Chapter 43: Runs and Errors

To assist Tony in his quest to marry riches, I’m encouraging him to man up and stand his ground, not let his nerve fail and cut and run, I’m trying to help him face what he’s likely to face, when he first meets Emma. Time is short, Tony is obstinate, and the lesson not an easy one. That first encounter is scheduled for two hours from now.

“Hey mother fucker!”

Tony isn’t responding well to name calling.

“Why are you angry, Tony?”

“I don’t allow people, nobody, not even you Uncle Joey, to call me such names.”

“That’s a stupid attitude.”

“Don’t call me stupid!”

Tony is getting madder, not making progress.

“What’s the very worst thing someone could call you? Well? What? I’m waiting. Come on. Out with it! Tell me.”

“No! You’ll call me that. Then, I’d have to do what I don’t want to do. So I won’t tell it to you, and save us both the trouble.”

“No, I promise I won’t call you anything. I want you to call me the most intolerable name you can imagine. So you can see what I do.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Why not? Can’t you see, I’m trying very hard to help you? But if I did call you something really bad, why would you have to go against your own wishes and do what? Does that make any sense to you?”

“I’d hit you despite not wanting to because it’s in the code.”

“Whose code? Who invented it? Who enforces it?”

“Don’t know how to answer most of those questions, but I can tell you I. I enforce the code where I’m concerned.”

“Though you don’t want to? Wouldn’t, except the code requires it?”

“Yeah, fraid so, that’s just unfortunate circumstances, it’s how it is.”

“That’s just stupid, Tony.”

“I warned you, stop calling me stupid!”

“The code is stupid Tony, and you’re smart enough to realize that and plenty smart enough to come up with a better, smarter code of your own. One you can believe in. You don’t believe in this stupid code, it requires you to do things you know aren’t in your best interest. Requires stupid things you don’t like. Am I right?”

“Maybe. I never thought about making my own code before. Can people really do that?”

“Create personal codes of honor? Absolutely people do. The greatest men in history maintained their own personal codes of honor.”

“I’d like to have a personal code of honor. How do I make one?”

“Well, first of all, a personal code of honor only applies to you personally. Only your actions are held accountable to your code.”

“Oh, like never breaking my oath or a promise, if I can help it?”

“That could be an element of your code. My point I want to make is, other people are exempt from your personal code. They’re entitled to their own codes. Any other elements you would consider inviolate?”

“Does inviolate mean unbreakable? Never hit girls?”

“That’s a good one.”

“Never get caught is a good one too.”

“Might not be completely your choice to not be caught. Better phrasing of that is, Can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

“Yeah. Don’t snitch even if I’m caught and on the spot.”

“Okay, any more?”

“Don’t tolerate being called bad names.”

“Attempting to hold others to your code is unjust. It’s wrong to judge others by your code, they haven’t subscribed to it. May not know it”

“No, my code doesn’t demand they behave, my code demands what I do if they don’t. Like calling me intolerable names, gets smacked.”

“So, you allow your actions to be controlled by word commands?”

“Nobody controls me. No one commands me.”

“Well, if they know they can get you to swing first by, perhaps calling you a SISSY, they can control who swings first, right?”

“Never thought of it like that.”

“If someone says something you don’t like, what could you do, that would upset them the most, really upset their plans the worst way?”

“I don’t know. Maybe just ignore them?”

“Thats sort of a weak response. How about, stare them down?”

“I don’t understand exactly how to do that.”

“It’s a look you put on your face that says, you expected better of them, you’re appalled at their stupidity, and you’ve lost all respect for them, you may once have felt. A pitying smile, a slight sneer goes with the rest of the look. Try it on me. Hey! Sissy boy!”

“Is this the look you meant?”

“Perfect, but add body language along with it, too. Maybe put your fists on your hips, or fold your arms. Stand defiantly. Yes, that works well with the sneering smile. Good. Intimidate with your eyes. Now after a minute, turn your back on them, or walk directly over them, like they aren’t there. Beneath notice. You got it. Dignity! Much more effective than taking a swing or a poke at them and missing.”

“I can do this? I can DO this! Confidence. Right?”