![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tonynapoli.com\/oldsite\/images\/clip_image001_002.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Spring 1961-<\/p>\n
I was lying on my bed listening to the original cast recording of the Sound of Music<\/em> with Mary Martin (before Julie got her hands on it). It was a fold out LP and like holding white gold in my hands; I read the liner notes over and over.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cAnthony! Come here, I need you!\u201d my mother yelled up from the bottom of the stairs like Don Ameche yelling for Watson in the 1939 movie, The Story of Alexander<\/em> Graham Bell<\/em>. \u201cYou have to go to the drugstore NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n My mother furtively gave me a folded note and a five-dollar bill and instructed me to give both directly into the hands of our neighbored druggist. She was in an anxious state of mind as I made a quick pit stop to our only bathroom. I noticed once again, the mysterious reappearance of a weird flesh-toned belt-like contraption hanging over the bathroom towel rack. And sensing something was odd by the way Mom instructed me to secretly pass the note to the druggist, I quickly got going on my two-mile trek.<\/p>\n The playing cards on my bicycle wheels never made such a clatter as I whizzed away like Miss Gulch in \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d. I was afraid the clothespins would pop off as I sped along Route 94 to the Windsor Pharmacy.<\/p>\n It was like \u201cHigh Noon\u201d as I entered the drugstore and peered down the long, long florescent lighted aisle to the counter. “Do not forsake me, O my darlin,” I hummed to myself as I pretended to weigh myself on the pennyweight machine, 151 lbs. I carefully unfolded the note. It was in code \u2013<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1bx Kotex Super<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The five-dollar bill dropped to the floor. As I bent over to pick up the money, I saw Mr. Cassetti, our druggist, behind the counter. He was wearing a white doctors silky top, the kind with three buttons up by the shoulders. The buttons were open and a shock of black hair spilled out. \u201cBen Casey, Ben Casey\u201d – I whispered to myself, as I approached not a little unexcited, peering at his patch of chest.<\/p>\n I handed him the note as I pretended to peruse the assortment of gum on the counter, picking up a pack of Sen-sen (\u201cOh we got trouble\u201d). He fondled the pens in his white shirt pocket, read the note and gave a little knowing smile and looked right into my eyes.\u00a0\u00a0 I imagined I heard him murmur \u201cMan, woman, birth, death, infinity.\u201d \u201cBe right back,\u201d is what he actually said.<\/p>\n After a few minutes, he handed me a package wrapped neatly in brown paper and tied up with string not unlike the shirts I used to pick up for my father from the Chinese laundry except harder and stiff.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, Mr. Cassetti, can I have this gum too?\u201d I held out my hand and it brushed against mine as I counted out the change that he returned. I ran out quickly.<\/p>\n My mother was waiting on the steps outside of our house, puffing a Kent Menthol. \u201cWhat took you so long?\u201d she snapped, grabbing the package out of my hand and disappearing into the bathroom. I somehow knew not to ask what was in the box.<\/p>\n I put my bike back in the basement, raced upstairs and flung myself on my bed. Chewing Sen-sen, I dropped the needle back down on The Sound of Music<\/em>.\u00a0 On the palm of my hand, I traced the symbol for man that Dr. Zorba drew on the blackboard that always opened Ben Casey<\/em>. \u201cMy day in the hills has come to an end I know\u2026but deep in the dark green shadow are voices that urge me to\u2026\u201d And then the urge took me over…<\/p>\n \u201cAlleluia, Alleluia!\u201d\u00a0 The nuns were chanting as I woke up sweetly exhausted and flush, a short while later. It was dark now, and I thought I heard a distant thunder, as Maria sang: “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens; Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens; Brown paper packages tied up with strings; These are a few of my favorite things.”<\/p>\n Spring 1961- I was lying on my bed listening to the original cast recording of the Sound of Music with Mary Martin (before Julie got her hands on it). It was a fold out LP and like holding white gold … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tonynapoli.com\/oldsite\/images\/clip_image002_001.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tonynapoli.com\/oldsite\/images\/clip_image003_000.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tonynapoli.com\/oldsite\/images\/ben_casey.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/tonynapoli.com\/oldsite\/images\/man-woman-birth-death-infinity.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"