Royal Arabian Knights

The Martinezes lived four houses down the street at 3012 Van Buren. It was one of those years when my dad's business was doing poorly and we got "practical" gifts for Christmas -- "Donald Duck shirts" that Mom had made. They were red flannel with buttons side-by-side at the collar. Mom was convinced they made us look really sharp, just like Roy Rogers. We thought they looked like Donald Duck's double breasted sailor outfit -- hence the name "Donald Duck shirts". But back to my point: the Martinezes lived four houses down the street. Mrs. Martinez was an RN and Mr. Martinez was on disability because he'd suffered brain damaged during the war, so naturally their kids always got great stuff for Christmas.

Carlos got this really nifty Zorro outfit with a cape and a realistic fencing foil, tipped with a piece of chalk. You could "make the mark of the Z" on any and every flat surface that presented itself to you. Danny had gotten a suit of plastic Roman armor replete with breastplate, helmet, rubber shortsword and sheath. Roy was particularly impressed with the great-looking breastplate with its intricate synthetic engraving. Roy asked Danny if he could try the armor on, but Danny refused.

Roy, dismissed Danny's selfishness, "OK, if you don't want to join the club, fine!" and then he turned and walked up the sidewalk toward our house.

Danny: (tagging along behind) "What club?"

Roy: "You wouldn't be interested."

Danny: "Maybe. What's the club?"

Roy: (Still walking up the street) "I can't say, it's a secret society."

Danny: "There's no such thing."

Roy: (Insulted that Danny would call him a liar, he whipped around) "It's called the Van Buren Street Royal Arabian Knights!"

Danny: "There's no such club!! Is there?"

Roy: (Turning back up the street) "Suit yourself."

So skilled was Danny at interrogation that by the time we got to 3008 he had cleverly pried many of the secret rites and rituals of the club from unwitting Roy. Before we made 3004 Danny was begging for a chance to prove himself worthy. It seemed Danny's major disqualification for membership in the Royal Arabian Knights was his stinginess. We Society members share our stuff and we don't tolerate selfishness.

As proof of his generosity, Danny offered the use of his new suit of plastic Roman armor.

Not enough! Roy sent Danny back to recruit his brother Carlos (along with his cool-looking Zorro outfit).

So the rest of the afternoon Roy had Carlos and Danny running through a rigorous initiation -- testing their strength, agility, courage and ... above all ... their gullibility. Meanwhile, Roy and I sparred with each other -- I with my foil making the "mark of the Z" on each and every flat surface that presented itself and Roy quelling Gauls (who were no match for Roy in his realistic plastic armor).