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That
day was unforgettable. I
saved a mob boss, and bam,
my whole life went upside
down. It happened last
year when I was dating a
girl named Allison at an
Italian restaurant near
Prospect Park South in
Brooklyn Heights.
I arrived at the
restaurant a few minutes
before the appointment.
The place had only a
handful of tables
occupied. I sat at a table
next to the kitchen exit
because I love the smell
of food being cooked. The
waiter brought the menu. I
got a Negroni cocktail and
said that I was waiting
for someone before
ordering my meal.
Twenty minutes after the
appointment, Allison still
hadn't arrived. The
waiter approached, so I
decided to order
something. I chose a
pepperoni pizza and a
glass of red wine. While I
waited for my pizza, three
men came and sat at the
table next to me.
Soon after these men were
seated, the waiter arrived
with a tray and began
serving Pollo alla
Cacciatora, pasta with
Bolognese sauce, and a
bottle of red wine. The
order came so quickly that
they had probably ordered
it beforehand. They
appeared very hungry,
devouring the food faster
than Mariano Rivera's
fastballs.
I was eating my pizza when
one of the three men
choked, likely on a
chicken bone from the
Pollo alla Cacciatora. The
waiter and the other two
men didn't know what
to do. The choking man was
dying.
I immediately got up from
my table and positioned
myself behind him,
embracing him tightly,
placing my hands on his
stomach. With
determination, I pressed
firmly several times until
the man forcefully
expelled the chicken bone.
He was saved. I had saved
a man.
Thoughts from the movie
"It's a Wonderful
Life" flooded my
mind, along with
questions: Who is this
man? What about his family
and friends? If he had
died, who would feel his
absence? But he lives!
What impact will he have
on others' lives from
here?
A few minutes later,
Allison still hadn't
arrived, and it seemed she
wouln't be coming at
all. Bingo! I received a
message on my iPhone
saying she had to deal
with some work-related
issues. So, I stayed
there, looking at nothing
and thinking about
everything.
The man I had saved was
seated at his table,
drinking water along with
the other two men. One of
these men got up and
approached me, saying,
"Don Cristallo is
very gracious. He wants to
compensate you for your
help." I replied that
it wouldn't be
necessary. But the man
insisted, almost like a
threat. "Don
Cristallo has never
received a no. So, I
invite you to join his
table." He said this
and, like a bride slowly
stepping into a church,
went back to his table.
The Godfather movie by
Francis Ford Coppola came
to my mind: If I go, my
laces would be tied
forever; if I don't
and ignore the invitation,
only God would know what
could happen to me. Then,
I drank the rest of the
wine in the glass and made
my decision.
(To be continued)
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