OH LAWD chapter 6

Boxer courtesy free clip art

Marly and I were left breathless when Noonan finished his story about being ship wrecked and we wondered if he had any more stories.

I asked, “Noonan do you have any more stories like the one you just told us?”  He said, “I must have a hundred of them.” A flood of excitement came over us for we had to have more of these first hand experiences.

We hounded him to tell us what some of them were about, so he said, “Well there was the time I became an Indian, and a time when I lived in Mexico, and the time when I went to China and a lot more.”

He had a way of telling about his experiences that took you right along with him, and we relived it with him as he told about it.  I got in the life boat when he was ship wrecked, and I helped him when he killed that shark, and I was there at every happening.

I couldn't wait to become an Indian or go to China. I was brought back to reality by Pa telling me to get to my chores or else.

Later I asked Ma who was the new man you hired and she said, “He was a boxer at one time and since then he has worked at many jobs.”  “What is his name Ma?” She replied, “He is called Paddy O'Brien an Irish man's name.”   I said, “Patty sounds like a girl's name.”

She explained, “I didn't say Patty I said Paddy, and you better not make the mistake of calling him Patty.”

We asked, “How could he be a fighter for he isn't very big?”  Ma said, “Go ask your father because I don't have time to answer all your questions.”

Later I asked Pa, “How could Paddy be a boxer when he was so small?” Pa replied, “Fighters go by their weight and fight other fighters the same size.”

So I said, “Then he would fight guys that weighed the same as he did?”

Pa said, “Yes.”  I thought that made sense and determined to talk to Paddy about some of his fights in the past.

Paddy had a break from one thirty to four thirty each day, and he would leave for that time period. I began to talk to him and ask where he was going each day.  He said, “Come with me and see.” I was off with Paddy and I felt like I was in for a new adventure.

We arrived at a place I didn't know existed, and discovered a boxing gym.

 

Courtesy free clip art

There were several men there hitting different kinds of punching bags. Two men were in the ring, boxing each other. I was really excited by all that was going on, and asked Paddy if this was what he had to do as a boxer.

He said, “Yes and I'm going to do some work on the speed bag, and you can watch me.”

He put on some thin gloves and stepped up to the bag and began to hit it easy, and little by little he sped up to the point it almost seemed like a blur it was going so fast.   

 

He asked if I wanted to try it and I said, “No, not now.”

He then went over to the heavy bag and began to hit it and after that he took a jump rope and jumped it like the girls did only a lot faster.

 

I asked him if he still boxed and he told me no that he had quit.

Then I asked him, “Why do you still come here and practice if you have quit?”

He said, “It's mostly out of habit, I have done it for so long.”  I had to ask, “Were you a champion?” 

 

He said, “No I never became champ.”

I asked why he didn't, because it looked like he still had a decent punch.

He said, “I was real good, so good no one in my weight class would box me.  I had to fight guys that were fifty pounds heavier than me, and never for a championship. If they won't fight you, you can't become a champion.”

He said he would teach me some of the basic moves in boxing so I could defend myself. I thought to myself, “Wow that would be great.”

Oh Lawd!     

 

To be Continued