PLAYING FOR KEEPS… (orig story) Part 5

PART 5

The next few days are whirlwind.., Charlie and Sin have not left each others side, Charlie even got behind the bar with her one night -- boy was that a mistake… But for the next few days, they set out to visit.., the places and neighborhoods all around the city that his grandfather spoke about so genuinely -- the spots that had such a special place in his heart, that had been systematically removed from the fabric of his hometown, spots that had just vanished -- but when you listened to the stories.., you would have thought they still existed…

But for Charlie and Sin.., they do!

Even though there weird angel friend can't help them, too much -- he is willing to push it to the limit, and then some… So as Charlie and Sin arrive at there first destination -- Angelo's Restaurant in Little Italy, where Charlie's grandfather was born and a place he spoke of with love in his heart, on more than one occasion -- they will see it as it was, just how his grandfather experienced it!

Before they even enter the restaurant.., they notice how many people are out on the streets just hanging out, chatting, smoking -- whatever… There not sure what to expect.., but immediately they are greeted at the door by Angelo, who welcomes them like they are family… The place is alive and vibrant, with whole families and couples on dates -- wine and the best damn italian food they have ever seen or tasted just starts showing up at their table…

Every now and then.., Charlie and Sin shoot each other a look, almost unable to grasp that people were so happy -- they literally, could feel the love in the room. As they get ready to leave, it seems as if there is some kind of commotion going on outside -- when they went into Angelo's earlier, it was a normal night on Mulberry St.., but now as they leave, they walk right into the San Gennaro Feast -- the one thing everyone one in the neighborhood looks forward to all year…

Sin's eyes open wide and she blurts out -- "HOLY SHIT Charlie, how many times did you the story that happened here -- THE SAN GENNARO FEAST…" They run around like a couple of kids, going from one carnival game to another, for what seems hours… The scene is exactly as Charlie's grandfather described -- and they just can't believe, what a good time EVERYONE is having.., this type of celebration, camaraderie, community -- is completely foreign to them… As they both soak this all in, even though they just had the best dinner of their lives, they can't help but give in to the unbelievable smell of a sausage and peppers, sizzling on every corner…

As Charlie finishes off that last amazing bite.., he is stopped dead in his tracks at what he sees next -- about 10-12 feet right in front of him, a crowd of people have gathered around a young couple in the middle of the street… The young man is down on one knee holding a ring up to the young woman -- for a split second everything just stops…

Charlie looks like he has just seen a ghost… Sin grabs him by the hand -- "Damn, he was a good-looking man…" It's Charlie's grandfather.., and he proposing marriage to Charlie's future grandmother -- they have both heard this story a million times! Charlie starts to walk a little closer, but the closer he gets -- everything starts fading away… And slowly but surely, they are standing in present time Little Italy, which these days is little more than a ghost town.

After gentrification went wild in this town -- giant high rises swallowed up and destroyed whatever character this town had left… It was when the wealthy really stepped up their greed.., only they didn't realize, there weren't enough of them with that kind of money -- the high rises sat empty.., and were now just left to decay. Some squatters called it home.., but all the wealthy -- the real wealthy, all lived within a 1 square mile on the upper east side.

Charlie and Sin are now standing in the exact spot of his grandfathers favorite memory.., and there is NOTHING remotely similar -- time (greed) has not only replaced the tiny brick walk-up buildings people called their home.., it sucked the soul right out of it… Charlie just plops down on the sidewalk, as if already defeated -- "Did you see how happy they were.., all of them… Normal people with normal problems -- some unemployed, behind in rent -- whatever, the normal shit everyone goes through.., and they still found the joy in just being alive."

"AND I KNOW WHY --" Charlie almost shouts at the sky… "I could see it in their faces, hear it in their voices -- feel it in the air… They had hope -- THEY ALL HAD FUCKIN' HOPE!" He looks up at Sin -- "How the hell do we instill hope.., how do we get that back..? Shit, in todays world, unless you are born to one of a handful of families, you don't even know what hope is" -- Sin cuts him off, as she sits down on the street putting her arm around him -- "That's why you're here, Charlie -- that's why you're here…"


Stay Tuned For Part 6

After experiencing first hand, the world his grandfather knew.., although sad -- he is not dejected. He now knows what he has to do -- create a little hope… But how the hell is he supposed to that!


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