Jimmy still had his boxing gloves on when he left the ring on his way to the locker room. Untying them with his mouth and teeth, Jimmy threw them in a corner. Removing his trunks, shoes and jock strap, he looked into the mirror and thought."who am I? I'm only 16 years old and still going to school, a street punk. A street vagabond who no one knew or cared about until just a few minutes ago. Why did I do what I did, Johnny wasn't trying to hurt me. He was only doing what he was instructed to do. I just couldn't help it. I saw an opportunity and I took it.
There was loud knocking coming from the door of the locker room. Jimmy had locked the door, knowing that after the ovation he received when he knocked out Johnny, there would be plenty of questions, and undoubtedly, they would be waiting for answers. "What answers," thought Jimmy, "what can I say? That Johnny slipped on a wet spot in the ring and that I took unfair advantage of him. Naw, they wouldn't believe him. That Johnny had made a mistake, Yeah, that was true.
The knocking on the door suddenly stopped and a voice called through the door. "Jimmy. It's Max, please open the door. I want to talk to you, also there's a few kids here, who say they gotta see you, and if you don't open the door, they're going to break it down." Jimmy knew who the kids were, they were his boys, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would do exactly what they said they would.
Jimmy, at this time had no real thoughts nor did he entertain any serious thoughts of what he had accomplished just minutes ago. He had accidently knocked out a professional fighter. So what? It did not really sink into his young head that from this time forward, his life would be changed. The boys, and only the boys were on his mind. Would they forgive him for withholding secrets from them. He felt a little at ease however with the thoughts that undoubtedly they knew, and he wouldn't have to explain his actions and that they would understand for why would they be here. They seldom went to the gym, except for the times, when one of the boys boxed in one of the amateur fights.
Jimmy opened the door to the gym, Franky, Joey, and Pissy were there. They all threw their arms about Jimmy, hugging him, with Jimmy not realizing that he had no clothes on. He had no time nor did he even think of getting dressed. There were too many things flashing through his mind. Max, was standing just behind the boys, trying to get Jimmy's attention, but it was all too noisy for any talk what so ever. The hallway was filled with people, all talking and yelling at the same time. "Let's get inside," yelled Max, "we can't talk out here." When the boys and Max were in the room, they immediately locked the door. There was chaos in the hallway. People were yelling, "let us in, we want to talk to Jimmy. We have a lot of questions to ask him".
Ignoring the noise coming from outside of the locker room, Jimmy, Max and the boys were eyeing each other, just waiting for the first one to speak. "Jimmy," Joey said, "the whole neighborhood is talking about you. They say that you knocked out some dude in the foist round. What were you doing here in the foist place? Is that why you were in such a hurry? To get here" "Yeah."echoed Franky,"why didn't you tell us where you wuz goin?" Jimmy was embarassed, he didn't know what to say. Should he tell them everything now, with all the turmoil going on or wait till later when things quieted down. He waited for Pissy to return from his numerous jaunts to the toilet.
Guys, I'm really sorry about all this. I meant to tell you a dozen times, but I didn't know how youse would take it. Jimmy then related his ideals, hopes for the future and reasons for not telling his boys. "I just didn't want you to laugh at me, and think me nuts for having such great ideals for myself. I'm sorry boy's, I should have told you. I will never hold back any secrets from you again." There seemed to be tears in all of the boy's eyes, as Jimmy, with much relief, finally told the boys what he should have told them some time ago. "Aw heck" both Pissy and Joey said together. "Yeah," said Franky, "it's okay Jimmy, "let's just forget it, and suppose you tell us what's going on. Who wuz that guy you knocked out? What did they expect, when they put someone in the ring with you, a picnic?.
There was no sound from Max so far. He was listening intently to what the boy's were saying. Finally, "say Jimmy, do you think we can talk together alone, I think that we have a lot to say to each other? " Jimmy, no longer in awe of the great Mr. Rappaport replied saying, " yeah, we got a lot to talk about, but first, I've gotta talk to the boy's." Jimmy had reverted back to his street talk, feisty, tough and sarcastic, but speaking gently to his boy's said, "hey guy's do ya mind leaving, I gotta talk to Max here, I'll see ya later, okay?" "sure," was the expected reply, see ya later."
As the boy's unlocked the door, the crowd swooped down on them, blocking their way, and trying to get into the locker room. There were flashes of light from the photographer's cameras, microphones were stuck into their faces with all sorts of questions. Jimmy and Max rushed to lock the door, barely making it before one or two reporters gained entrance to the room. "Whew," said Jimmy, "what's all the commotion about, what's the big deal?"
"Jimmy," said Max, nervously, "I know that you're mad at me, and I can't say that I blame you, but I have a reason for all my actions." "Yeah, replied Jimmy, I bet you have. You put me in the ring with a pro, and you never told me. He could have knocked my block off." "No, No, there was no chance of that," replied Max. "He was instructed to just box around you and see what you had, and I guess he knows by know what you had." "But you never told me he was a pro with a record like that, how was I to know?" Jimmy, I didn't tell you purposely, I wasn't trying to deceive you in any way. Why do you think I talked to you in the first place? You impressed me, and there are few boxers that do. I've been in this fight game a long time, and I had the feeling that you had the makings of a great fighter. I purposely didn't tell you about Johnny as there was a possibility if you knew that he was a pro, especially with such as record, that you would be apprehensive in the ring. You would be nervous. You wouldn't be yourself, and the test would be a failure. Yes, it was a test, and a darn successful one if I say so. Jimmy do you know what you did? You knocked out a great fighter. One who had never been off his feet in his life. A boxer with 14 knockouts, and you knocked him out in only 2 minutes of the first round, and I know what happened, I saw your move. It was the move of an experienced first rate boxer. One that planned his moves. One that lured him in to make the mistake he made. Jimmy, I apologize if I hurt you. It was not meant that way, and if you understand what I just told you and forgive me, then we can go from there." Jimmy was flabbergasted, for a moment he didn't know what to say. This was not the Max that he barely knew. This was a human being, full of compassion. One who cared. No wonder he was so well liked, and appreciated by everyone in the fight game. "Max, I don't know how to answer you. I thought that I knew what I would say to you. It was by no means what I will say now. There is no need for you to apologize and there's no need for forgiveness because you are right. There were all sorts of things going around in my mind when I found out about Johnny, and none of them were any good. So please accept my apologies for being such an …….". "alright" said Max, will you do me a favor and put some darn clothes on before some dame comes in here and sees you like this, then come over here and sit down, and we'll talk about what we're gonna do with you."
