Jim turned and walked away. He couldn't believe that his old
friend and partner would play a joke like this on him.
Joe chased after him. "You fight Corn Griffin, Jimmy . . . the
number two heavyweight in the world. He needs a fight before
he boxes for the title."
Jim's eyes were dangerous. "Joe, this isn't funny."
"No one's trying to be kind to you. Griffin's opponent got cut
and can't fight. They needed someone they could throw in the
ring immediately. Nobody will take a fight against Griffin without
training, so . . ." Joe looked away. "I . . . told them that Griffin
could knock out a guy who has never been knocked out before
. . . You're meat, Jimmy . . . They just need somebody to stand
in that ring and be knocked out."
Finally, Jim smiled and put a hand on Joe's shoulder. Then he
looked his manager in the eye. "Joe. For two hundred and fifty
dollars, I'd fight your wife."
When Mae got home later, she wasn't happy about the news.
Jim talked more—about how it was only one fight, about how
long he would have to work at the docks for so much money.
In the end, Mae told Jim to take the fight. But that night she sat
on the sofa in the dark and watched her sleeping husband through
eyes red from crying.
•
The next morning, the three children were outside early, but they
didn't go out to play. They walked to the local butcher shop. Rosy
knocked on the window.
Sam, the butcher, looked down at the three children. "We're
closed today." His eye fell on Jay, remembering the time when the
boy had stolen from his shop. "Well, look who's here. Shall I lock
everything up?"
Jay's face was red, but he bravely stood by his sister, who walked
up to the counter.
30
"I need a piece of meat, please, sir," she said. "Steak."
"Do you have any money?"
Rosy shook her head and the look in Sam's eyes became softer.
"I can't just give the meat away."
"It's not for me . . . It's for my dad," Rosy replied. "He needs it
to win a boxing fight.