Saturday, January 2, 2010

Adventures of the Romeo Gang - "The Freedom Trail"

Disclaimer: (The following story is pure fiction. All names, places and events are coincidental and are only used to embellish the story.)






The Freedom Trail
by Mark Ryan © 2009

During July, the Romeos met for lunch at Massamino’s Restaurant on Endicott St. in the North End of Boston. The food was great as we washed it down with a few bottles of wine. We raised our glasses and toasted our good fortune in retirement and also lamented at the many troubles world-wide. The economy was down, the Iraq war was still wagging on, the cost of health care continues to rise and unemployment was up.

After lunch we said our good byes to most of the group until the next time but a few of us remained to take a leisurely walk around the old North End. As we strolled down North Bennet St., Hull St. and Hanover St., we reminisced about our childhood days attending all the North End feasts and parades. The three of us, Marco Greico, Joseph Laprusso and Joey Loducio had family that grew up in this part of Boston,

As we walked, my friend Joseph said that St. Anthony’s parade was always a big attraction for his family where the statue of the Madonna was carried down the street and people pinned money to her side to help the sick and hungry. The various neighborhood societies like the Holy Name and St. James were always there to help the new Italian immigrants with finding housing and jobs. I added that during religious holidays my family would meet at Sacred Heart Church in North Square to attend mass and light candles for our deceased relatives. The North End was just like a big family with aunts, uncles and cousins on every block. Although my memory is about the Italian population, other immigrant such as African American and Jewish groups inhabited the North End in the early 1900’s before the Italians and today it continues to be the haven for new immigrant nationalities.

We stopped into St. Leonard’s church for a visit, to light a candle and to say a pray. The church was mostly empty but for a few visitors. As we walked around the outside aisles we looked at the twelve Stations of the Cross which were up on the walls in fixed plaster reliefs and frescos. The stations reminded us of Christ’s journey on earth for man’s salvation.

As we looked at the altar we saw the parish priest having words with a young man who was a homeless Iraq vet and an amputee who had lost his left arm. The young man quickly turned to walk away and the priest called to him by name, “Anthony, come back.” But the man quickly left the church in anger as he turned and said to Father Sal, “Good Bye for Good”

My friend Joey walked up to the priest and greeted him with affection and surprise. Joey hadn’t seen his friend the priest since they had attended St. John’s Seminary together over 40 years ago. At graduation, Joey became a teacher and Sal became a priest.

Later, Father Sal explained that Anthony, who was also suffering from post traumatic stress, was angry for the lack of help he was getting at the Veteran’s Hospital and was thinking of ending his life. Father Sal also said that Anthony was upset with the war protesters marching around the North End and the vandals that tipped over grave stones at the Copp’s Burial ground near the Old North Church. Being homeless, Anthony slept in the cemetery at night next to a large mausoleum and begged for food and handouts during the day along Hanover St...

Father Sal asked if we would help find Anthony before it was too late and said he was headed for the Old North Church where there was a “Dog Tag” Iraq War Memorial set up. We told him we would be glad to help but didn’t know exactly what to do. He said just show moral support and concern for this young man, as I talk and try to reason with him.

We quickly left the church on Bennett St. and headed up Salem St. to the Old North Church on Hull St. As we approached, we saw the “Dog Tag” Iraq War Memorial that was on exhibit in the front garden of the Old North Church. Father Sal explained that there were over four thousand dog tags that represented all the American soldiers killed in Iraq as well as over eight thousand Iraq citizens and tens of thousands who were maimed and injured.

As we neared the church, Anthony was arguing with the attendant at the display because he was trying to place his own dog tags on the exhibit. Anthony felt that he was almost dead anyway; with his post traumatic stress and continuous nightmares. He just wanted to put his dog tags with the others before he took his own life.

At that moment, a group of war protesters who were marching along the Freedom Trail, approached the Old North Church where Paul Revere had hung his lanterns signaling the start of the American Revolution, another war against tyranny and cruelty affecting citizens who just wanted peace and freedom.

As we got closer, Anthony was startled by the protester and grabbed Father Sal around the neck and screamed for everyone to stay away. He pulled Father Sal into the church and down the stairs into the dark basement. He then pushed Father Sal behind the old furnace and through a hidden door that led to a subterranean tunnel. The tunnel was a remnant of an old Underground Railroad used by the abolitionists in the early 19th century to hide run away slaves.

Before Anthony closed the door behind him he grabbed a kerosene lantern from the church basement which he used to light the way through the pitch black tunnel. After several hundred feet, the tunnel ended and Anthony pushed open a slate stone in the tunnel roof. Using a ladder he forced Father Sal up through the opening into a cold and damp stone chamber. This was the mausoleum in Copp’s Burying Ground where Anthony had setup a living space and slept each night. Still holding the lantern with his prosthetic arm, Anthony continued to push Father Sal outside the stone crypt into the open cemetery.

In the meantime, we all ran into the church and followed Anthony down into the basement. As we moved toward the furnace, we heard voices in a distance behind the hidden closed door. I opened the door and knew I had to go in and try to save Father Sal. I told the others to go up to the street and head in a northwest direction to where the tunnel might resurface. I used a flashlight application on my cell phone to light the way. As I came out of the tunnel, I entered inside the mausoleum chamber and hid there as I heard Anthony shouting outside. At the same time the others ran northwest down Hull St. into Copp’s cemetery and saw Father Sal and Anthony coming out of the mausoleum.

As Anthony saw the others coming, he gave Father Sal his Dog Tags and asked him to promise to place them with the other dead soldiers at the church War Memorial and pray for his soul. At that same moment, he unscrewed the filler cap on the kerosene lantern and doused himself with the flammable oil which immediately ignited from the lantern flame. Screaming in agony he ran to the mausoleum opening and jumped in believing he would die alone concealed in the crypt. However, he was surprised with disbelief when he saw me hiding there.

Terrified by the flaming ball of fire which engulfed Anthony only a few feet from my side, I looked around for something to put out the fire. At the side of the crypt I saw a large shroud on the mausoleum altar where several urns lay filled with family ashes. I pulled off the shroud and threw it over Anthony and rolled him on the stone floor as I vigorously patted out the flames. After extinguishing the flames, I felt a pulse and Anthony was barely alive by some miracle of God.

The emergency EMTs were called, treated Anthony and then quickly brought him to the hospital. As I looked around near the entrance to the crypt, I saw the inscription engraved on the headstone which read “Dust to Dust, Ashes to Ashes, Hell on Earth Shall End with Eternal Peace in Heaven.” Luckily this was not the end for Anthony although his hell on earth would continue for a while as he slowly healed in the hospital. However, he now had Father Sal and the Romeos to advocate for him so that he might get the proper care he deserved at the veteran’s hospital and live a better life with hope on the horizon.

As I reflected back on this day, I recalled all the turmoil, agony, hope and aspirations that surrounded the North End neighborhood and their families. It was and is a melting pot of nationalities coming together to bring peace, hope and prosperity to their fold. At first we visited the church and saw the agony of Christ as he traveled the Stations of the Cross for man’s salvation. Then there were the various immigrants as they sought work, food and shelter and were assisted by the Holy Name Societies. Then there was the symbolism of the Italian feast days and parades seeking hope and salvation through the church. Then the Revolutionary War and the ride of Paul Revere to alert the surrounding communities of there call to freedom. Then there was the Underground Railroad and the assistance given to free black slaves. And in more modern times there are the war memorials and marches to remind us of the tragedies of war and the rewards of peace and lasting freedom. Although the Freedom Trail may have started here in the North End, it now encircles the globe as nations realize the sanctity of human rights, dignity, caring and freedom for all mankind.


Comments: (always welcome). Email to markryan82@comcast.net

Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank my Romeo friends for their colorful backgrounds and giving me the inspiration for my stories.

References:
The Freedom Trail Foundation
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/
Flicker Photos – Dog Tags of Iraq War Memorial
http://www.flickr.com/photos/senexprime/2703456991/
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