friendship
A Mile With Me ~ Poem by Henry Van Dyke
A Mile With Me by Henry Van Dyke
O who will walk a mile with me
Along life’s merry way?
A comrade blithe and full of glee,
Who dares to laugh out loud and free,
And let his frolic fancy play,
Like a happy child, through the flowers gay
That fill the field and fringe the way
Where he walks a mile with me.
And who will walk a mile with me
Along life’s weary way?
A friend whose heart has eyes to see
The stars shine out o’er the darkening lea,
And the quiet rest at the end o’ the day,–
A friend who knows, and dares to say,
The brave, sweet words that cheer the way
Where he walks a mile with me.
With such a comrade, such a friend,
I fain would walk till journeys end,
Through summer sunshine, winter rain,
And then?–Farewell, we shall meet again!
I’m Happy I Met You
Chapter 11
Nick, his mom and dad, and Mary sat in the second pew on the right hand side of Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church. One woman sat in the pew in front of them. There was no one else in church. In the aisle in front of the altar was the casket with a white pall draped over it. The casket held the body of Johnny Balboni. Off to the right of the altar stood a large white candle. It was the Easter candle and used for all funeral masses during the year. The Easter candle was lit and its flame danced. There were candles on each side of the altar, both were lit.
The priest and two altar servers came out of the side of the altar and began mass. Johnny’s mass took fourth-five minutes. The burial service would talk place after mass in the Catholic cemetary behind the church. Nick and his parents and Mary left church after mass and walked to the cemetary. They followed the woman who sat in front of them.
The five mourners stood around an open and empty grave. A stand next to the grave awaited the casket. Nick was standing near the woman who sat in front of him in church. He said, “Did you know Johnny?”
The woman turned around and looked at Nick, “Yes, I knew Johnny. I’m his sister Josephine.”
Nick shook her hand and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss. He was such a good guy.
“What’s your name?” Asked Josephine.
“It’s Nick, Nick Moretti. This is my mom and dad, and this is Mary, she goes to school with me.”
Josephine nodded and said, “Thank you all for coming. Johnny didn’t have many friends. I didn’t think anyone would come.”
She turned back to Nick, “So you’re Nick Moretti. Johnny told me he was teaching you calculus. Sometimes he made stories up. I wasn’t sure if it was true or not.”
“It was true, Josephine. Without his help I would have been lost. I did really well on the math portion of the SATs because of Johnny’s help.”
Josephine smiled and hugged Nick, “I’m happy I met you. When Johnny was telling me the story it was the first time in years he seemed alive. He told me he was going to teach you everything he knew. It’s too bad he didn’t have a chance. He was a brilliant man.”
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the casket and priest. The priest recited prayers and the graveside burial service was soon over. Nick placed his right hand palm down on the casket and said, “Thank you, Johnny. I promise I’ll do my best and never quit.”
Mary stood by Nick and put her arm around him. Nick whispered, “Thank you, Mary.”
“You will make Johnny proud, Nick. I know you will. I just know it,” said Mary with a strong sense of conviction in her voice.
Nick’s mom and dad were waiting in the car. Nick and Mary walked to the car holding hands.
Later that night at dinner, Nick’s Mom said, “Mary’s mom, Louise, is a signal mom, right?”
Nick nodded.
“Why don’t you invite Mary and her mom over for Christmas Eve dinner with us. We’ll have plenty of food. Uncle Tony will be here, he’s single and maybe I can play matchmaker. They’re both about the same age.”
Nick’s dad said, “You enjoy playing matchmaker. If Tony and Louise get together it will be your best Christmas present.”
Nick’s mom laughed, “I don’t like to see lonely people. The world needs to be filled with happiness.”
Nick said, “It’s a great idea. I’m going to call Mary right after dinner. I hope they’ll accept.”
Nick’s mom said, “I have a feeling Mary will convince Louise to come to dinner.”
Laura and Stella started laughing. Laura said, “You have a serious crush on Mary. Admit it.”
“We’re only friends,” said Nick.
“Right,” said Stella.
Will Mary and her mom accept the invitation to the Christmas Eve dinner? Will Uncle Tony and Louise like each other? The Christmas story continues.
Life Is Full of Surprises
Chapter 7
Nick thought what the heck and walked over to Johnny Balboni and sat down on the cold ground next to him.
Johnny reached over and grabbed a piece of cardboard and handed it to Nick, “Sit on this. It won’t be so cold.”
Nick took the cardboard and slid it under himself. He said, “Thanks, Johnny. How are you doing?”
Johnny stuck out his hand and wiggled his hand, “So, so. I do okay, You don’t look so good. You got girl troubles?” he said.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t feel like talking. He started to get up, but stopped when Johnny put his hand on his arm.
“You got to talk to somebody or you gonna go nuts. Me, I live by myself. I don’t tell anybody what you say to me. I’m not gonna make any judgements. Before you tell me your problems, here’s an apple, I got two of them, we’ll eat and talk, that’s a good combination,” said Johnny wiping the apple first on his raggedy overcoat, then handing it to Nick.
Nick took the apple from Johnny and took a bite, “Thanks, Johnny. I was hungry. I didn’t eat lunch today.”
“Okay, what’s going on? I got all day to listen,” said Johnny.
Nick took another bite of the apple, chewed it, looked off across the ally, swallowed his bite, and began to talk. He told Johnny how he wanted to go to college out of town. He told him how he needed a scholarship so he could go to college. He told him how and why his dad got laid off. Nick talked for twenty minutes. Johnny sat beside him, listening, occasionally nodding his head.
When Nick finished, he said, “I spilled my guts, Johnny. The way my life is going is I’m waiting for the next bad thing to happen. I’m on a losing streak and there is nothing I can do about it.”
Nick scrambled in a bag, You want a candy bar, I got a couple or three in here?”
“No, you keep them,” said Nick.
“What for? You a growing boy, you need your strength. Here,” said Johnny handing Nick a Snicker’s bar.
“Thanks, Johnny.
“Not a problem. Now we gonna start with the first problem and then we gonna work through the rest of them,” said Johnny.
Nick’s first thought was I have homework to do. I have to study for the SATs. I made a mistake sitting down.
Before Nick could decide what to do, Johnny said, “What’s the problem in calculus? Maybe I can help you with it.”
Nick turned to face Johnny, “You know calculus?”
“Hey, maybe I’m 87 years old but I still know calculus.”
“How do you know calculus? Johnny asked.
“We gonna talk all day or you gonna show me the problem?” Said Nick.
Nick pulled out his iPhone and showed Johnny the photo of the calculus problem Mr. Durlo put on the screen. “I can’t figure out how he got the answer. I admit I wasn’t paying attention.”
Johnny didn’t say anything, he took Nick’s iPhone and stared at the screen. He held the iPhone in his right hand. His left hand gestured in the air. After a minute he handed the iPhone to Nick and said, “Listen up. You got any questions, you tell me after I splain it to you.”
Nick nodded. Then Johnny began taking Nick through the calculus problem one step at a time. Twice, Nick wanted to ask a question, but he stopped himself. By the time Johnny finished, Nick understood the problem and how Johnny arrived at the answer.
“I understand it perfectly, Johnny. I can’t thank you enough,” said Nick and started to get up. Johnny’s hand stopped him again. Nick took a deep breath and sat down.
“Not so fast, Nick. I’ll be here the next two days at the same time. I’ll help you with your calculus. You gonna do okay on the test, don’t you worry about it. That’s the first thing. The second thing, you gonna have disappointments in life. They happen to everybody. What you got to do is never give up. If you quit, the game is over. You as good as dead. But if you keep trying, you never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, maybe the sun will shine on you.
“But, Johnny, it’s my dream to get out of town and study someplace else. I don’t have a chance,” said Nick.
Johnny shook his head, “Who told you that you don’t have a chance? Somebody send you a letter telling you not to try?”
“No?” Said Nick.
“Then you making this stuff up. You don’t know until it happens, You understand me?” Said Johnny.
Nick thought about it for a minute, then realized Johnny was right. He knew he was making it up.”
He turned to Johnny who was now standing. Johnny said, “I can’t spend anymore time today, I got to make my rounds. You remember what I tell you and I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
“Right,” said Nick.
How does Johnny Balboni know calculus? Will Nick’s bad luck change? Come by tomorrow for another chapter in the Christmas story.
He’s No Bum – He’s A Human Being
Chapter 6
Mr. Durlo, the calculus teacher, used his extended pointer and pointed to the screen. “Any questions on how we arrived at this answer? Nick, you look like you’re someplace else. Do you understand the thinking we used to get this answer?”
Nick knew Mr. Durlo was right. His mind was on his dad. It was on Johnny Balboni. It was on the SATs that he’d take on Thursday. It was on everything but this class.
“I understand, Mr. Durlo,” said Nick.
Nick knew he didn’t understand, but didn’t want to embarrass himself. In one more minute the bell would ring to end class. It would be time for lunch. He was going to sit with Cara and ask her to go over the calculus problem with him. He glanced at her, but she didn’t glance back.
The bell rang, Nick stood up and walked to the front of the class and waited for Clara. The class slowly emptied. Clara remained at her desk. When Mr. Durlo and all the students were out of the room except for she and Nick, Clara said, “We need to talk, Nick.”
Clara pointed to a desk next to her. Nick’s stomach hurt. He knew Clara and knew her voice. Her voice this time was filled with seriousness. Nick had a feeling if this were a movie it was not going to have a happy ending. Nick sat at the desk in row next to Clara. He moved his desk so he faced her. He said, “Want to go to lunch? I could use some help on my calculus.”
“Yes, I want to go to lunch. But I am not going with you, Nick. I like you. I really like you. But I am going to end our relationship.”
“Why? What did I do?” Asked Nick.
“It’s not what you did. You didn’t do anything to hurt me. It’s just that with you working on the weekends we’ll never have time to see each other. I want more of a life and it’s not going to happen with you.”
“It’ll only be for a short time. As soon as my dad gets a job, I’ll be able to quit. We can see each other at lunch. We can get together on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Want to give it a chance?” Nick didn’t want to get upset. Each time he felt his anger rising, he fought to control it.
“There’s more Nick. You don’t know it, but everyone is laughing and you and your father for helping the town bum out. He’s disgusting. You’re so much better than him. If you promise not to go near him, I’ll give it a try for a couple of weeks and see how it goes with us. Is it a deal?” Asked Cara.
Nick turned his head and stared at the Calculus problem on the screen. He thought, that is how my life looks, it’s one big problem after another. He made a deep sigh and looked at Cara, and said, “Johnny Balboni is no bum. He’s a human like the rest of us. If you talk to him, you’ll find out what a decent guy he is. I won’t stop talking to him or helping him out where I can.”
Cara took hold of her purse, she stood up and said, “Have a nice life, Nick. I’m not part of it and don’t try to sit with me at lunch.”
Nick watched Cara leave. He sat and thought about it. Everything happening to me is because of Johnny Balboni. And, Johnny doesn’t even know anything about it. Nick stayed in the empty classroom staring at the calculus problem. Twice he walked up to the screen and studied the problem more closely. He was missing something, he couldn’t figure out what it was. He snapped a photo of the problem with his iPhone to study later.
Nick went through his advanced chemistry class and his Spanish IV class in a daze. He couldn’t concentrate. In the space of a couple of days he lost his best friend, Buttons, his girlfriend Clara and any hope he had for scoring well on the SATs. After his last class, he left school and began walking home. He couldn’t remember walking home without Buttons. A first time for everything he thought.
When he got to the center of town, he decided to take a short cut through the alley behind the row of stores. He wouldn’t meet anyone in the alley, he didn’t feel like talking. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt. He was angry. He was sad. He was scared. And, he wasn’t going to tell anyone.
Nick was nearing the end of the alley when he saw an empty bottle. He bent over, picked it up and threw it against the back wall of a building. The glass bottle exploded against the wall and shattered into a thousand pieces.
Breaking the bottle didn’t help Nick. He still felt lousy. He kicked at the ground and started walking.
“Hey, Nick. Hey, Nick. What you do that for, break a bottle worth a five cents?” Said Johnny Balboni.
Nick stopped and looked for Johnny. It took him a minute before he found him. Johnny was sitting next to a large empty box, eating a sandwich and sipping from a bottle of water.
Before Nick could say anything, Johnny said, “Come over here and keep me company while I eat.”
Why does Johnny want Nick to sit with him? Will Nick’s string of bad luck stop? What else can go wrong for Nick
Leave Him Alone!
Chapter 2
The college campus was near the center of town. The boys walked past a fire station, a Unitarian church, a small hardware store until they reached a road that circled a large green area in the center of town that served as a rotary for traffic. In Massachusetts, the green is known as a common. Small stores lined the street on both sides of the common. One of the stores was Martini’s Deli.
The boys crossed the street, walked across the green, and crossed the street on the other side of the green. Nick tapped Buttons on the arm, “How about a meatball sub?”
Buttons nodded, and pointed to an old guy fishing in a trash can outside of Martini’s Deli. “I can’t stand that guy. Look at him. He disgusting. He carries a trash bag with cans and who knows what else in it. I bet he eats road kill.”
“Do you know him?” asked Nick.
“No, but my dad said stay away from him, he’s no good,” said Buttons.
“I know him. His name is Johnny, Johnny Balboni. He’s a nice guy,” said Nick.
“He’s dressed like a homeless bum. Look at his clothes, even the Salvation Army wouldn’t take them. I bet he hasn’t had a shower in years,” said Buttons.
Nick ignored Buttons, as the boys passed Johnny, Nick said, “Hi Johnny, how’s it going?”
Johnny looked up from the trash can, and gave a smile. His beaming smile opened a mouth with four teeth on top and three on the bottom. He tipped his worn old gray fedora to Nick, and said, “It’s a going okay. I find maybe twenty cans. They a nickel each. So far I make a buck.”
“Good luck, Johnny,” said Nick as he opened the door to Martini’s.
Nick ordered the meatball sub. The boys ordered Cokes and took their order to a booth near a window. Nick gave half of the sub to Buttons, who unwrapped and bit into it as if he hadn’t eaten for a week.
Nick took a sip of his Coke and said, “You can’t judge a guy by how he dresses, Buttons. Johnny does the yardwork around our house in the summer. He doesn’t charge much. Mom gives him a sandwich and some money when he’s done. He never counts the money. He stuffs it in his pocket, tips his hat and takes off until the next week.”
Buttons wiped his mouth on a napkin, “What’s with him and that hat? I never seen him without it. You think he’s hiding something inside it?”
Nick didn’t answer. He slid out of the booth, “I’ll be right back.”
“Where you going?” asked Buttons but Nick was already at the door.
Buttons looked out the window. Two guys from their class were hassling Johnny. He saw Nick talking to them. One of the guys pushed Nick. Nick stumbled backward and fell. As he was getting up, the other guy hit him in the face bloodying Nick’s nose. Nick got up and charged into the guy that hit him, wrestling him to the ground. The other guy was pulling Nick off his friend when Tino Martini came out and broke it up.
Nick brushed himself off. He went back into the deli. He returned to the booth but didn’t sit. He reached for some napkins and wiped his nose and the blood off his chin and hoodie.
“What happened?” asked Buttons.
“They were bullying Johnny and taking cans out of his bag and tossing them back in the trash. They thought it was funny. I didn’t. I don’t feel like eating, let’s go,” said Nick, grabbing his sandwich and Coke.
“Look what it got you, a bloody nose,” said Buttons.
“If you don’t stand up to a bully, they’ll never stop, said Nick.
“Yah, but they weren’t bullying you. You made it your fight,” said Buttons.
“Johnny’s old and can’t fight back. Somebody had to stick up for him,”said Nick pressing the cold can of Coke aside his nose.
The boys left Martini’s. Nick walked over to Johnny and handed him sub. Johnny took the sub and tipped his hat to Nick.
“I have to find a way to go to college anyplace but here,” said Nick.
Buttons didn’t say anything. The subject changed to sports, girls, and Christmas. By the time they got home, the fight was forgotten.
Nick has a good heart. Come by tomorrow and see where our story is headed.
He Has A Nose Longer Than Pinocchio
Chapter 17
Zeke stood in front of Nonna’s door. Mickey stood behind him. Zeke rapped his knuckles on the wooden entrance door. There was no answer. He rapped his knuckles again.
This time, from the other side of the door, “Nobody’s home, can’t you see that. Now go away.”
“It’s me, Nonna,” said Zeke.
“I don’t know no me. Nonna she’s a not here. She gone away for a trip to someplace you don’t know with her boyfriend, but don’t tell Rocco.”
“It’s Zeke, Nonna. I gotta talk to you about the package. Please open,” pleaded Zeke.
“Maybe I open the door if you didn’t bring that dumb as a lump of pizza dough Palitroni with you.”
From behind Zeke, “I’m Zeke’s friend, my name is Al Capone.”
“You stick you kisser in front of this tiny hole, I can tell if you are Al Capone or you somebody wants to steal his good name,” said Nonna.
Zeke shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and stepped out of the to let Mickey pass and stick his kisser in front of the tiny hole.
Twenty seconds later, “You a no good Palitroni. You trying to steal Al Capone’s name. You know how I can tell? I tell you how I can tell, all you Palitroni’s got a nose longer than Pinocchio.”
“I’m going to go to court to have my name changed, Nonna. Please let Zeke in. I promise to be good.”
“You better go get a nose job, it do you better than a different name. Okay I let you boys in, but only for a few minutes. Mario Zito gonna come over and have some wine with me. Who knows what might happen if I keep his glass full, know what I mean?” said Nonna.
Nonna opened the door. She was still in her black dress. Her hair was still up in a bun. She still held a cleaver in her right hand, “Zeke take this fool Palitroni and go sit at the kitchen table. I give you good wine, him, I give dandelion wine from last spring. It tastes like hell, but a Palitroni never know the difference, you watch.”
From behind Zeke, “I like dandelion wine.”
“What I tell you, no taste, no class, no brains. Have a seat. Keep an eye on Palitroni, make sure he don’t steal my rosary,” said Nonna.
Five minutes later Nonna came back with a bottle of red wine and a bottle of homemade dandelion wine. “This first one is for Zeke. This crap is for you. When you done with it, you can have it. I don’t want to get infected.”
“Thanks, Nonna,” said Mickey.
“Now, I’m gonna go get the package and we gonna talk about it,” said Nonna.
“Do you think she opened it?” asked Mickey.
“Nonna? Never, she’s too honest to do something like that. You drinking the dandelion wine straight out of the bottle?” asked Zeke.
“I’m thirsty,” said Mickey. Then he added, “This stuff is good. I got to tell Gus about it.”
A moment later, Nonna returned carrying an unwrapped package. She sat down with the package on her lap. On the table in front of her was a glass of red wine, and her cleaver. “You boys made one move to take this package I gonna cut you fingers off and maybe I don’t stop there if you know what I mean.”
“You opened it, Nonna. We’re all dead,” said Zeke.
“Whatchu talking about? I’m not a dead. You’re not a dead. I’m hoping Palitroni drops over dead the way he’s a drinking the dandelion wine.”
“But you opened it. Tony Gallino said not to open it or he would be very angry,” said Zeke.
Nonna waved her arm, it was her left arm. The arm holding her glass of red wine, a bit of the wine landing on Mickey’s face. “That’s all you get, Palitroni. As for Tony Gallino, the hell with him. I puta curse on him tonight gonna make him wish he never threatened one of my grandchildren. You tell his girlfriends, he gonna be no use to them until he apologizes to you. He don’t have to apologize to Palitroni.”
Mickey looked up, “Do you have any more dandelion wine?”
“What I tell you, Zeke. Never mind. I look in the box and I like what I see in the box. Tony not gonna get what’s inside the box.”
“What’s inside the box?” asked Zeke.
Nonna started laughing, “You not gonna believe what’s inside the package.”
“Is it money? Drugs? Diamonds?” asked Zeke.
Nonna opened the package and started laughing.
What’s inside the package? Will Nonna’s curse work? Will the boys get out of this jam?
Ask Him If He’s Dead
Chapter 15
Zeke pulled into Bola Auto Repair and parked his car next to a used Ford SUV and a used Buick Regal. Zeke looked at his cell, “We got five minutes until we meet Sal. I think being early will look good. Let’s go.”
“What are you going to ask Sal?” asked Mickey.
“I’ve been thinking of that. I don’t have an answer. I’m gonna play it by ear, Mickey. You got any ideas?”
Mickey made an effort, although painful, to think, “I think I got one. How much do you think Sal wants for the Ford SUV?”
“This is your idea?”
“It was the best I could do,” said Mickey.
A six-foot two-inch guy, with dirty fingernails, oil stained jeans, wavy black hair, with his name Sonny stitched into his shirt, rapped on the driver’s window. “You can’t park this piece of crap here. I’m running a business. Anybody sees this, they’ll think I sell crap. I don’t repair anything not worth fixing. So, what do you want?”
Zeke lowered the window, “We got an appointment with Sal. Is he in the house?”
“Pop don’t have anything to do with the business, I run it. You can find him at the Sons of Italy Club. If you got an appointment, he’ll be in the last booth. Now get this piece of crap out of here.”
Ten minutes later the boys pulled into the Sons of Italy parking lot. Zeke looked at his cell, “We’re late. I hope we didn’t blow it.”
“It’s Gus’s fault. He didn’t tell us to come here,” said Mickey.
“Mickey, do me a favor, don’t talk. Don’t speak. Let me do all the talking. Understand?”
“I gotcha, Zeke. My mouth is shut tighter than my uncle Freddie. He’s so tight he won’t give you the right time of day.”
The boys walked into the Sons of Italy club. Four old guys were playing poker. Two guys were at the bar drinking beer watching the replay of last night’s Sox game. Zeke walked over to the bar.
Alphonso Donati, the bartender, who was standing opposite the two guys watching the replay of the Sox game, turned his head toward Zeke, “What da you want? I don’t got all day. The Sox are up. They scored three runs this inning.”
“I don’t want a beer. I want to talk to Sal? You seen him?”
“You talking Sal Peci? Sal Lozano? Or Sal Balovini?”
Mickey whispered in Zeke’s ear, “Do you know which one, I’m terrible with names?”
Zeke took a deep breath and said, “Sal Balovini.”
Alphonso turned around and looked at Zeke and Mickey. “He expecting you guys?”
“We have a two o’clock appointment,” said Zeke.
Alphonso turned to the wall and pointed to the clock, “It’s five after two, you’re late. And, I see you didn’t bring any offering to Mr. Sal.”
Zeke slapped the side of his head, “I knew I forgot something important. I got too many balls running around in my brain. You got anything I can buy that will work?”
Zeke put his right hand to his chin and made believe he was thinking. After a moment, he said, “It costs you a ten spot for me helping you and 20 for the imported bottle of chilled beer straight from Sicily.”
Zeke reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out two fives, and two tens, he looked at the remaining two singles and wondered what he was going to eat tonight. He handed the money to Alphonso.
Alphonso took the money, put it in his pocket and reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of Rizzo’s Finest Sicilian Beer. “Here you go boys, Mr. Sal is in the back booth.”
Zeke looked toward the back booth, “I can’t see anybody.”
“He’s there. I don’t know for how long. Once you buy, it’s yours. I don’t give money back.”
Zeke carried the bottle of beer in his left hand. The boys made their way to the last booth. They stopped at the booth and looked at Sal, his head was resting on his arms on the table.
Mickey whispered, “Is he dead?”
“I dunno,” said Zeke.
“Ask him if he’s dead,” said Mickey.
Zeke looked around. Alphonso and the two guys at the bar were watching the Sox. The poker game was going on. No one was paying attention to Mickey and him. He bent toward Sal’s head, “Mr. Sal? Mr. Sal? You okay?”
“What do you think, Zeke? He didn’t answer. How we going to know if he’s okay if he don’t tell us he’s okay,” said Mickey.
Zeke patted Sal on the shoulder, “Mr. Sal? Mr. Sal, you okay?”
Mr. Sal didn’t move. He didn’t twitch. He didn’t open an eye.
“Check his pulse like they do on TV,” said Mickey.
“Where do they check it? I usually get a beer when there’s no action,” said Zeke.
“I think it’s the wrist,” said Mickey.
“His head’s on his wrists,” said Zeke.
“Let me do it, Zeke. I like the doctor shows. I think I know what to do,” said Mickey.
“Okay, but be careful,” said Zeke.
Mickey put his left hand under Sal’s cheek and lifted his head. He slipped his right hand in and took out Sal’s left arm. Mickey let Sal’s head drop to the table. It landed with a thunk. Alphonso turned from the TV toward the booth. Zeke smiled and waved.
“I think he’s deader than road kill, Zeke. That’s pretty dead. We gotta get out of here. People will think we killed Sal.”
“You’re right, Mickey. Let’s get out of here.”
The boys walked toward the entrance. Alphonso turned and watched them. “Hey where you going with the beer?”
“Sal didn’t want it. He wasn’t thirsty,” said Zeke.
Alphonso looked back toward the booth. When he turned back to the boys, they were gone.
What are the boys going to do? Will they be accused of killing Sal? What about Tony Gallino and his package?
Who Says I Can’t Double Park?
Chapter 10
Zeke turned onto Walnut Ave. Cars lined both sides of the street. Walnut Ave was barely passible for two cars heading in opposite directions.
“What are going to do, Zeke? There’s no parking places,” said Mickey his arms and hands were holding Tony Gallino’s package with a jaws of life grip.
Zeke gave a slight turn of the head toward Mickey. What are talking about? There’s one up ahead by Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap.”
Mickey bent forward toward the dash, “Help me out, Zeke. I don’t see it.”
“It’s right in from of Nonna’s. Nicky should know by now the fire hydrant is reserved for me. Nonna is not his nonna. You know what I mean?”
“I think so, Zeke. What are going to do about it?” asked Mickey.
“Watch this. I accomplish two things at once. One, I get a preferred parking space on Walnut Ave. Two, I teach Nicky not to mess with me. Understand?”
“No? But you’re the brains. I got my hands full. I can’t think about anything else than protecting this package,” said Mickey.
Zeke slowed his Chevy and crept toward Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap. Slowly, he pulled even with Nicky’s piece of crap.
Mickey peeked out his window. “Brilliant Zeke. I couldn’t fit a credit card between the cars. You didn’t even ding him. You taught Nicky a good lesson. Especially if he has to go somewhere like his shift which starts in thirty minutes.”
“Tough noogies for Nicky. Let’s go, Mickey. Take the package with you. Nonna’s going to have hold it to put her inner eye to use,” said Zeke.
“I got a problem, Zeke,” said Mickey.
Zeke was out of the car. He looked in at Mickey staring at Nicky’s piece of crap, “What’s the problem, Mickey?”
“I, I can’t open my door without whacking Nicky’s car. I can’t get out. What am I going to do?” asked Mickey.
Zeke took a deep breath. He bent over and stuck his head into the car. He said, “Mickey, hand me the package. I’ll hold it while you crawl over and come out my door.”
Mickey handed the package to Zeke, then slapped the side of his head, “Why didn’t I think of that? It’s like you can see things, Zeke, nobody else can see.”
A car behind the boys honked and the driver stuck his head out the window and said, “You know you’re double parking. You can’t do that on this street.”
Both boys flipped off the driver who pulled out from behind the boys and sped past them.
Zeke turned to Mickey, “Some people got a lot of nerve. You could tell he doesn’t live around here. If he did, he knows that double parking is legal.”
“Yah, even triple parking if a party is going on,” said Mickey.
The boys climbed on top of the hood of Nicky Zuma’s piece of crap, jumped once to put a dent in the hood, then jumped off. A moment later, the boys were inside the three-story house and knocking on Nonna’s door.
“What chu want with me?” said Nonna.
“It’s me, Zeke. I need to talk with you,”
“You sure it’s you? You got ID?” asked Nonna.
“I have my driver’s license and my union card,” said Zeke.
“I want three pieces of ID. I no fool. Any fool can make an ID. I used to do it all the time when I was younger so I could go in the bars.”
“Wait a second, Nonna,” said Mickey.
“I’m a not going to wait a second or even two seconds. If you don’t got ID, I don’t want to see you.”
“I got it. I got it. They all say I am Zeke Pratti,” said Zeke without looking for any ID.
“Okay, I’m a going let you in. But I’m not going to let that Palitroni in. I can’t trust the Palitroni’s. They no good for six generations.”
“You let him in earlier today, Nonna. He’s one of the good Palitroni’s,” said Zeke.
“Let me think about it. Okay, I thought about it. He can come in if he takes off his shoes. I don’t want no dirt tracked in by a Palitroni. They got diseases and I don’t have time for an STD.”
Zeke looked at Mickey and whispered, “Give me the package. I’ll hold it. Take off your shoes.”
“My socks got holes in them, Zeke,” said Mickey.
“That’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so,” said Mickey.
“His shoes are off, Nonna.”
“Okay, you boys come in, but you tell Palitroni I’m a good with a knife.”
What advice will Nonna give the boys? What will Nicky Zuma think about his car?
Love Creates Miracles
Love always wins. Love conquers hate. Love creates miracles. Two men, from a culture far different from mine, teach me about love. They teach me about friendship. They teach me about the value of working together. They teach me about caring for the environment. If I could, I would personally thank them for being an example for me and all who watch this short Vimeo video.
“I Am His Hands. He Is My Eyes.” The Friendship That Built a Forest from Great Big Story on Vimeo.
