Sheiks and Sheba's
The next night Johnny decided to take Rose to a jazz club where Louie Armstrong was playing. "Isn't he a swell player?" Johnny asked. "He's copasetic. I love the music he plays." Rose answered. "Would you like to dance?" Johnny asked. "I would love to." Rose answered. A few hours later Johnny took rose back to the New York Blossom. "Boss there is some men in your office waiting to speak with you." Jack said as he walked up to Johnny and Rose. Johnny walked into his office and he was greeted by Sergeant Christopher Earnestine and a few of his men from the police department. "What can I do for you Sergeant Earnestine?" Johnny asked as if he didn't know what this meeting was all about. "I've come to pinch you off Johnny." the sergeant answered. "Pinch me; I've done nothing wrong sergeant. I've found someone who has set me on a straight path." Johnny said. "Is that so? Then why did one of your men tell me that you were the master mind behind the bank robbery last week?" the sergeant asked. "Who told that I was the one behind the robbery?" Johnny asked with a confused look on his face. "Joseph McHardy told me this." the sergeant answered. "Joseph?" Johnny asked in shock. "Yes. Now you can come with me quietly or you can put up a fight. Your choice Johnny." The sergeant said. Johnny didn't put up a fight and the sergeant led him out of his office.
"What's going on Johnny?" Rose asked when she saw him being led
to the police jalopy. "Miss I'm afraid the prisoner can't speak
to anyone at the moment." The sergeant said to Rose. The next day
Rose went down to the police station on the main drag and the
sergeant told her every thing about Johnny that she didn't know
about. He then let Rose go talk to Johnny. "Why would do this
Johnny?" Rose asked. "Rose I wasn't behind the robbery of that
bank." Johnny answered. "I'm not talking about." Rose said
angrily. "Then what are you talking about?" Johnny asked. "What
happened to you? Why did you become a mafia leader?" Rose asked.
"I'm sorry but I don't have an answer for those questions."
Johnny answered. "Well I'll have you know that I never want to
see or speak to you again Johnny Valentine." Rose said. Then she
stood up and walked out of the building back to her apartment. When
she got there she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to
sleep.
Two weeks later the police found out that Joseph had
framed Johnny and that he was the one behind the robbery. Johnny was
released. As a gift Tommy was taking Johnny to see Rose on Broadway.
After the curtain call was done Johnny just march right up on stage
and up to Rose. "Johnny what are you doing here?" Rose asked. "I
wanted to say I'm sorry and ask you this." Johnny answered. He
then pulled a small pox out of the pocket from inside his zoot suit
and got down on one knee. "Will you marry me little Rosie?" he
asked as he opened the box reveling a diamond ring. Tears started to
fall down Rose's face. "Yes I will." Rose answered. Johnny put
the ring on her finger stood up and gave her a kisser. The audience
cheered loudly for the happy couple.
Two days later. Johnny was sitting at his desk when all of a sudden got an urgent call from Jeremiah. "Johnny tonight's the night we're going to bump off those Charleston niggers and I need you by my side. Are you in?" Jeremiah asked. Johnny pauses for a moment because an image of Rose popped into his mind. "Jeremiah…I…I can't. I have a fiancé no and…" but he was cut off by Jeremiah. "I always knew you a cake eater." "It's not that I..." "Then we're done but if you change your mind which I'm sure you won't. We're meeting at the old abandoned farm house five miles from their house at midnight." The phone went dead and Jeremiah was gone. Johnny shut his eyes and sighed.
A few hours later Rose was getting ready to go to a show with Johnny. She was putting on the last few touches of her make up and was powdering her knees when the phone rang. She rushed over to the phone and answered "Dawson and Hemming residents." There was no reply for a moment. "Rose?" Johnny said. "Oh it's you. Sheiky boy you scared me." Rose said. "Rose I'm so sorry to do this to you but I won't be able to make tonight." Johnny said. "Um ok what's the problem?" Rose asked. "Well some things came up and I've got to take care of them." Johnny answered. "Johnny no, I know what Jeremiah wants you to do. It's going to be an ambush. The FBI will be swarming." Rose said. "I know doll but I…I'm sorry. I will always love you." Johnny said. "Johnny, JOHNNY!" Rose yelled but he had already hung up. Rose instantly ran to Darla's room and rushed in crying. "Rose what happened?" Darla asked. "Johnny's going to Charleston's place tonight with Jeremiah Small." Darla got up with the heebie jeebies and ran to the phone. She called Tommy but there was no answer. They both put on their galoshes and ran for the jalopy.It was 11:30 when the two flappers caught traffic. The roads were block off for the Louie Armstrong they were suppose to be going to. "We'll never make it Darla." Rose said. "Calm down we're going to make it." Darla said reassuringly. Finally the jam started moving slowly. When the reached the main road, they rushed to the abandoned farm house at 12:10.
It's 11:50 and several vehicles started showing up close to the same time at the farm house. Tommy, Johnny, and Jack all jumped out of him jalopy and walked around to the trunk. They leaned in the trunk and pull out three Tommy Guns. When they walked up to the crowd they heard Jeremiah shouting. "Alright boys, tonight's the night we're going to finally give those niggers what they deserve." The crowd started shouting and talking amongst themselves. Tommy and Johnny looked at each other and just knew that tonight was going to end with major bloodshed and broken hearts. No words word were spoken but all they heard above the many voices was "GET THEM." shouted by Jeremiah. They all scrambled into their vehicles and followed Jeremiah's car right into the heart of the Charleston's land. As Rose and Darla arrived at the farm house, they realized that they had just missed the men. So they pulled out of there as quickly as possible.
The vehicles mad a horrible ruckus and awoke the Charleston family
immediately. All the men jumped out and formed groups. Jeremiah took
notice of Johnny and called him over. "Johnny. And I though
wouldn't actually come." Johnny just frowned and took his place
by the car for cover. "We want Beany. Send him out or we're
coming in." Jeremiah shouted. A few minutes later little old Beany
comes out the front door unarmed. "Take me sir but leave my family
alone." Beany said shaking. Jeremiah walking out goes up to Beany.
"I hear your son is trying to win over little Emmy Rosem the
pastors daughter." "No sir he ain't, he be keeping his
distance." Beany said with terror in his eyes. Jeremiah tipped his
hat and as he was going to turn away he went back real quickly with
the butt of his gun into Beany's nose. As Beany took the hit blood
came trickling down his face and fell to his knees. Loud shrieks
could be heard from inside the house as Beany's wife and child
began screaming. "LET'S GET THEM." Jeremiah shouted.
Right
as he said this a shot came wizzing in front of his face. He jumped
back and saw that the police were pulling in the driveway and
shooting at them. They all took their positions behind their cars and
began shooting back. For a few minutes there was nothing but gun
shots and bodies began to fall to the ground. Johnny, Tommy, and Jack
were all hiding behind his car. Jack was reloading his gun when all
of the sudden he shot in the back of the leg. Tommy noticed this and
was leaning over putting pressure on Jack's wound. Johnny was still
firing as Tommy yelled "Johnny lets get out of here." Johnny
turned around and saw Jack and nodded his head. Johnny opened the
passenger side door and crawled to the driver's seat. Tommy dragged
Jack into the car and they began to drive of, but he only got a few
feet before Sergeant Earnestine opened Johnny's door and tour him
out. "Get him a doctor now Tommy, go now." Johnny shouted.
Tommy's first reaction was to jump out of the car and help his
brother, but Johnny kept yelling at him to leave. So helpless, Tommy
got back in the car and drove off.
The shooting lasted twenty minutes and Jeremiah lost more than half
his men. The police also had several men under custody, one of them
was Johnny. Once they were all contained, Darla and Rose showed up at
long last. Rose flew out of the car to Johnny. The police tried to
stop her, but she shifted past them and into Johnny's arms. She
began pouring tears. Johnny lifted her head up and looked into her
eyes. Rose noticed something awkward about his face. He had turned
pale and his eyes be came wide. When she came to reality, she
remembered she heard a gun shot. Johnny all of the sudden became
heavy and started falling. Rose caught him and guided him to the
ground. She looked up and saw Beany standing with a shotgun in his
hands. The police jumped on him in a flash. Rose took a gasp of air
when she looked down at Johnny and into his eyes and he said "I'm
sorry little Rosie, I've broken your heart for a third time."
Rose burst into tears. "Johnny please don't leave me. I lost you
once and I don't want to lose you again." Rose chocked out threw
heavy tears. Rose was holding Johnny in her lap. His blood was
staining her skirt. "Johnny please stay." Rose begged. Johnny
grabbed her hand and held it in his. "I'll never really leave
you. I will still watch over you and be your guardian angel."
Johnny said as he was fighting for air. "I love you Johnny." Rose
said as more tears fell. "I…love…you to." Johnny said. He
then closed his eyes. Rose felt his hand let go of hers and watch it
fall to the ground. She then knew he had died. Rose started to cry
over his body just as it started to rain. You could see a stream of
blood and water running down the driveway. "Johnny, JOHNNY." Rose
screamed to the sky.
Later that week, Johnny was buried next to
his parents in the hometown where both he and Rose grow up together.
Both Tommy and Jack went to Johnny's funeral, but as soon as they
got back to New York, they were quickly pinched and sent to jail for
five years. After Tommy was released from jail five years later he
and Darla got married. Their flower girl was Rose's five year old
daughter Josie. Tommy has always said that little Josie has her
fathers eyes. Rose always knew that was true and she also knew that
Johnny ws watching over both her and little Josie.
The End