|
|
Da Poil |
The apartment door slammed open.
"Lisa! Lookie what I found on da beach!" the young man shouted.
"What is it dis time, Vinnie? Did ya find anotha treasure chest?" the young lady replied, in an irritated voice.
"It's a poil! A huge black poil!" Vinnie exclaimed.
Lisa appeared in the hallway and stared at Vinnie. Her long black hair was straight, and fell onto the New York Jets shirt that served as her nightie. She leaned against the wall with her arms folded.
"Vinnie, I'm tired of ya's goin' off to da beach every mornin' and comin' back tinkin' ya got somethin' that'll make us rich... Well, let's see it."
Vinnie lifted the pearl up in front of him and they both stared at it in shocked amazement.
"I tink ya done it dis time, Vinnie. I tink ya really done it" Lisa said.
She ran to the window, threw it open, and leaned out.
"Hey Rose!" she bellowed to the neighbor in the adjacent building, "come see da poil Vinnie found on da beach!"
Vinnie and Lisa soon found their little apartment filled with people who were staring at the pearl now resting on top of a tuna fish can in the middle of their coffee table. Occasionally, they looked over at Vinnie and Lisa - the first couple in the neighborhood ever to strike it rich.
"How much ya tink it's woit, Vin?" asked Mario, Vinnie's best friend.
"I dunno. Maybe a million bucks."
"What good is it, Vinnie? A dame wears dat around her neck she'll lose her head!"
"Maybe dey'll put it in da museum, Mario. I'm gonna take it inta Manhattan tomorrow and see what it's woit."
That night, Vinny lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling.
"Lisa..."
"Yeah, Vinnie?"
"Tomorrow, I'm gonna march right inta da Bohack and quit my job. I'm gonna tell dem dat I has bagged my last bag uh groceries and I ain't woikin no more."
"Just make sure ya got da money before ya's quit, Vin" Lisa said.
The next morning, the whole neighborhood watched as Vinnie walked off with the pearl to the local subway station.
"Hey Vin! Where ya gonna take it?" yelled Mario.
"Saks Fit Aven-ya" Vinnie yelled back, and with that he was on his way downtown.
The guard at Saks Fifth Avenue was somewhat wary of Vinnie as he strode proudly in with his prize. He walked over to one of the jewelers and gently put the black globe on the counter.
"I gots a poil I wanna sell" Vinnie announced, chest poking out.
The jeweler did not speak, but immediately began looking at the item in question with his eyepiece. Several times he paused and looked up at Vinnie. Finally, he let out at big sigh, removed his eyepiece and looked at Vinnie.
"Where did you find this, Mr. umm.."
"Vinnie, da name's Vinnie."
"Where did you find this, Vinnie ?"
"I found it yestaday ovah on Jones Beach. I ain't nevah found a poil dere before, but I knew it must be woit a lot uh money."
"Vinnie, I don't know how to tell you this..."
"Yeah?"
The jeweler looked him straight in the eye.
"Vinnie, this is a bowling ball."
That night, Vinnie and Lisa's little apartment was filled with people who were staring at the bowling ball now resting on top of a tuna fish can in the middle of their coffee table. Occasionally, they looked over at Vinnie and Lisa - the first couple in the neighborhood ever to own their own bowling ball.
"Ya really done it dis time, Vinnie," Lisa smiled, "dis time ya really done it."