Tommy Butcher

I ended up switching schools after much fighting and I was determined to put a stop to my fighting ways. I was successful to a degree. I started fourth grade at Norco Elementary and I got into a fight with a sixth grader on my first day. I held my own and at this school the resulting reputation didn't get me into more fights as defending champion but instead kept the other kids away. It kept them too far away. I did not blend in well with The Norco kids and I had only a few friends but I didn't get into too many more fights either, at least not at school.

I was walking home from the bus stop and a kid on a bike who I didn't recognize kept circling me. I told him to fuck off. He stopped and told me that he was going to kick my ass for what I did to his best friend Alvin. I suggested we have a go right there but he said he wasn't ready yet.
I had been expelled from Norco, more for throwing a chair at the teacher than for fighting, and I'd made it through one more elementary school and one year of Junior High before Tommy Butcher and I crossed paths again.

Now my fight with Alvin was in third grade. When, in eighth grade a short haired, red faced kid told me to shut up in the locker room I didn't even recognize Tommy Butcher. It'd been five years, which is like 20 years to a kid. Tommy was still dedicated to his mission to kick my ass and now he was ready. We agreed to meet at the bike jumps, a place safe from adult interference.

I met with Jamie and Paul after school and passed the couple of hours until I had to go kick Tommy's ass. When we got to the bike jumps the place was packed. Every kid in the neighborhood had shown up for this fight. I walked toward Tommy and gave him a shove. Tommy did not shove back. He started a barrage of punches. He'd spent those five yars wisely. He was prepared for this. I didn't have a chance to respond, I had no idea how to respond. Finally, after being struck countless times, I went down. I stayed down on my belly for a minute and thought about what I was to do. I would come at him swinging. I put my palms to the ground to push myself up and as I raised my head, Tommy treated it like a soccer ball. One hard, perfectly placed kick to the face.

I was back on my belly. Jamie rushed to my side, and I felt the rest of the crowd moving in. I knew Tommy was done if I was. I was. I got to my feet and I walked to Tommy and shook his hand. This was not uncommen then. Many people I talk to, especially kids, find this hard to believe, but most fights in our neiborhood ended this way. The handshake was followed by the walk of shame. The physical pain was nothinig. We hurt ourselves worse skateboarding and breakdancinig. The embarassment of having your ass kicked was excrutiating. Shaking hands actually made this part easier. It showed that you could take it. That you were cool.

When I got home I had two shoe lace imprents on my cheek. I had a good cry. As many fights as I'd been in, this was the first fight I'd ever really lost, well the first that didn't involve one of my brothers.

Paul and Jamie called me and told me they were gettinig a posse together to kick Tommy's ass, but I called them off. Tommy had won this one. Now I could spend five years preparing and maybe we'd have another go. When my mom was done fussing over me and my dad had me alone for a minute, he taught me that being on the ground isn't a bad place to be.

"Don't try to get up right away. Just roll on your back and keep your feeet up. No one can get past those feet and if they do, your fists are next. No hurry to get up, none."

Five years later my family had moved to Sacramento. I came back to Corona for a visit and Jamie and I ended up at Tommy's house, visiting with him and Alvin. They were both huge, unnaturally huge. I have no doubt they were using steroids. Neither of them did too well with the ladies. Jamie on the other hand, with his resemblence to Ricky Schroeder and his bad boy charm was known as a player.

"Hey Jamie, why don't you get some girls over here." Tommy suggested in a frighteningly deep voice.

"Dude, girls won't come here." Jamie told him truthfully.

"Yeah, well, you got five minutes to get some girls here or I'm gonna kick your ass."

Jamie called a few girls and as he predicted they all agreed to hook up with he and I anywhere but at Tommy's place. So, Jamie and I left Tommy and Alvin to being huge while we went to hang out with real live girls. I felt vindicated.