Makeup / Shakedown

My mother couldn’t cool down her Witches temper or heat up the curling iron quick enough when her lady friends came a calling. They were excited for a night of hair, makeup and reading cards. The heads were on the table, the Witch was great at fixing their hair pieces before they came. Everyone back then added a piece of hair to the top of their heads. How funny time changes and gives great styles for women these days to just add all the way down matching so well you can’t tell if the hair is real or not. The night started with my mother so prepared ahead of time she did her own cards first by herself. You could always tell I would be summoned to do something when she jumped up staring at the cards screaming for me to get in here ( which would be in the kitchen) as she slapped the hand down on the table at her cards. I would just look at her, in those days you were not allowed to speak unless spoken to. You knew you would get smacked without a doubt. She couldn’t send me out of the house quick enough when her cards were telling her my father hit the number, yes he was a gambler. My Witch of a mother was basically saying if you want to eat…. hit the street. My mother would do the cards all the time just to see if he received money in large sums. He didn’t have a job and he was a bartender now and then so he had none. She called the bars and knew after awhile if he was in one they wouldn’t give him up. Bartenders took care of each other even covering up for one another. Now it was up to me to go find him and shake him down. I would go from corner to corner other times when things like this happen but this day I got lucky and went around the corner to the Elbow room on fifth avenue. Yep he was there, so happy, boy he looked guilty. Then I saw the money in front on the bar and when he offered me chips and soda then I knew the cards were telling the truth. I always got yelled at to get out of the bar because he was in a bad mood. I then knew I had to shake him down. Not easy being eleven years old and trying to be sweet when diner was on the line and it was up to me to get it. But yes I spoke loud and said Ma knows you hit the number and needs money now. He hated to give me money but was embarrassed in front of everyone not too. This was a successful mission this time. He knew that Witch was at it again, her and her cards. You see my mother never left the apartment and only went to mass. So my dad knew they only ones telling her was the cards. I really hated the cards too because I never knew what they were telling my mother or making her more crazy then she was, a ragging lunatic. Back then, I just thought another day in my life living with the Witch and her cards (the 52 people).