Working hard in New York's Garment Center is without a doubt one of the most depressing things anybody can do. Most of those working there are trying to limit their stay and go on to better paying jobs. This area contains some of America's worst sweat shops. At a dollar per hour the bosses extracted their proverbial pound of flesh. To Jack it always seemed that the smaller the pay the harder you're pushed. This used to aggravate most everyone working in the district and to compensate and add to the measly wage, many would steal dresses and sell them back in the neighborhood. Whole bunch of folks in Harlem looking good on Sunday at one-tenth the Macy's or Gimbels’ price.
You'd be taking your life in your hand walking around and not watching out for the many brothers, conked hair protected by stocking caps, with their overloaded hand trucks, looking every bit like the coolies with rickshaws in Hong Kong. Jack would run his hand-truck into the heels of unsuspecting victims, apologize, not meaning a word of it, and look for his next victim. He wasn't supposed to be here, wasn't cut out for this.
He knew it was wrong to mess with these people but working here took its toll on many people. Many times his hand-truck would be so loaded that when he reached a curb and would have to wait until another guy with an empty truck came along to lift his truck above the curb using the empty truck. Sometimes the building he was going to was elevator busy, waiting as long as twenty minutes to get upstairs and at least as long to get back down. Upon returning to your place the boss would begin to berate you for taking so long.
About this time the Korean Conflict was happening. Jerome Brown, a friend of Jack’s was called to serve in the Army. He missed him a lot and Jerry told him how nice things were after basic training and especially how nice Germany was. He made it all sound so cozy but Jack wasn't overly impressed. After all, the war was on and he had so much to live for.
Jack&Jerry
One afternoon he saw Shirley on her street, still separated from her husband. With Dad and Duxie away for the evening he asked or rather told her to come by. They sat on the couch which also doubled as Jack’s bed and with his usual, tactless, all paws’ tactics, Shirley and Jack became very horny. That aroma, if funk be called an aroma, permeated his nostrils. It had an aphrodisiacal effect on Jack. Apparently his dog Bobbie smelled it too because he was exited and trying to get close to Jack’s date. He was still a virgin though and Jack had one up on him. Or did he? Bobbie was so exited that whenever Jack mounted Shirley, he would try also.
They were getting nowhere fast so he put the dog away in the bathroom so he could continue without further ado. However, with the dress up above the waist he felt the rest would be easy picking. Wrong! He could see it, definite smell it, but could not actually touch it. Jack was being kept away from the prize by something that was looking him in the face and he couldn't figure it out and Hez was nowhere around! Finally the girl relented and told him she was wearing a garter belt over her panties. This proves how very inexperienced Jack really was. Here Jack was, on top of this girl and he, for the life of him, he can't figure out how to remove panties from a willing young lady.
Jack was wearing the popular garb of the time, jeans by Levi and penny loafer shoes, both very snug. With a bursting purple headed, one-eyed sex pistol in one hand and with renewed confidence he removed the garter belt. At this precise moment a key slid into the keyhole, the key doing what he had been so desperately trying unsuccessfully to do. The smell of sex hung throughout the room like London fog. Faintly in the distance Jack imagined a tugboat trumpeting a signal. In a flash he leapt toward the door, Dad and his wife had returned. The turgid tool that he had been holding, and trying to introduce to Shirley’s stinker, pissed off now for not being allowed to clear its throat, strained against the denim fabric of his Levis'.
Somehow with a hand on the door and the other finally putting away the swollen friendly weapon. This weapon was primed for action, and hadn't been served, didn't take lightly to being put away and resisted mightily. He released his grip on both and ran to the couch. It was obvious what had been happening merely by the smell. No one said anything so Jack started chiding Dad about his inability to open the door and began introductions all around. To top it all off, when Shirley stood to shake Duxie's hand her stockings fell down. That diabolic garter belt. Disconcerted, by both his swollen member and Shirley's falling hose but genuinely annoyed by his family's inopportune arrival, Jack walked Shirley home with a small penknife in his pocket in case they encountered her old man.
At 130 lbs., 5ft.6in. , Jack felt very strong. For the past two years he had worked Saturdays for Joe, the local iceman. In those times many folks still, his grandma included, cooked on and heated with wood stoves. Joe supplied both and Jack carried the coal and kerosene oil to the top floors. Joe paid well, treated him fairly and Jack enjoyed working for him. He left for the army soon after.
Elementary School Days * No More Gizzards * No, You Didn't * For The First Time
Life In The Garment Center * Jack's Black Queen * Those Were The Days
New York, New York * Dad * Post Office Blues? * DS or BS?
The Hookers of Hunt's Point * SanMan * Amazing