Geeezzeee. . this just hasn't been my life!!
Ain't it weird how one day you're on top of the world, and the next the world's on top of you?
Things was going my way until I made the mistake of reaching out to my dear, estranged sister. . . I just was gonna touch base, have a couple belts of whiskey, maybe exchange a little info for a favor or two. . Then the next thing I know she's clubbing a dime-store Santa; I'm racing all over heck and back with half the wiseguys in the country looking to air-condition my gullet; and she's sticking to me like a melted piece of Jucyfruit on your shoe, trying to make sure yours truly spends the next several years sending Christmas cards from the Cross Bar Hotel just so she can get her name in the papers. And now I'm relating this here narration to youse mugs standing up, because my own sweetheart blasted me in the tookus with my own piece!!!
It was bad enough in Vegas and LA; it took a few hours and more then a couple belts of hooch in the bar car of the train to calm my jangled nerves. . and then I dozed off and woke up screaming about giant eyeballs and pieces of fruit chasing me! It was no skin off my nose, but the Doll was kind embarrassed about it.
But I digest; the train ride was long and pretty boring to tell ya the truth, but it did give me time to calm down and rethink things. Between my sister and the boys in LA, I knew the heat was gonna be bad for awhile even in Philly, and I got to thinking maybe it was time to take an extended vacation.. . the Doll had been bugging me about going a broad (that means taking a trip to Europe; get yer minds out of the gutter ya mugs!!) She wanted to see that thing Nat "King" Cole painted, the "Moaning Lisa", in Paris, and look up some joe named "Big Ben" in London- (I guess he's a big-shot and a relative or something, I don't know) and up to then I wasn't to keen on the idea. . but all of sudden it seemed like a good idea. Plus I gotta admit I'd heard about that "Dames River" and wanted to check that out for myself. .
I laid the new plan out to the Doll and she was all excited; even got me a few big smooches out of the deal, so when the train chugged into Chicago I switched our tickets from Philly to New York- we could catch a ship out from there. (The Doll wanted to fly over, but that ain't for me. . I figure if the man upstairs wanted us to fly, He'd of stapled wings to our hind-ends.) We had a few hours before our train left, and I knew I'd need all the dough I could get for the trip, so I looked up an old associate of mine. .
His name was Dan "The Camera" Murphy. . he was hooked up with the Capone boys and cooked the books for their shy action. I found him down at the OTB losing his jack on the ponies, but he was definitely interested in Sammy's glass eye- guess he figured Big Al would get a kick out of it and he'd score some juice by giving it to him as a present. . but he was tapped out and we had to catch a hack down to his office so he could get the dough. Well, we get down there, and he goes out back through an alley and into this door. . I'm standing having a smoke, minding my own Ps and Qs, but I couldn't help notice that he was in some kind of vault, and there was more cash and other goodies in that thing then I'd ever seen in my life!! So I get the dough, say "so long", and then the Doll and I circled back around. .
Okay, so maybe I "borrowed" some of it, but it wasn't my fault! "The Camera" didn't lock the door tight. . . didn't take me more then 20 minutes to jimmy it open as a matter of fact. . . and because I was looking out for Mr. Capones interests, I went down and got some bricks and concrete, and me and the Doll sealed the door up. . so really, them guys should thank me!
Anyways, we get out of Chi Town, get to New York, and have an easy cruise across the Atlantic. Me and the Doll lived it up for a few days. . "Big Ben" turned out to be some big clock, and the only dames I saw by the river had bad teeth, but it was a good time just the same. . . but then I notice this Frenchy mug kept turning up every place we went! You couldn't miss the guy; he kept falling and breaking things all the time. I wasn't sure, but my gut told he was some kind of heat, so I convinced the Doll maybe we should skip Paris and catch a train to the Orient. I don't know much about that place, but I figured at least no flatfoots or wiseguys would be tailing us there. . .
So we get on the train. . it was pretty classy. I settled into the bar car but I had to leave because their was this loony broad there all the time jacked up on hooch and telling these boring stories about "10 Little Indians" and all kinds of weird stuff. . . So I went back to me and the Doll's private cabin. . and the next thing I know she's busting my chops and crying because I wouldn't take her to see the Moaning Lisa! Like I needed that grief! But she's a good gal, so instead of getting upset I turned on the old charm and sweet talked her; she calmed right down and by the time went into the tunnel and the lights went out, she was giving my one of those great smooches. . .
She had her arms around me, and just when things was getting interesting. . there's this commotion outside in the hallway. . . So I jerked around; and the Doll's hand slipped down and hit the heater I had tucked in the back waistband of my pants. . and BLAM!!! It goes off and I got a bullet in my keister!! I yelped, she screamed, people on the train started screaming . . and then the train starts slowing down. I grabbed the Doll figuring maybe it was time we see about making other travel arrangements. . and we clawed our way through the dark and headed to the front of the train. . .
Just as the train was almost stopped, we come out of the tunnel. . so I look back and what do I see?? None other then my dear sister!! She has the Frenchy guy handcuffed to one of the porters, and she's on top of the story-telling dame pounding her with a night stick and yelling, "I got you now you slime ball! I'll be eating turkey at ma's next year, not you!"
It was too much for me. . I grabbed the Doll's hand, yanked open an outside door, and jumped. . and the next thing I know, the Doll and I are in the drink and we're swimming for our lives!
Seems like the train was in Venice, Italy. . . we made it to shore, found a cheap inn, and for the moment we're okay.. . but I got still got this bullet in my kiester and I know my dear sister is out there somewhere, just itching to slap the irons on your's truly.. so now I gotta come up with a plan. .
I know one thing; I ain't never seen a dame so worked up about not being invited over for a turkey dinner!
