Campagna

1

Chapter

LATE

Outside a small dusty bedroom window lay one of those cold, grey northern mornings, quiet and slightly noticeable, waiting for all the citizens there, who were still trapped in their beds, to come out and give it their unwelcoming greeting. One particular person (who will be in this story quite too often) could be considered one of those citizens, for his blankets had him as their happy prisoner, as he contently slept without any problems, (except for the cold) there to bother about. The wind had frosted his windowpane trying it’s best to get thru the glass, into his not, to well protected, bedroom, with no avail. The paint on the walls was chipping, and a still working fan, hung from its wires only. (For all the screws had been lost) The window was scuffed and the sill was dusty, the floor was cluttered and the rickety bed held only a few mismatching covers and a pillow.

At that moment, a small black Pitt bull, Jinkies by name, stumbled into the room, with a hopeful bark as he waited for, what he considered that joyful second when his owner would climb out of bed. As far as his master was concerned, it wouldn’t happen. but, with no peace, as Jinkies scraped and barked and rammed into the side of his bed trying to knock him out; the poor sleepy, cold victim had no choice. “Alright, alright, alright!”  he mumbled, “Shaddap!” he slowly raised himself up, wearily pushing his weight off the bed just barely far enough to see the hands of his old alarm clock (he had found it in a garbage can, from someone who was moving out).

“Oh, it’s-it’s.” he yawned tiredly, “it’s only eight.” He turned back over, and dozed in to a light sleep; but then out of nowhere he suddenly shot back up. Jinkies backed off a little in surprise, “Eight!” he cried, “I-I’msupposed to be at Work! At-at Work!” he helplessly stammered, “at f-five thirty!’

 “TOONNNY!!!” he could hear the Capo di tutti cap’s voice bellow thru his ear and lash out the other. “great, j-just great” he aimlessly stuttered in a nervous fluster. His job was hanging on a thread as it was and there was a shining bladed scissor right next to it. He fell out of his bed and landed on poor Jinkies.

Without another thought in his head (his brain was usually empty) he crossly pulled off his pajamas, and he was now in his frayed, ripped black Cargo Pants, white old T shirt and an open leather jacket. There was a great white storm the night before and he was cold (and lazy, cold was always his favorite excuse for putting his “what he called” pajamas over his cloth.) Before he left his room he grabbed his “Classic Center Dent Fedora”1 (he just called it the “Hat”), it had half fallen off in his sleep. He pushed it on his head in such a hurry, the bottom covered his, half nervous half sleepy eyes, as he clumsily drudged to the front door, with a happy Jinkies trotting after him.

He was just about to leave when Jinkies

Impatiently grabbedhis pants and pulled him towards the kitchen, after some time, he realized what Jinkies was trying to tell him,

“okay, okay, I’ll get yous your  Gabagool.” He muttered, as he ran to the fridgerator and found a beef bone. He threw it into Jinkies bowl, or tried to, luckily, dogs didn’t mind food off the floor. He walked desperately for the now open, door, but Jinkies grabbed his jacket pulling him down with a crash as he was in the action of grabbing the knob. He pulled his master to his empty water bowl. The poor man gritted his teeth, nervously and frustrated “water, water,” he mumbled as he poured the water into Jinkies bowl. “alright yous made me do dat. Go eat.” Jinkies stared at the bowls, and ignored both of them.

Instead he ran to the front door and eagerly jumped up and snatched the leash hanging on a hook with his teeth,

“Yous gotta be kidding me.”