Chapter 6 One Fight Only
Spring had come to Newark at last, and the Braddock family had
joined other families at the local church. Once a month the priest,
Father Rorick, organized a birthday party for all the children
whose parents couldn't afford a party.
Jim and Mae watched as their children joined all the others
around a large wooden table with two big cakes. Everybody
starting singing, "Happy birthday to you . . . Happy birthday to
you . . ."
Jim put his hand around Mae, happy that the cast was off at last.
When it was time to sing the names, the different families all sang
a different name.
"Happy birthday, dear Jay," sang the Braddocks. "Happy
birthday to you!"
Howard pulled his father's arm. "It was better when we had our
own cake," he said.
Father Rorick heard him. "Do you know I boxed your father a
long time ago?"
Howard couldn't believe it. He looked at his father in surprise.
"You hit Father Rorick?"
"As often as possible," said Jim with a big smile.
Mae Braddock joined the two men. She looked worried.
"Jimmy . . ." She looked across the road. Mike, Jim's work partner
at the docks, was sitting at the end of a long table. His wife, Sara,
held their baby daughter in her arms and she was shouting at
Mike.
"You're always trying to fix the world!" she shouted. "Why
don't you fix your own family? What kind of father are you? Too
proud to let people know that our daughter can't have her own
birthday cake . . ."
Mike stared back angrily. "Are you joking, Sara?"
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!" •
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."
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.
"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."
บทที่ 6 หนึ่งต่อสู้เท่านั้นฤดูใบไม้ผลิได้มานวร์กในที่สุด และมีครอบครัวแบรดด็อคเข้าร่วมครอบครัวอื่น ๆ ที่คริสตจักรท้องถิ่น เดือนละครั้งพระสงฆ์พ่อ Rorick จัดงานวันเกิดสำหรับเด็ก ๆผู้ปกครองไม่สามารถจ่ายงานเลี้ยงจิมและแม่ดูเหมือนเด็กเข้าร่วมอื่น ๆตารางไม้ที่มีขนาดใหญ่มีเค้กใหญ่สองรอบ ทุกคนเริ่มต้นร้องเพลง "อวยพรให้คุณ... อวยพรให้คุณ... "จิมใส่มือรอบแม่ ความสุขที่หล่อที่ถูกปิดในที่สุดเมื่อเวลาร้องเพลงชื่อ สร้างครอบครัวแตกต่างกันทั้งหมดชื่ออื่น"สุขสันต์วันเกิด เจรัก สัง Braddocks "มีความสุขวันเกิดคุณ"Howard ดึงแขนพ่อ "ก็ดีเมื่อเราได้ของเราเองเค้ก เขากล่าวว่าพ่อ Rorick ได้ยินเขา "คุณรู้จักฉันกล่องกล่องของคุณพ่อเป็นนานมาแล้ว"Howard ไม่เชื่อมัน เขามองบิดาในความประหลาดใจ"คุณตี Rorick พ่อ""ได้บ่อยที่สุด กล่าวว่า จิมกับยิ้มแบรดด็อคแม่ร่วมสองคน เธอดูกังวล"จิมมี่.. " เธอมองข้าม ไมค์ คู่งานของจิมที่ท่า นั่งที่ท้ายตารางยาว ภรรยาของเขา ซาร่าจัดลูกสาวทารกของพวกเขาในอ้อมแขนของเธอ และเธอตะโกนที่ไมค์"คุณจะพยายามแก้ไขโลก" เขาตะโกนขึ้น "ทำไมคุณไม่สามารถแก้ไขครอบครัวของคุณเอง คุณเป็นอะไรของพ่อ เกินไปความภูมิใจที่จะให้คนที่รู้ว่า ลูกสาวของเราไม่มีเธอเองเค้กวันเกิด... "Mike stared back angrily. "Are you joking, Sara?" Everybody watched the argument. Even the children at theparty stopped playing.Jim walked over and separated the angry couple. "Hey, where'sthe 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 stronghand 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 apunch at his work partner.Jim knocked it away and then held Mike's arm. "Mike, I don'twant 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 Mikefell, hitting his head on the sidewalk."Jim, no!" screamed Sara.As Mike got to his feet, blood ran down his face. Sara went upto him, still holding their baby. Mike pushed her away."Leave me alone," he said to her and Jim. He turned and randown the street.When he had gone, Sara turned to Jim. Tears poured down herface as she cried, "He wasn't going to hit me, Jim!"Sara began to chase her husband down the street. Jim looked upat 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 notalways easy . . . Maybe he just needed a little time!"Mae shook her finger at him."Not at me, James Braddock!" shecried. "Do you hear? I know it's hard. But don't get mad at me!" •Jim returned from work one afternoon and found his childrenplaying 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 Maehad. Jim couldn't say no to that look."OK," he said. "It's all about how you hold your body. Put yourright hand here and your left here . . ." Jim positioned her untilshe 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 thebuilding."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, threwanother punch. It hit Jim right on the chin."OK, Rosy," he said. "Good punch. Now go and box shadowswhile I talk to Uncle Joe."Jim looked at the manager's fine, new suit. "Still lookingfashionable, I see," he said."You have to show you're doing well," answered Joe. He gaveJim 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 thebig show at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long IslandCity . . ." He paused.". . . tomorrow night." Jim turned and walked away. He couldn't believe that his oldfriend and partner would play a joke like this on him.Joe chased after him. "You fight Corn Griffin, Jimmy . . . thenumber two heavyweight in the world. He needs a fight beforehe 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 cutand can't fight. They needed someone they could throw in thering immediately. Nobody will take a fight against Griffin withouttraining, so . . ." Joe looked away. "I . . . told them that Griffincould knock out a guy who has never been knocked out before. . . You're meat, Jimmy . . . They just need somebody to standin that ring and be knocked out."Finally, Jim smiled and put a hand on Joe's shoulder. Then helooked his manager in the eye. "Joe. For two hundred and fiftydollars, 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 howlong 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 saton the sofa in the dark and watched her sleeping husband througheyes red from crying.•The next morning, the three children were outside early, but theydidn't go out to play. They walked to the local butcher shop. Rosyknocked on the window.Sam, the butcher, looked down at the three children. "We'reclosed today." His eye fell on Jay, remembering the time when theboy had stolen from his shop. "Well, look who's here. Shall I lockeverything up?"Jay's face was red, but he bravely stood by his sister, who walkedup to the counter. "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 itto win a boxing fight."
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