Ab shama kafi sajdhaj ke rehne lagi the…hatho me mehandi, ankho me kajal, hare kanch ki chudiya, face cream, powder….un dino isi tarah ka make-up ...hota tha. No lipstick, no eyebro dressing or the stuff like that. Ek kahawat hai ki billi ke bhagya se chhinka tuta – kuchh aisa hi hua tha. Ek din shama ki ammi ko telegram aya ki..’mother serious. Come at once’ (there was no internet, no cell phones in those days. Landline phones too were in selected homes) apne ammi ki bimari ki khabar sun kar. We’ve plastered these posters all round Rock Hill. That and all the free publicity you chicks have got will really draw ’em in tomorrow.’ ‘I dare say it will,’ said Crystal half-heartedly. Not that Skull would have noticed a lack of enthusiasm. He was far too intent on admiring the poster laid out in front of us. ‘Fuck knows who these chicks are,’ he said, indicating the grainy images with the discreetly obscured nipples and crotch. ‘Fucking lookers, ain’t they? I can’t fucking wait to see. Billy graduated, thanks to me. When I won the ranch, I was pleasantly surprised that Billy worked as foreman, cowhand, and general handyman all rolled in to one on the ranch. I begged him to stay. It didn't take much. He was happy for the change and for me being the boss, again.I told Billy I wanted to go out on the ranch to commune. Yeah, right. I wanted to get away so I wouldn't be reminded of Suzie or Virginia. So it was up to Billy to get Jake ready. Jake is my mule. He was tied to the. She’s nice, funny, and she’s a very good actor.”“So basically, she’s stuck in Manchester and doesn’t even know whether she can access her own money?” he asked.“That’s about it, yes,” I replied, “fortunately we can just charge meals to the room, but I don’t know what arrangements she has for anything else.”“Well,” he said, “can I suggest that if it becomes an issue, you consider lending her what money she needs?”“I’d already thought about it,” I replied, “I think that’s what I’ll do, or at least.