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?
