Everybody watched the argument. Even the children at the
party stopped playing.
Jim walked over and separated the angry couple. "Hey, where's
the referee?" he asked.
"This is between husband and wife, Jim," Mike said angrily.
"How can you call yourself that?" cried Sara.
Mike jumped up angrily, and Jim stopped him with a strong
hand in the middle of his chest.
"Calm down, Mike," he said. "Have a rest."
But Mike couldn't calm down now. He pushed Jim.
"There's no need for this," said the boxer.
"Jim Braddock, big fighter . . ." said Mike, and he threw a
punch at his work partner.
Jim knocked it away and then held Mike's arm. "Mike, I don't
want to fight you," he said.
"You couldn't do it in the ring . . ." said Mike angrily.
He rushed at Jim again. Jim pushed him to the side and Mike
fell, hitting his head on the sidewalk.
"Jim, no!" screamed Sara.
As Mike got to his feet, blood ran down his face. Sara went up
to him, still holding their baby. Mike pushed her away.
"Leave me alone," he said to her and Jim. He turned and ran
down the street.
When he had gone, Sara turned to Jim. Tears poured down her
face as she cried, "He wasn't going to hit me, Jim!"
Sara began to chase her husband down the street. Jim looked up
at Mae, who had tears in her eyes, too.
'Why was it so hard just to come over for cake?" she asked.
"Maybe he just needed a little time," said Jim angrily. "It's not
always easy . . . Maybe he just needed a little time!"
Mae shook her finger at him."Not at me, James Braddock!" she
cried. "Do you hear? I know it's hard. But don't get mad at me!"
28
•
Jim returned from work one afternoon and found his children
playing in front of the apartment building.
Rosy looked up at him. "Teach me how to fight," she said.
"I can't," said Jim. "I'll get in trouble with Mommy."
Rosy just looked at her father with the same stare that Mae
had. Jim couldn't say no to that look.
"OK," he said. "It's all about how you hold your body. Put your
right hand here and your left here . . ." Jim positioned her until
she was standing like a little boxer. Then she threw a punch,
which Jim caught in his big hand.
"Look at that!" he cried. "You have a better jab than I did!"
As he and Rosy laughed, a familiar car stopped outside the
building.
"You're a brave man," called Joe Gould.
Jim smiled. "Not really. Mae's at the store."
Rosy, who wasn't yet finished with her boxing lesson, threw
another punch. It hit Jim right on the chin.
"OK, Rosy," he said. "Good punch. Now go and box shadows
while I talk to Uncle Joe."
Jim looked at the manager's fine, new suit. "Still looking
fashionable, I see," he said.
"You have to show you're doing well," answered Joe. He gave
Jim a friendly punch on the arm. "Good to see you, Jimmy."
Then: "I've got you a fight."
Jim wasn't sure. "What about my boxing license?"
"The organizers will let you fight one time only," said Joe.
Jim asked the most important question: "How much?"
"Two hundred and fifty dollars," Joe replied. "You're on the
big show at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island
City . . ." He paused.". . . tomorrow night."
29