The dreamers
interesting. So Frankie jumps up too. But with a laughing squeal that ends in that, "Frankee!" again, Mimi runs and dives head on into a big breaker.

"Oh, I can't eh?" Frankie says and splashes himself in the sea after her.

Mimi comes up. Frankie comes up for air. Mimi dives. Frankie hauls in air and dives. Mimi turns this way and that like a fish. But not for nothing was Frankie on the third-string swim team at Centervale High. Down through the cold green deep he goes and finally grabs one of them kicking ankles.

But he ain't particularly planned on what happens right after that. Mimi twists over, to try to escape—maybe. So Frankie grabs for a better hold. Maybe he don't get one but Mimi does. Her arms clamp around his neck, and when her lips also latch hold of his there in the deep—

Well, the guy just feels like a boiler with its safety valve jammed so that the pressure shoots up to where only one thing can happen. Bam! And Frankie's spinning away through blue-green steam and a shower of colored lights.

"Well?" the old man's asking.

Yeah, just like that, Frankie's back on the moon, in his old slacks and jacket, dry as you please beside the old man's chair.

"Oh, Mimi's some dame," Frankie admits. "Only...."

"Only what now?"

"Only who knows what she's really saying with that, 'Frankee!' business?"

"Hmmmm." The old man rocks to and fro and takes a squint down South America way. "Brazil, Frankie. Rio."

Always having had an eye for Carmen Miranda, Frankie looks too. "Yeah, pop?"

"The Copa Club. Señorita in the white dress."

Frankie whistles.

"Chi-Chi is her name." The old man smiles slightly. "And she knows English—among other things."

Frankie takes it from there.


 Prev. P 7/12 next 
Back Top
Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact