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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: General Interest
- Published: 10/22/2020
Slim (Approx 700 wds)
Danny started going to the McCombs Dam handball courts the fall he started high school. He’d beaten everyone in his neighborhood schoolyard and everyone knew the best handball players in the Bronx played at McCombs Dam. He first noticed Slim when some big guy challenged everyone to a money game and Slim said he’d take him on. Slim was a black man, tall and thin with long arms and large hands. Danny couldn’t say how old he was but he looked pretty old, maybe 30. He had a crooked nose and a couple of missing teeth. He always wore a white t-shirt and raggedy-looking pants. He didn’t look like much.
The big guy hit the ball pretty good warming up and he got off to a big lead. Then Slim began getting to balls he couldn’t seem to reach earlier and started to put some balls away. He hit with lots of wrist and his shots really zinged. The game was close but Slim won 21-19. The big guy said Slim was lucky and challenged him to another game. The same thing happened. Slim fell behind, then picked up his game and won again. By this time Danny could see that Slim was hustling the big guy. But the big guy still thought it was luck and challenged Slim to a third game. Slim played all out this time and won 21-6. The big guy was furious. “You hustled me,” he said and refused to pay up. He swung at Slim, who easily moved out of the way and hit the big guy once, in the solar plexus. The big guy went down. Slim bent over, took his money from the big guy’s pocket and calmly walked away.
After seeing Slim beat the big guy, Danny hung out near the court where Slim and his buddies, George, Eddie Lemon and Gene, played. He heard that Slim had been a boxer. Somebody said that he worked in the garment district. Someone else said he ran numbers in Harlem. At the courts you didn’t wonder too much about what people did when they weren’t playing handball. Danny knew that one of the men who sometimes played with Slim and his crowd was the film critic for the New York Post. Other players were doctors and lawyers and one was supposed to be a judge. Others looked as if they might be appearing in the judge’s court. All that mattered was how they played.
One day when somebody didn’t show up, Slim looked over Danny’s way and said, “Come on, kid, I need a partner.” At first Danny was so nervous he played like a stiff.
“Take it easy, kid,” Slim told him.
“It’s hard to see the ball,” said Danny. “The sun’s right in my eyes.”
“The sun? Well, just ignore it.”
Danny played better and in the end they won the game, 21-20. Danny was elated. Slim winked at him and said, “We had it all the way, right, kid?” From that time on, Danny hung around Slim and was his partner when he needed one. Slim showed him how to use his wrist to hit the ball hard. He showed Danny how to move so the other guys wouldn’t block him out. He told Danny to always shove back when somebody shoved him and showed him a few boxing moves to use if he needed them.
When winter came, nobody at McCombs Dam said good-bye or arranged to meet again in the spring. It was understood that when the weather was good again they’d all be back. That winter was a long one. There was a lot of snow. Danny went to the courts a couple of times but they were icy and you couldn’t play on them. Finally, in March when it was still cold but the sun was shining Danny tried again and this time the old gang was back. He saw George and Eddie Lemon and Gene. “Where’s Slim?” he asked.
“Dincha hear?” said George. “He got shot over the winter.”
“Shot? Is he okay?”
“Are you kidding? He’s dead.”
Danny sat down on the bench next to George. He watched the game being played but didn’t really see it. After a while, he heard George saying,, “C’mon, we’re up. You gonna play?”
“What? Oh, sure.” Danny got up and stepped onto the court. Another handball season had begun.
###
Slim(Martin Green)
Slim (Approx 700 wds)
Danny started going to the McCombs Dam handball courts the fall he started high school. He’d beaten everyone in his neighborhood schoolyard and everyone knew the best handball players in the Bronx played at McCombs Dam. He first noticed Slim when some big guy challenged everyone to a money game and Slim said he’d take him on. Slim was a black man, tall and thin with long arms and large hands. Danny couldn’t say how old he was but he looked pretty old, maybe 30. He had a crooked nose and a couple of missing teeth. He always wore a white t-shirt and raggedy-looking pants. He didn’t look like much.
The big guy hit the ball pretty good warming up and he got off to a big lead. Then Slim began getting to balls he couldn’t seem to reach earlier and started to put some balls away. He hit with lots of wrist and his shots really zinged. The game was close but Slim won 21-19. The big guy said Slim was lucky and challenged him to another game. The same thing happened. Slim fell behind, then picked up his game and won again. By this time Danny could see that Slim was hustling the big guy. But the big guy still thought it was luck and challenged Slim to a third game. Slim played all out this time and won 21-6. The big guy was furious. “You hustled me,” he said and refused to pay up. He swung at Slim, who easily moved out of the way and hit the big guy once, in the solar plexus. The big guy went down. Slim bent over, took his money from the big guy’s pocket and calmly walked away.
After seeing Slim beat the big guy, Danny hung out near the court where Slim and his buddies, George, Eddie Lemon and Gene, played. He heard that Slim had been a boxer. Somebody said that he worked in the garment district. Someone else said he ran numbers in Harlem. At the courts you didn’t wonder too much about what people did when they weren’t playing handball. Danny knew that one of the men who sometimes played with Slim and his crowd was the film critic for the New York Post. Other players were doctors and lawyers and one was supposed to be a judge. Others looked as if they might be appearing in the judge’s court. All that mattered was how they played.
One day when somebody didn’t show up, Slim looked over Danny’s way and said, “Come on, kid, I need a partner.” At first Danny was so nervous he played like a stiff.
“Take it easy, kid,” Slim told him.
“It’s hard to see the ball,” said Danny. “The sun’s right in my eyes.”
“The sun? Well, just ignore it.”
Danny played better and in the end they won the game, 21-20. Danny was elated. Slim winked at him and said, “We had it all the way, right, kid?” From that time on, Danny hung around Slim and was his partner when he needed one. Slim showed him how to use his wrist to hit the ball hard. He showed Danny how to move so the other guys wouldn’t block him out. He told Danny to always shove back when somebody shoved him and showed him a few boxing moves to use if he needed them.
When winter came, nobody at McCombs Dam said good-bye or arranged to meet again in the spring. It was understood that when the weather was good again they’d all be back. That winter was a long one. There was a lot of snow. Danny went to the courts a couple of times but they were icy and you couldn’t play on them. Finally, in March when it was still cold but the sun was shining Danny tried again and this time the old gang was back. He saw George and Eddie Lemon and Gene. “Where’s Slim?” he asked.
“Dincha hear?” said George. “He got shot over the winter.”
“Shot? Is he okay?”
“Are you kidding? He’s dead.”
Danny sat down on the bench next to George. He watched the game being played but didn’t really see it. After a while, he heard George saying,, “C’mon, we’re up. You gonna play?”
“What? Oh, sure.” Danny got up and stepped onto the court. Another handball season had begun.
###
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- 2
Lillian Kazmierczak
05/11/2022What a great story of male bonding but how fragile life is. You just don't know when you'll go! Thanks Martin for another great story!
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
JD
10/22/2020Your story touched a nerve, Martin. The way people die and everyone just moves on, as though their presence in the world had no real impact. Your ending made me both sad and angry about it. But that's life. What choice do we have but to move on....
ReplyHelp Us Understand What's Happening
Gail Moore
10/22/2020JD, yes you are right. Sad but true. There is no choice but to move on :-(
Martin you really know how to pull the heart strings.
Well written :-)
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