Thanks."
We
had
another
drink.
"What are
you
doing'l"
she
asked.
"Nothing.
can't
get
orr o anything.No
interesl."
"Me
neither.
f
you
werea woman
you
couldhustle."
"I
don't
think
I'd
want to
make
that
close
a contact
with so
many
strangers.t's wearing."
"You're right, t's
wearing,
verythings
wearing."
We eft
together.
eople
till
stared t
Cass n the streets.
he
wasstill a
beautiful wontan,perhaps
more beautiful
han ever.
We
rnade
t
to
my
placcand I
opened
bottle of
wine
and we
talked.
With Cassand
I, the talk alwayscame
easy.
She
talked
a
while and I would
listen
and then
I
would talk.
Our
conversation
sirnply
went
along
without
strain. We seemed
o
discover
secrets
together. When
we
discovereda
good
one
Casswould laugh
that
laugh - only
the
way
she
could.
It
was ike
oy
out of fire.
Through
the
talking
we kissedand
moved
closer
ogether.
We became
uite
heatedand
decided o
go
to bed. t was then
Cass
ook off her
high-necked
dress and I
saw
it
-
the
ugly
jagged
scar across
her
throat. trtwas argeand hick.
"God
damn
you,
woman,"
I
said
from
thc
bed,
"god damn
you,
what have
you
donc?"
"I
tried t
with a
brokenbottle
one night.
Don't
you
like me
anymore?
m I still
beautilul?"
I
pulled
her
down on the bedand kisscd
er. She
pushed
rvay
and laughed,
Some
men
pay
me
that
ten
and then I
undrcss nd
they don't want o
do t. I
keep
he ten. t 's very
unny."
7/25/2019 Bukowski, Charles. the Most Beautiful Woman in Town
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bukowski-charles-the-most-beautiful-woman-in-town 5/5
"Yes,"
I said,
[ can' tstop aughing. .
Cass,
i tch, l
love
cu
. . .
stop
destroying
tturscll' :
ou're
the nrost
alivewoman
've ever
rnet."
We
kissed
gain.Cass
wascrying
witlrout
sound. could
ee l
the tcars.
That long
black
hair
ay
behind
ne
ike a 1ag f
dcath.
We
enjoined
nd
made
low
andsotnbre
ndwonderful
ove.
In
the
morning
Cass
was up rnaking
brcakfast.She
seemed
quite
calm
and
happy.She
was
singing. stayed
n
bcd and
enjoyed
hcr happiness. inally she carncovcrand shook ne,"Up, bastard
'fhrclw
sornc
old
waterolr
vour
faceand
pecker nd
come
enjoy
hc
feasl
"
I
drove
her
to the
beach
hat
day.
t
was
a
weekday
nd not
yet
sumlncr
o thingsweresplendidly
escrted.
each urns
n rags
siept on
the lawns above he sand.
Othcrs
sat
on
stone
benches
sharing
lone bottle. Thc
gulls
whirled
about,mindlcss
et
distrac-
ted.
Old
ladics n
ttreir
70's
and 80's
sat on
the
benches
nd
dis-
cussed elling
cai
estate eli behindby
husbands
ong
ago
killedby
the paceand
stupidity
of
survival.
or
it all, therewas
peacen
th e
air
and
we walked
about
and
stretcl'rcd
n the lawns
and
didn't say
much.
lt simply
felt good being
together.
bought a couple
of
sandwiches,
ome
chips
and drinks
and rve sat
on the
sand
eating.
Thcn
I held Cass
nd
we
slcpt
ogether
boui an hour. t
was
some-
how
bcttcr
than ove-making.
here
vas
tlowing
ogether ithout
tension.
When rve awakcnedwe drove
back
to
rry
place and I
cooked a clinner.
After
dinncr
I
suggcsted
o
Cass
hat
we shack
togethcr.She waited
a long
time, looking
at
me,
thcn
she slowly
said, "No."
I
drove
her
back
to the bar, bought
her a drink
an d
walked
out.
I
found a
ob
as
a packer
n a factory
he
next
day and
the
rest
of
tl.re
weck
weut to working.
rvas oo
tired
o
get
about
rnuch
bLrt
1.hat riday
night
I did
gct
to
the
West
End Bar. sat
an d
wailed
frrr Cass. lours
wenl by. Aftcr
I rvas airly
drunk
the
bar-
tender aid o me, l'm sorryaboutyourgirl friend."
"Wrat
is t?"
I asked.
"l'rr
sorry.
Didn't
you
know?"
"No."
"Suicide.
She
vas uried
yesterday."
"Buried?"
asked. t
secnred
s f she vorrld
alk hrough
he
doorwayat
any
moment.How
couldshebe
gone?
"Her
sisters
uried
her."
"A
suicide? ind
elling
me how?"
"She
cut her hroat."
"l
see.Give
me another
drink."
I
drankuntil
closing ime.
Casshc
mostbeautif
i
of
5
sisters,
the rnost
beautilul
n
town.
I managed
o
drive
o
my
place
and
r
kcpt
thinking,
I
should havc
nsisted
she stay
with rne instcad
of
accepting
hat
"no."
Everything
bout
her had indicated
hat
sh e
had cared. had simplybeen oo offhandabout t, lazy, oo uncon-
cerned. deserved
y death
and hers.
was
a
dog. No, why blame
the dogs? got
up and found
a
bottle
of
wine and
drank from
it
heavily.
Cass hc
most
beautiful
girl
in
town was
dead
at
20.
Oulside
somebody
onked heir
automobile
orn.
They were
very
oud
and
persistent.
set
the
bottle
down and screamed
ut :
..GOD
DAMN
YOU,
YOU SON
OF A
I]ITCI_I.
IIUT TIP "
The
nightkept coming
n n and
here
was
nothing
coulcl
o.