Prompt: Child Newsies
Task: Arriving at the Lodging House
Alfred didn't have much. Nine years old and living on the streets didn't bring wealth and happiness. His entire life was gray. His specs, the building he huddled by at night as he held in tears, his eyes, even the sky always seemed gray. It wasn't always that way.
He was never rich, not as an immigrant, but he was happy. Living with his mother and father and his baby sister, he had everything he could ever need. His mother's dress was pink, not gray. His father's jacket was brown, not gray. His baby sister's eyes were blue, not gray. Now, the world has seemed to lose all color.
Alfred sat pressed up against the building, knees grasped tight to his chest, a few tears streaming from his eyes, his warm breath fogging his glasses, his grey, grey glasses. Suddenly, someone crouched next to him, whispering in his ear.
"'ow much for des 'ere specs?"
"Nothin' I ain't sellin'"
"Really, boy. Now you ain't gettin' fresh with youse elders are ya? Give me dem specs."
"No, Ise told ya I ain't sellin'!"
"Don't make me take em, boy!"
And suddenly the glasses were wrenched from off of Alfred's nose, clipping his ear as they were pulled towards the stranger's face, their gray face. Alfred reached up blindly swing his hands for glasses, but he couldn't reach them. Tears stung his eyes as he heard the stranger chuckle and move to leave.
"Hey, leave da kid alone, wouldya!"
Alfred heard an angry voice yell from the entrance of the alley and heard a scuffle, watching the two gray blobs move around each other. The fight ended as quickly as it began and the second gray blob moved beside Alfred placing the glasses on Alfred's hand. Slipping them on he looked up into the eyes of the person, well, boy, who saved his glasses. Alfred smiled as he saw the red bandana hanging from the kid's shoulders. The bright, red bandana. Alfred couldn't really remember much else of their discussion, but soon enough he had his place with the newsboys of Manhattan and earned his name Specs. Over the years colors have come and gone, gray always in the mix, but the red always remained. And, that, Alfred was grateful for.