It was nearing three thirty in the morning when the party finally started
to fizzle down. The newsies that had come from Midtown, Harlem, the Bronx,
and Manhattan were all heading home. Except Jack. He had offered to try
and help Spot put the lodging house somewhat back together, seeing as it
had been torn apart when the party was at it's peak. Jack and Spot soon
grew tired of trying to make the dingy lodging house look anywhere near
decent, and decided to take a break. As Jack took a long drag from his
cigarette, he noticed Spot fingering the gold tip of his cane.
"Say Spot, where'd ya ever get dat cane anyhow?" Jack asked.
Spot's eyes grew sad as he smiled. "Long story Jacky-boy" he answered.
"Well, we got time. No sellin tomorrah, it's dah 4th of July, rememba?"
"Yea I rememba" Spot said. "I dunno if I'm ready to tell dat kinda story yet" Spot answered, still focusing on his cane.
"Why not?" Jack asked, still curious.
"Some things jus hurt to talk about, ya kno Jacky-boy? If any of me newsies found out some stupid goil could hurt to talk abo-" Spot stopped himself, realizing he'd given away too much information.
"So it was a goil huh? Where'd a goil get a cane like that?"
"Alright Jacky-boy, alright, I'll tell ya, but you'se da only odda person dats gonna kno asides me an Cora, an if ya ever let this slip to anyone, I'll fix ya so ya can't talk no more, got me?"
"Yea I gots ya, so who's this Cora?"
Spot let out a breath. "You rememba two years ago, when I'se just startin to be known as the Brooklyn leadah? Well."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Cora sweetheart, have you seen my purple lace hat box?" A woman yelled down her fire escape. She was about forty, with soft brown eyes and long black hair. Her daughter was below her, still unloading packages from the taxicab.
"I've got it right here mum" she shouted. Her daughter was about 14 with bright blue eyes and beautiful dark hair that reached far past her waist. Cora and her mother Kathlynn had just moved from England to an apartment in Brooklyn. A working class family, the two had found a small but comfortable apartment overlooking the ports of Brooklyn. Fortunately, The two had their own bedrooms; although the living room, dining room, and kitchen were all one room. Cora placed the hatbox down gently on her mother's bed, and then hurried into her new room. The walls were a washed out color of gray, and the windows had no curtains. The nakedness of the windows managed to bother Cora, and she immediately began hanging the beautiful lace curtains given to her by her grandmother. As she began hanging, something outside her window caught her attention. Boys about her age were bathing in the river several stories below her window. Intrigued, she watched silently as they threw each other into the river, laughing and swearing, without a care in the world. For late May, the weather was unbearably hot, and she found herself wishing she could be down there cooling off with them. Realizing this was impossible; she continued hanging the curtains and began unpacking. She had started unpacking at about lunchtime, and finished just as the sun was setting over the river. Cora realized how hungry she was, and went to find what her mother was up to. She found her in the kitchen, unpacking plates and silverware.
"Mum, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Yes Cora dear I'm near starving. I have an idea. Why don't you ask around and find someplace to order some food to go, since I haven't had a chance to go shopping for groceries just yet?"
"Sure" Cora agreed, neither of them realizing just how dangerous the streets of Brooklyn could get past sundown. She took the money her mother had given her and headed down the street, looking for someone friendly who might point her in the direction of a good restaurant. After walking for a while, she came upon an elderly woman. The old woman pointed her in the direction of a restaurant that she described as "Cheap, fast, and sometimes even good" That was all Cora needed. She set out looking for it as the lady called out a warning to get home safely. She reached the restaurant, ordered some food to go, and headed home. Cora was almost home free when she heard the pounding of feet on the cobblestone.
"YOU'SE GONNA BE THA LEADAH OF BROOKLYN OVA MY DEAD BODY!" a voice screamed.
"FINE WIT ME, HOW DO YA WANNA DIE, FAST OR SLOW?" another voice shouted in return.
Cora didn't know which direction the noise had come from, and took off running. Not looking where she was going, she slammed right into a boy about her age, who was badly beaten and in torn clothes.
"Please miss, don't get scared, but I needs ya to hide me right now or we'll both end up dead"
Cora didn't have time to decide whether to trust the boy or not. The footsteps and voices were getting closer by the second. Grabbing the boy by the wrist, she dragged him the block that she had yet to go to her apartment. They reached the building and she rushed up the stairs and to her apartment door. Before she opened it, she turned to the boy.
"Listen, this is the story: I was looking for a place to get dinner from, when I found you and you were very helpful to me so as a token of my gratitude I invited you to have dinner with my mum and I, alright?"
"Whatever you say," the boy answered, "I owes ya me life right about now."
With that, Cora knocked on the door, and waited for her mother to answer.
"Say Spot, where'd ya ever get dat cane anyhow?" Jack asked.
Spot's eyes grew sad as he smiled. "Long story Jacky-boy" he answered.
"Well, we got time. No sellin tomorrah, it's dah 4th of July, rememba?"
"Yea I rememba" Spot said. "I dunno if I'm ready to tell dat kinda story yet" Spot answered, still focusing on his cane.
"Why not?" Jack asked, still curious.
"Some things jus hurt to talk about, ya kno Jacky-boy? If any of me newsies found out some stupid goil could hurt to talk abo-" Spot stopped himself, realizing he'd given away too much information.
"So it was a goil huh? Where'd a goil get a cane like that?"
"Alright Jacky-boy, alright, I'll tell ya, but you'se da only odda person dats gonna kno asides me an Cora, an if ya ever let this slip to anyone, I'll fix ya so ya can't talk no more, got me?"
"Yea I gots ya, so who's this Cora?"
Spot let out a breath. "You rememba two years ago, when I'se just startin to be known as the Brooklyn leadah? Well."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Cora sweetheart, have you seen my purple lace hat box?" A woman yelled down her fire escape. She was about forty, with soft brown eyes and long black hair. Her daughter was below her, still unloading packages from the taxicab.
"I've got it right here mum" she shouted. Her daughter was about 14 with bright blue eyes and beautiful dark hair that reached far past her waist. Cora and her mother Kathlynn had just moved from England to an apartment in Brooklyn. A working class family, the two had found a small but comfortable apartment overlooking the ports of Brooklyn. Fortunately, The two had their own bedrooms; although the living room, dining room, and kitchen were all one room. Cora placed the hatbox down gently on her mother's bed, and then hurried into her new room. The walls were a washed out color of gray, and the windows had no curtains. The nakedness of the windows managed to bother Cora, and she immediately began hanging the beautiful lace curtains given to her by her grandmother. As she began hanging, something outside her window caught her attention. Boys about her age were bathing in the river several stories below her window. Intrigued, she watched silently as they threw each other into the river, laughing and swearing, without a care in the world. For late May, the weather was unbearably hot, and she found herself wishing she could be down there cooling off with them. Realizing this was impossible; she continued hanging the curtains and began unpacking. She had started unpacking at about lunchtime, and finished just as the sun was setting over the river. Cora realized how hungry she was, and went to find what her mother was up to. She found her in the kitchen, unpacking plates and silverware.
"Mum, are you hungry?" she asked.
"Yes Cora dear I'm near starving. I have an idea. Why don't you ask around and find someplace to order some food to go, since I haven't had a chance to go shopping for groceries just yet?"
"Sure" Cora agreed, neither of them realizing just how dangerous the streets of Brooklyn could get past sundown. She took the money her mother had given her and headed down the street, looking for someone friendly who might point her in the direction of a good restaurant. After walking for a while, she came upon an elderly woman. The old woman pointed her in the direction of a restaurant that she described as "Cheap, fast, and sometimes even good" That was all Cora needed. She set out looking for it as the lady called out a warning to get home safely. She reached the restaurant, ordered some food to go, and headed home. Cora was almost home free when she heard the pounding of feet on the cobblestone.
"YOU'SE GONNA BE THA LEADAH OF BROOKLYN OVA MY DEAD BODY!" a voice screamed.
"FINE WIT ME, HOW DO YA WANNA DIE, FAST OR SLOW?" another voice shouted in return.
Cora didn't know which direction the noise had come from, and took off running. Not looking where she was going, she slammed right into a boy about her age, who was badly beaten and in torn clothes.
"Please miss, don't get scared, but I needs ya to hide me right now or we'll both end up dead"
Cora didn't have time to decide whether to trust the boy or not. The footsteps and voices were getting closer by the second. Grabbing the boy by the wrist, she dragged him the block that she had yet to go to her apartment. They reached the building and she rushed up the stairs and to her apartment door. Before she opened it, she turned to the boy.
"Listen, this is the story: I was looking for a place to get dinner from, when I found you and you were very helpful to me so as a token of my gratitude I invited you to have dinner with my mum and I, alright?"
"Whatever you say," the boy answered, "I owes ya me life right about now."
With that, Cora knocked on the door, and waited for her mother to answer.