TEARS FOR JACK
The sound of crackling wood could be heard and the smell of smoke filled the apartment building. Brilliant red and orange flames burned brightly out side their door. Quickly inviting themselves into there home. The frantic cries of a young women sounded through out the apartment, "Francis! Julia…." The young mother called running into the room where her two children slept soundly unaware of what was happening around them. She reached the room and shook Julia awake. Next she ran over to her son Francis.
Francis jumped out of his bed and rushed over to his sister's. Julia laid in her bed to frightened to move. She was only three and didn't know what was going on the whole scene was scaring her. He grabbed his sister's and picked her up carrying her out of the room. Their mother wasn't far behind them. The ceiling began to creak and then gave way above her, just as there mother was walking out of the room a beam fell across the door tapping her inside, "Hurry get yourself and your sister out of here." She cried to him knowing she couldn't save herself, but her children had a chance.
Francis put Julia down and turned back to look at their mother trapped helplessly in the room. He knew there was nothing he could do to get her out of the there, "I love you mama…" He said pulling his sister towards the door. The tears pressed against the back of his eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to come. Francis had to be strong for himself, but most of all for his sister.
"I love you, Julia. I love you, Francis. God help my children." She cried as the flames engulfed the room. Their mother let out a blood-curling scream that he would never forget.
"Mama!" Julia cried reaching her hand out towards where her mother had been standing. Francis got them out of their apartment. Once in the hall they could hear many people calling to there love ones in their own language. Francis could hear small children crying out for their mothers just as Julia had done when they were separated from their mother.
Francis and Julia were headed towards the stair when a group of people rushed down the hall pushing between the two of them, "Julia!" He called out as he felt her hand slip from his.
"Cowboy!" She cried to her brother as he was pushed down the hall towards the stairs. It was the nickname that his sister had given him. It was the last thing her heard from her.
Francis tried to push back but some one grabbed him and pulled him out of the building. The sound of fire wagons bells rang through the streets breaking the dead silence. The horses' hooves, pulling the large wagons down the street, could be heard clapping against the cobblestone. Francis stood there outside of the apartment building watching it burn to the ground. Everything seemed to play in slow motion the fire fighters pushed through the crowds knocking into him, but Francis didn't move he just stood there and stared. He had lost everything that met the world to him in this fire; Julia and his mother were dead.
Francis felt some one put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw it was there neighbor. Francis pulled away and ran down the street. He never looked back…
Jack lay on his bunk sleeping. A horrible dream played through his head it was the third time this week. He turned and tossed in his bunk. No matter how hard Jack tried he just couldn't wake from this dream.
Number sat at the front desk checking over some figures for Kloppman, when a small girl about eight walked into the Lodging House. Her face was tear stained and her eyes red. Numbers heard her sniffling and looked up, "Can I be of any help to you?" Number asked walking around the desk kneeling down so he was eye level with the tiny girl. The little girl wiped her blue eyes with the back of her hand and nodded Shyly.
"Well what can I do for ya?" Numbers asked smiling at the girl.
"I…I am looking for my brother." She cried, fresh tears began to flow down her cheeks. Numbers gave her a hug to try and comfort her. He took a handkerchief out and wiped the girl's eyes.
"So do yah gotta name kid?" He asked her. Numbers thought if he knew her name he'd be able to recall if any of the guys had been talking about a little girl by that name.
She nodded again, "My name's Julia." She said in a small voice. Julia reached up and pulled on a strand of her golden blonde hair.
"Well, Julia, what's yer
brudda's name maybe I can help find him fer ya? We gotta lot of guys aroun'
heah we'se can ask about yer brudda." Numbers stood up and lifted Julia up so
she was sitting on the counter.
"Francis Sullivan." The little
girl pouted. Numbers looked at her in disbelief as he handed her a clean
tissue, "Do you know him?"
"Yeah I do…. Wait right heah." Numbers ran up to the bunkroom, "Jack! Jack!" He ran over to Jack's bunk where he had been taking a nap.
"Whad…whad's da madda wid chu?" Jack asked rolling over in his bunk.
"Jack d'ere's a goil in da lobby who says she yer sista." Number said pushing Jack out of his bunk. Jack hit the floor with a loud thud.
"Whad 're ya tawkin' about?" Jack asked as he stood up and rubbed his back. He gave Numbers a nasty glare, "Me sista?" He asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"D'at's what I said…." Numbers looked at him. "She waiting down stairs for ya. Ah, hoir name is Julia."
Jack took off down the stairs jumping the
last few, he saw the tiny girl sitting on the counter where Numbers had left
her. Jack smiled and walked over to the girl. He picked her up and put her down
so she was standing.
"I hoid you'se lookin' fer ya
brudda." Jack said kneeling down like Numbers had done. The girl nodded. Jack
dried her eyes with his sleeve. He looked at his sister it had been a few years
since he had seen her last.
"Do you know him?" Julia asked him her voice quivered as if she was about to cry again. Being lost in New York City was a scary thing for a little girl.
"Yeah I know him." Jack hugged her, "Oh god Julia I missed you so much."
Julia flung her arms around Jack and hugged him tightly. Jack stood up picking her as he did.
"Your Francis?" She asked him. She could barely remember what her brother looked like. Julia was really little when Jack and her had gotten separated.
"Yeah I am, but it's Jack Kelly now." Numbers who had gone back to doing his paperwork, he looked up and watched the two. Numbers smiled to himself thinking of his sister when she was alive.