A Glimpse of Reality: A Compilation of Short Stories

By Dorothy Frati

" A Glimpse of Reality" will take you on a journey through four very different walks of life. Join a mobster as he plays hide and seek fighting to stay alive and under the radar of his "family."

Sit a spell with a group of elderly ladies on their apartment stoop in Brooklyn as they gossip the day away.

Encounter a homosexual love affair and a confused woman trying to find herself and her place in life as she experiments along the way.

Trail a female transit cop as she faces peril and danger in a mans world. Trying desperately not to lose her sanity in the process.

Don't stray off the path , you may miss the next adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781477299876

Dorothy Frati

Dorothy Frati was born and raised in New York City. She spent many hours at the library writing short stories and poetry. She received two Masters Degrees from New York University(NYU) in Education and Nutrition, working for 25 years at NYU Medical Center. She enjoys nature, animals, painting, and traveling. However, writing has always been her passion.

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© 2013 by Dorothy Frati. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/04/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9988-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9987-6 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

It’s All About Face

Gay Doesn’t Go Away

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

The Transit Cop

The Transit Cop

The Yentas of Bensonhurst

What is a yenta?

To Rick, Lindsay, Barbara, and Tammi, For all of your assistance and inspiration I thank you.

It’s All

About Face

By

Dorothy Frati

This was Jake’s second run around the lake, and his aching body whispered, Quit while you’re ahead, kid, you’re pushing it. He was about to ignore the whispers, when his cell phone rang. Impatiently he put it on speakerphone. The words that came next decided the question for him.

This is Agent Nick. Don’t go back to the cabin. Just get the hell out of Birchwood Lakes.

Jake nervously jerked his head towards the phone and shouted, Are you for real? Then he shouted even louder, You told me I would be safe here in the Poconos. You were supposed to protect me!

That’s what our witness protection program is all about, Jake, to protect people like you, Agent Nick replied. Start running toward the Dingmans Bridge. Our helicopter will pick you up.

But I’m hungry, I’m tired, I’m cold and, believe it or not, I’m also half dressed.

His phone was silent. Jake stabbed at the End button and headed for the bridge.

As he ran among the high weeds to avoid the traffic on Route 739, Jake couldn’t believe what was happening. It was just a year ago that he had ratted on his Mafia friends to save his own ass.

Drug trafficking, money laundering, anything you’ve done in the past would be erased, Jake, if you cooperate. Those were the words that came out of Agent Nick’s mouth, and—at the time—they sounded convincing to Jake.

You want to hide me in the Poconos? Jake had questioned. I’ll be dead meat.

No one will find you, Jake. The hordes of tourists will shelter you. Besides, Agent Nick continued, "You will have a new identity. Dante Friaglia will become Jake Siegler. We will even change your appearance.

Not so fast, Mr. Nick, Jake had interrupted. What I want is a new face.

The Feds laughed at this preposterous request, but Jake was dead serious. He looked Agent Nick square in the eye. You guys will receive promotions and lots of publicity if you pull this off. A poor slob like me will end up with a bullet in his head.

You’re exaggerating, Jake. We will protect you.

Bullshit! Jake shouted. If you want me to cooperate I want a new face; cosmetic surgery, the works. Capisce! It was all about face.

As Jake ran towards the bridge, back at the cabin where he had been hiding, two men were seated on a leather sofa. In their hands were two .38 caliber revolvers pointed at the door. Beansy, a 225-pound six-footer, was the first to break the silence.

You know, Sal, I hear the Feds gave that rat a face job.

He won’t have a face by the time I get finished with him.

Half an hour went by, the silence of the cabin broken only by the breathing of the two men. Finally, Sal turned to Beansy.

I think we’re on a wild-goose chase. Beansy nodded and Sal pondered what to do next. His cell phone rang. The voice on the other end was furious.

Shoot that rat bastard, Sal. He squealed on us to the Feds. We almost had the other rat by the balls when he called his mother in Duchess County, but Beansy screwed things up. Get rid of him. The line clicked and Sal snapped his phone shut.

At the other end of the couch, Beansy looked at Sal. What’s up? Anything I should know about?

Sal nonchalantly placed his phone on the coffee table. He turned his head until his gaze meant Beansy’s. You’ve become a real pain in the ass, Beansy. Time to say, ‘Bye-bye.’

Beansy never had time to feel the kick in his groin; the five bullets in his temple eased the pain.

Sal reloaded and dreamed of being promoted to capo one day. He left the cabin singing, Arrivederci, Beansy.

Jake’s pace slowed. He was in a clearing but the bridge was still at least a quarter-mile off. Suddenly he heard the whup-whup of a helicopter’s blades. Relieved, he stopped and bent over with his hands on his knees, his lungs straining to draw enough breath. Dust and small stones whipped his skin as the chopper settled to earth fifty yards away. Jake didn’t wait for the blades to stop before running over, stooping so as not to lose his head.

Do you have a blanket? were the first words out of his mouth when he clambered aboard. I’m freezing my ass off.

"Calm