The Mummy's Curse

The Rat Cop – The Mummy’s’ Curse

“Hey Dick, What are you doing?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Come on, Richie Forrestal is taking us on an adventure.”
“But my Mother told me to stay right out back or I’ll get another licking.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not going far,” says Richie, Dick’s brother Brians’ friend.
“You can trust Richie, he’ll watch out for us,” says Tom ‘Blondie’ Carroll.
The boys head toward Central Square where their mother’s shop at Kennedy's butter and egg store and turn right past the Sumner Tunnel and the famous Pizza House, Santarpio’s.
“We’re are we? This is past the square and now I’m realy going to get killed.”
“Don’t worry when your Mother sees all the great stuff we bring home: she’ll Love you.”
Down the back of this large factory building, Richie takes the younger kids. They squeeze through a twisted broken gate marked, No Trespassing, Police Take Notice.
“Come here Dippy, look what’s in these barrels.”
“Wow, look at all the Christmas lights; are we at the North Pole?”
“It’s the General Electric Company,” says Richie. “These lights are all rubbish and you can take as many as you can carry. See if you can find a bag or a box?”
“Here’s some boxes, this will be great; we can have lots of lights on the tree this year.”
"Pop, pop, pop".
"What are you doing," asks Dick?
"Doesn't it sound like machine gun bullets," says Richie smashing bulbs on the wall?
Filling boxes to the brim the gang now slips through the fence again. Caught up in the adventure, Dick loses track of time.
“Wow, what’s this? Are those airplanes?” Shouts Dick excitedly.
“This is Logan Airport,” he is told. The little boy looks in amazement as he sees a long flat one-story building with a small steeple in the center with a red light on the tip. All across the vast field are passenger planes while over in a corner are fighter planes. Dick has seen those planes in the movies. He starts to wander off in a trance, imagining he’s now in the movies.
‘Chinese Little Devils’ when the American fighter planes are shot down and the Chinese kids hide the flyers from the Japanese soldiers. His favorite scene is where an American flyer, who had parachuted from his burning fighter; is now tangled in a tree. The kids are trying to cut him out and the Japs start shouting at the kids. Probably saying, “Get the hell away from him; we’ll take care of him”.One of the Jap leaders yells, “Banzai” as they charge the flyer. Suddenly out of the tall grass jumps several Chinese little kids yelling, “Banzai, yourself”. They have blazing machine guns, killing all the soldiers. Wow, kids at war.
“Come on, Blondie run; let’s go hide on the baby.”
Nervous and afraid he might get stranded he starts yelling; “Hey guys wait up. Where did you go? I’m scared.”
Searching the area he cannot find the boys they ran to a maze of things piled on top of one another. “Come on, where are you.”
Suddenly Rich peeks over the top of one pile of these cork mountains. “Climb up here and see our club house.”
The little guy climbs up one pile and as he slips over the top; he is amazed to see the mountain is built with Life Boats. They had cork sides and bottoms and someone had ripped out a hole in the center so you could climb down into different levels. On the side of each raft were several compartments. Each compartment held a different selection of emergency rations used in rescue missions. There were cans of food, gum and candy, cans of water, bandages, flares, flashlights and candles; we could run away from home and survive forever in this wonderland of adventure. Of course we now get sticks and play war.
“Come on, Dippy now we are going to see who’s the bravest soldier.”
“What do you mean?”
“See that water over there? Well to get to it we have to cross quicksand. The mud is dry and caked hard so you can walk on it. Our test of courage is to see who can walk the closet to the water without sinking.”
Richie starts walking near the edge, “See, like this.”
Blondie goes two steps beyond Richie.
Not to be out done Dippy runs half way to the water four or five steps beyond Blondie and screams; “Help me I’m sinking.” As Dick struggles he is sucked in deeper. In a flash his waist is covered and struggling he goes deeper; now up to his chest.
“Help, help,” he screams. The other boys are frozen in fear; “How can we go out that far without sinking ourselves,”
Richie now mumbles under his breath. "Stupid friggen Baby." Finally he realizes if he doesn’t act immediately, he will be responsible for the little kid’s death.
“Come on Blondie, follow me.”
“Wait we can’t leave him; he’ll drown.”
“We’re not leaving him I need help with one of these cork rafts. We’ll slide it across the mud and hopefully it won’t sink. Come on lift, tug, pull; that’s it; we’re getting it.”
Rushing to the area the boys slide the raft while lying on their bellies. Closer and closer until it touches Dick’s head; Rich jumps in and reaches over the side in time as Dick grabs his arms in desperation. The harder he pulls the tougher it gets as the suction creates a vacuum that continues to hold the little body deep inside the mud. Blondie helps as the front of the raft now sinks deeper into the mud.
“Please help me,” Dick cries. He is now thinking, ‘The guys are going to go down with me if I hold on. If I let go my mother is going to get a wicked 'time out.’
Swoosh, He is released from the suction cup so fast everyone tumbles backward to safety in the raft.
“Follow me and stay on your belly so we don’t sink, again.’ Richie commands.
Once back on solid ground the boys crack open a bottle of rationed water to celebrate their comradeship. Crying and sobbing the walk back home is extremely uncomfortable for Dickie as the hot summer sun starts to dry the mud-covered body. To get back home the boys climb the Orleans Street Bridge; which passes over the freight yards. At the top of the bridge a new peril needs to be overcome, the Orleans Street Gang. They are led by notorious tough guy Joe Delasandro; all of nine years old.
“Where do you think you guys are going?”
“We’re trying to get this kid hometo the projects; he was drowning in the mud at the airport.”
"Project Rats huh, iIthought so.: says Joe.
“Holy shit, look at that little bastard; he looks like a Mummy from the Movies at the Rat House. Hey kid, you’re in a cement cast.” Says one of the gang.
Everyone in the gang laughs but Joe.
“You may get bye today without a beating today but you have to take an oath against God to get past us.”
“What do you mean,” says Richie?
“Johnny bring the Bible over here,” commands Joe D.
“Now you, big man put your hand on the bible and swear against God.”
Rich puts his hand on the book and utters his blasphemy against God; Tommy follows, as does the man of clay.
“Go ahead, screw and if we catch you here again you’ll all get croaked,” yells Joe.
Rich and Tom break out in a dash as Clay man waddles as fast as he can without tipping over. Down on the other side feeling safe Richie starts yelling back at the gang.
“Screw you assholes, I never put my hand down on the book, I just pretended.”
“So did I,” Tommy lies.
“I put my hand on the book, what does it mean?” asks Dick.
“You’re automatically out of the church, excommunicated they call it?” Richie tells Dick.
“But I haven’t received my first Communion, yet.”
“It doesn’t matter, you swore against God.”
The boys get back to the Projects without further incident until back in front of Dick’s building he spies his mother standing at the courtyard with a group of anxious neighbors.
"There he is, Mrs. Dailey."
“Oh my God, Look at you. Where have you been?” Richie and Blondie have disappeared.
“Oh you little brat, didn’t I tell you not to leave the yard?”
“But Mom, look I have this big bag of Christmas lights for you.”
“Where did you steal those from? Get your dirty little body up those stairs.”
Inside the hallway now after thanking the group of concerned friends, Whack, whack, whack.
“Oww, what the heck.” Mom shakes her hand in surprise pain; the caked mud is now dry and like cement. The Mummies, Mommy is now cursed.

The Treasure Hunt

The Rat Treasure Hunt

“Now Dickie, You stay out front, out of the dirt and I’ll be down to take you with me into Boston”

“Yes Mommy.”

Dressed in his Sunday best, looking like Buster Brown in his black vested suit jacket, black short pants, high white stockings and pattern leather shoes the little guy goes down the flight of stairs from the second floor in the newly built, East Boston Housing projects. Being one of the first families in the early forties to reside here the family was joined in the next building by the U.S. Navy. The over flow of sailors from the Navel base across the street were billeted in #74 Sumner St., Dick and his family lived in #66, apartment #347. Each building had twelve apartments four on each floor. The Navel Headquarters on Sumner St. was situated on the Boston Harbor across the street. We watched daily as the sailors and waves marched up the cobblestoned street. The newly built projects had beautiful court yards and fenced off garden areas. The brilliant red brick entrances on the street side also had trees and benches, we were fortunate enough to experience the clean brilliance of the proud undertaking of the City of Boston. As little Dickie walked out onto the courtyard he could see the start of unappreciated tenants, renters’ who did not take pride in their turf. He noticed a sand box play area calling to him. Some of the kids found if they dug up a couple of bricks, there was sand underneath. Removing several bricks then opened a sand box. Mom would have beaten him silly if she ever thought he would do something like that. The sand now afforded a place for the stray dogs and cats to urinate and as the kids continued to play they started to get sick. Ignoring, not thinking about the warning “to stay clean” because the sand box was more appealing, Dick sat down to entertain himself. A boy came out of the building and Dick became uneasy. He remembered this boy and his brother chasing Dick and his older brother Brian as they were trying to help mother by going to the store for her, when they moved in a couple of months ago. Nothing ever came of the situation but because Brian had continued to tell Dick “If they catch us we’re going to get a beating”, now seeing Tommy Carrol, little Dickie froze. Although they were both the same age, Tom was much taller and appeared to be older so when he commanded Dick to come with him on a treasure hunt, the little guy became intimidated.

“Come on kid were going on a treasure hunt.”

“My mommy told me not to leave the front of the house or I’ll get a licking, we have to go on the train”.

Tom reached down and selected a nice full red brick, “If you don’t come with me, I’m going to smash you over the head with this brick. We’ll be right back, she won’t even know and when we come back from finding treasure, shell be very happy with you. If you don’t come you’ll have a broken head and no treasure”.

Dick obediently responded, he had considered the options and thought a red bottom would hurt less than a red head, split with the brick.

“Follow me where going to play Follow the Leader.”

“Wait, I can’t go across the street, alone?”

“You can’t what”, Tommy screams as he raises the brick again.

“I’m sorry but my mother’s going to be mad.”

“I told you when we bring home the treasure she’ll be happy.”

Across the cobblestoned street Dick followed, down to the end at New Street where the two boys squeezed through the stretched opening at the bottom of the fence marked, Government Property, No Trespassing and Police Take Notice; down around the broken pavement under the rotted piers.

“I can’t go under there’, Dick cried. “My Mother will kill me if I get dirty and its all grease and green seaweed; what about the water rats”?

“Just shut up and follow me”, Tommy said as he raised the brick menacingly over his head.

Stumbling after the bigger boy, Dick kept slipping on the grease left by the harbor ships sewerage and spillage prominent at low tide. He now started sobbing as he slipped and fell forward following his tormentor.

“I want to go home; I’m scared, my mommies going to kill me”.

“Shut up you baby, go ahead, go home your a pan in the neck, anyway. You’ll be sad when I find the treasure, alone and keep it all for myself”. This was an option Dickie hadn't considered. Curiosity got the best of the confused little boy. "What if?"

Tommy must have seen or heard of the movie ‘Treasure Island’, where the treasure washes ashore. There was no end in sight, just a continuation of rotted piers, grease and trash.

“Wow, look at this tennis ball, it means we’re getting closer to the treasure.”

Tom started collecting crappy rubber balls covered with grease and throwing them back at Dick. Fumbling and stumbling, slipping and falling into grease covered rocks; Dick started to become filthy, now the fear of Mom’s upset caused him to stutter and stammer while crying and drooling spittle all over himself.

“Shut the hell up you fraidy cat, cry baby”, Tom screamed. “’The Treasure is just around the next pier”.

Dickie noticed the water was now getting closer and thought about the perilous near drowning incident with the rat in his face last week. His fears now mounted.

“We’re going to drown and the giant water rats are going to get us; I know they had me last week but I got away”.

“You’re lying”, Tom screamed. “Get moving; there’s no water rats and you never came here before”.

The next step was the final blow as Dick’s foot wedged between two greasy rocks: panicking now he pulled and pulled wedging it in tighter.

He started screaming, “Help me, help me, I’m going to drown”.

Tommy put down the brick and tried pulling under the little guy’s arms but the harder they tried the tighter the wedge became.

“Come on pull your dam foot you’re your not helping?”

Finally in fear for his own safety, Tom abandoned the situation.

“I’m leaving; I’m not going to drown because a stupid cry baby doesn’t know how to hunt treasure”.

“Please don’t leave me; I don’t know what to do”.

“The hell with you, I’m going”.

“Help me, don’t leave me, please.”

Now struggling and screaming in total panic Dick slips on the greasy bottom and as he falls his foot slides out of the shoe.

“Oh heck, oww.”

Free at last he limps after the fleeing captor.

“Wait, Unhuh, unhuh,” he sobs. “I lost my shoe my mommies going to kill me.”

He is at least grateful that he may not drown. His next step is the bad icing on an already terrible cake.

“Aaarrgghh, I cut my foot; I’m bleeding.”

Dick steps on a broken bottle under the seaweed and slices his foot open. He cries out in pain and goes into shock over the gushing blood now covering the grease.

“Oww, I can’t walk, I’m bleeding”, he cries.

“Then crawl, you stupid crybaby; the end is just around the corner. I’ve been here with my older brother and we found more treasure than today. You’re a jinx; you’ll never come with me again”.

Tom hastens towards the bend under the piers.

“Please wait; don’t leave me, I’ll drown.” Little Dickie raises and sloshes after him not wanting to be left behind.

“Ha, ha, ha, you’ve got to be kidding.”

Suddenly the boys hear laughter; a Party or Wedding group has now spilled out onto the dock. A woman peers over the rail and sees the two dirty little greasy rats scurrying as they stumble and fall, trying to get to the pier.

She laughs and tells her friends, “Look at those rag muffins; that’s what you call a real ‘grease ball’.

She screams, “Oh my God that little guy is in a puddle of blood”.

“Come here you two.”

A couple of men have climbed down the ladders with blankets and carry the two boys into the kitchen of the club.

“Bring them some cokes and cookies, Joe”, says one man trying to calm the little boys’ sob’s?

“Where do you kids live,” asks Joe.

Tommy says, “The Housing Projects”.

“Where”, shouts Joe?

“Sumner Street in the projects”, answers Tom.

“You’ve got to be shitting me, that’s almost a half mile away. You must have been wandering for hours? Call the Cops, Charlie, their parents must be going nuts.”

“What the fuck, arr, excuse me, what the hell were you doing all this time”?

“Uhh, uhh,” Dick is still sobbing trying to catch a breath while Tommy proudly announces, “We were hunting for treasure”.

“Dese fricking kids are nuts”, another member says.

"Charlie, you know first aid; what can we do with this kids greasy bloody foot?" Charlie ties a bandage from a medical kit on the wall around the wounded foot but the blood still shows through.

The Boston Police arrive at the Jefferies Point Yacht Club.

“Who's going to do time for this big crime you folks called us for today?” As they joke about the severity of the situation, today.

“Hey Dianne, how you doing; grab us a couple of high balls, will you.”

They laugh and joke with the woman while being handed the drinks in the back room.

“Wait till these little bastards get home; dare going to get their asses kicked. Da fricken parents have been on the phone going nuts all afternoon”, one cop remarks.

“The little guys still bleeding”, says Charlie from the club. “We put a type B tourniquet on to temporarily to stop the bleeding. We didn’t want to shut off the little guy’s circulation plus it looks like a butterfly bandage may do the trick.”

“What are you Charlie, a fricken medic,” asks one of the cops?

“Why don’t you guys stop screwing around with the ladies and get them kids home”?

“What are you a freakin wise guy or someding”?

“No, I’m Charlie Welch, BPD and I work in the Area D in West Roxbury where we have real crime” as Charlie flashes his tin. "Now take the kids home; the parents are nervous wrecks by now.”

“Come on you little grease balls, get in the car and don’t get your dirty little asses on the cushions.”

The boys climb into the back seat Tommy excited about riding in a Police Car and Dickie now thinking about the reception committee at home starts to whimper, again. They both sit on the towels given them by the yachtsmen. They push forward so as not to get the seats dirty and get yelled at again.

“You little bastards caused us a lot of fricken aggravation; we could have picked up a couple of broads and got laid. Have you boys broken your cherries yet?”

“We ate cherries at my house, the other day,” said Tommy.

“Ya, that’s it; eating cherries kid, aren’t they delicious? Don’t you just love eating cherries, sucking the juice”?

“Carl, cut the shit these kids are just babies; what the hell are you talking about?”

“Aww fuck it, they have to learn some time. Hey, you little shit are you getting that seat dirty?”

Tom and Dickie bolt back, up straight as they started to relax and slouch. The cruiser pulls up to #66 Sumner St. and the cop called Carl tells Dick to get out, “Your bleeding all over the friggen car. Get the hell upstairs and tell your Mudder and Fadder your home, we’ll be up in a minute.”

Dick hops out of the car and limps across the court yard, up the front stairs and enters the first floor hallway; leaving his bloody footprint as a trail. Walking into the hallway from the darkness he notices someone has burned their initials with matches on the beautiful white ceilings. Climbing the stairway, happy to finally be out of the stressful events of the day; still quietly sobbing he stops in front of apartment #347 and as he reaches for the doorknob; he freezes.

“I can’t go in looking like this; my mother will kill me. Sob, sob.”

He turns and sees the bloody footprints leading to the door. He hops on his clean shoe to the window over the roof shed, climbs up on the sill and slips down in the corner; shielding himself from the Police car below.

“Come on Carl finish that report upstairs; we need to get back to the Club. You saw that broad Dianne didn’t you? Well she slipped me her number with the drinks.”

“You whoremaster, how come I didn’t catch that move?”

Dickie watches as the Police now approach the front stairs beneath the roof shed and out of sight. He tries to scrunch his body into a cocoon; to be as small as he can be, trying to be invisible. He hears the Police banging on his door.

“Who is it,” he hears his Dad call out as Dick is just beneath the parlor window.

“It’s the Police where’s your son?”

“What are you talking about? You found our boy? Where is he? Is he safe?” Dad is rattling off as many excited questions as he can spill out not realizing Dick’s safe.

“We sent the kid upstairs. Look his footprints lead right to the door.”

Dad looks down and sees the bloody little trail and says, “I think I know where he is.” He walks to the open window, leans out and sees his beautiful son, whimpering, filthy and bloody.

“Come here, Dick.”

He reaches down with his strong hands rough from all the metal cuts in his job as a ‘tin knocker’. dads a Sheet Metal worker at the Charlestown Navel Shipyard. He pulls his baby in and crushes him to his strong hairy chest and breathes a sigh of relief. Under his breath he says, “Thank you lord.”

“If that were my kid he’d get the licking of his life; running away and sneaking out on the roof like that.” Officer Carl interjects.

“Well it’s not your kid and we’re happy to have him home safe and alive. Thank you for bringing him home. Bye the way, where did you guys find the boys”?

“At the Jefferies Point Yacht Club, can you believe that?”

A few years later a little boy from the projects wandered away into the ‘No Trespassing' area and was found crushed to death between the dock and a tanker.

“Now calm down Honey; he’s O.K. He’s just a little ruffled.”

“Oh my God; look at you? You’ll be the death of me yet?”

“Sob, sob, I’m sorry, Mommy.”

“Where’s your shoe? What happened to your beautiful clothes?”

“I don’t know? I lost them. I fell down. I’m sob, sob, sorry, Mommie.”

After being stripped and cleaned up in the tub; little Dickie still traumatized climbed into bed. He was shivering and still sobbing as he fell asleep. His dreams were violent; bricks, rats, blood, grease, drowning, lickings; he was withering and shaking when a beautiful peaceful calmness eased over his entire being. It was soothing and felt like he was floating on clouds of feathers. He stopped sobbing and the shakes were quelled. He was quietly awakened by a soft pleasurable feeling on his fanny. His peepee was pulsating. He was startled when he realized his brother Brian was rubbing a soft hair brush across his butt. Brian had Dick’s pinus in his mouth. Groggily Dickie wonders what is going on.

“What are you doing Brian?”

“Shhhh, doesn’t it feel nice?”

“Yes but what are you doing that for?”

“Because it makes you feel real good, doesn’t it?”

“Why are you rubbing the hair brush on my fanny?”

“Shhh don’t let Mommie know you feel good. Nice, doesn’t it feel great? Now do it to me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m your big brother and I made you feel good so don’t you think it’s fair that you should do it to me? Watch”

Soft brush bristles across my buttocks.

“That feels great, right? Now try doing it to me. That’s it, now put it in your mouth; you know like a lollipop.”

“It’s yechey, I don’t like it.”

“Oh it feels soo good, Thank you Dickie; you’re a great brother.”

“O.K. then I’ll try it again. It feels better this time, nice and soft but I’m tired and I’m falling asleep, good night Brian.”

“Good night Dick.”

The Rat House

THE RAT HOUSE

Sitting in the burnt out movie theater the two 12 year olds were reminiscing about old times in the ‘Rat House’, the Gem Theater. Ashcan and Dippy were swapping stories ‘Back in the good old daze’. The year was 1953 and the Boston Braves National League baseball team had decided to leave Boston, Ash and I were members of the Knothole Gang. We paid a dollar for a Membership card and got into all games free.

“Hey Ash, did you see the paper? The Braves are leaving Boston? No more Sphan and Sain and a day of rain?”

“Yea, Warren Sphan and Johnny Sain were quite a pair but I think ‘I’ll really miss Sam Jethrow getting hit off the head with ball even more”, says Paul.

“I heard black guys have harder skulls; that’s why you can’t knock em out? Maybe if he puts the glove on his head he’ll catch em all. That is until the lumps get in the way”.

“He, he, you friggen Dippy, your nuts. This wine is great how did you get the key?”

“I tolja, I’m an Alter boy and I work at the church so I know the whole layout.”

“It scared the shit outta me when Fadder Mac showed up, I thought we wuz gonna get excommunicated?”

“Naw, I heard he was an Alchey and they wuz gonna farm him out. You know where they send Priests who are screw ups? I really believe he knew exactly what we wuz doing. He must have been in quite a few Jackpots himself so he let us slide.”

“He seems like an asshole?”

“He’s the only priest my father ever liked maybe because my Dad’s a drinker too?”

“Ya like us, brothers in da bottle? We’re really gonna miss the Rat House, a lot of good times, for dimes.”

“Yep, you couldn’t beat nine cents for the movies. When my mother couldn’t afford the money, I used to cash a couple of tonic bottles, a nickel a piece.”

“It was great when you were a little short and the kids would pass the pennies back so other kids could get in”, Paul recalled.

“Really I don’t remember that I always got screwed. I had to bring my baby sister and she always cried for candy.”

“Is that why she was so fat? She looks great today.”

“I thought it was sweets but she was sick with some strange disease, my Aunt saved her life with a blood transfusion.”

The wine was causing the boys to mellow out as Dick drifted into the candy for his sister_ _ _ _ “Oh my God, what was that?” The women whispered as something brushed her leg under the seat. “Pull your legs up kids, this place gives me the creeps; put them on the seat in front of you, like this.”

In the darkness of the old Gem Theater, I’m crawling under the seats trying to reach for another treasure, a dropped piece of candy for the ransom. My day started as most every other day preparing to run myself ragged with the gang. After a wild morning of aggressive running and wrestling; I rush home for lunch. It’s Saturday and we’re all going to the movies.

“Ma, you said I could go the movies this afternoon. The kids are waiting for me.”

“Now Dickie Darling, I need you to do me a favor.”

‘Oh no, not again,’ I’m thinking.

“I want you to take your little sister, Honey to the show?”

“Ma, its not fair; where’s Billy? I took her the last two weeks and she cries all the time.”

“She better not cry and you better not tease her again; or you know what?”

“What”, I stupidly ask trying to get her angry enough to think, my brother will take better care of her?

“You’ll get the licking of your life and you’ll never go to the movies again.”

“You said that last week; isn’t it Billy’s turn?”

“We don’t take turns in this house; we do what’s asked of us because we love each other, right?”

Dejectedly now I respond, “Yes Mommie.” I know I love my baby sister and I need to help you taking care of her because she’s sick. Fat is more like it.

“Here’s twenty five cents, the movie cost nine cents each; that will give you seven cents for candy, that’s enough for the two of you.”

‘She’s right,’ I’m thinking if I bought my favorite; Bonomo’s Chocolate Drops I could have thirty five pieces. Honey always cries for mint juleps’ and you only get three to a pack; that’s only twenty one pieces. As soon as we get outside I start teasing, “I’m taking you to the movies and you better sit still; don’t move unless I tell you, you understand?”

“You’re not the boss; Mommy’s the boss.”

“Mommy said I’m baby sitting you; that means I’m the boss.” Dick now runs ahead and yells back, “See you at the movie’s, you can be your own boss, brat.” He darts behind one of the two huge elm trees in the middle of the playground and hides not responding to his sisters’ cries.

“Dickie where are you; I’m telling mommy?”

Silence.

“Dickie”, now Honey’s starting to panic, the little rolly, polly, waddles faster; “I know you’re behind the tree.” As she walks behind, I keep circling ahead of her just out of sight. Round and round we go, churning the butter when finally she believes I’ve run away on her; she starts crying again.

“He, he, he,” I’m snickering, suppressing my glee.

“I’m telling mommy you ran away from me.”

“Haa Rah, here I am, I was just fooling around.” I jump out feeling my tease is working; a little at a time. She’s going to pay for my prison sentence. We’re too close to home; leaving me no choice. We haven’t left the interior of the projects, yet; she knows where she is and can see her way home. Wait till we cut through the Project building onto Maverick St.; all the buildings look the same and the maze will confuse her. Now on Maverick St. we pass the Holy Redeemer Church, I dart down the stairs to the lower sanctuary, Honey has no idea where I’ve gone and I watch her squirm and fidget trying to pretend; she’s not afraid.

“Dickie, where are you?” she cries, “You better stop or I’m telling Mommy.”

“He,he, he,” go ahead tubby, you look like little Lulu from the newspaper cartoons. “I’m over here; I tripped and I can’t get up.” As she tries to engineer the stairs I run along a high stone wall near the convent trying to circle around and get in front of her. Some one yells from a closed screened in porch; it’s a woman’s voice, “What are you children doing there? You’re not allowed back here; you’ll get hurt.” Stopped dead in my tracks I’m looking but I can’t see anyone. Honey starts crying, “I can’t find my brother, he’s supposed to be babysitting me and he keeps running away.”

“Shhh, shhh, here I am.” I jump out from behind the bushes. “ I was right here all the time. I wouldn’t leave you. I was only kidding; what’s the matter can’t you take a joke.”

Suddenly there’s a huge Penguin standing in front of me. I jump back, startled. “Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you getting married or something?” I remembered seeing some guys in a wedding with all black and white suits with bow ties something like see was wearing but she was strange; her head was caged.

“I’m Sister Mary Joseph and you are very observant. I am getting married. I’m marrying God. I am called a Nun. Our order is the Sisters of Notre Dame. We girls live in this house called a convent and we are all preparing to marry God when we die.”

“None of what,” I ask innocently?

“What’s your name little boy and is this cutie your sister?”

“I’m Dickie Dailey,”

“You mean Richard, don’t you?”

“Well Mommy calls me, Dickie.”

“Are you William’s brother?”

“Ya, how did you know that?”

“You mean yes, don’t you?”

“Ya, I mean yes; how do you know I was Williams brother; are you a physic like Nostradamus or something?”

She lets that one slide; to deep for his boots. “William is in the first grade and I’m his teacher. What’s your sister’s name?”

“Dotty, we call her Honey.”

“You mean, Dorothy, don’t you, Richard?”

Richard, that sounds funny, no one ever calls me Richard. Why is she asking so many questions doesn’t she know we’ll be late for the movies. “Can we go now we’re going to be late?”

“Where are you children going?”

“To the movies,” Honey responds.

“Well what brings you back here; I thought you came to Church with your Mother.”

Oh, oh now I’m in big trouble; my mother told me not to talk to strangers. I’m now getting nervous; “We gotta go.” Mom will surly know now, all grownups tattletale.

“Well Richard since you are such a big boy. I can tell you are a good boy. I just know you were not teasing your sister to make her cry; were you?”

Here it comes, the lie factory; oh well I’ll never see her again; she’ll be going back to the North Pole soon.

“Oh no, I love my little sister, don’t I Honey? Come on let’s run, where going to be late, bye lady Joseph.”

I’m now thinking, I never saw any hair, why would a girl have a man’s name, Joseph? Was she a man in a girl’s suit? Well she was nice anyway. Crossing the street we pass Sam’s variety store on the corner of Havre Street. Billy and I had to hide here when being chased by the gang when we first moved into the projects. We pass Martino’s meat market and go around the corner to Paris Street. There is a Chinese laundry on the corner.

“Honey I want you to do what I do when we pass this Laundry, watch? Show your teeth, with a big smile; bigger, good. Now take your finger and make believe you have tooth paste on it, like this.” I rub my clenched teeth rapidly with my extended finger. “That’s it, now as we pass the store, do it in the window so the people can see you.”

“Why?”

“Because sometimes when they see clean teeth on kids; they give us candy,”

“Really Dickie,” Honey now lights up. The thought of Candy always gets kids excited.

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” We both stick our faces in the window and rub our teeth until I see the Chinaman coming to kill us for making fun of their jutting teeth. “Run Honey, run,” as I dash towards the movies.

“Wait,” says tubby, “where are you going? I thought we were going to get some candy from the China man?”

“Aaa, he must have been a Commie, their different. Billy told me Chinese are O.K. but Commies are mean.” The Gem Theater is just ahead of us. As we pass the Post Office I get another brainstorm. “Honey let me have the nickel Mommy gave you.”

“No, then I won’t have any money to spend.”

“You don’t understand, I’m going to show you how to do a magic Trick.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well how would you like to have more money to spend?”

“O.K.”

“Give me the nickel.” Grudgingly she hands it to me but squeezes it real tight.

“You promise to give it back?”

“Honest to God, Cross my heart and hope to die; you’ll be surprised at how BIG it grows.” She lets her death grip relax and I bolt out into the street in front of Station 7, the East Boston Police Headquarters. I place the nickel in the street car track, deeply grooved as the trolley comes out of the underground tunnel at the Maverick, MTA Station.

“Dickie, what are you doing? Look out here come’s the street car.” CRUNCH, the trolley rumbles over the nickel and comes to a stop; right on top of the coin. As the train continues toward Revere Beach, I run out to re-claim the larger than life token, the flattened nickel. Amazed at the odd new shape; I hand it to Honey, bragging about my magic, “See, bigger, wider, flatter; now we can buy more candy.”

“Aggg,” she starts sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the street, screaming at the top of her chubby cheeks. “It’s crushed, I’m going home; I’m telling Mommy on you.”

‘Go ahead Brat you don’t even know where home is,’ I’m again thinking.

Now I’m wondering if the coin is one of those mis-prints Uncle Reggie showed me. His coin collection had odd coins worth a lot of money and this one certainly is odd enough?

“Wait, Honey stop crying people are looking.” Now I’m acting just like my Mom worrying about people knowing my….. our family travesty. I need to act fast or I’ll be known throughout the city as, the rotten rat brother. I can’t have that.

“Wait, Honey wait; I promise to make it up to you I’ll feed you candy all afternoon.” Whoops now you did it big mouth; how in the world are you gonna keep that promise. Sounds like Dad promising to take us to the Park, coming home ‘three sheets to the wind’ so he always ends up with a coincidental ailment?

“I’ll give you my two pennies, here and after we get in the show I’ll keep my promise to give you candy all afternoon.”

Now crawling under the seats, I’m in a gold mine, no lights and using brail to locate people droppings. Here’s a penny, a piece of fudge, good there’s only a little bite, this ones for her. Whoa what’s this? It looks like a locket; I’ll check it later. Wow, my favorite Bonomo Chocolate’s; I love Bonomo’ Chocolates!”

* Filthy Goodies

An article printed in the Time magazine December 26, 1938 entitled, ‘Filthy Goodies’. Little boys are supposedly made of snaps & snails & puppy dogs tails. Worse were the ingredients found by the Federal inspectors in cheap candy made at the Brooklyn factory of Victor A. Bonomo and sold at goody counters to stores in New England?

Judge Grover M. Moscowitz, father of four Moscowitzes, glared indignantly from his bench as he heard the chemist’s report on the contents of Bonomo’s candy: rodent’s hairs, rodents excreta, larvae, fragments of human hair, bits of paper, bits of mouse pelts and fragments of glass. Sample pieces contained as high as 205 insect fragments, 204 mouse hairs. The Moscowitz sentence: $600 fine [legal maximum] and three years on probation for the filth purveyor.

Next treat in my extortion bag are mint juleps “Oh yuck, what did I stick my hand in. It’s a spit out nigger baby?” They were black sugar covered licorice tasting mummies. “I need to wash my sticky, yucky hands. I think this is enough for now.” Crawling cautiously so as to not brush against anymore legs I was feeling pretty confident about my journey until I got back to my seat and saw this bald headed man sitting next to my sister. She was white as a Ghost. I didn’t know what to do. How do you tell a grown up to get away from your sister, without getting into trouble? You must never speak disrespectful to an adult. You would be considered rude.

“Hummmm, That’s it; thanks God?” An idea, pops into my head.

“Hey Mister, that’s my seat next to my sister.” I yelled hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. Everyone turned around staring at the man; all thinking different thoughts about what he was doing in this kid movie, alone? The staring, glaring eyes did it. They were all casting stones at the pervert. He raises and mumbles some soft excuse for the intrusion into the seat pattern, “Oh I’m sorry; my seat is the next row. I couldn’t tell in the dark.” He quietly apologizes and slithers away. I believe the snake slithered right down the stairs and out the door. A few weeks earlier while at the movies with my friends; I happened to actually be watching a movie. Without realizing it; all my friends got kicked out. I was so engrossed I hadn’t seen the bald headed guy sit down next to me. Again I paid no attention still captivated by the naked titties on the natives running around in Africa. Suddenly his trench coat accidently fell partially in my lap. Glued to the screen; I flipped it back. Again it flops over I figured it was too big for his seat so I ignored it. I felt a wonderful twinge on my thigh; like the night I thought I was in heaven with my brother. The wondrous feeling immediately subsided so back to Africa I go. I jumped three feet in the air the next hand was firm and warm as hell. It felt great as it slid down between my legs.

“Whoa, what the heck.”

Baldy leans over and whispers with dragon breath, “How’d you like to earn a quarter;” as he rubs his hand around my peepee. I’m withering in ecstasy.

“A quarter,” wow that’s a lot of candy; I’m now thinking. I’m getting scared but don’t have anyone to tell; my friends are all gone. I start wiggling my legs like I’m going to pee my pants. “Mister I have to go to the bathroom.”

Whispering again he says, “Me too, I’ll come with you. I’m not going to hurt you sonny; I’m a school teacher.” He grabs more firmly but relaxes immediately giving me a feeling of restraint, additional fear and instant relaxation. Frightened by this ghoulish fiend; I start to whimper, “Mr. Teacher I really have to go do number one, I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Don’t tell anyone about the quarter and when you come back I’ll give you this,” He’s waving a whole dollar in my face. I really had to think about that one. “Humm, when’s the last time I had a dollar? I think it was Aunt Nancy whose husband was arrested in the Brink’s Robbery?”

“You promise to come right back?” He asks.

“Honest to God, cross my Heart and hope to die.” With my fingers crossed behind my back; I jump up, run around the candy counter and slip down stairs. I don’t think I ever ran as fast as I did that day. The Ghost of Bald Mountain was following me every step of the way. If I only had been edumacated; the Police Station was directly across the street and Mack the Bubble was dressed in a Cop suit. We never thought he could actually do anything other than throw kids out. Shame on our High Society, ‘Children should be seen and not heard’; what group of eminent psychologist thought that one up? If you tried to tell some one; no one was listening anyway. I will say this; those meatheads were ions ahead of their time, show me a kid today who can be seen at any event at the home? They’re all TVewing or stuck on the Computer. Today they are certainly seen but are too educated to have any parent hear them or even barely understand the lingo of the kids. When the situation occurred with my sister Honey; I was better prepared having experienced it earlier. After he left I changed our seats and sat Honey next to an older woman while I paid the ransom and went back to the dark coal mines for the rest of the extortion money. When ever I was forced to take my sister after that; I’d make sure I sat her next to a Mother with kids or at least an older girl. The Movie ended, Plumpy, Dumpy was still chomping away. Papino the little Mouse was filthy and as we got caught in the overwhelming rush down the stairs to daylight, I overheard several voices talking about brushes against their legs and softly whispering, “Rats”. The Gem Theater was forever known as the Rat House.

The Wharf Rat

The Wharf Rat

Swallowing the delectable Boston Harbor in liquid form of course, I now think in hindsight, I guess Mommy’s do know more than we give them credit for. The last word’s I’ll ever hear from her beautiful lips, “Don’t let your sister out of your sight”. That’s how I got into this predicament. It all started when mother called in that sweet melodious tone that let me know I was going to be restrained.

“Dickie darling, I need you to watch your sister for a while out back.”

“But Ma, I was just running out the door to play with the guys.”

“You’ll have plenty of time to play later. Now take your sister out back and don’t let her out of your sight or you know what?”

“Where’s Billy, can’t he take care of Honey, she’s his sister too and he’s older; shouldn’t he have a turn?”

“Don’t you dare contradict me? Don’t you worry about your brother; just do as you’re told.”

“Yes Mommy”, I answered. ‘Billy’s, momma’s boy; he can do no wrong.’ Once out side the door, I’m thinking. ‘I get stuck with you all the time; you little chuba wabba. I wish I never had a sister. Awww, that’s not true, I really love you Honey, I just hate being tied down; I have too much energy. Let Billy watch her. Under his breath he continues, ‘I’ll fix you, you little fatty.’ Down the stairs to the court yard out back where mother can not see her, the little rat helps fatty over the fenced in area. It’s fenced because we are not supposed to dig up the garden areas.

“Here Honey take your pail and shovel. I’ll show you how to find worms. Now Honey, Gail Parella has the record for digging and eating the most worms in all of East Boston, she’s really Italian. Only Italians eat worms; that’s why Mommy’s so beautiful. Granma LaBella had the most beautiful gardens with the best dirt and her worms were the most delicious. Where do you think spaghetti comes from? It’s dried worms all stretched out?”

“Really, Dickie, they’re so slimy?”

“Really, Honey.” [Voice] ‘The Devil Horns pop out of the top of his head from his devilish mind. My Grandmother cursed me when she tabbed me ‘The Dailey Divil’ with her thick Irish brogue.

“Would I do anything to hurt you, my beautiful baby sister? I’m just trying to make you the most beautiful Angel, just like your Italian Princess mother.”

Meanwhile I hear this loud commotion behind me.

“Way to go Jack,” the group screams; “you got one.”

Honey has her head buried in the dirt busying her with worms and ants. [Spaghetti and Chocolate Jimmie’s] The gang across the street is running around like crazy. I watch them with sticks smacking the rotted piers.

“What the heck is going on over there,” I’m now thinking? Little did I know this was to be my day of reckoning?

I sneak away, cross the dangerous cobble stoned street, with at least one car every five minutes the year is 1943, I slip through the bent and twisted gate onto the forbidden Rat Haven everyone called ‘the wharf’. The property is posted, Government Property, No Trespassing, and Police Take Notice. The Warf, the rotten abandoned piers my mother warned us kids about constantly because of the impending danger, “Don’t ever go in there, it’s Government property and the Police will arrest you and put you in jail?”

I recognized the group, the project gang. They terrorize the neighborhood. Most of the kids did not live in the projects; they were all wise guy ‘Wanna bees’. They were all destined for lives of crime and disruption. I overheard my brother and his group of misfits laughing and joking about a cruel and vicious game the gang guys’ play. Billy told me, “They catch a frog, stick a straw up its ass and blow it up. Then they throw the thing in the harbor and shoot BB guns at it until it explodes.”

I thought that was very cruel now hearing the screaming and laughing I think they are teasing frogs. I was hoping who ever was doing the stupid straw blowing would get some blow back and get warts on his tongue. I learned at summer camp if a frog pees on you, you get warts. Closer now I creep because if they see me they will taunt and tease me, actually anyone not part of their gang was tormented.[not unlike the youth of today]

“Reel him back in and give Harold a turn,” says Big Jack Ross, the so called Don of the Wanna Bees. He and his five brothers lived in the Projects and life to them was a piece of cake. They were red cheeked pretty boys and had two beautiful sisters. I was now stepping in way over my head but the excitement had me pursuing the ‘high’ not thinking about the end result. I stepped over big holes in the rotted piers.

“I got it, I got it Harold screams”; he was a little slow. He was mildly retarded and it was great seeing Jack bringing him along, to entertain him. Too bad it wasn’t a more meaningful endeavor. Harry swings the pole to the rear menacingly. All the kids duck down running, laughing, scattering in every direction. They were trying to avoid being tagged bye Harry and the Shit Stick. A game I learned later from the kids I hung out with. We would dip a stick in dog mess and play tag.

“Opps, get the hell out of the way kid,” Some kid scrambling to get away, bangs right into me. I’m now struggling to keep my balance. In front of my face is a huge rat struggling, screeching and clawing to get free of his bondage. There is no greater fighter than a cornered rat. I trip and fall and Harry has found a victim for his savage amusement.

“Get him off of me,” I’m now screaming hysterically. I’m backing away from the ugly beast. “Arrgg”, I scrape my hand on the splinted rotted wood and get stabbed. A sliver of wood pierces my palm and exits between my fingers, about 7 inches long. I hardly feel it as my main concern is the ‘Terror Trip’, I’m now on. Things go from bad to worse as I finally get the help I didn’t need. I scramble aimlessly and without realizing it; I tumble backward falling through a hole into the Atlantic Ocean.

“What the fuck? Where did that kid go?

“Holy Shit,” says another, “He fell into the ocean. He’s going to drown.”

“Jack what the hell are you doing?”

Jack jumps in, clothes and all; swims under the pier and grabs me by the back of my shirt collar. As I surface for the second time, coughing and sputtering the rotten oily tasting brine of the Boston Harbor.

“Oww, Arrgh,” I’m now screaming as Jack is pulling me out from under the pier by the hair on my head.

“Help help”, as I slip out of his grasp and go under again; the only thing in my mind is drowning. My Mother’s warning, “The water rats will get you if you go in the Wharf.” I now picture a giant Gorilla Rat pulling me down as I swallow another mouthful slipping out of his grasp.

“Here, grab the stupid kid,” Jack passes me up, I’m still choking. One of the older gang members is now teasing me, threatening to drop me back in.

“Shut the hell up kid before I throw you back to the sharks.” I keep losing my breath with each pretend swing.

“Aaaa, Aaaaa,” I’m sobbing, “Let me go”.

“What the hell are you crying for, you baby; you’re out of the water. Now get the fuck outta here before you get your little ass kicked”, Jack threatens.

Sloshing tearfully back out through the gate, I cross the cobblestoned street and wander back to the area where my sister sits. She has collected quite a few slimy trophies. Honey filthy with dirt all around her mouth is now screaming as she sees me hiding around the corner dripping wet.

“You’re supposed to be watching me and you went to play”, she’s sobbing while screaming “Ma” between gasps.

“Please Honey don’t, I’ll get killed.” Too late Mom comes down the stairs, looking around the corner she is in shock as she spots the trail of water coming from the fenced area across the street.

“Oh my God Dickie what is wrong with you? You’ll be the death of me, yet. Get up stairs before I kill you. Put those rotten worms down and get over here darling. You were supposed to be watching your sister.”

Once inside the hallway, out of the view of the peasants Mom becomes ‘The She Devil’; you know Doctor Jekyll meet Mister Hyde. She franticly sweeps me off my feet bye the nape of my neck, spanking me quietly speaking under her breath, “I told you not to leave your sister alone”. Whack, whack, “How many times have I warned you to stay away from that filthy wharf? Whack, whack, Do you realize you have made me the laughing stock of the whole neighborhood. Now get up those stairs and get in the house, I’ll take care of you in a minute.” As she reaches down to pick her precious little girl up, Honey asks, “Ma, is that poo, poo on the floor?”

I’m leaving a trail of Ocean drips [pee,pee]and drops fishes [fecies].

“Stop,” Mom screams, “Don’t walk on that rug; you’ve messed your pants”

Mom places Honey down and scoops me up off the hall floor; depositing me in the tub with a bang. Mom is stripping the wet, soiled clothes into the running water. She fills the tub with warm water while I’m still traumatized and sobbing.

“Sit down so I can clean you up.”

“Sob, sob, The Ross Gang, huh,, huh, was teaching rats to swim on a string, huh, huh. They threw him in my face. Ahuh, I was scared and tried to get away. I ran too fast and fell in a hole.”

“Dickie how many times have I told you not to cross the street? When are you going to listen; didn’t I tell you to stay from that wharf?

“Yes Mommie.”

Haven’t I warned you to stay away from that stupid God forsaken place? That gang is nothing but trouble. All they do is wreck everything in this beautiful development. Where else on earth would we be able to live with continuous heat and hot water. We leave the windows open in mid winter and get the ocean breezes off the Harbor and still stay warm at no extra cost. The buildings are fire proof and when your father comes home tipsy and tries to burn the house down; he can only burn him self. The metal and concrete floors will not burn, the steel doors trap every thing inside so none of our neighbors would burn because of Dad’s carelessness. Think about that fire on Saratoga St., the whole block burned down because the houses are so close; don’t you realize how lucky we are?”

“Whimper, whimper, yes mommy.”

“People living here certainly do not appreciate the safety and comfort afforded us. Do you realize how fast those wooden tenement houses burn?”

“Whimper, sob, no Mommie.”

“We just moved from a rented apartment in Roxbury. We had to pay all our utilities, light, gas and heat if we turned the heat up a little Nancy, the landlady would scream bloody murder. Her husband Tony Costa just got arrested with his cousin Vinny as principals in the Brinks Robbery. Your father calls them, Stupid Guineas, who’s the stupid one?”

“Who’se stupid, mommy?”

“Your father; working three jobs, killing him self while Tony and Vinny, drive these big Caddy’s and go to Florida every year. Where the hell do we go, Shays Beach [Constitution Beach] or the Mundanyelle, ‘{Muntaniella, meaning little mountain in Italian} Wood Island Park. Did you every notice your brother Billy’s, God Mother, Nancy?”

Notice, how could I miss her, she’s 900 pounds. “Yes, Mommy.”

Mom babbles on, “Her jewelry, it’s gorgeous. Nancy wears the best of clothes and has men drooling all over her.”

“Isn’t drooling baby spit,Mom?”

“I know Tony offered your father a couple of driving jobs and he made more money in one night than he makes all week on his three jobs.”

Dad told me later in life the night he filled in for the regular driver; he found out three of them had been shot in liquor heist. No thank you.

‘Do we need money, Mommy?”

Thinking about gangsters I suddenly remember a story Mom told us.

“As a teen ager my family lived near the infamous Quincy Quarries. I used to go there to swim with your Godmother, Dorothea. A couple of kids even died there; they hit their heads and drowned, diving from the higher cliffs they couldn’t see the rocky bottom.”

No wonder I go to the Wharf looking for adventure; an undying mentality I was saddled with.

“One day we saw police cars everywhere. My curiosity got the best of me so we squeezed through the crowd of spectators. I saw a tow truck and wench, two Police row boats and a couple of divers. They were dragging the bottom for bodies. I thought someone else had hit their head on the sloops and drowned. To my amazement, the wench started turning and slowly lifted a car off the bottom. The water was poring out the windows and small holes in the doors. As they set it down and removed the occupants, we froze; it was as if the two men had come to life. They were gangsters all shot up. We had to jump back as blood started squirting from every bullet hole; the pressure of the water stopped the bleeding until the pressure was released.

Back in the bathtub Mom continues rambling on in her upset, “Look at the magnificent view we have every day; just look at that beautiful skyline of Boston where the tallest building in Massachusetts sits, the Custom house. These people don’t know how lucky they are and their destrioying everything. That’s why you kids need to behave; I won’t have you growing up without respect and appreciation. Now go to your room, you’re in for the rest of the week.

“Oh my God, what’s that?” She sees the giant splinter in my hand.

I had been shielding it from her so as not to get into any more trouble.

“I scraped my hand on the wood.”

She immediately softens and hugs me tearfully.

“Oh my darling I’m sorry; Ive only been thinking about me. We need to get you to the Relief Station up the square. It looks terrible, does it hurt much.”

“No Ma, I can’t even feel it.”

“Honey come in here, you need to change and wash up. I’ll see if Mrs. Coutreau will watch you till we get back from the Hospital”.

We now head to Central Square to the Relief Station, a Sub Division of Boston City Hospital where many of my future days will be spent. I still remember my patient number 21590 as if it were yesterday. I’m now feeling very special being alone, just me and Ma. I’m thinking ‘this is a special treat’ and I thought I was going to get killed because I drowned.

“Owww,” I scream as the needle and the painful extraction, bring me back to reality.