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BILL CADY Word Count: 149,227 - At My Friend's Place

BILL CADY Word Count: 149,227 - At My Friend's Place

BILL CADY Word Count: 149,227 - At My Friend's Place

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Bill Cady, The Early Years … by Bill Cady 325<br />

didn‟t have the same problem I had. Mine stemmed from another drunken bash at Joe<br />

Jolly‟s place.<br />

Alvin Mask, the black guy who saved my ass in the locker room that day in 1965,<br />

was with us. Like most black guys I knew, Alvin drank Colt .45, which I thought tasted<br />

like horse piss. He also couldn‟t hold his booze too well, again typical of the black guys I<br />

knew.<br />

He‟d seen me beat someone sparring in the driveway that day and as he sat on the<br />

couch, his paranoia took over. I was coming back from the bathroom after taking a leak<br />

when Alvin came to his feet. I smiled, wondering what he‟d say, and had no chance to<br />

defend myself against what he did. Alvin swung a vicious uppercut directly into my<br />

belly, hitting me so hard it blew every bit of air out of my body. I honestly feared I‟d<br />

suffocate before I was able to finally take a breath. That punch nearly killed me.<br />

I couldn‟t really blame Alvin. He was drunk, and no Rhodes scholar in the first<br />

place, but it was a few hours before I drank any more beer. He really got to me that day.<br />

After that, with such a damaging blow to the liver, I had the equivalent of a “glass<br />

jaw” with my stomach. It was never a big problem, since I shied away from all infighting<br />

unless I instigated it. Even then, as soon as I lost position to do a lot of damage, I‟d just<br />

dance away and jab again, always to avoid getting hit.<br />

So, I concluded this monster had the same problem. Just to be sure, I tested my<br />

theory. I stayed in position long enough for him to get off a good shot, but it was a left<br />

hand punch, and I didn‟t stay where it fully landed, meaning I wasn‟t hurt. When he let it<br />

go, I moved in and planted a hard jab to his belly.<br />

The sick look on his face, along with the huge gush of air after I hit him, told me<br />

Leviticus, Limited 33-0505963

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