“Are you boys sayin’ you think we’re too old to be any good in a fight?” he sez, turnin’ to face his critics while flexin’ his hands slightly.
If I didn’t recognize the dangerous tone in his voice, I could sure recognize that flexin’ action of his as I was the one who taught it to him in the first place, and figure I had better step in before things get too messy.
“Before proceedin’ with the discussion at hand,” I sez, “I think youse should all perhaps take notice of the attention which is bein’ paid to our intellectual-type conversation by the corporal who is standin’ not twenty yards behind youse.”
“‘Intellectual-type discussion’?” Shu brays, punchin’ his brother on the arm. “What kind of talk is that, Old Man?”
“Paw told us big city folk talked kinda funny.” Hy grinned, “but I ain’t never heard nobody who sounds as weird as this guy.”
“He’s talked that way ever since he played one of the leads in ‘Guys and Dolls’ while we was in college,” Nunzio sez, quick-like. “Beyond that, I strongly suggest you drop the subject.”
That’s when I realize that I have commenced to flex my own hands a bit …an action which has the tendency to make Nunzio nervous. While I am not particularly sensitive to callous or ignorant remarks about my size or how I’m gettin’ older, I can get a little touchy if anyone tries to poke fun at how I talk. You see, I have spent considerable time perfectin’ this particular style of expression as I feel it enhances my believability as a rough and tumble leg-breaker, thereby minimizing the number of times I have to actually partake of the violent-type actions which so offend and depress my sensitive soul. Therefore, anyone who tries to state or imply that talkin’ like dis is easy or stupid is issuin’ an invitation to waltz with me which would best be withheld unless his or her hospitalization insurance is substantial, detailed, and paid up. This is, of course, the very button the Flie brothers is tinkerin’ with, and I find their efforts sufficiently clumsy as to require immediate instruction as to the error of their ways and perhaps a little behavioral adjustment. The fact that I am still annoyed over the haircuts and uniforms and sorta lookin’ for someone to take it out on has completely nothin’ to do with my reactions.