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Ironbound Section, Newark, New Jersey, circa 1945
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Water Hydrant, Italian Swimming Pools, White Castle Burgers,
Rumble Seats and Punks
Not being an affluent neighborhood
and being poor, we had no community swimming pool, but we did have an Italian
swimming pool
Water hydrant
On hot, steamy nights, sitting on
stoops, waiting for the cooling breeze that never comes, the quiet would be
broken by someone suddenly shouting "Here comes Ralphie with the wrench." Only
that special, magical wrench could open up that mystical fountain of cooling,
ice cold water. Holding our breaths, we would all crowd around him in
anticipation and after a few hard tugs, lo and behold! To yelps of untold joy,
the cooling needles of icy cold water stung and drenched us, and we would lie
prone in the middle of the street, overcome. Even the old Italian ladies on the
porches welcomed the shower, as they took off their shoes, and with dresses held
high, walked in the rippling collection of water now flowing down the street at
curbside.
White Castle
and Rumble Seats
After the good, cold drenching, we
sat at curbside, exhilarated. If we had saved our pennies and had a nickel,
Ralphie would collect as many as he could and then he would drive down to the
White Castle for a sack. If he let you, you could ride along with him, in the
rumble seat, accompanied by his dog, Blackie. Oh, the joy of riding in a rumble
seat!
Punks
Then, after that great meal, he
would bring out the punks he had collected from the nearby meadows and we would
all sit back, put our feet up on the stoop and have a really good "smoke". We
were not poor; we are rich; for anyone who never rode in a rumble seat, never
had a "Ralphie", never ran in front of the spray of a water hydrant, never ate
White Castle burgers nor "smoked" a punk is the poor one.
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