Day CCIV

Silver Bangles

     When we were kids James had a pal, Chin, who sold jewelry. His dad owned a store, and Chino went to his pal’s homes and sold stuff from catalogs. James’ mom was a good customer, and she always bought something for someone in the family. Since Chino went to school with James, she trusted him, and bought his line. Hell, he could have sold her the Brooklyn Bridge.

     Many years later, I was selling silver bangles, they were a rage at the time. One day I walked into a small mom and pop Jewelry store on 3rd Avenue in the Bronx. The owner had spent his late teen and early adult years in jail. When he was a eighteen teen, he had a chop shop, was busted for car theft, and was locked up. When I entered his store he greeted me with a smile, and asked,

     “Hi what can I do ya for?”

     “Hiya doing?” I shook his hand, gave him my card, and

       continued:  “Is the boss around?”

     “Boss uh…well, I’m Jaime.”

     Jaime, pronounced himee, was happy to meet me, and let me show him my wares.

     As we were talking about the bangles, Chino walked in, and says,

     “Yo, man, dontcha memba me, man?”

    I looked at it him, but it had been so long.

     “Ya looks familiah, wa do we na each oda from dude?”

     “Brook Avenue, man…memba James?”

     “Yea, he’s a pal of mine, but I’m sorry dude, I just don’t remember ya.”

     “Chino, bwa…I used to sell jewry to his family, man. Memba me pop had a sto in Chinatown, on Canal street.”

     “Yea, yea na I remember…ya bin woiking out, uh.”

    That scrawny kid grew up to look like Bolo Yeung, a Chinese competitive bodybuilder, and actor. He was that big Hulking dude in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon.

     “So watcha dooning hea, man!”

     “He be my padnah!” Jaime interjected.

     “Fo real, man.”

     “Yea man, I makes jewry in the back.”