parmesan, set them down at a different table. After a short conversation with the customers sitting there, he returned. “Anybody need anything else?”
Louie grabbed him by the wrist, “No, nothin’. Come sidown for a while. Take a load off your feet, you’re makin’ me dizzy wid all a this runnin’ around.”
“Well, I guess I can sit for a minute. How’s everything with you, Louie?”
“I’m good. I was tellin’ them how much of a trouble maker you are, you big eggplant.”
Anthony stepped outside to join them. It’s a so nice out here. Not lika before. Boy, what a hot day today. I see you boysa meet a my Luigi.”
Standing alongside him, Anthony patted him softly on the side of the face. Luigi eesa the besta partner I’m a ever have.”
“What partner? I work for you, Anthony.”
“Nah! Hogwasha, you anda me, we izza partnas. Luigi here is a the best. I’m a surprise he’s sitting down.”
“I made him sit. You work him too hard,” said Louie.
“He’s a work he selfa too hard. I don’t tella heem no theeng.”
“The minestrone, did you check it?” Louis asked.
“Oh…go see, lika gooda boy.”
“I heard you’re goin’ back to Italy to retire,” said Louie.
“Si, maybe inna few more of the years.”
“So, what about this place?”
“I izza gonna give it to Luigi, cheap. The whola the building. I don’t wanna theesa headache when me and the wife we go back to Italy.”
“That’s nice of you Ant’ny. He’ll do good. He’s a hard worker.”
“That he is. Thees building taka care of heem for the whola life. Hey, I gotta go inside. Enjoyza the pizza.”
“That’s what Mr. Herzog once told me.”
“What’s that, Diego?” Louie asked.
“That’s how a lot of people in the city make a living. They work and save enough to buy a three story building with a store like this when they’re still young. Like that fish market across the street, the owner in there could have been a fisherman, so maybe he doesn’t want to go out to sea anymore and instead wants to stay home with his family. So, he buys a building and opens up a fish store, see?”
“Yeah, or maybe he just likes fish,” said Larry.
“Right, or like the guy in that hardware store down the block, maybe he likes tools, so he opened up a…”
“So If I like candy, I could open a little candy store, right?” said Larry.
“That’s the idea. You wouldn’t have to take a subway to work, because you live upstairs. This is how a lot of people in the city make a living. Or a liquor store, a bar, or any kind of store, really. You work hard, live in one of the apartments, collect rent from somebody on the top floor, and the building takes care of you.”
“Yup, I’d rent out the top floor, too. I wouldn’t want to climb all those stairs, all the time,” said Larry.
“I’m opening up a pet shop,” Jose said, excitedly.
“Me too,” said Jimmy. “That was my idea, first.”
“Oh, yeah…well don’t put your smelly store next to mine.”
“Why not?”
“Because! I don’t want you stealing my customers.”
Diego shook his head. “That’s not how it works, Jimmy. To make money, you have to open your store down the street far enough away so that you can serve the customers in that neighborhood. Get it?”
“Oh! I get it,” said Larry. “That’s why we see the same kind of stores like a mile down the street.”
“Exactly,” said Diego. “Me and mom are opening up a cuchifrito restaurant.”
“A coochy coo, what?” Bill asked.
“Spanish food. We’ll sell it to all of the Puerto Ricans.”
“I’ll be the first to try it,” said Louie. “I like Rican food.”
“What about me? Arentcha comin’ to my store?” said Larry. “I give away free candy.”
“How are you going to make money, if you give away all of the profits,” said Diego.
“What profits? You don’t mean them God people, do you?”
“Hey, what about my pet store?” said Jose.
“Boys, boys, I’ll go to
Louie grabbed him by the wrist, “No, nothin’. Come sidown for a while. Take a load off your feet, you’re makin’ me dizzy wid all a this runnin’ around.”
“Well, I guess I can sit for a minute. How’s everything with you, Louie?”
“I’m good. I was tellin’ them how much of a trouble maker you are, you big eggplant.”
Anthony stepped outside to join them. It’s a so nice out here. Not lika before. Boy, what a hot day today. I see you boysa meet a my Luigi.”
Standing alongside him, Anthony patted him softly on the side of the face. Luigi eesa the besta partner I’m a ever have.”
“What partner? I work for you, Anthony.”
“Nah! Hogwasha, you anda me, we izza partnas. Luigi here is a the best. I’m a surprise he’s sitting down.”
“I made him sit. You work him too hard,” said Louie.
“He’s a work he selfa too hard. I don’t tella heem no theeng.”
“The minestrone, did you check it?” Louis asked.
“Oh…go see, lika gooda boy.”
“I heard you’re goin’ back to Italy to retire,” said Louie.
“Si, maybe inna few more of the years.”
“So, what about this place?”
“I izza gonna give it to Luigi, cheap. The whola the building. I don’t wanna theesa headache when me and the wife we go back to Italy.”
“That’s nice of you Ant’ny. He’ll do good. He’s a hard worker.”
“That he is. Thees building taka care of heem for the whola life. Hey, I gotta go inside. Enjoyza the pizza.”
“That’s what Mr. Herzog once told me.”
“What’s that, Diego?” Louie asked.
“That’s how a lot of people in the city make a living. They work and save enough to buy a three story building with a store like this when they’re still young. Like that fish market across the street, the owner in there could have been a fisherman, so maybe he doesn’t want to go out to sea anymore and instead wants to stay home with his family. So, he buys a building and opens up a fish store, see?”
“Yeah, or maybe he just likes fish,” said Larry.
“Right, or like the guy in that hardware store down the block, maybe he likes tools, so he opened up a…”
“So If I like candy, I could open a little candy store, right?” said Larry.
“That’s the idea. You wouldn’t have to take a subway to work, because you live upstairs. This is how a lot of people in the city make a living. Or a liquor store, a bar, or any kind of store, really. You work hard, live in one of the apartments, collect rent from somebody on the top floor, and the building takes care of you.”
“Yup, I’d rent out the top floor, too. I wouldn’t want to climb all those stairs, all the time,” said Larry.
“I’m opening up a pet shop,” Jose said, excitedly.
“Me too,” said Jimmy. “That was my idea, first.”
“Oh, yeah…well don’t put your smelly store next to mine.”
“Why not?”
“Because! I don’t want you stealing my customers.”
Diego shook his head. “That’s not how it works, Jimmy. To make money, you have to open your store down the street far enough away so that you can serve the customers in that neighborhood. Get it?”
“Oh! I get it,” said Larry. “That’s why we see the same kind of stores like a mile down the street.”
“Exactly,” said Diego. “Me and mom are opening up a cuchifrito restaurant.”
“A coochy coo, what?” Bill asked.
“Spanish food. We’ll sell it to all of the Puerto Ricans.”
“I’ll be the first to try it,” said Louie. “I like Rican food.”
“What about me? Arentcha comin’ to my store?” said Larry. “I give away free candy.”
“How are you going to make money, if you give away all of the profits,” said Diego.
“What profits? You don’t mean them God people, do you?”
“Hey, what about my pet store?” said Jose.
“Boys, boys, I’ll go to
Similar Books
