There I stood, stupefied. I wanted to run, but I was too scared. I knew Mrs. Cavellini could catch me like she caught the others, and that would only would make it that much worse for me.
She was in her early '40's then. Dark hair and olive skin. She was short, but with a lithe and athletic build. Her green eyes seem to go right through you when she was angry, which seemed to be always.
She walked towards me, stopping about 2 feet away.
"Why do you kids do this?!" She said in her slightly accented English. "I tell you no play here but you play anyway!"
"Sorry, always sorry, but you keep doing." She yelled. She reached with her right hand and grabbed my left ear. "We go see your mama, now!" She was walking briskly and I struggled to keep up so I didn't end up losing my ear.
After awhile, I decided I was going to take my chances and try to get away before she brought me home to the end my freedom.
I brought up my left arm quickly to knock loose her grip.and at the same time, I violently twisted away. It worked, but the burning pain that I felt was nearly disorienting, and it cost me the valuable few seconds I needed to make my escape.
She easily caught me. In one smooth move, she threw me to the ground, and sat on my back, her own back facing my head.
I never saw what happened next, but I certainly felt it. Six quick and vicious blows to the derriere. It hurt, but I would never let her have the satisfaction of letting her know that.
When it was over, she quickly climbed off my back and stood a few feet from my head. She shifted her eyes downward toward my direction.
I was angry, more than I ever was before. How dare she strike me? She wasn't my mother. I thought long and hard and finally, I knew what I was going to do next.
I stood up, dusted my self off, and tried to straighten myself out and what I perceived was a dignified manner. I wouldn't cry now, I couldn't cry now. There is no way I would shed a tear in the presence of this woman.
I started running. I looked back to see if she was giving chase. She stood there but she was wagging her finger at me.
"You like that?" She yelled. "I smack you culo for disrespect." Tell you mama I did. I no care."
"You will care in a few minutes." I said silently to myself. I was going to talk to someone who seemed to always help me.
The direction I was going was the opposite of the way to my mother's. I kept running for a good five minutes before I literally hit my destination.
I bumped right into him, a mountain of a man. His flaming red hair peeking through his cap. The red beard matched his ruddy complexion and he was smiling as always.
Officer Sullivan was assigned to walk a beat of our neighborhood. He was friendly, rarely raising his voice to get his point across. If anyone could help, if would be him.
"Now where are you rushing to do, young Raymond." He said as he helped me to my feet.
"I am running away from Mrs. Cavellini. She just spanked me for breaking her window."
His expression on his face changed. "Did she now?" He asked me in a tone I never heard before from him.
What he did next, totally surprised me.
End of Part 2
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