Killer Instinct Essay Example For Students

Killer Instinct Essay by Jim Adams Over 800 people attended the funeral, according to the localnewspapers estimate.. The cloudless day, lit by an early morning sun that cast soft shadowsamong the mourners, was disturbed only by the gentle murmur of thepreachers voice and the distant hum of traffic racing past on Hwy 401. Off-duty Durham Regional Police officers received an unexpected bonus thatmorning, when they were called in to handle parking problems around thecemetery and direct the seemingly endless flow of floral tributes. Black Billy hed called himself. Hed appeared in Pickering oneunremarkable day, just as suddenly as hed departed this life. No fanfareof trumpets, no grandiose announcements, no pre-fight publicity. He simplyshowed up at Mulligans Bar one Sunday afternoon when the regulars werediscussing the merits of the Tyson/Doakes fight, and settled in the farcorner next to the miniscule stage, nursing a half-pint of beer. Mulligansbeing the type of place it is, he wasnt alone too long. Useta call me Black Billy, he growled, lumbering to his feet. Hishead ducked and dodged, body swayed, as he danced on his toes, shootinglefts and rights at an imaginary opponent. His scarred face looked troubledfor a moment. Coulda been the Champ. Didn get a chance. Said I don gotthe killer instinct. I know I got it. Jus need a chance. His audiencenodded appreciatively and exchanged understanding glances. Billy shuffledto a stop and shook his big head as a huge grin split his battered face. No use cryin over spilt milk. That was a long time ago. Yeah man, a longtime ago. He extended a large paw and shook each persons hand solemnly. Jus call me Black Billy, he said, the infectious, innocentgrinencompassing the entire group, like a warming beam of sunlight after arain-storm. It was hard not to like him. Before too long, someone who knew someone who had a friend, hadarranged a job for Billy, in the Marina at the foot of Liverpool Rd. Asmall housetrailer It was just rusting away, sitting up at the cottage,according to the owner was procured and installed in a corner, near theparking lot. Billy spent a few days cleaning it up and airing it out, thenhe moved his meagre belongings from his temporary home in the small motelon Hwy #2. Pillows, blankets, drapes, cutlery and all of the things neededto make a house a home were donated with quiet mutters of, Here, Billy. Maybe you can use this. Wife was gonna throw it out anyway, so yourewelcome to it.He became a fixture in Pickering. If hed lived in some quaint countryvillage, hed have been known as a character. When he wasnt scrapinghulls, or painting the underside of yachts in the marina, he could be seen,trotting around in a jogging suit, surprisingly light on his feet, as mostbig men are, his sneakers gently slap-slap-slapping the sidewalk in asteady, unbroken rythym. Occasionally, hed drop into Mulligans to nurse ahalf- pint of beer, and despite repeated offers, was never seen to drinkmore than one. No, man. Gotta stay in shape, hed grin. Too much o thisstuff slows the reflexes. Thanks anyway. He was a quiet man, keepinghimself very much to himself, unless invited to join a group, which heinvariably was. All attempts to extract information about his past life were met bythe same big grin, and the same stock answer. Long time ago, man. Useta bea fighter, long time ago.. In a moment of weakness, he confided tosomeone that he hailed from Nova Scotia, and that he had no livingrelatives. Initially, the more cautious parents in the neighbourhood instructedtheir offspring not to talk to Billy, but as time progressed he became afamiliar figure. And hed happily interrupt one of his endless joggingtrips to help a flustered young mother trying to cope with two kids andarmfuls of groceries, or lend a hand with a pile of lumber destined tobecome a garden shed. He became accepted by everyone. He had a special affinity with little kids, though. They hung aroundthe marina, peering through the chainlink fence, watching Billy scrapehulls, his huge, muscled body stripped to the waist in the summer sunshine,the sweat beading, glistening and forming rivulets to soak his trackpants. You a boxer, Billy?, some third-grader would squeak, initiatingthe ritual that had been performed hundreds of times before. How High-Stakes Tests Are Hurting Our Children?s F EssayHes stupid, he added, pointing in Mannys direction. Billy, Ive toldhim, Manny groaned.I dont get a lot of call for that stuff, so I onlycarry small quantities. Hes got all I have, but he wont listen. He.I.He hit me with the gun, Mannys voice trembled as he gesturedwith the handkerchief. Enough talking, snapped the gunman. He reachedover towards Janice, and before she could react, he grabbed the little girland pulled her towards him. Billy, the childs voice rose to a terrifiedwail.I want my Mommy. Billy knew her only as Karen. Just two days before,shed passed a bunch of dandelions to him through the marina fence. Itsokay, honey. Mommys gonna be here in a minute. Dont be. Hey!,screamed the ski-mask. Is anybody listening to me? You got five seconds,you hear me? Five seconds to deliver, or the brat gets it. He aimed thepistol at the struggling childs head. Five..four Billy! I want myMommy. Please.. Threetwo.. Billy began his shuffling dance,head bobbing and weaving, the familiar incatation rolling easily from hislips Useta be a fighter. Coulda been the Champ. Didn getta. Hemoved smoothly, on the balls of his feet, throwing jabs and hooks at hisphantom opponent, body swaying, ducking and dodging. He blocked imaginarycounterpunches with his forearms,, his own blows punctuated by sharp hissesof expelled breath as he moved constantly. Circling, always circling. Hey. Whats that freak doing?, yelled the gunman to no-one in particular. Tellhim to quit! ..Coulda been the Champ I said quit it! You want meto off the kid? Huh? Billy circled closer. Ski-mask was like a rabbithypnotised by a snake. He couldnt remove his eyes from the big man. Is hecrazy? I gotta gun! Didn getta chance.Know I got it.Jusneeda. Ski-mask removed the gun from the childs head and aimed atBilly as he moved dangerously close. Too late,the robber realized hiserror.Before he could return the gun to its former position, Billy lunged. Karen fell to one side, unheeded for the moment. There was a flat crack andBilly staggered, but kept coming. His left jab was slightly off-target ashe was off balance, but the looping right hook caught the gunman solidly inthe ribs, just as the gun spat for a second time, before flippingend-over-end to land in the chest freezer. Billy grunted heavily, butanother right to the midsection of the gunman folded him up like anaccordion, and the crushing left, landed flush on the point of his chinwith a sound like a two-by-four slapping wet cement. The robber flewbackwards, his feet lifted from the floor by the force of the blow, andcrashed into a shelving unit before falling motionless. Manny, stunned by the speed of events, gawped at theunconscious gunman for a few seconds. Then seeing Billy clutch at his chestand sink slowly to a sitting position, he scrambled towards the big man. Billy, you crazy son of.are you alright? Janice! Get some surgicaldressings. Hurry! Call an ambulance and the police too!, he added as anafterthought. The front door opened, and in walked a harassed looking youngwoman.Janice, did Robbie and Karen get their.Good God! Whatshappened? Mommy! Mommy!, cried the kids, abandoning Janice and rushingto their mothers outstretched arms. Janice! Get those dressings. Now!Hurry up!, Manny almost shouted. Billy?.. Billy? The big man toppledover onto his side, and Manny scurried around to cradle the fighters headin his lap. Can you hear me, Billy? The eyes opened. Sure, I hear you.His voice was slurred and he frowned slightly, then his eyes lit up. Hey,Manny? Didya see the combination I threw?. Two rights set im up, thenthe left Hurt me bad twice, but I didn quit..Knew I got thekiller instinctYsaw that Manny, huh? Ysaw my killer instinct, didnya? His voice tailed off for a few seconds. Didn getta chanceWasgonna give youchance, today. Armwrestle for vitamins.Wannatry? A faint grin appeared and a huge paw rose slowly, unsteadily, thendropped back to the floor. At 5:31 pm, the police arrived with drawn guns. They found Manny stillcradling Billys head, tears trickling unashamedly down his cheeks as hecrooned softly to the fallen fighter, .You couldve been the Champ,Billy. You wouldve been a great ChampOver eight hundred people attended the funeral, by the localnewspapers estimate.