OH LAWD chapter 18

Golden Glove
courtesy photobucket.com

 

During the year of having Marly tag alone on my dates I began to realize that Marly was fighting her own teenage battles and knowing that made me change my attitude toward her.  

Having Linda for a friend was the best thing she could have, because Linda was a special and level headed girl and knew what Marly was struggling with.

Paddy decided to turn my interests in a different direction, and he told me I think you should enter the elimination contest for the Golden Glove boxing matches.

I wasn't up for it, but he kept after me until I agreed.  He said you have two months to get into shape.

He suggested I join the track team and run several miles a day for conditioning, and the dance club to help develop my foot work.

He said these new dances require a lot of fast foot movement, and will improve your balance.  The girls laughed at me for joining the dance club, but it wasn't long before they joined also.

 

I never told Marly and Linda the real reason why I was doing  the dance club, only that I just wanted to learn how to do the new dances.

The day came for my first fight and I didn't know if I was ready on not. My opponent looked to be in good shape which didn't make me feel any better.

Paddy said, “Try to survive the first round, and I will tell you how to beat him.”   I said, “Okay, I think I can do that.”  

 

During the next three minutes that guy beat me at his will. I could feel eyes beginning to swell, and my lips were getting puffy. Thankfully the round was over and Paddy said, “Okay you got through that round now it's your turn.”

He gave me some quick instructions on how to fight that guy part of which was stay away from him just a little, and that will take the power of his jabs. Then he said to follow each jab with a straight right. 

 

I met the guy in the middle of the ring and followed Paddy's instructions, and knocked the guy out in that round.

I was too sore from that first round to get very excited about my victory.

I made it to the regionals and met with a guy who was an excellent fighter. The best I could do was a draw, and he got the edge from the judges, and went on to win the championship at his weight class.

After I was done with boxing I was glad for the experience but had no intentions of becoming a professional boxer.  Not winning that match didn't bother me at all for I knew that I could have whipped him in an alley fight where you use fists, elbows and feet.

Paddy said he was proud of me and that I did really well against the nation's best talent. The hardest part of this was keeping Ma from finding out about it and explaining why I was beat up.

My Pa and the guys at the restaurant completely enjoyed the matches, and I gained a little more respect from the neighborhood.

Some time later just before closing time some toughs from some other town came into the restaurant and started to act unruly.

 

Pa asked them to hold it down and stop the cursing. That made them more belligerent and Pa asked them to leave. They walked out without paying, and stood outside shouting for Pa to come out.

Paddy and Abdul were first to go out then were followed by me and Pa.  The last one was Noonan who carried a sawed off shotgun behind his back. Without saying anything Paddy knocked the nearest one down and out, and then reached for another.

I hit a short guy near me, and the one who was left standing yanked out a large knife and started toward me.

 

Abdul moved in front of me and pulled out his Turkish style knife, and before the thug could move he slashed the guy with the knife twice and then asked if he wanted to get down to some real knife fighting.

The ruffian shouted, “No, get me a doctor.”  Someone had called Officer O'Malley, and he showed up and took charge.

 

After a few days he let them out of jail and took them to the city limits and warned them not to come back.   

Oh Lawd!

 

To be Continued