Maybe a little bit about Dwight Edmond Roford is needed right here. His Dad worked for Sears so his bike and other big toys were always J.C. Higgins. His younger sister Allie was a freckled-face goody-two-shoes (she always hated Charlie). Dwight got his nickname Velvet because his mastery of his gold Duncan yo-yo with the three rhinestones had the judge at one contest say "Boy, your moves are smooth as velvet". We called him Vel for short forever after. Vel had the coolest machine gun sound of all the guys. Now if you've never played army you may not appreciate how important it is to make a rifle sound with you mouth. Any kid who just yelled BANG would be laughed off the street. The sound required pushing alot of air through clenched teeth and the machine gun was the hardest. Vel came up with this sound that puffed out his cheeks and had a whistle he added by curling his tongue that sounded like ricocheting bullets. He was the only kid on the street would could make the sound. Vel's family was uber-Catholic so when his mom heard Charlie say fuck one time, Vel was banned from playing with him. Of course he ignored that and more than once got in trouble because Allie squealed on him. When Vel turned 16 his dad taught him how to drive in their two toned Chevy BelAir. Vel passed his driver's test but his dad would only let him drive when he was in the car. Vel would always say that when he finally could use the BelAir, he'd take us all to Fillmore St. where the girls that we'd pick up would put out. Never happened. Vel joined the army when he graduated and became an Airborn Ranger with the 82nd Screamin' Eagles which quite nearly fucked him up beyond repair. Nearly. It only took a few nickel dime poker nites after he was honorably discharged to get the old Vel back. We'd all bust his balls with every single deal and he would get so pissed that we didn't take his ass-kicking threats seriously - we just laughed at him, that he remembered there was never any real tension or animosity among the four of us because it was so much fun just being one of the guys. More about Vel later. I think maybe Duane needs explaining next.