| I had just turned 22 years old. As with all people that age, my life was in turmoil. Problems with my car, my bank account and my love life. It was always one of those three things or all of those things. That day was one of those days all three of those things. My car needed a transmission, I had no money for a transmission and my girl was dating my best friend. Who knows how much one had to do with the other. Either way, I knew where to go to find better solace when they all hit at once...the Silver Tankard. Up the street on West Liberty, down the street from Mineo's Pizza was a dark refuge of liquor and laughter. Ricky Canello began his storied career as a bartender here as a slinger of booze and friend to all mankind behind a bar. He didn't just fix you with a two finger concoction of spirit, he soothed your morbid self with a smile, a slap on the back and joke that you could, almost, tell your mother. It was here that I settled in by myself and a cold glass of Iron on the day after Christmas. The snow was coming down steadily and a sharp wind would snap up every so often to give you a chill. Typical for this time of year. The jukebox was playing its string of seventies hits while other straggler's started to make their way in to the half empty bar. I watch them come in and shake off the cold, make eye contact and then fade into the background. I'm smoking another cigarette after ordering up another beer. Ricky is getting busy and I have run out of people to talk to. I'm the stranger at the end of the bar, eyeing up the faces as they enter, making them uncomfortable. |
| THE FIRE DOWN BELOW... |
| THANK YOU DORMONT! |
December 26, 1983
The Day After Christmas...
| As it gets later in the evening boredom gives way to new excitement but, I don't feel it. As the door opens to a new stranger, I can hear the horn blasts of Dormont's Fire Alarm. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Then the door shuts. "Hey Ricky, another one here! "Hey Ricky, another one here!" "Another one." I almost have forgotten my troubles. I actually have a smile on my face. Ricky has managed to do it again. Take my bad situation and make it bearable. He's a magician like that. More people stray into the bar and it is filling up. I'm looking around for familiar faces but they are just not there. Another cold blast hits me as another walks in. He tells no one in particular, "There's a big fire on Piedmont." My ears perk up. "Big fire" "Piedmont?" Well, there's nothing going on here, I might as well go check it out. I live on Piedmont. I throw on my jacket, gloves and scarf, over tip Ricky and head out into the biting cold. I make the left on Peermont and start trying to skate down the hill on the slippy snow. I get all the way down to Gaylord before I notice a glow from my side of the street. I'm moving faster now. I make the right turn on Piedmont and see...my whole house engulfed in flames!!! Without forethought, I sprint to the side door in the alley trying to run in. Mr. James of the Dormont Volunteer Fire Department grabs me by the collar and yanks me back from the ledge of sanity. "You can't go in there! Don't you see that it is all gone!" All gone! All gone! My tricked out bedroom with a waterbed, imported stereo and my second place finish Little League trophy! My Mom's Persian rug, our flower pattern couch, our family photos' my favorite jeans...ALL GONE! |
