Johnny Wise was never known for his good manners. He was a rough and gruff man, who always seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. Despite his less than charming demeanor, Johnny was a well-respected member of the Mafia...
He had worked his way up the ranks over the years, and was now one of the top enforcers for the New York branch of the organized crime syndicate...102Please respect copyright.PENANAFrLVGRQCTD
However, Johnny had grown tired of the life of a gangster. The violence and deceit had taken a toll on him, and he longed for something more meaningful. So, he made the bold decision to quit the Mafia and become a private detective...102Please respect copyright.PENANAjGLZBCDwM0
Johnny set up shop in the heart of the city and quickly made a name for himself. He was tough and relentless, and he always got the job done. But despite his success, Johnny remained a loner. He lived in a small house and spent most of his free time drinking and playing cards with his buddies at the local bar...102Please respect copyright.PENANAvjqKkH3Nw8
That all changed one summer day when Johnny was grilling in his backyard. He heard the sounds of laughter and chatter coming from the neighboring yard...102Please respect copyright.PENANABOfb5IGMrX
Meanwhile Rocky, his dog had gone over to the pond and seized one of their ducks and brought it back placing it at his feet. Rocky looked at him, wagging his tail expectantly. Johnny shook his head and picked up the duck, hoping it was still alive...102Please respect copyright.PENANAxpkhyy5JgH
Rocky looked at me, I honestly think that he wanted me to cook the duck for him. He got that sweet, crazy, delightful odor of barbecue chicken and now wanted some barbecue duck!102Please respect copyright.PENANAfWyUnL51BJ
But,102Please respect copyright.PENANAgD3HrLY1IH
I rescued the duck and started strolling with the intent of returning it to my next door neighbor's pond,102Please respect copyright.PENANAGEcpjY8Gdz
but, really, Quite honestly I did entertain the thought of some Mallard duck soup...
Heh, heh, heh!102Please respect copyright.PENANADwX2b3k1qM
Anyway, I gave Rocky several hotdogs off the grill, then walked over to the fence that separated my yard from the neighbor's and saw a woman sitting on a lawn chair, reading a book. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slim figure. And was wearing a red bikini that left little to the imagination...102Please respect copyright.PENANAAefn4gGanm
I cleared my throat and said, "Excuse me, miss. I think this belongs to you."102Please respect copyright.PENANASTtJ8cgBdb
The woman looked up and gasped. She saw Johnny holding her duck by its neck, and Rocky sitting behind him, licking his chops...102Please respect copyright.PENANACScwLxzYm9
She jumped up from her chair and ran towards him, screaming, "You monster! You killed my duck! How could you do such a thing?"102Please respect copyright.PENANACp6j2dGzU9
Johnny was taken aback by her reaction. He said, "Hey, calm down. I didn't kill your duck. My dog almost did. And he didn't mean any harm. He's just a playful pup."102Please respect copyright.PENANAHpf4s8gKQT
The woman reached the fence and snatched the duck from Johnny's hands. She cradled it in her arms and checked for signs of life. She said, "You liar! Your dog is a killer! And you're an accomplice! You should be ashamed of yourself!"102Please respect copyright.PENANAeoVzyDi2y2
Johnny felt a surge of anger. He said, "Look lady, I don't know who you are or what your problem is, but you need to chill out. It's just a duck. It's not like it's your child or something."102Please respect copyright.PENANAejTyeUkqLs
The woman glared at him and said, "How dare you? This duck is more than just an animal. It's my pet. It's my friend. It has a name. It's Daisy."102Please respect copyright.PENANAqYQYWeAICf
Johnny rolled his eyes and said, "Daisy? Seriously? That's a stupid name for a duck."102Please respect copyright.PENANAvDJkXmxH4K
What's your name sweetheart?102Please respect copyright.PENANAjNbblq26OU
"The name is Eva and I'm definitely not your sweetheart. Idiot! And you havn't any taste either. Daisy is a beautiful name for a beautiful duck!"102Please respect copyright.PENANAlanBfpjdUK
Johnny snorted and said, "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say lady!"102Please respect copyright.PENANAUIJgueI4Kg
Eva exclaimed, "You know what? You're not worth my time. You're rude and insensitive and ignorant. You don't deserve to live next to me."102Please respect copyright.PENANA6TzK4NvJxF
Johnny said, "Fine by me. I don't want to live next to you either. You're annoying, hysterical and crazy. You didn't deserve to have any ducks."102Please respect copyright.PENANARKC599cIq2
Eva said, "Oh yeah? Well, you don't deserve to have a dog."102Please respect copyright.PENANADhXNCb5qtE
Johnny grinned, saying, "Well, you don't deserve to have a bikini." Eva said, "What does that even mean?"102Please respect copyright.PENANAjurNLr91Lk
Johnny begin chuckling, "It means you look terrible in it."102Please respect copyright.PENANAbrkDZ1fs4R
She said, "That's it! You've crossed the line! I'm going to report you to the authorities!" Johnny said, "Go ahead! See if I care!" Eva said, "I will! And I hope they lock you up!" Johnny said, "Yeah? Well, I hope they lock you up for being a Loony Toon!" And disturbing the peace.102Please respect copyright.PENANAs3YEZ8EheE
Eva cried, "No, I'm not! You're disturbing the peace!"102Please respect copyright.PENANA43wi1uEzqv
Johnny said, "No, you are!"102Please respect copyright.PENANA9tiob5AgSU
The woman said, "No, you are!"102Please respect copyright.PENANAnXuwyyseRU
They continued to argue like this for several minutes until they were interrupted by another voice.102Please respect copyright.PENANAnbRYUPtHKC
"Hey! Hey! Hey! What's going on here?"102Please respect copyright.PENANAtwjAhDyp0t
They turned and saw a man standing on the other side of the fence. He had short brown hair, green eyes, and a muscular build. He was wearing a blue shirt, khaki pants, and a badge. He was a cop.102Please respect copyright.PENANA2g33RHzLg6
He said, "I'm Officer Brad. I'm responding to a noise complaint. What's the problem?"102Please respect copyright.PENANAlb0J2xY6SL
Johnny and the woman looked at each other and then at the cop. They both said, "He/she started it!"
The officer sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Alright, alright. Calm down. Let's start with some introductions.102Please respect copyright.PENANA0IzSaiM2lM
"Who are you two?"102Please respect copyright.PENANATxQhJ3xWiH
Johnny stepped forward and extended his hand.
"Hi there. I'm John, and this is my dog Rocky. We live next door." The woman stepped forward as well, still clutching her dead duck. "My name is Evelina and this," she gestured to the lifeless bird, "Is Daisy. We also live next door." Officer Brad nodded, scribbling notes into his pad. 102Please respect copyright.PENANAAIB7pGjPP2
"And what seems to be the issue, folks?" Johnny spoke first. "Well, my dog got loose earlier and ended up in umm...Miss Evelina's backyard where he unfortunately, accidentally killed her duck." The officer raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit of a mouthful Mr. ... uh ... John?" 102Please respect copyright.PENANAsr34QRxf4M
"Call me Johnny. Sorry about that."
The officer smiled slightly. "Apology accepted Johnny. Now, let's hear from Miss Evelina." Evelina took a deep breath before speaking. "Mr. Officer, Johnny's dog attacked and killed my beloved pet Daisy without provocation. 102Please respect copyright.PENANAz3UhFMqKaB
Not only has he caused immense emotional distress upon me, but now my family won't have fresh eggs or companionship because of HIM!" Both Johnny and Officer Brad stared blankly at Evelina for a few moments before bursting into laughter.102Please respect copyright.PENANAhie4b6aiUt
After gaining composure again, the Officer Brad began writing furiously in his note pad once more. Evelina narrowed her gaze, staring quite menacingly. "I assume you find my situation amusing, sir?"102Please respect copyright.PENANAN4KWhJ0s0q
May I remind the both of you, that someone just lost their life today due to his stupid negligence!" Officer Brad held up his hand to placate Evelina.
"Miss Evelina, I apologize if our reactions seemed disrespectful."102Please respect copyright.PENANAu8YPDX9C5E
However, it appears that there may have been some issues regarding the nature of Daisy's death. He winked and turned to face Johnny again. "Is that correct, Johnny? Did you witness exactly how Daisy passed away?"102Please respect copyright.PENANApa7MlJwgL0
Johnny scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Uh, no sir. I actually wasn't present when the murder took place."
Sir!
All I can tell you is that when I found them together, Daisy the duck was probably deceased.102Please respect copyright.PENANAUVf45efrov
Officer Brad then stated that no real harm had been done and that they needed to work it out.102Please respect copyright.PENANAsmuYrGjs6W
And left the scene in his patrol car...102Please respect copyright.PENANASu7lBNqVD5
I said to Eva, "Hey I'm sorry about your duck. There's no point in my not being cordial.102Please respect copyright.PENANA44W2TrrvgF
Sweetheart, won't you please come over and have some marvelous chicken with me. Yeah, maybe I was a little too rash, you're a sweet looking doll!102Please respect copyright.PENANACsTTqVSFY1
(Still frowning, she looked at Johnny and hesitated but decided to join him)
It turned out that Eva was married to her husband named Jim, they had moved from Miami a year ago and had few friends...
Over the next few weeks, they grew quite close, some would say that they became almost inseparable. They spend hours chatting, barbecuing together, and Johnny finally felt like he had found someone who understood him.
But, one day when Eva's husband suddenly disappeared, Johnny knew he had to help her.102Please respect copyright.PENANAtZtBEHDlIZ
He threw himself into the case, determined to uncover the truth. Following up on every lead, and interviewed every witness, putting together every clue. It turn out ironically enough that he was actually a hitman in the mafia but the bosses at the top decided when he got busted by a narc, that he was a liability and had to go!
Eva was absolutely taken aback by this tragic news because she had absolutely no idea of her husband line of work inside the mafia. Johnny and Eva became even closer after that tragic occurence and they soon grew very attached to each other...102Please respect copyright.PENANAI4MPHfjjci
Johnny started to change, he was kinder, gentler and even more patient than before. He finally had the serene, meaningful life he had been searching for, and he owed it all to Eva...102Please respect copyright.PENANApbLW57JhxV
Years later, Johnny and Eva were still together. They got married and had a family of their own. As Johnny sat on their porch, sipping cold lemonade and silently watching their children play, he couldn't help but reflect on how far he had come. From a rude and brutish gangster to a loving husband and father. It was a transformation he never could have imagined before...
But he was grateful for every step of his tough journey, for it had brought him to the place where he truly belonged,102Please respect copyright.PENANAvyxO56Xgel
by his wife Eva's loving side.102Please respect copyright.PENANArr6tKcbJ2q
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© Charles Kemp
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