Chapter Fifty-One

It must be the middle of the week, because here’s the next Chapter of Lost and Found.

I just want to say “Thank You” again to all the folks who are taking the time to read this memoir/novel. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know there are people out there who are among the first people to read about this early life of mine. You are keeping me writing — something I would not have gone back to if not for you. You’re my motivation to keep going on this until it’s finished. Thank you so much.

Be well — be in Peace,

Ron Rink
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It would be a few more weeks before school let out for the summer so I hadn’t been thinking about running away. In addition, since I was living at home, it was difficult for me to get out at night except for the nights when my parents had their choir practice. On those nights I would sneak out and go hang out around the Sugar Bowl with the other guys. As long as I managed to get home before ten o’clock I wouldn’t get caught. I was also in a play at school playing Scrooge in Dickens’ Christmas Carol, so I would lie and tell my parents there was a play rehearsal if I wanted to get out on other nights. I wanted to be sure I would be involved with this rumble, so I had begun thinking of other ways I could get out of the house at night. I knew that a Saturday would be a challenge because of church the next day and Saturday being a bath night.

On the Thursday after the powwow, Morton sat down with Billy and me in one of the booths at the Sugar Bowl and said, “I need you guys to go over to that school in Hazel Park tonight and check out the setup over there.”

Billy looked over at me and said, “We need to know what the schoolyard is like for the rumble and also to see what escape routes there are in case the cops come in to break it up.”

Morton nodded and said, “Bring Sally with you when you go to check it out. She’s going to the rumble to point out her guy and needs to know how we’re going to handle this. She’s also going to bring her cousin to point out the two guys that messed with her, just to make sure we focus on the right guys.”

Since Thursday was choir night for my parents, I was able to be at the Sugar Bowl as soon as they left for practice.

Morton picked us up at the Sugar Bowl that evening just before dark. Billy had brought his girlfriend Dolores who was one of the Duchesses. They got into the front seat of Morton’s car with Dolores in the middle, and Sally and I got in back. The car that night was a 1936 Buick Roadmaster, another big, black four-door sedan.

As we drove towards the school in Hazel Park, Morton began to talk about the night of the rumble. “I was in another rumble at this place last year but I think it’s changed since then. It should be a good spot because there used to be some lights on the building so we can see. Sally and her cousin are going to let us know which guys jumped them. I’ll take the guy who jumped Sally. Billy, you and Van Buren take the other two guys. The rest of our boys will fight the others.”

Billy had his arm around Dolores. I was sitting on one side of the huge back seat behind Morton, and Sally was scrunched into the other corner. I found I was extremely interested in Billy and Dolores. I wondered what it would be like to have a girlfriend. Dolores was a good-looking girl. She and Billy were always kissing around the Sugar Bowl, and I had seen Billy feel her breasts a couple of times when they were necking in one of the booths. I was also conscious of Sally huddled over in her corner of the back seat. I wanted to look over at her. I wanted to say something to her, but I didn’t know what to say.

Billy asked, “What weapons are we bringing for this one?”

“Clubs, chains and knuckles—no knives,” Morton replied.

In my many previous practice fight sessions with Billy, I had learned the clubs were either sawed-off or broken-off baseball bats. The chains were either cut-off tire chains or bicycle chains that you wrapped around your hand and swung at your opponent, and the knuckles were brass knuckles that you wore on your fist in order to cause serious damage when you connected with the other fighter.

We had pulled up in front of the Hazel Park Grade School and Morton looked over at Billy. “I’m gonna drop you guys off here. I’ll be back in a little while. Billy, you and Van Buren scope the place out. Figure out where it’s best for us to set up so we can escape if the cops show up. We have to be able to protect Sally and her cousin, but they have to be able to see the other guys to point out which ones jumped them.”

Sally piped up, “I can take care of myself. If I see that son-of-a-bitch I’ll beat his fuckin’ ass good!”

“No! You let me take care of him. I know you can probably take this guy yourself, but these guys will be using weapons that could mess you up good. You don’t wanna mess up that pretty face, do you?” Morton said with a rare smile on his face.

Sally folded her arms across her ample chest. “Yeah, okay,” she mumbled as she opened the car door and stepped out. I wasn’t convinced she meant it but Sally knew not to argue with Morton.

I got out on my side of the car and Billy and Dolores climbed out of the front seat. We slammed our doors shut and Morton pulled away.
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