The Other Brooklyn: Joey Toranetti Trilogy Read Online Free Page A

had many speeds on it. John saw how I looked and said,
“Don’t worry Joey you will be shifting this transmission in a very short time.
For now we are only using the shifter. This is a Road Ranger transmission. The
button on the side of the shifter is for low and high. When you shift into
first gear and the button is down, this is the lowest gear, you will only use
this when there is a heavy load on the vehicle. Since we are going to drive the
tractor only we are going to start 3rd gear with the button down.” He then
showed me the pattern of the shifter for the gears. “Do you think you can
handle it?”
    “I think so.”
    We started the tractor
and I put the shifter into 3rd gear and bucked the truck and stalled. I tried
about three times and finally got it. I started to drive around the terminal
and got used to using all the gears except the high ones. The truck had air
brakes and I had to get used to them also.
    After about an hour I
was able to use all the gears and got used to the air brakes. John said to me,
“You are doing great so now I will show you how to hook up to a trailer.”
    We pulled up to a trailer at the front of the terminal and
he said, “I want you to back up as close as possible to the trailer and let the
back end of the tractor and the fifth wheel be directly in the middle of the
trailer.”
    So I did exactly as he told me and he said, “Great, now
stand on the back of the tractor and take those lines and hook them up to here
and this is the lights line that goes there.”
    I did what he said and he told me to get back in the
tractor. “I did.”
    “Pull that handle down and back up the tractor until you
here it hook up to the trailer. Once you hear that pull the tractor forward and
tug a couple of times to make sure it is locked. The trailer should not move.
    Now get out of the tractor and roll up the wheels on the
trailer.”
    I did everything he told me and the he made me drop the
trailer and do everything over about 20 times until I knew what I was doing.
    At noon time John said, “Let’s go to lunch, when we get
back you will drive around the terminal making right turns, left turns and
U-turns. After that we will practice backing in, then going on the road to see
how you can drive this thing.”
    We went to lunch and had plenty of food and came back in
about one hour. John showed me how to handle the truck around the terminal, how
to turn in every direction and how to back up to a dock. I started to get
pretty good at it so he said, “Now for a road test, are you ready?”
    I said, “Yes.” We went out on the road and I must say that
I did pretty well. I was proud of myself.
    John said, “You have taken to driving these rigs real fast
I believe you are ready to go to work. I will see to it that the manager puts
you with someone who can show you the ropes and help you out.”
    I said, “Thank you John.” We said goodbye. It was dark out
and my car was in the front of the terminal so I had to walk to the front.
    As I was walking I heard a big crash on the street and walked
to the fence to look to see what happened.
    What I saw was straight out of a movie, a guy dressed all
in black was walking over to a car that was against a light pole and he had
something in his hand. I finally realized what it was. A gun was in his hand
and he walked over to the car and just shot the person in it.
    I saw everything. I even got a good look at the man with
the gun. He turned to go back to his car and saw me looking. He pointed his gun
and shot at me. I ducked behind the tractors hoping he didn’t see me. At that
time I saw John come running out of the terminal.
    He saw me and said, “Are you okay?”
    In the meantime the guy in black got into his car and took
off. I told John what had happened and he said, let’s go inside and call you
father. “You just witnessed a gang hit.”

15

My Father
    W hen
we got inside the terminal I was shaking. We called my father and John told him
what happened.