by Jack Tunney
Nappy spoke up from where he still knelt by Billy, who now sat up, looking much better for having gotten in some good air. “The boy’s fine, Duke. No need on buildin’ this up into more than what it is.”
Duke got up, his cigar in his dazzling white teeth. “Like I said, Nappy …” and here, Duke raised his voice so that everybody could in the gym could hear him clearly “Everybody here in your gym saw what happened.” Duke followed his statement with a little flourish of his hands and breezed out just as regally as he’d breezed in.
Levi went back over to Nappy and Billy. Both of them helped Billy to his feet. “Look here, kid, Duke’s playing with both of us. I dunno what game he’s got going on …”
“Mr. Duke told me you liked to embarrass other fighters, make ‘em look stupid. He said I couldn’t fight for him ‘less I took your head off.”
Nappy nodded at some of the other guys in the gym who had been training. Some of them were huddled in corners, talking quietly. “Duke know what he was doin’. Some of these cats in here gossip worse than old ladies sittin’ in windows.”
Levi shook his head. “I’m not worried. I just don’t want to get mixed up in Duke’s games.” He turned to Billy. “Hey, we cool?”
“Man, I just want to fight. I don’t want to get in no trouble, and I don’t want to end up broke and on the street.”
“Nappy, can you ...”
“Look after the kid? Sure. I can make some calls. Line him up with some legit fights. What you gonna do?”
“Take me a shower, change, and then go have me a nice long chat with Mr. Duke Williamson.”
ROUND FIVE
Duke Williamson had an whole bunch of offices where he conducted his business. However, the one place he spent most of his time was a liquor store on Tompkins Ave. The store itself was totally legit. Duke only used the place to hold meetings and co-ordinate his number runners and the myriad other illegal operations in which he had fingers.
Levi nodded at the crowd of retirees who always hung outside the liquor store no matter how cold or hot it was. Inside, the owner/manager who everybody called Horse even raised his hand in greeting.
“Duke said you might be along, Dancer.” Horse pressed a button on the underside of the counter and buzzed Levi through to the back. He navigated a short hallway and knocked on the door at the end.
“Come on in, Dancer,” Duke’s jovial voice said.
Levi entered a moderate-sized room with comfortable furniture, a small bar, and even a TV set in the corner. The set was off, but a radio perched on the windowsill was tuned to an all jazz station playing softly.
Duke sat behind a battered classic office desk plainly there to provide a place for him to set down his drinks and newspapers. A stack of the printed rags occupied half of the desk’s space.
Lillian was also there, sitting on the couch. Reclined would be a better word, but then again, Lillian was the type of woman who gave the impression of being reclined even when she was sitting in a straight-back chair.
Levi looked around. “Where’s the rest of your crew?”
Duke looked up from the Daily News, shrugging at the same time. “They’re out working. What, you think I need Deathblow to stand over me all day long? You planning on beating the tar out of me, or something?” Duke chuckled. “I thought we were cool, Dancer.”
“Duke, what was all that back at the gym about? Why’d you get that kid all riled up?”
“I wanted to see what he could do against a real fighter. Wanted to see if he had some heart.”
“You could have spoken to me. I know how to push a fighter so he’ll show his stuff. You didn’t have to do it the way you did. The kid doesn’t have the experience to know how to shrug that off. You could have gotten him hurt real bad.”
Duke threw down his paper on the desk, sucked his teeth. “Man, I knew you wasn’t gonna hurt that kid.”
“Then what was all that nonsense you were throwing around back in the gym?”
“Nothing wrong with starting some rumors going around. Tends to make people get a little more creative with their bets come fight time.” Duke waved at a leather armchair. “Sit down, man. Relax. Lillian, get my friend Dancer here a drink.”
“Nah, nothing for me,” Levi said. “I just wanted to let you know I didn’t appreciate what went down, Duke. Play all the games you want, but leave me outta them. We clear?”
Duke sat back, interlaced manicured fingers on his stomach. “I don’t understand you at all, Dancer. What is it you want? It can’t be money, otherwise you’d hook up with me and make a truckload.”
“There’s ways of making money, Duke. I’m not interested in your way. I make enough money for my needs.”
Duke shook his head. “That’s a shame, man. I’m working on some deals gonna to put a whole lot of folding green in the pockets of my fighters. My boys are gonna take on fighters from the other boroughs. Have a kind of tournament. Then they’ll go on the road to other cities. Lot of money to be made. You throw in with me, you’ll be a millionaire inside of two, three years – guaranteed.”
“And how much do you make?”
“What do you care as long as you get yours? Isn’t that what this is all about?”
“No, it ain’t. Like I said, there’s ways of making money and then there are ways of making money.”
“Oh, cut the baby talk!” Duke roared, slapping the desk with a wide hand. “You think you’re some kind of hero who’s gonna set the world on fire? Man, you beat the hell outta other men for M-O-N-E-Y, bottom line. Don’t come in my place of business trying to run me down and play at you’re bein’ so much better than the rest of us. When it comes down to it, you’re just like us, Dancer. And, you know what? I think that’s what really bothers you.”
“Whatever you say, Duke. Whatever you say,” Levi turned to leave, but Duke spoke up again.
“So, how about this fight you owe me?”
Levi cocked his head in annoyance. “Now what are you talking about?”
“You put my newest fighter out of commission. I’d say that means you owe me a fight.”
“I don’t owe you a damn thing, Duke. Billy’s fine. He just had the wind knocked out of him. He can fight.”
“That’s not what Deathblow is telling folks. Word on the street is the boy has cracked ribs. You get funny looks the next couple of days, you’ll know why.”
“What is your problem, man? Why can’t you just leave folks alone?”
“I leave folks alone. Reg’lar folks. But you and me, we’re in the same game. And I just don’t think it’s fair you won’t allow me to make some money. You’re a selfish bastard, Dancer. You know you’re one of the hottest tickets in town. It’s not fair you don’t let me get a taste now and then. Now, if you and Deathblow were to go at it ...”
“I won’t fight him.”
Duke grinned. “You scared of him?”
Levi spat on the floor.
The grin left Duke’s face. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today.”
“I won’t fight Ballantine because he’s not a fighter. He’s a killer. And if you think I’m gonna give him the opportunity to kill or, even worse, cripple me for life, you can just kiss my backside”
“You wanna watch it right there, boy!” Duke snarled, leaping to his feet. “You might as well fight Deathblow right now ‘cause it’s gonna happen sooner or later.”
“You set me up with any of your other fighters and I’ll meet ‘em. But not Ballantine. You call Nappy and make the arraignments.” And then Levi hurried up and left. If he hadn’t either he or Duke would end up killing each other right then and there. Maybe they still would. But not now. And not today. Not when he had something much better to do.
As he hit the sidewalk, the cold air smacking him in the face, he knew that the smart thing to do was to turn around, go back to Duke, and tell him he wasn’t fighting any of his people under any circumstances, period. But he wasn’t in a smart mood. He had allowed Duke to play him a
nd it stung. Stung enough that he intended to take it out on whoever Duke put up against him. Maybe then Duke would have sense enough to back off and leave him alone.
However, in his heart, Levi knew there was about as much chance of that happening as there was of him getting free food from a swank restaurant.
ROUND SIX
Smackey’s Diner over on Myrtle Avenue was well known for its good, solid food at a reasonable price. You got a lot of food on your plate and depending on what you ordered, sometimes more than what you could eat right there. Smackey’s was a family owned and run business. The cooks in the kitchen were all Smackey’s aunts, who he’d brought up from North Carolina to work for him.
Levi sat where he could see the front door and tried not to seem anxious when it opened, which was every seven seconds. He pretended to read his Daily News, but he had a twisty feeling in his gut he was being stood up. Dorothea was fifteen minutes late and Levi was getting the stink-eye from his favorite waitress, Glodean. The dinnertime crowd was coming in which meant Levi couldn’t tie up a table without ordering something. Glodean stomped over on size twelve feet, cracking the plum-sized wad of gum she’d been chewing on for the past ten hours. “You gots to order something, baby. An’ not just another cup a’coffee, either.”
“Guess she’s not coming. Might as well have my ...” he began, just as a breathless Dorothea ran through the door. She wriggled her way around exiting patrons and rushed up to the booth. Glodean moved aside and let Dorothea slide onto the bench seat.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Missed the bus and had to wait for the next one, which of course was packed.”
“Ya’ll want a menu?” Glodean asked.
“What’s the special today?” Levi asked.
“Stewed turkey wings with two sides.”
“Give me that with collards and corn.” Levi said.
“That sounds good. I’ll have that as well,” Dorothea said.
When their waitress moved off, Dorothea shrugged out of her coat. “My momma always said first impressions could be deceiving, and she was so right.”
“How so?” Levi asked.
“You didn’t wait for me to order first and you didn’t help me off with my coat. Earlier today when you stuck up for me I thought you were a gentleman. Guess I was wrong.”
“First off, you were late. I like to eat on time. Second, you sat down so fast I didn’t have a chance to help you off with your coat. You want to go on back outside, I’ll get Glodean back here and we can do this all over again, right this time.”
Surprisingly, Dorothea giggled. “I am sorry about being late. And I’m used to doing most things for myself. It would be nice if you remembered in future to help me off with my coat, though.”
“So, I take it that means we’ll have another date?”
“Is this a date? I thought we were just having dinner. I don’t know you well enough to know if I want to date you formally, Mr. Kimbro.”
“Ask me anything you want.” Levi sat back in his seat, stretched out his arms to rest on the back cushion of his side of the booth. He grinned with easy amiability. “I’m an open book, Miss McBricker.”
“I do know something about you, Mr. Kimbro. When I could get my brother to stop yelling and cursing long enough to speak, he told me you’ve got quite the reputation.”
“How come I’ve never seen your brother around the gym before?”
“He just got here a few months ago. He’s been bouncing around other gyms here in Brooklyn, a couple in Manhattan. Our family is down in Fincastle, Virginia. Most of them, anyway. Teddy just showed up at my door one day at Blip A.M. and says he’s going to stay with me until he can get a job and get his own place.”
“You didn’t send him back?”
“He said he’d just leave home again if I did. I spoke to my mother on the phone. She and my father are just about exhausted from trying to deal with Teddy’s nonsense. He wants big money and fast women. I figured if he stayed with me I could keep him in line, make him go to school, and at least get a high school diploma.” Dorothea sipped water before continuing. “Teddy always did hate living in Virginia. Said he was tired of being country.”
“What made you come up here?”
Dorothea shrugged. “The same thing, I suppose. I didn’t hate it like Teddy, but I knew there wasn’t much future down there. And besides, everybody my age leaves as soon as they can put enough nickels together for bus fare. I don’t mind Teddy staying with me, but he wants the fast life and he’s not fast enough to deal with the crowd he wants to run with.”
“You said your father and uncles boxed.”
Dorothea nodded. “Taught me, Teddy and my other two brothers and sisters how to box. One of my brothers is out in Los Angeles boxing. Mark’s doing real well out there.”
“Then how come Teddy didn’t go stay with him?”
Dorothea laughed and shook her head. “Ever since they were kids, Teddy and Mark fought like cats and dogs. Folks in our town couldn’t believe they were brothers, that’s how much they disliked each other. Teddy wouldn’t go stay with Mark if his life depended on it. But Teddy and I always got along real well. That’s why he came behind me.” Dorothea’s face became serious. “Let’s get something straight right off. I won’t have you thinking he’s some country roughneck.”
Levi shook his head. “He just needs a firm hand is all. And from what I saw of you this morning, I think you’ve got that hand. You dealt with him just fine. And Duke as well.”
Dorothea frowned. “And that’s just the type of man I don’t want my brother getting mixed up with. I know men like that. Soon as I came to Brooklyn, they were all over me, trying to get me to … well, you know.”
“Yeah …”
“You seem like you’re a cut above that sort. Why are you mixed up with them?”
“Fighting is what I do best.” Levi shrugged. “And it’s only something I’m doing until I get to where I want. It’s a stepping stone, is all. If I were going to box professionally, I’d be doing it already.” Levi cocked his head as a sudden thought came to him. “You don’t seem to be much surprised by my fighting in the backrooms.”
“Please! Do you think Brooklyn is the only place with backroom fighting? What else do you think was the big thing to do on Friday and Saturday nights where I come from? I saw many nights when my father needed extra money for something and he came home with his knuckles bloody and his face looking like he fell out an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.” Dorothea shrugged. “He did what he had to do to get by. I’m sure you do the same.”
Glodean returned with their food and they dug in with a will. For about five minutes there was no sound other than the clinking of their knives and forks on the china plates. Then Dorothea came up for air and said, “What do your folks think about your fighting?”
“I don’t have any folks.”
“Everybody’s got folks, Mr. Kimbro.”
Levi held up a hand for a pause as he took a drink of water to wash down his food before continuing. “I was raised in an orphanage. I don’t even remember who my folks were. Supposedly they died in a car crash in Chicago. Nobody knew what they were doing in Chicago, why they were there, or anything. I was about nine, ten years old. I was in the back seat of the car when it crashed, but I don’t remember anything before waking up in the hospital. They say I was in a coma for three days. Father Tim told me years later the doctors said I had some kind of brain injury, that’s why I was in the coma. Guess it wiped out some of my memory.”
“Father Tim?”
“Father Tim Brophy. He ran the orphanage I lived in, St. Vincent’s. He was the one the hospital called because they didn’t know what to do with me. Apparently, my parents had no information on them indicating any next of kin. I don’t think the authorities were really interested in trying to find any.” Levi shrugged. “We were colored, so nobody cared. Father Tim came and got me and took me to the orphanage. He didn’t see color when it came to us boys. I
slept and ate right there along with the white boys.”
“Were you the only colored boy there?”
Levi shook his head. “There were three or four of us. Father Tim didn’t treat us any differently from the white boys. He taught us how to box right along with them, so we could defend ourselves from the neighborhood kids. The orphanage was in a mostly Italian and Irish neighborhood. Most of the time we were left alone. Folks knew Father Tim and knew he didn’t put up with no foolishness or messing around with his boys. But he couldn’t watch us all the time, so he made sure we knew how to use these.” Levi grinned and held up his fists.
“It sounds horrible.”
Levi shrugged. “It could’ve been worse. I’m not saying it was Heaven, but it wasn’t exactly Hell either. I did okay. I hung out a lot with Cholly and he helped.”
“Cholly?”
“He was the handyman at St. Vincent’s. Did the repairs, kept the boiler running. He had more books than anybody I’ve ever known and he lent them out to any boy who wanted to read ‘em. Cholly also taught me carpentry, electrical work, plumbing …”
“So, if you know how to do all those things, why are you working in a gym, fighting in barrooms?”
Levi waggled a finger. “Hey, can’t tell you everything all at one time. Got to leave something for our next date.”
“You seem awfully certain there is going to be a next date, Mr. Kimbro.”
“I feel fairly positive there will be, Miss McBricker.”
And then she gave Levi the best smile he’d seen in many a year. “You always this positive about everything you do, Mr. Kimbro?’
“Just about, Miss McBricker. Just about.”
ROUND SEVEN
Levi continually moved away from the straight punches thrown at him by Shock Bronson. Shock had supposedly been given his nickname because when he hit you with the flesh and bone mallets he called fists it felt like an electric shock. Levi intended to keep away from him this first round, see what kind of footwork he had, what kind of speed.