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5,ty Ft.steen .:•.?toctur
,,Apierlbedy mutts to mritm storlms t owt, tivm or a44-::ar, Ip:oese.
and ilia no eaceptim. aso thiz It like t;:i write 4Loot.iI: had the
intaptiJ tri) 6it down and mTits, La that node INIMASO a -AlitanCOS VALt a
kid has. 1 don't know just hoe t,› sm-Alsin it. rola Alsik arrIcaa a cxner
ana itle a different world. 7-,-4110 it all depsuda ext ieldry it-,e7a4 riur
chtlelwod. For Inatance. the :lartimout ParkeeprseSeolimea alras.AT as
tZ:inc. or a alum when Ar family named thar4, bat it )1Ae sone aspects et the
country teem Just a few blemUs at, at Jam= Immune arri. 170th Amato
man a fara *ere yr father mood to 41,:te no kids ocentsi,nally to ,,mit
stralht fr-m tho cow. -4eml.iott baileys it, woad yum? roasmiLar that
S'Iort trip as ir it we 4 a zrci.u.t 21sm%..mrsk. yvta can't .,7et that feelinc
amiln artarrwdro iyQmox up. eorille chan,Ds. and AOW amv, z,n4 )4:en you
nowt them sool.re t;AT'ro 41rforwat ineL:v As m.11 as CALtakil mai .03 bagin
f4lea st Little aarj, vp:401. ;;;Aia o'LLizz*
:-4416A1 3.0 such 14001.V.
:„.ra. lea a ostime of AArroanntiwtme/4 mt,;r7 or it. It was
called '4,andoper vvosoes in the old ‘laolso bat me 'Imam it i-,aLtar se ';I:masine
Ailey' because of the firas SW41003.144-4 t4rvo 61i1 f 4r Ay, tLat 4Atile tc
brash wit LLere lime a rash. The swim. ,e14 or W.s :Irm—sin4nes
bemeue 30 1,iiar to ma al.lv t'lat smen ma stid cLider a:ter it. !,0
hold ..It&ati othor on t e ecouda gA0C-11*tss bae.j1Zas
movise lit. p
to um. I beloived to ME ot
nighty tough kids* Nosy of then got into the beer rocket later Oft sod
afterwerde took over the nuatere racket in the Bronx* I oceld tell yea
but sone other tine, not now*
plenty of stories about those
The larder of our gang yes called Botch* let because it was liesd-goir
name or anythiN4 bat beams* his old wan was a botcher* tall, ambod7 oho
disobeyed this Butch would get, mare as fats, a hendfol of bersamonnrs chucked
right smock in his face. And than mphs the odbordinate vould get in his licks*
lee koay every leader has to lave his subordinate* his righWhied men, to
help carryout his orders In our gang, thiamin a small kid botany tough
I don't know bow it isi zt sometimes those Mils guys who Ism* to loop up
to smack you, turn out t be the worst terrors of all. -411, this subordinate
bad a favorite trick of punishing offaillars. t. would wait wntil the on..
lack, sr tamed around, than be would let him bine it, right in that oenter,
with that pointed shoe of his. But I moan he never missedi Oh, he yeas*
killar„ and the faintest part w..o, that I cans somas bin altarveadi yearn
later, and be had tamed out to be a root about five foot two, eseciatod
localogo salivary. reftnedi and I thought to myself: oho. you poor little
bastard, to think of all the tortures I endured from you, and now I son break
you in halt prect$601/y1 But of course, /teas 411 zee* and forgotten.
in the summertime, the gang wad to run around barefooted like country
144* oven though the streets were pored* I awe got my feat ma woe ams
of those three.cornored ice wagons and was laid up over a month* Xr mother
had to ideal se in a earrings to the clinic* it vaan*t a refiner mblintis
you uaderotemd4 There was a Doctor riroddas who bed opened his own private
climic, and all the poor pevls in the neighborhood wont to btu Bo natter
what was orong with you, this Doctor used to give ohat they called *the
brown medicine* It was ordinary rhubarb syrup, but 1 geese ?so Is ler,
lissi Sian. lo Used is tho
:signer with sews joa moo
a boil
VIM
it one day Berry and I deeded totals, a chance. '=4 Imre sent on an
errand and 'ere to law to ro around aaremont ley, $o vs esealed over the
bridge, estehing to set that *Asada- was around. In ono of the empty lots
the :-,art As kids had built &beck Jut of cardboard and some wood, 2nd
a little tin. e11, sore enough, theft kid° bed been biding there and waited
until se passed, thee they swerned out and eurromeded um. I fought airway
out all rictft, end reesdamd the bridge, but obeli 1 turned Arland there vier
Berry being dregzed beek to the ebeek 41 the sang. I oleo seared as heal be—
cvase I Idn't know abet VAT would do to him. ::;o 1 ran a* fart asI soolki
to toll narry4a soother.
In Barrite ba-silks pandemonium 7Javka looms. Us aothor sbrleke„mvalti,
gratz ;Air *heal and starts down tImi mAtire with ejecoletkone Gond": out of
Ler Naturally the naizbbare ars s.rlueed, 841: tlael ask nes
s4hat is its wtst is it?* Imam* Va7 titan ma4;e head or tsil oUt of *hat
Zarryss nether is oefIng. econelI telt important. And thrilled.
rang gribbed Berry°, I whispered. That ma:31e wor onnv* begin& to
spread threecb the utsle toroment„ and t4en throa4h the gy
the tine we reach the corner, Rarryta sother out in front, sitI her hands to
her 17.0sets, r..luninr In that rwt-7,47its•dtted sey that pert17 woman 40, there's
regilllot of a)nen. bahinn. Ty rratined sAytLinz they coul /et of,
theeve got mender to thlitIr arse. So sitem toes lark Avenue kids, or
their lesikeet see that army cominc over the bridge, they don't ask env
quostiona„ but they beat it lot o there in a burry. Then awry. °one&
ov,t, of the shack, bawling of course, but more frictessed than amtbing elec.
o I eon credit far the reecej the w-anen relieved their flooltles 11 patting
we on the heed, kut awry &od both got scolding& from our aothers, and we
*ere tou never to cross th.$ bri4ge s„*.n.
lee, it laws lata at tasbeing a kid. in ,21.ac, to aka (aynagogues)
was fun. Narryfi, Sather was featly ralig1.3i4a„ a r,a1 religious tines And be
was reaonsible tor makinc no c*. can ?manta dLz't cam meal one way
or tte Ahar. Bet *very krt-ay, raln or *bine, Nr. Ana*, that was Uarryis
real nano, I forgot to.4 till you -be cones tappiAz at oar c1oor with tic cane:
ne, enchain tater (Uell, it's tine alreadiy0 It mann a*
bed; Earr and I were both inqaisitive kids, we didn't take anithing ter granted,
and soon is began to find Wine, out far vureelase.
particalar cereaciay,7 now, calla ter ;twine wit a &1 C1%
itrAnd your bead, and it's alL7:leised to be a aim or wcanathi:-.z to loot larvae -4
VA alma. It yoq AG, they oar 7; 'r sure to be struck blind. Mat's the
care:many *hare a spwaial sect kaaan aalialuaarlo ,exviottted to stand lc', in front
of the altar in Lioir ateckinga„ And Vow ,pray for tho otk,Ar4, the lower -grade
Jima. i.a110 is dianeastedtia;Iuniatnwst betwevtaurselwas, Harry And I, and
we dacided it us a bluff, nut leio waw iloleg to take a cbance In vine tlinga
finally, we arranged to loak at the same Uwe, but QU.II '40tt 01' ADO ere. That
way, wo took fLa ZWI;Ig 'sa.lt-kiliaded. The Aizzal *am aupyoQed
to 'be a tette., and 1044 8$11::4301161 to Zift it.
2,a0041 the oorowegy• Thotassia (chaati=v; 110gInsi ro4 k -4i to Inas
or 'guineas .kiguilualiadimigulagnal,(sPiralead be the s;gd ell tha
rest, and. this Melaka 4e4 up and %aka their ahem offs and is all
the ohaela ewer our tapes* d:Linft Lave LI* none t t it ritht Mara in
tA0 Aedlo of sant a satiaign 2,m1 oaa.;:t.l.lia rtu, and triad an6 triad, but
co.„d1.18 7,:et th4- nerve. Mon, at,me emouth, I beard a v.),41.1 9arrr c4xlIdnit
wait,isiwid,*ad 1:)*kild vith 3DO eye. I saw LW =4* pe0441,
mama altar, Ana those iigLnA4 wry tLt and serious', naddiMe 44i. mowing -while
thay dliweed (chanted). ;mit ay orAsight 103 Still coed, and so new lerres.
This vow ran oat aftaraaraa„ and lauzhad ame. Aimed ar rrsLz isdld
it' 7.4st 1 *are toAarry; haw Celt the zit.") :t? :bane war
zoo did, Le &motors, 30, soon ~molt yuo A:re to cive the tivel7
-Aidangememmis he asiasd „LAidn't etre the $ivel
5-aabel xo th4Aght sere ve mere goinig to be *10e't '&41 or *hat, Lad
close the eignal? Then es Aimed it out that on old Joe stan414 next to
us had coughed, und so mistook it far the signal* Ant to :Ake sure, es 4id
ths stoat aver agile several times, tint14 looking oot of both ayes. sod than
me tees ratiammo Olga, aven tole Z:erres fat:46=16st bad dome* bat be
insisted the, :;ad is Laing generous. with es, but that xed better not try it
;alter I ma lagaggimst (confirmed) i sever vent 'mask to Aga. .let
Ita not sorry at ell that I' *earn ,:xti cartels holidegs, wa kid* eiseld get tree
fltuals; ot the layful anew, yo knor, utten they Inked delicioos cakes end
cookiaa never claret cot lanh of t. tune* meld do little things
ar/tAnd 1:he ayeegoges tor tbs. bee like a seateis in a eheeeho and it
.?sve• us a good feelinir of 'Coltman noseehores, I di4)it ailed tkallighil 0
Us, areek -twee& use very cal,rfol in the aid dere. LriaL
_orviatte lived there AO 32 ZArta. hettAgete seems the mabourts
end everything there nava 7..104 never believe it ...VOX autlasive rasititegatial
street Mors thejaagia (Oestil4e)livode it ves ell ;rivets hatnee, Isms,
tress, and ..xle 0: UK= Areat wax a cliff at two stories Mita they
hlasto that thimigh yearn later. Am election ni4hts, we used to build terrific
Ivklfirss wit'. wood -go ha eolaetsd for Sdaya Infanthood; roe even Seek vs art
:et fool for t'.4ose fires, and one* n.titoast a salvia of .Ashcorist; #oer,;.re
mimed :nail, oloctioa nielt vt .wIde a fire ender the at Cleresoklt
Perkingai47hird; it see so big that it ?artia berme the station doen4 t.
em:ines came salaimiaLto the inane, but tha stialtiAnallea 3o totedl;' burned that
it took a az toe rebuit it. 0: was it ime the gang that built the fire
so "Ich sore ;mystics,
Ida based
tto stir to told it, essapot vitt ti* 41147 14f aiMilltaamo
claims,. they paled teet ama• ar *Ulm* and tie MAP astrourang
staved at Ms id* misporks tot I laabsali vary cmatal' ant aumed
a vow Inearimas aingplain map. volay aiming at 41., 'Ar
der inagoit be vma atestAbiac VW stagy a bit. and lot vaatad to le
of attreetima6