Jesse promised to consider the race but had serious reservations. He was trying to establish a practice, one that needed him hard at work every day. He had no money for a campaign. He had never for a moment thought of himself as a politician and wasn’t sure it was in his blood. The biggest drawback would be the promise that he would go after the criminals. He had known Lance Malco his entire life, and though they were still polite to each other when the situation called for it, they were living and working in different worlds. It was almost impossible to imagine threatening his empire.
Jesse had no interest in jeopardizing the safety of his family. His son Keith and Hugh Malco were still friends, though not nearly as close as they had been as twelve-year-old all-stars. Among the boys, it was well known that Hugh was showing signs of following in his father’s footsteps. He was hanging around the clubs, smoking and drinking, and boasting of knowing the girls. Hugh had given up team sports and called himself a boxer.
But once planted, the idea would not go away. After some hesitation, Jesse had finally mentioned it to Agnes. The reception was lukewarm.
Chapter 9
After four club fights in Buster’s Gym, Hugh had one win, one loss, and two draws. The fact that he had survived without getting knocked out emboldened him to take the next step. Buster, his coach, wasn’t so sure, but seldom said no when a new fighter was eager to get in the ring. The Golden Gloves tournament was in late February in the gymnasium of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, and Buster, the undisputed ruler of amateur boxing along the Coast, controlled the card. He tried to protect his novices and make sure they would survive, at least through the first round.
Hugh’s first lesson was not in a gym. Nevin Noll found two pairs of sixteen-ounce gloves, and they squared off behind Red Velvet one afternoon for a friendly lesson. Just the basics: stance, position of hands, head back, foot movements. Hugh was terrified because he had seen Nevin in real action and knew how quick his fists were, but he accepted the reality that a few bloody noses were part of the training. No blood was drawn in the first few lessons as Nevin patiently taught Hugh to keep his hands up. He also warned the kid to lay off the cigarettes and beer while in training.
During Hugh’s first workout at Buster’s, the old coach liked what he saw. Though his feet were a bit slow, the kid was an athlete who was willing to work. Hugh sparred with some experienced boxers and finally took a hard one on the nose, but it only made him more determined. He would never contend for an Olympic medal, but he was a natural fighter who relished contact and wasn’t afraid to get hit. Before long, he was in the gym almost every afternoon. He enjoyed juggling his part-time job, trysts with Miss Cindy, and an hour or two at Buster’s. Schoolwork became even less of a priority.
Lance liked the idea that his son was learning to box. Every kid needed the discipline and he was never much of a football player anyway. Carmen was horrified and vowed to avoid all fights.
After a lousy football season sitting on the bench, Keith was suffering through an even worse winter as a second-string forward on the JV basketball team. Playing time was scarce, but at least he was sweating every afternoon. Like most of his friends, he viewed basketball as a means to stay in shape between football and baseball seasons. They became intrigued by Hugh’s sudden interest in boxing and were delighted to learn that their buddy would actually get in the ring at the annual Golden Gloves tournament. Hugh did not broadcast the news. While he was itching for his first real fight, he also worried about the possibility of getting knocked out cold in front of his friends.
The tournament drew a large crowd every year, and when the Gulf Coast Register ran a story that featured two of the local favorites, it also listed the first-round bouts. In the 145-pound welterweight division, Hugh Malco would fight Jimmy Patterson in the opening card’s tenth bout. As always, Keith read the sports page over breakfast, and when he saw Hugh’s name, he was proud of his friend and decided to take action. At school, he organized a cheering squad and Hugh became the man of the hour, receiving far more attention than he wanted. The knot in his stomach grew tighter and he had little interest in lunch. By mid-afternoon, he was having second thoughts, which he shared with Nevin Noll.