A Thirst For Danger
By: Glen D
It’s 1977 and the most exciting thing in my life is the new Doobie Brothers album that just came out. My mom is downstairs making her famous spaghetti and my grandpa is sitting by the fire reading the newspaper. I take off my headphones and take the needle off of my record and outside I can hear the the loud streets of Brooklyn from our 3rd story apartment. I hear my mom call out to me,
“Johnny dinner’s done!” came running downstairs ready to eat. I sure do love my mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce. It makes the whole apartment smell like a small Italian village. I saw my grandpa get up from the chair that only he’s allowed to sit in. My dad walked out on us when i was just a baby and most people would assume that I miss him and want to meet him but I don’t, my grandpa moved in with us a few years back after my grandma died and he’s been a father figure enough for me. We all sat down to eat and even though there are only three of us it got loud fast. Italians can’t seem to shut up when at the dinner table whether we are talking about school or politics we just keep blabbering on. I’ll be talking about one thing then grandpa cuts me off and starts talking about something else then that reminds mom of something that happened at the store that day and it goes on and on until dinner is over.
After we finished eating, me and grandpa sat down in the living room while mom did the laundry. I turned on the tv and grandpa went back to reading the newspaper. M*A*S*H was on, I sure do love mash, what 16 year old boy wouldn’t? Grandpa looks at me and asked,
“How old are you again?”
“16” I answered.
“That’s what I thought. Did I ever tell you about when I was your age?” I thought for a second trying to remember if he had or not then replied with,
“No…”
“Well when I was your age I had no parents, they both died in a train derailment leaving me in a house all alone. My pa always had people over at the house in nice suits but never for long like they would come tell him something then leave. A few days after my parents died a man who came by often knocked on the door and asked to come in.” Grandpa stopped to take a drink of his martini then continued on.
“The man explained that he was a good friend of my pa and told me that if anything ever happened to my pa that he was to take care of me. I told him that i was fine living here but he explained that him and his pa were important people in the Italian Mafia and that he wanted me to join. I did and I became a runner for alcohol because in that time the U.S. was in prohibition and I got shot at and shot at people and worked my way up towards the top.” Mom interrupted him and asked me to go to the store to get some milk. Grandpa said,
“I’ll continue the story later.” Mom handed me a 5 dollar bill and told me to get myself a candybar. As I was walking to the store to get some milk all I could think about was how exciting grandpa's life must’ve been .
“Man I sure do wish I had a little more action and danger in my life, the most exciting thing I get to do is go to the store to get milk.” I said this while kicking a can in the alley I was walking down. I had only walked down this alley one time before now and when I looked up there was a bright red door with black letters spelling “KEEP OUT.” I stood there for a second and decided to keep walking but after a few more steps I stopped and turned around and quietly turned the doorknob. while entering I was watching my back to make sure no one saw me enter. When I closed the door and turned around I heard live jazz music with a scent of whiskey and cigarettes. Suddenly the music stopped and everyone turned and looked at me. They were all wearing fancy suits and were looking at me like I were from outer space. I quickly turned around and left the building but when I exited I noticed that the alley wasn't the same. I rubbed my eyes thinking I was dreaming but when I realized I wasn't I started panicking. I ran out to the street and saw old cars like ones I saw in movies. I ran to a newspaper stand and looked at the date.
“I’m in 1923? I must be dreaming.” The man attending the newspaper stand looked at me and asked,
“Hey kid are you going to pay for that? And what are you wearing?” I looked at my clothes and realized that my collared shirt and red ski vest, chuck taylors and dodgers hat didn’t fit in with what anyone else was wearing.
“Oh sorry, here you go.” I put the newspaper back and started walking down the street. Where can I go to get clothes, I only have the 5 dollar bill my mom gave me to go to the store so buying clothes isn’t an option. As I walked down the street I hear gunshots and I see a car speed out of the alley in front of me. I wait until the car is long gone and slowly walk down the alley. There was a man laying on the ground with a gunshot in his shoulder unconscious. I walked up to the man and remembered seeing someone check a pulse on tv and when I checked his he still had one but was passed out. I quickly took of his clothes before someone saw. He was wearing a cheap suit with a fedora and dress pants along with a bullet proof vest which I left on him because it was bloody.
Once I got back onto the streets I noticed the bullet hole in the shoulder of the suit so I went to a taylor to get it sewed. When I arrived to the taylor the man was sewing up some pants and I asked,
“How much would it be to get this hole sewed?” The man looked at the hole and asked,
Now why does a boy your age have a hole in his suit?” I thought for a second and said the first thing on y mind,
“I’m in the Mafia.” I instantly knew I messed up.
“That’s not something you should go telling the whole city about.” The man walks over to sew up my new suit then goes to the phone. When he starts talking to the person on the other side of the phone he looked at me then turned around and kept talking. He hung up th phone then walked over to me and said,
“That’ll be $3.50.” I gave him the 5 dollar bill and after he handed me the change he said,
“I recommend sticking around for a little bit.” He went back to sewing the pants he was when I walked in and I sat down in a waiting chair. After a few minutes of waiting a car pulls up in front of the taylor and three suited men got out and walked in. Two of the three men stood by the door and the third walked in, he was older and a little more heavy-set. He walked behind the counter and went over the taylor. They talked for a minute then he walked towards the door, he said,
“Come on.” He was now outside and opening the door to his car. I look at the two men by the door and they hadn't moved so I asked,
“Me?” When they didn’t answer and still didn’t move I got up, went outside and got in the car. The other two followed and one got into the driver's seat and the other in the passenger. The first man who is sitting next to me in the backseat opens a box of of cigars, they were Cyrano cigars, I saw a billboard advertising them while I was walking to the taylor. The man, while lighting his cigar, asked,
“What’s your name?” I replied with,
“Johnny.”
“So Johnny, you’re part of the Mafia?” and before I had a chance to answer he continued by saying,
“Now that’s weird because i’m not only part of the Mafia, I AM the Mafia and I have never seen you before.” I looked straight ahead and started to panic. One hour earlier I was being told a story about the maria and now i’m sitting in the same car as the leader of the Brooklyn Italian Mafia. The man continued on,
“Now I am sure you know that American is currently in a prohibition so alcohol is illegal, but people still want there booze,” the car is starting to become foggy from his cigar smoke,
“and the Mafia makes and runs alcohol to the speakeasies around the city, now since you are running around telling people you are in the Mafia and we are short on runners, I thought you might want to join.” My heart is beating faster than a hummingbird's wings, this is the action I’ve been craving. I didn’t want to sound to eager when accepting his offer but when I did, it came out very eager.
“Yes yes yes! I mean ya sure I guess I could use a little side job.” I’ve never been this excited in my whole life! The man takes his cigar out of his mouth and turns to me,
“Now this isn’t going to be some walk in the park, you’ll shoot and get shot at, you’ll have to run from the cops and you’ll need to be able to drive.” I’m almost shaking with excitement but I try to play it cool,
“Yeah i’ll accept your offer, when do I get started?” The car comes to a stop and the man says,
“Now.” We pulled up infront of a mansion, I’ve only seen houses this big on tv. There were armed guards standing by the main door and on the roof and there were others walking the perimeter of the house. A kid about the same age as me walked up to the man and said,
“Hey Tito, I just got that barrel of whiskey over to the speakeasy on 3rd. They gave a $10 tip for the speed at which it got there.” While he was talking we had walked inside and there were more guards. The boy talking to Tito looked very familiar. Tito replied to the boy with,
“Great job Anthony. Keep the tip, buy yourself something nice.” Anthony, that’s my grandpa’s name. Anthony walked off and Tito told me to follow him into his office. We got in there and there was a huge desk in the middle of the room. He told me to sit down so I did. He went to the other side of the desk and sat down in a big leather rotating chair. He smashed what was left of his cigar into the ashtray on his desk. He explains to me again what I had to do for him and made me swear not to tell anyone that I now worked for the Mafia. He told me that Anthony was my competition.
“Only one of you will stay with us, we can only keep one of you. You two can talk it out and decide who stays of I will decide based on performance.” He throws me car keys and says,
“ There is a Ford in the garage with a barrel of whiskey in the back take it to the speakeasy on 6th street. The password is 3 knocks, 1 knock, 2 knocks 1 knock. Make it fast, they want it before 11:00.” I looked at the clock on the wall and it is 10:34. I got to the garage and opened the garage door and started the car.
“I’ve never drove a car before, what am I doing?” I try to pull out of the garage but kill it. One of the guards standing by the garage looks at me like i’m dumb. I try again and kill it again. Anthony opens the door and tells me to move. I slide over to the passenger side and he starts the car and drives out of the garage and onto the street. He looks over to me and asks,
“Who are you?”
“My name is Johnny.”
“I’m Anthony. Have you ever drove a car before?”
“No…”
“Wow, I can’t believe Tito is putting me on the same standards as someone who hasn’t even drove a car.” I knew now that this was my grandpa, I’m in a Mafia car with my 16 year old grandpa.
“I hope you know that I’m taking credit for this delivery and if Tito still makes us compete for a job I’ll take you out myself.” While Anthony said this I noticed a pistol in his waist.
“Hey look I didn’t ask for this,” I said, “I don’t even know why I’m here.” Just as I finished saying this I notice red and blue lights turn on behind us. Antony turns around to look then slams on the gas. He takes his gun out of his waist and hands it to me.
“Start shooting!” I’m staring at the gun.
“I’ve never shot a gun before.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything so start shooting for god's sake!” Just as Anthony said that a bullet flies through the car and hits the windshield. Anthony takes the gun out of my hand and while still driving fires a few shots out the window then jerks the steering wheel to the right but the cops still followed. After Anthony fired a few more rounds I noticed one hit a tire of the cop car. The car swerves to the right and slams into a street light. We drive in silence the rest of the way. We got to the speakeasy and delivered the barrel. when we got back to the mansion, Anthony went into Tito’s office and closed the door. I ran out of the mansion and onto the streets. I ran until I couldn’t run. I was on my way to the door I went into before I got into this mess but before I got there I heard the screeching of car tires and see the Chevy I was just in and Anthony with his gun out. I started running even faster than before. I could see the billboard for Cyrano Cigars so I knew I was close. I hear two loud blasts, I knew they were from Anthony’s gun. I cut down an alley, it was the one with the man I got these clothes from, I now know that the gunshot he suffered killed him because he was still there. I see the headlight of the car in front of me, Anthony was trying to run me over. Anthonys car was close to hitting me right when I came out of the alley. He Slid out of the alley and back onto the streets stopping otherwise hitting another car. I ca see the door that I entered earlier today causing me to be in this time I ran across the street and into the alley with the door. When I am just about to enter the door I hear Anthony.
“Stop!” I turn around to meet a gun in my face with Anthony on the other end of it.
“Now wait Anthony, I’m just trying to get out of this mess.Let me leave and the spot is yours.”
“I already have the job, but Tito thinks there’s something fishy about you so wants you to swim with the fishes.” After Anthony says this I hear police sirens a ways away. Anthony hears them too and turns around and when he did that I kicked his knee causing him to drop his gun. I turn around and run to the door closing it just before Anthony gets two shots out of his gun. When I look ahead I see an old abandoned bar. I was wearing my red vest, chuck taylors, and my Dodgers hat with a five dollar bill in my pocket.
