THE ACQUAINTANCE

A Story by Paul McCall

This is a short story I'm working on that came to me in a dream I had.

THE ACQUAINTANCE

April 13, 2019

Found myself driving through my old home town awhile back, and it turned out to be a trip down memory lane.

I cruised slowly down Main Street and noticed the old gym where I made my first attempt at boxing, it was still in business.

I pulled into a parking spot and just sat in my car and thought about it for a while. I decided to pop in and look the old place over.

I jerked the car door open and got out. I had to cross the street; traffic wasn’t bad but the noise the cars made swishing by polluted the scene. I crossed when I got the chance and when I got to the front door, I could hardly believe I could still make out my initials where I had carved them so long ago under all the years of paint.

Opening the door, the smell brought back memories. Not much had changed from the last time I had seen the place. Feeling my age, I took a seat on one of the benches along the wall and watched the young kids working out and sparing. A couple of the kids were pretty good and in between rounds I kept looking the old place over.

I noticed one of the trainers in the ring who looked familiar, I was sure I had seen him someware before.

Once the bouts were over, I got up and wandered over to the ring and leaned on the edge watching from under the ropes.

After a while the man I thought I knew spotted me and said, “can I help you with anything?”

I said, “no, I’m just looking around, I use to train here when I was a kid”.

“Really,” he said, “when was that?”

“Oh, must have been over fifty years by now”. The guy was milling about with the boy he had been working with removing the kids gloves, then he told the kid, “take a break Mike” the kid said, “thanks Mr. Peterson”.

Unlike me, Mr. Peterson, had a full head of thick gray hair and was in a hell of a lot better shape than I was. He came over, grabbed the stool from the corner of the ring near me and sat.

Wiping his face and neck with the towel he had around his neck and shoulders he said, “you from around here, are you?”

“Not anymore, I had to go to Boston this morning, god I hate driving in there. I'm on my way home and thought I'd make a slight detour to check out the old town.

When I saw the gym was still here, I had to stop and check it out”.

“what’s your name, I’ve been here forever I might remember you”

“Paul, Paul McCall”. I said as I reach out my hand and we shook. I could see a strong resemblance and then it hit me. “hold on, you’re Snuffy Peterson”?

“guilty as charged” he said, then, “holley s**t, P. J. is that you? I don’t believe it.”

“Yup, it’s me, we were quite a team back in the late nineteen-sixties’?”

“no s**t.” Snuffy hopped down from the ring and stood almost face to face with me, Snuffy was much taller. He looked me up and down. “Dam P. J. you’re falling apart old man.”

“yeah, well, life you know?” I said

“Son of a b***h it is you” he said, and he pulled me into a hug. “I thought you must have been dead by now; as I recall you were a drinker.” then he put me at arm’s length and cocked his head and said, “after all, you were such a s****y boxer.”

I said, “yeah, but I never hurt anybody.”

“Not a good thing in this business.” Said Snuffy.

I said, “As I recall you lived close enough to go home for lunch. You know, I never did see where you lived.”

“Yeah well that old place is gone, there’s a Minnie Mall there now. Paul, listen I got some time, how about some lunch on me? Ted’s Diner is still here, different owners but just as good.”

“sure, can’t wait to see the old place, just across the street, right?”

“Yup, I’ll be right back, I need to wash up a little.”

“No problem” I said.

When Snuffy got back we headed for the door and out into the fresh air. The sun was bright and warm. We had to cross the street in a trot, due to traffic. The diner was across the street and down to the right a bit. The old place was a turn of the century railroad car that had been added on to in its lifetime. It had been painted red with tan color trim and had a half circle three step brick stair that led to a kind of beat up stainless front door that slid into a cavity to the left.

It was after lunchtime and the place had emptied out, pretty much, so we had our choice of booth’s. we sat in the front next to small windows. A young girl came over, she was a pretty, little thing with straight black hair and looked to have just a touch of Asian influence in her DNA.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Almost in harmony we both said, “coffee please”. I added, “lots of cream”.

“I’ll be right back” and she went behind the counter. “So, P.J. how did you end up?”

“Well I was a cop for twenty-eight years.”

“How come not thirty?” Snuffy said.

“an old injury forced me to cut it short by two, but I was able to use military time took up the gap.”

“What branch?”

“Marine Corps, Military Police.”

“Dam, how long?”

“Seven years, I got tired of military life, too much bull s**t.”

“When did you bail?”

“Mid nineteen sixty-nine.”

“You must have seen and done a lot, Viet Nam?”

The girl showed up with our coffee.

“Here you go guys” she said as she put our coffees on the table. “Are you ready to order?”

Snuffy said, “yeah, can I get a grilled chicken sandwich?”

“You want fries with that?”

“Yes, please.”

“Will that be it?”

“Yeah that’s it for me.” Snuffy said.

“And how about you Sir, what are you having?”

“I’ll have a Cheeseburger with fries please.”

“Okay then, I’ll put your orders in.” The girl said and went through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

Adding cream to my coffee I said, “Yeah, I spent thirteen months in Viet Nam, got two R&R’s, wounded and sent back to the states.

“What year was that?”

“Nineteen sixty-eight. Then I was sent on a Med-Cruise for seven months, came back and got stationed at Norfolk Naval Air as a prison guard to ride out the end of my tour.”

“You didn’t like it, is that why you bailed?”

“Couldn’t stand the bull s**t anymore, I had to get out.”

“what was your rank when you got out?”

“Corporal was the best I could do, like I said there was a lot of bull s**t. I had a mind of my own, know what I mean?”

“Hm…”

“After they failed to talk me into another tour, they offered me a six-month cut and I jumped on it like it was Cindy Crawford.”

“what did you do then?”

“Came home, tried to blend in, but something was wrong, I had all kinds of problems. The first year I got recruiting mail from the State Police, but I felt it was too much like military life.”

“but you said you were a cop?”

“Yeah, I filled out a form’s for local jobs. Got turned down, everywhere, until Waltham said that they would take me.”

“You ever marry?”

“you could say that, I tried it twice, failed both times.”

“any kids?”

“Two, boy, girl, all grown now. My son is special needs, daughter’s okay, she married, twice. The adage, “the apple doesn’t roll too far from the old tree, I guess is true.”

The waitress showed up with our orders. “You needed anything else guys?”

“No, I’m good.” I said.

Snuffy said, “Yeah I’m all set.”

She said, “Okay,” and disappeared back into the kitchen.

I took a bite of my cheeseburger and spoke with my mouth full, “how about you, what the hell you been doing all these years?”

Leaning on his elbows he said, “What you see, is what it is with me, been in and out of the gym here all my life.” He popped some fries into his mouth and went on, “Worked the mill a few times, almost made the Olympics one year as a coach but that’s about it with me. Got married, didn’t work so I went back to what I’m good at.”

Snuffy ate fast and was guzzling down the last of his coffee like he was in a hurry, so I did the same. The girl came over and began clearing the table. “Would like any desert?” she said.

I said, “No hon we’re good.” Then I looked to Snuffy to see if I miss read.

Snuffy pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his shirt pocket and held it up between two fingers. The girl

said, “I’ll be right back with your change.” Snuffy said, “keep it.”

“Thank you.” and she went back into the kitchen.

Getting back to boxing, I said, “my younger brother, Drew sucker punched me once.”

Snuffy began to chuckle, “Why the hell did he do that?”

“I never was really sure, but I think he was trying to impress the neighbor I was sitting with.”

“When was this?” Snuffy said.

“Some time back in the eighties. My neighbor and I had been sitting on the front stoop shooting the s**t and drinking beers. Drew showed up just as dusk turned to dark. He parked and then came up the walk. There was nowhere for him to sit unless he wanted to appear cozy sitting in between me and my neighbor so he was forced to stand. He was facing me with his left hand on the end of the rot iron railing. I was sitting but my head was about Drew’s chest height. Now, my neighbor was a well built, handsome blonde blue-eyed guy. He was American but looked Scandinavian, like someone you would not want to screw with. He was married and he and his wife had a little girl.”

“Did he box?” Snuffy said.

“I seriously doubt it.” I said.

We were just talking when suddenly Drew halls off and nails me with a right cross and I found myself looking over my right shoulder. I straighten my head and saw Drew was back peddling already. I dove up and at him and aimed every punch for the tip of his f*****g nose. He kept stumbling backwards and I never did get good contact. Then he turned and ran for his car. I chased him part of the way but stopped and just yelled at him, you better get the f**k out of here you, f*****g coward!” He never said anything, he just peeled out of the parking lot.”

Snuffy said, “You ever find out why he pulled something like that?”

“No, but I think, for some reason he was trying to impress my neighbor.

Turned out, the fight scared the hell out of the guy.

Drew did drugs so maybe he was high?”

“Nothing more confusing than family!” Snuffy said.