I have my new homework assignment. It's to write a personal essay before next Tuesday. I still feel the age old childhood sense of rebellion to being asked to do anything for whatever reason. In this case it's me asking to be able to take a writing course. Now being afforded that privilege how dare they ask me to write. Ah, the paradox of the human existence. Isn't it grand? So let's get down to today's topic. I am going to continue with the Fox Lane series. An interesting tidbit I alluded to but didn't expand upon is the extracurricular activities I participated in. While I was helping Billy with his janitorial duties I happened upon something that looked suspiciously like a diagram of various houses of various students. It didn't take me long to piece this puzzle together. An ex-con who went in for burglary and plans to enter other peoples homes. Billy came in as I was inspecting them . It went like this: Billy says "Well this certainly puts us in an awkward position." He raises his palm for me to stop and says "Please don't start with the 'Oh Billy, I promise not to say anything to anybody routine.' Truthfully it has worn a bit thin since my stint at the Osning country club for men. So what would you suggest we do?" Right now I'm thinking "fuck, fuck, fuck" Not a very good problem solving vocabulary, or ass saving one either for that matter. I choose the only option that has worked for me so far, honesty. Thinking fast I say " Billy I won't insult you with any promises or excuses. Here's what I'm thinking. I know some of the kids who live in these houses and some that aren't on there that should be. Let me help for a small cut and the promise you won't rob my house or hurt my family. How does that sound?" Billy doesn't say anything he sits down and justs stares at the wall. An activity I imagine he has a lot of practice at. In order to strengthen my case I continue "Look I've been in a lot of these homes and know the parents schedules. It could be very helpful and keep my own home safe to boot." Billy raises his eyes to look at me and my bowels just about release their rented occupants. Staring for a minute he finally says "When we're done here we go to your house and meet your family. From there I'll decide what will or will not happen. One thing I can promise is if you lie to me or double cross me or I even think you have you won't be doing gymnastics anymore. Are we clear?" Too scared to speak for fear I'll cry or shit my pants I simply nod. Billy walks over to me and says in a happy mood "Good so let's get some work done. Make me a list of all those you think have Art, jewelry, antiques things of value. Anything except electronics they're really hard to move and even harder to fence. I sit down and start listing first the kids I flat out don't like. John Johnson the kid who stabbed me in my forearm in 2nd grade. His family has horses, expensive collectible cars, coins, stamps. pottery. So it went like this until he was done and checked the list. He nods, goes to his locker opens it and tosses me a fifth of Jack Daniels. He slams the locker shut with his black satin racing jacket on his shoulder and says "Long and deep like you mean it Jody. This is our promise to one anothe." I take the bottle unscrew the cap, exhale and up end it letting it go down my throat like a fire swallower at the circus. After about a three count, which is as long as any strength requirement in gymnastics, I pull it away, wipe my mouth and pass it to him. Billy grabs it and takes a long pull, after which he reaches out his hand for the cap. I hand it to him and we walk to the employees parking lot. Before we leave Billy opens his locker and puts the bottle back and take out a box of professional looking drafting tools puts them into a familiar looking old fashioned doctors bag. As we leave the basement Billy punches his time card and we hop in to his 1976 orange AMC Gremlin. I'm a little surprised and Billy looks at me saying "I've modified this baby a bit. For my purposes it handles better and is less conspicuous than a muscle car like yours." We drive to my house and I introduce Billy to my mother and Unc. It's dinner time so he joins us and is as polite as can be. He is a real charmer. I go to help Unc clean the table and Billy is already helping we wash and dry the dishes. Billy pulls out 2 Monte Cristo cigars and Unc's eyes light up. Billy nods and Unc and him go outside to have a smoke. I ask " Mama where do the Gilmores live?" She replies "Why on earth would you want to know that? They're dreadful people." I answer "You don't want to know." She squints and says "They live of off Trinity Pass on Indian Hill Rd. if you must know." Unc and Billy come back in Billy says " Thank you so much for inviting me. I enjoyed it very much. I have to go now, so good night." I walk Billy out and he turns to me and says "We got a deal. Keep thinking of homes., I want this all said and done by the end of the week. By the way I gave Unc a little present I hope he likes it." I ask " What did you give him?" Buddy told me he is as fast as anyone he ever saw with a knife. So I gave him one of mine." I start to ask and am interrupted with his palm again "No and I made a promise to him so don't ask me again. Later." He hops in his Gremlin and drives off slowly. Unc comes up behind me and puts his arm around me saying " That was good thinking. I always was worried about when they would end up hitting our place. So you did good." Unc shows me the knife, flicks it open and says "You're old enough to learn this now, so pay attention. There are three rules #1-Somebody is going to die if a knife is involved $2-You will be the one laying there bleeding to death if you don't strike first. $3- Always thrust in and upward, don't slash." Before I could grab the knife Unc jabbed me 3 times quick in the stomach. Somehow he had flipped the knife around backwards so it wouldn't hurt me. Then he said "You sure you want it?" Suddenly I changed my mind. Who was I kidding I wasn't about to jab and kill anyone. I said "You keep it, I'm no where near ready to use one on another person." Unc grabs me and hugs me " I'm proud of you boy. It's a good sign when you know yourself. You're right. You aren't a killer. Be proud of that fact." I smile and feel lighter somehow that I'm not carrying this secret alone and that I don't have to lay awake at night wondering if I have the guts to use a knife. I said "So Billy explained our deal, and why it happened." Unc laughs saying "Jody don't you think for one minute that he didn't want you to see those plans, 'course he did. He don't know anybody in Pound Ridge besides you. What we got to do is think of the best way to play it is all. You best tell him 'bout your relatives that live here too." I say "Oh crap,I didn't even think of that." So the days pass by and a surge in house robberies is all anyone can talk about at school. As I walk by in the lunch room I hear "Did you here the Gilmore's house was robbed. Everything, even the cars. Somehow they knew they were away on vacation." I'm in the basement with Billy and guess who walks in. John Smith " John says "Hello Jody, Long time no see. I see once again you are right in the middle of it." Billy says "Give John the last bunch of names you came up with." I do and explain how to get there and all that I know about them. Billy goes over to the table and shows John the plans to this fancy restaurant in Bedford Hills. Billy comes over to me and says "I got one more thing for you to do and then your done." He tells me what it is and I go home. I explain to Unc what I have to do and he decides to come along. Unc says "Lets go down to the basement and make room in the crawl spaces and closets." We do it the next night, which is Saturday. Unc invites My mother and me out to a very fancy restaurant in Bedford Hills called Spasso's. It's heritage stretches back to early colonial times. It's rumored the John Jay and Aaron Burr both dined here on occasion. There is a plethora of Antiques and rare collectibles here. It's also being cased for a job by none other than Unc and I. I go to the bathroom and write down everything I see that's valuable and where it is. I check out the windows and locks. Unc is covering the other end . He's in the kitchen thanking the chef for such a wonderful meal. After dinner mama drops us off at the bowling alley for moonlight bowling. Unc looks at me and says " No drinking you hear?" We walk in and the gang has 2 lanes filled with good bowlers. We go over to join them . I see Billy throw a bowlling bowl and am impressed. He returns from his shot and sits next to unc and I at a table behind the lanes. I say "Shit Billy you can tear the cover off of a bowling ball. Unc briefs him while I take Billy's shots. Then I show Billy everything I have and Unc takes Billy's shots We all bowl have a good time. Unc at the end says " Tell you what you make this $25 shot and I'll get you a pitcher of beer. I slam it and Unc collects the money because it's illegal for minors to gamble or win money. We drink our pitcher and Unc finishes explaining the final part of the plan. Everything is in place and Mama picks us up and we go home to sleep. Like I am going to right now. Good night. Jody
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