Water Hydrant, Italian
Swimming Pools, White Castle Burgers, Rumble Seats and Punks
Not being an affluent neighborhood and being poor, we had no community
swimming pool, but we did have an Italian swimming pool
Water hydrant
On hot, steamy nights, sitting on stoops, waiting for the cooling
breeze that never comes, the quiet would be broken by someone suddenly
shouting "Here comes Ralphie with the wrench." Only that
special, magical wrench could open up that mystical fountain of
cooling, ice cold water. Holding our breaths, we would all crowd
around him in anticipation and after a few hard tugs, lo and behold!
To yelps of untold joy, the cooling needles of icy cold water stung
and drenched us, and we would lie prone in the middle of the street,
overcome. Even the old Italian ladies on the porches welcomed the
shower, as they took off their shoes, and with dresses held high,
walked in the rippling collection of water now flowing down the
street at curbside.
White Castle and Rumble Seats
After the good, cold drenching, we sat at curbside, exhilarated.
If we had saved our pennies and had a nickel, Ralphie would collect
as many as he could and then he would drive down to the White Castle
for a sack. If he let you, you could ride along with him, in the
rumble seat, accompanied by his dog, Blackie. Oh, the joy of riding
in a rumble seat!
Punks
Then, after that great meal, he would bring out the punks he had
collected from the nearby meadows and we would all sit back, put
our feet up on the stoop and have a really good "smoke".
We were not poor; we are rich; for anyone who never rode in a rumble
seat, never had a "Ralphie", never ran in front of the
spray of a water hydrant, never ate White Castle burgers nor "smoked"
a punk is the poor one.
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