When he was born, he tumbled out of the birth canal, and made a mad dash for the furniture. Whenever I hear his name invoked, I think of mayhem and cruelty to humans! He was without a doubt, a terror. The adults of the family were years ahead in their concept of: "terror alert”!
He was born of immigrant parents who came to this country in the early to mid fifties, and if they left a legacy, it was one of sheer edginess!
The father was an Italian dandy, slick black hair, thin chiseled features and a smooth continental air. He spoke in flowery Italian, Alto Italian, and dressed to the nines, as they say. (Whatever the hell that really means), mostly in turtle necks and pointy shoes. He was thin and very handsome, but could not speak a word of English. (That fact alone let me to a happy time, of which I will write on another blogue.)
He returned to Italy for his bride, and together they set up housekeeping USA on Fulton Street, Brooklyn, upstairs from my Grandmother. His wife was a sweet woman, who did not deserve her children or her husband, but figured it was the surest way to Heaven.
The child, the oldest, was named Ollie, a handsome child, who borrowed his looks from his mother, a real beauty, and his father’s coloring and hair. The dark almond eyes, looked out in innocence, the Italian sharp and clear, the speed in which he moved could only be measured on a radar gun!
Ollie often came downstairs to visit with my Grandfather, who could not speak much English, either. But Grandpa was smart, and decided after purchasing a brand new contraption called a TV, to learn English with it. And what shows did he choose? He chooses children’s programming, explaining he was a child in English.
Running around in the hallway, climbing on the table and chairs, screaming in Italian, knocking over things, it was a full day for Ollie. Often, when left alone with Grandpa, he would have to be tracked down and explained to in Italian that he was not long for this world if he kept it up!
Often I would walk over to Fulton Street, and there sat Grandpa with his legs crossed, tired and grumpy, and next to him sat Ollie, tied to a chair with a kitchen dish towel around his waist, being forced to learn English, while “settling him down” and giving poor grandpa a break.
Ollie went on to the business world, but when Grandpa died in 1956, they believe that he still had a twitch from living with Ollie; that could be detected, even in his grave!
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