Love can be pleasure love can be pain,
And yet we do it again and again.
Hours are spent on sorrow alone
This you will find where ever your roam
Mother Nature created this feeling
It’s giving a gift and the taker is stealing
Those who suffer are called a fool
Yet welcome it no matter how cruel
Is it foolish to feel great love?
Created by the heavens above
~ Gemini Joe ~
T
hen my children kept coming. Every pregnancy was a mistake according to your mom. I told her, “It’s not all my fault. Weren’t you at the accident?” I’m laughing at that. You of course were number one, then came little Joey who was named after me. He came out feet first. I was very proud of him because he was the first son to carry on the family name. My brothers all had girls.
We needed a larger place to live so I found an apartment building thirteen blocks away that needed a superintendent. Every night I cleaned the halls in the apartment building. Everyone loved me over there because I would fix their leaky pipes and unclog their toilets. It was hard work and sometimes very lonely because I did it while everyone was sleeping. I had plenty of time to think.
During my breaks, I sat outside on the stoop in front of the building to smoke a cigarette.
One night I heard a girl calling out from across the street. A strange man was assaulting her and I ran to help. I jumped on his back so she could get away and then he ran down the block. I tried to chase him, but I was running out of breath, and he ran behind some stores.
It turned out that the girl was the local rabbi’s daughter. He was so grateful that I saved her that he blessed me. If babies are a blessing, it worked because your mom told me she was having another baby.
Now I am going to our number three, Diane. You remember I told you she was the baby at the time. You guys were always teasing her. It reminded me of my brothers and I always told you and Joey to leave her alone. She’d come running to me and I loved that. She was a cute little thing. One thing about Diane, you would think that she wasn’t walking. She was flying. Everything she did was off the ground. Boy she was rough to keep down, the little tiger. I enjoyed that, she was very speedy and fast.
We had to move again, but this time it was not a very warm place. The burner was always breaking down and it was warmer outside than inside. You and Joey had to wear your coats in the house to stay warm. I couldn’t help my children and it made me feel bad.
At Christmas time, I bought Diane a Thumbelina doll. I got little Joey his first fishing pole and took him fishing. He was fascinated with that, but we didn’t do too well. Wrong bait or wrong time, I guess. I bought you a sled. I don’t know if you remember, but it was a snowy winter and I took you and little Joey outside to teach you how to use it. I found an icy road and jumped on the sled, but I didn’t see the cardboard box in the ice. It stopped the sled, but I kept going. I came away with a very deep gash in my chin and a lot of blood. I was the one who learned a lesson.
Your mom really wanted a house, but we didn’t have the money. Her sister, Lucy was moving to Long Island, but their dad really didn’t want to leave Brooklyn. Lucy had an idea. One of her friend’s was selling a brownstone nine blocks away from my Dad’s house. Your aunt loaned us the money for a deposit if we agreed to let your grandfather live with us. I didn’t want to be in debt to her family, but it was the only way to give my children a home.
It was a nice little house and had a backyard for you kids to play in. A big, pear tree grew in the middle of the yard and I built a seat that went all around the trunk. Boy, that tree was nice, but very messy.
During summer, as the pears ripened, they fell, covering the lawn. The rotting fruit attracted flies and bees. I said, “I’ll give you a penny for each piece of fruit you pick up.” You guys ran around the yard picking up the pears. I thought I was clever, but soon the novelty wore off and after being stung by bees a few times, you all refused to help.
Being creative, I had so many ideas, but I had no help. I tried to do everything by myself and it didn’t always work out too good. The wood stairs in the front of the house was starting to rot. I found some bricks at an old construction site and stacked them in the yard until I had enough. Then I tore out the wood stairs.
“Watch these kids,” I told your mother because you guys were running in and out of the house and I didn’t want you to get hurt.
I have to laugh, but at the time, it wasn’t funny. I was so busy arguing with your mom that I forgot the steps in the front were gone and walked out the front door with two bags of cement slung over my shoulder. I fell six feet into the hole. I guess I had a lot on my mind.
Your brother used to tease the little girl across the street.
“Joey, you shouldn’t do that,” I said, but he kept doing it. He got a little rough. Now I had trouble with the neighbor. One day he came knocking on my door.
“Didn’t you ever teach your son not to hit girls?”
“I didn’t hit her,” Joey said.
“If you don’t make him stop, I’m gonna kick his ass!”
“You better not touch my son,” I said.
“Why don’t you come out right now and we’ll settle it.”
I didn’t want to fight with the man so I said I would have a talk with Joey.
“Why weren’t you watching your son?” I asked your mother. I shouldn’t have blamed her but maybe it was an excuse to go to the bar. I felt bad when I came home and cried at the kitchen table.
“I’m having a nervous breakdown. This house is too much work and you have me fighting with neighbors.”
“My sister, Lucia says there’s a nice house for sale on Long Island. Maybe it’s time for us to move.”