Chapter 22
Zeke and Mickey rode in the back seat of the black BMW. Tony Gallino rode in the passenger seat, the driver thug drove. The driver thug was wearing driving gloves to prevent his hands from making smudges on the steering wheel. This was one Gallino’s pet peeves. He hated smudges. The thug took a left onto Walnut Ave. Cars lined both sides of the street. The only free spot was the space in front of the fire hydrant in front of the house where Nonna lived.
“There’s no parking spaces Mr. G. Want me to drop use off and wait at a coffee shop until you ring me?” said the thug.
“No need, Tony. The space in front of the hydrant is reserved for me. Since I’m with you, you can take my space,” said Zeke.
Gallino turned and looked over his shoulder at Zeke, “The cops let you alone if you park there?”
“They never bother me. It’s the way it works.
Gallino said, “Interesting.” Then he tapped the right shoulder of the thug, “Park in front of the hydrant. Don’t let anything happen to my car, you understand?” said Gallino.
“I gotcha, Mr. G,” said the thug.
Two minutes later, Zeke is knocking on Nonna’s door. Gallino is standing behind Zeke. Mickey is standing behind Gallino.
From behind the door, “I gotta no time the Jehovah’s today. Go knock on somebody else’s door.”
“Nonna, it’s me, Zeke,” said Zeke.
“I no gonna talk to you if one of those Jehovah’s,” said Nonna.
“I’m not one of them, Nonna. I’m with Tony Gallino, he wants to speak with you,” said Zeke.
“I can smell a Palitroni. You bring that scrunchy little bum with you? Don’t lie to me. I can tell when you lying,” said Nonna.
“I showered this morning,” hollered Mickey.
Nonna hollered back, “You Palitroni’s got the skunk smell. No way you can get rid of it. Anyway, you the drunken bum who drank all my dandelion wine. Now, Gino won’t come over until I get some more. I tell him he can’t come to my house until he take his blue pill, you know what I mean?”
Tony Gallino, wearing his three thousand dollar handmade suit, took his silk handkerchief out of his suit coat pocket and wiped his mouth. He said, “Nonna, it’s me, Tony. Can we talk business? These two schmucks are wasting our time.”
“Who you calling a schmuck? It’s okay to call Palitroni a schmuck, but you no call Zeke a schmuck. He’s just stupid and lazy but he gotta good heart.’
“I know what you mean about the Palitroni’s. You can’t trust them. Can I come in and we can make a deal?” said Gallino thinking he was charming Nonna.
“Okay, I’m gonna let everybody in, but I not gonna waste my food and wine on you. I tell you Tony, you try to seduce me, Rocco’s watching. He gonna ask one of the saints to give you a bad accident.”
“I promise, I won’t try to seduce you, Nonna,” said Gallino.
“Why not? Am I not pretty enough for you? Just because I don’t got those plastic things that stick out like a big grapefruit, is that the reason?” said Nonna.
Gallino, exasperated, said, “Yes, I want to seduce you, but I promise I won’t. It will hard because you’re so beautiful.”
“Will you take me to your bed if you have a chance and I give in?” said Nonna.
“Yes, I’ll have you spend the night with me. We’ll make passionate love. But I promise I’ll be strong.”
“You a bigger fool than I thought, Tony. Now I gotta all this on my phone. Maybe I’m a gonna play it for the six o’clock news. Know what I mean?”
“Can I please come in?” Gallino now, almost begging.
“Okie dokie,” said Nonna, taking off the latch, and opening three dead bolt locks, then turning the door handle.
Will Nonna and Tony Gallino cut a deal? What will happen to Zeke and Mickey? What’s in the package?
