October 22, 1946: Brooklyn, NY:
"You know, I don't think I've ever been to one of these," James Slocum remarked.
His half-sister, Agnes, gave him a dubious look. "One of these what, little brother?" she asked.
James shook his head, feeling slightly irked. Despite being only seven and a half months younger than Agnes, she insisted on calling him little brother. "You have actual younger sisters, Aggie. Why don't you save that stuff for them?"
Agnes scoffed. "What makes you think I don't give them grief too?" she retorted before reminding James that he still hadn't answered her question.
"You know, here..." James gestured with his hands, taking in the surroundings. They were standing in the rotunda of Flatbush Gardens, home to both the Brooklyn Eagles hockey club and the Brooklyn Red Caps basketball club. They had come to watch the Eagles play.
"Flatbush Gardens?" Agnes asked incredulously. "You grew up in Brooklyn and never came here?"
James shook his head and replied, "Nope."
"Not for hockey or basketball?"
"Nope."
"Not even for the circus?"
"No," James said matter-of-factly. Then, with a hint of amusement, he added, "My mother doesn't like clowns."
Agnes laughed and shook her head. "My poor little brother... you really missed out."
"Well, not all of us had Jack Barrell, the famous hockey star and coach, raising us," James retorted playfully.
"True, and not all of us had the all-time hit king, Powell Slocum, raising us either."
This prompted James to laugh. "Touché," he conceded.
"Now you sound like my mother," Agnes quipped. "Come on, I think our seats are this way." She pointed in the direction and began leading the way.
Fifteen minutes later, James found himself enjoying a hot dog. He wasn't particularly fond of the lingering cigar smoke that filled the air, but he appreciated the cozy atmosphere of the hockey arena, a refreshing change from the baseball parks he had grown accustomed to.
"There he is!" Agnes exclaimed excitedly, drawing James' attention. She pointed at one of the Eagles' players as both teams skated around, warming up for the game.
James squinted to get a better look. "I don't like him," he stated bluntly.
Agnes turned to him, her mouth agape, and playfully swatted him on the shoulder. "What do you mean!?" she exclaimed, nearly shouting.
James, grinning mischievously, swallowed his bite of hot dog. "I knew it! You really like this guy!"
Agnes blushed, leaning back in her seat. "You're such a stinker, tricking me like that," she said, feigning annoyance. Then, sitting upright again, she admitted, "Well, you're right. I really like him."
The "him" in question was Quinton Pollack, the player who had recently joined the Eagles after leaving the Tacoma Lions. Agnes, who happened to have a brother living in Brooklyn during the baseball off-season, had followed Quinton to New York.
"I hope this Quinton is a good guy," James commented.
"He is," Agnes replied, her gaze fixed on Pollack as he skated past. Surprisingly, she hadn't called out to him, leaving James slightly perplexed. Perhaps his usually direct and somewhat loud sister was feeling too shy to draw this guy's attention after traveling across the country just to see him.
"You know, I met some Canadians when I was in England with the Air Force," James began, trying to engage Agnes in conversation.
"Mmm-hmm," Agnes murmured absentmindedly, clearly only half-listening.
"They were real monsters, you know. What with their having moose antlers on their heads," James continued, a smile tugging at his lips when she repeated her indifferent response.
"You're so smitten that you're not even listening," he remarked before playfully swatting her on the shoulder.
"Hey! I heard you! You didn't need to slap me," Agnes protested. Then, giving James a cool look, she changed the subject. "Have you told Claudia about Rosie yet?"
James' eyes widened. "No, not exactly," he confessed. "And you better not say anything, or I'll spill the beans to Marie about Mr. Hockey down there!"
Agnes laughed. "Oh, she already knows," she responded. "You have nothing to hold over me," she added, a proud gleam in her eyes.
Finishing the last bite of his hot dog, James stood up and looked at Agnes. "Oh, yeah?" he challenged, turning his gaze toward the ice. "Hey, Pollack! Over here!"
Agnes covered her face with her hands as James laughed and Pollack turned in their direction. "My sister wants to say hello!" James called out, unable to contain his amusement.
The crowd around them began to look, and Pollack skated over, searching the stands. "Aggie? Is that you?" he called out.
Agnes muttered a threat at James under her breath, but her face beamed with joy. "Yes! Hello, Quinton!" she shouted down to the man she had decided, back in June, was going to be her husband. He just didn't know it yet.
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Quinton Pollack
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