Rain drizzled down to the ground from the sad gray sky above on that day. The wind whipped and howled violently, almost as if it were crying; crying like the young group that was formed in the small Manhattan cemetery on that dreary November afternoon.
"In God's name, we bless thee, Aleena Talino, on this day that thou joins our Christ in heaven."
All of the Manhattan newsboys and half of the Brooklyn boys were assembled around the six-foot grave that day. Aleena had been everyone's little sister, everyone's best friend. Aleena had no enemies and many of her friends were openly sobbing, supporting one another from collapsing in the misery of losing her.
Aleena died too young and all alone, much like many young people on the streets of New York. No one wanted to believe that in one instant, Aleena was taken away, and they hadn't even the chance to say goodbye.
When Aleena died, she left behind a hole in everyone's heart, one that could never be refilled by anyone else. She had been so special to them…so precious…and now she was gone. All that remained of their dear Aleena was a small stone marker in a garden of death, that and the fond memories that brought back the bitter tears that reminded them she was gone.
The wooden casket creaked as it was lowered into the wet, cold earth and the weeping intensified as each boy threw a single yellow rose onto Aleena's casket before turning away, unable to watch as their dear friend was buried, the dark heavy mud eternally sealing Aleena away from them. From the very moment the first shovel was pushed into the mound of dirt, all hope was lost and the harsh reality of Aleena's death came upon those who still clung to a shred of hope.
The newsies slowly made their way through the rain back to the Lodging House. Only one figure stayed behind and he stood, motionless as a stone and his eyes blurred with tears as he sniffled, not moving to wipe the tears away. He watched as the dirt filled the grave of his true best friend, his confidante.
Nothing could console the dark haired Italian, his heart hurt far too much. The other friends of Aleena shared his grief, but not nearly so deeply. Aleena had been there by the young man's side for as long as he could remember; she had laughed with him, cried with him, grown with him, and now, she was gone…without him.
The young man sighed heavily and knelt by Aleena's grave. He slowly ran his trembling hands over her name and gripped the simple stone for support, so hard that his knuckles turned white. Sniffling, he wiped a clenched fist across his face and leaned a tearstained bouquet of white roses against the smooth marker. He took a deep wavering breath and stood up, wiping the mud from the knees of his brown pants and slowly made his way out of the graveyard, away from Aleena.
The rain continued to tumble down from the heavens as the Italian wandered blindly to an unknown destination. The wind continued to whip the boy's coat around him and he came to a sudden stop as he saw the Brooklyn Bridge looming in front of him in the distance. The young man took off, sprinting to the bridge in a furious rage.
As he reached the middle of the bridge, he grasped the guardrail hard, taking deep, shaky breaths as he looked over the bridge, watching the water splash against the support beams of the great structure. He covered his face with his hand then and sobbed uncontrollably, Aleena, why did you leave me? He thought to himself as he was suddenly brought back to the day that Aleena was taken away, taking a large part of him too…
…Aleena had always been full of surprises and energy, so no one was surprised when she was chosen to fill in as a jockey at the tracks when the real guy suddenly came down with Scarlet Fever. Aleena had been ecstatic, all her life she'd wanted to racehorses, and now was her big chance to make her dream come true. Aleena had been posing as a boy, cleaning the stables and working out the horses for over six years, she knew it all, so no one had been worried…if only they'd known what would happen…
The Italian shook his head, trying to clear the memory away. He didn't want to watch it again. The images replayed in his nightmares every night, he didn't want to see it…he wanted to forget it, but, he just couldn't…
… "Oh Race! I'm a jockey! Did ya hear? I'm a jockey!" Aleena screamed in delight, grabbing her baby-faced Italian friend in a hug.
Race patted her on the back, "Great job, Alee! I heard all about it! Uh…Aleena…Aleena! I can't breathe!" he choked out. Aleena laughed, blushing, and released her friend from the Alaskan bear hug she had him in.
"Sorry…I better go get dressed! This is so exciting!" she exclaimed again, taking off toward the dressing rooms at the back of the barn.
"Be careful! And good luck!" Race managed to call out to her as she waved to him, disappearing through a door…
…Race sighed, wishing he had enjoyed the moment more, because that was the last time he ever saw Aleena alive before it happened. Another tear trickled down his cheek as he sighed again, the memories coming back to him full force, taking over all other thoughts…
…Race stood by the finish line waving to Aleena, who was nervously adjusting her hat. Race knew Aleena better than anyone and he knew that she wanted to check her saddle. Aleena trusted only her own work, and because she'd been dressing, someone else had readied her horse, Ace.
Race wished he could reassure his friend as he talked to himself quietly, "Come on, Aleena, you can do this…You can do this… You can do this…It's all gonna be ok…" He took a deep breath as the bang sounded; the race was off. Aleena steadied herself and was quickly taking off in front. He smiled as she smiled and he clapped wildly, cheering his friend on.
There were only three laps left…Aleena was being caught up to quickly now, all the horses were right on Ace's tail and Aleena was pushing him as hard as she could. Suddenly, Racetrack felt the hairs on the back of his neck as they rose up and he took a sharp breath and looked desperately at Aleena. He watched as her face suddenly became panicked and he heard a loud 'snap', like a whip cracking, and one of Aleena's stirrups broke free.
Before Race could even call out her name, Aleena screamed and slipped off her horse, who kept on going…Race listened in terror as another earsplitting scream escaped Aleena's lips as she hit the ground and tried to move out of the way of the other horses. But the horses were moving so fast, it all happened so fast…Aleena disappeared in a cloud of dust as the horses came upon her…
…Race again shook his head, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks. He had done nothing to save her…nothing to protect her. Aleena had trusted him with her life, and yet when she needed him the most, Race could do nothing. But the thing that Race regretted the most was that he had never told Aleena that he loved her…really and truly loved her…
…Race screamed Aleena's name in agony as the horses flew by, leaving the cloud to settle, revealing a very crumpled form of a fallen young woman. Race leapt over the railing of the fence as the gasps and murmured conversation began to rise in the crowds.
Racetrack ran to her side, skidding to a stop and sliding in the dirt, trying to get to her faster. As he finally reached her, he lifted her up and cradled her head in his lap, "Don't you die on me, Aleena…Please don't die…"
Aleena's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment and she smiled weakly. Using every ounce of her strength that she had left, she brought her hand up to Race's cheek and wiped a few of his tears away, "Why do you cry, Racetrack? It's all gonna be ok…I'll fly with the angels now…I'll ride with them…I'll help them guide the ones I love. Stop those tears…" she coughed weakly and a few of Race's own tears hit her cheeks.
"Aleena, don't leave me! You can't-" he choked back a sob and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "You can't leave me…Aleena…I-" Suddenly, Aleena smiled weakly one more time and closed her eyes. Her body went slack against Race and he could feel as the life left her body. "Aleena? No, Aleena! You can't…You…" Race's head bent forward and he rocked back and forth with Aleena still cradled in his arms…
…Racetrack coughed and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He was completely drenched and he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as a bitter wind suddenly rose from the river, chilling him to the bone. He hugged his arms to his chest and shivered involuntarily, turning away from the bridge and walking back toward Manhattan.
As Race walked, his steps seemed to drag more and more, as though he were walking through a bed of wet cement. When he went home, it would be final. Aleena would be gone forever when he walked through that door. His eyes and throat burned with his tears and sharp breaths, he felt as though he would fall down if he had to take another step. Yet, he somehow managed to get himself back to the lodging house.
At the base of the front steps, Race looked up at the door with dread, not wanting to go inside when he knew Aleena wouldn't be there to greet him with a warm smile and a gentle hug. Race's yearn to be warm and dry eventually won out and he slowly trudged up the front steps, taking the worn doorknob in his trembling hand and turned it carefully. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him, heading up the rickety old wooden stairs to the bunkroom.
When Race walked through the bunkroom door, everyone looked up and many sighed with relief, glad that Race had finally come home. Race didn't look at anyone as he walked across the room, passing row after row of bunk-beds, and laid down on the top bunk against the wall, curling up in a ball without even removing his shoes. Race smelled the strong scent of the pillows, Aleena's scent. He slowly began to cry again and shook violently with silent sobs that wracked his frail body. Racetrack hugged Aleena's pillow against himself and wished he could just disappear into Aleena's bed. He sighed and stared blankly at the wall in front of him, thinking of nothing but Aleena and how much he missed her.
Everyone watched Race for a moment, no one knew what to say to him to make him feel better. It was a very quiet and sad day in the Lodging House, no one wanted to speak, everyone was lost in their own thoughts, but their thoughts all revolved around the same person: Aleena.
Aleena had been the one person that everyone went to for advice, the one that everyone trusted. Whenever one of the guys was having trouble with a girl, Aleena was who they went to, no questions asked. She seemed to have all the answers, as well as a gentle smile, a few kind words, and a warm hug. Aleena was as honest as they came, she wasn't afraid to let her feelings show, no matter what the consequence, and she always said exactly what was on her mind. Aleena brought joy to everyone's life, she showed everyone the happiness of unconditional love. Aleena had been a living angel, and no one could face saying goodbye to such a wonderful person. Everyone was envious of heaven at that time, for it had just gained the most heavenly angel of them all.
~*~*~
As the days went by, the guys slowly began to heal. They knew that Aleena would always be alive in their hearts…all, that is, except for Racetrack. Race couldn't be consoled, he wouldn't even look at anyone or anything. He spent his days and nights curled up in Aleena's bed, trying to dredge up every last fiber of memory of her. He could smell her, her hair, her clothing. If he tried really hard, he could even remember and feel again what it was like for her to hug him, and the softness of her skin. Race never slept and he refused to eat, fearing that if his mind slipped from Aleena for one brief second, she would be gone from him forever.
The other newsies were worried about their friend and each of them tried to coax him out of bed, but Race didn't even blink an eye. He simply continued to look at the wall and would mumble the same thing to everyone, "You may be ready to desert her, but I'm not leaving her. I won't live without her."
Race was lying in bed about a week later, still staring at the same spot on the wall, mechanically running his thumb and forefinger down the fringe of Aleena's favorite blanket. At that particular moment, he was thinking of the Christmas of 1898, nearly one year earlier, the last Christmas he'd ever have with Aleena. He was almost smiling as he remembered how she'd taken his hand and led him to the roof, where she'd given him his Christmas present…
…Aleena had shoveled all the snow off the roof and set up two chairs with about twelve blankets folded up in the middle of the roof. After Race finally sat down, and Aleena had covered him with half the blankets, she'd then done the same for herself.
"Now, Race, I want you to look around and tell me what you see," she had said to him, with a special warmth to her voice.
Race cocked an eyebrow at her and patted her shoulder, "Uhm…Alee…no offense, but by any chance did ya happen to drink a few too many glasses ah Kloppy's famous eggnog?" he asked coyly, referring to the Lodging House innkeeper's highly intoxicating eggnog concoction.
Aleena snickered and rolled her eyes, "No, Race, I didn't. Now quit kidding! I want you to look around and tell me what you see…"
Race sighed and shook his head, looking around slowly, "Alee, I don' see nothin'…I see a dirty city, some slushy snow in da alley across da street, an some smoke from da chimneys…"
Aleena smiled, as though she knew something that no one else did, "Well, you want to know what I see? I see a ledge covered in crisp, fresh snow with the footprints of birds in them. I see houses glowing with warm light. I see chimney smoke floating into the evening air. I see a dear, kind friend who just needs to open his eyes to the good in the world." She paused then, smiling at Race and taking his chin in her hands and kissing his cheek, smiling warmly at him, "And you know what I see most of all?" she pointed one hand to the sky and Race followed her gaze to the stars above, which shown even more brightly than usual, "I see angels looking down on us, guiding us through the night with the help of their lanterns, which light our way and protect us when the sun is sleeping. You see that bright one over by the moon?" she asked.
Race nodded his head and looked intently at the star.
"Well, that's our angel, Race, yours and mine. And until the day we die, she'll be watching over us. Then we'll join her in the sky to guide those we love. If we're ever apart, she'll be there to guide us back together again. So, Race, Merry Christmas," Aleena smiled as tears glistened in her eyes and Race hugged her close, holding her against him and crying softly.
"Thank you, Aleena…Thank you for that…I'll always remember this…and our angel…" The two of them stayed there on that roof, clinging to each other for all they could, not wanting the night to end…
…Somewhere during this memory, Race's eyes came together and he drifted into a peaceful sleep, from which he didn't awaken for over a day. His slumber was filled with many dreams, one of which would change his life forever…
…Racetrack stood on the roof of the Lodging House, gazing at the dark night sky, "Alright," he said out loud, his voice carrying with the wind, "You said that our angel would lead us back together…so I'm asking her to do her job, please send her back to me…" Race wiped a tear from his eye and the star he was watching suddenly shown brightly and the sky flashed briefly with a golden light as a small sparkle seemed to get bigger and bigger as it came to Racetrack on the roof.
As the glowing sparkle came closer, it began to take shape and a very familiar girl dressed in a long white gown floated down to Race, smiling at him, "Hello, dear Racetrack. You asked me to come and so I have, but why do you cry so?"
Race stood in awe, blinking a few times before he ran forward to hug his dear friend. But as he reached out to hold her, his arms grasped nothing but air and he went through her, "What?" Race gasped in confusion, his eyes begging Aleena for an explanation.
Aleena smiled weakly, "You can't hold me, Race. I'm no longer a body, I'm a soul now, an angel…your angel. Why do you cry the way you do, Race?" She asked as she concentrated hard and managed to wipe a tear from Race's cheek, although he didn't feel her soft touch at all.
"Alee…I miss you…My life's not worth living without you in it!" He cried quietly.
Aleena smiled at him, "Oh Race, you're not without me! I'll always be here with you…I'll be with you here," she gently put her hand over his heart, "and here," she ran her hand over his forehead, "As long as you remember that, I'll never be gone. I'll always be here to watch over you. You just have to remember what I told you on the roof that night, Race. I'm in the heavens, and I have my own special lantern now. Don't forget that I'll always be guiding you through the night, alright?"
Tears streamed down Race's cheeks and he nodded his head, "Please don't go, Aleena…Not before I can finally say goodbye…"
Aleena's bottom lip trembled and two shimmering tears fell from her eyes, "It's time for me to go, Race…Know that I'm always going to love you…Goodbye…"
"No!" Race yelled, grabbing for Aleena and actually feeling her warm skin as he wrapped her in his arms and held her close. He cried softly as tears streamed down his cheeks, falling onto Aleena's shoulder, "I love you, Aleena…so much…Please don't leave me…"
Aleena hugged Race close and pulled away a little. Then she looked deeply into his eyes and kissed his lips lightly, "I love you too, Race, and I always will. I'm not leaving you, I'll always be here. Remember, this isn't goodbye forever, just for awhile, we'll always have eternity," She smiled at him and wiped his eyes, then her own, "Goodbye, my sweet angel…" she whispered in his ear.
Race nodded and whispered, "I love you, Alee…" He closed his eyes for just a brief moment and she was gone. Racetrack sighed and wiped his eyes one last time, "I'll keep going Aleena…I'll keep going…" And then, everything went black…
…When Racetrack finally awoke, he heard birds twittering faintly outside and he slowly opened his eyes. Race blinked a few times and groaned softly, he stretched his legs out and slowly rolled over and looked across the room to see the shocked faces of his friends. It had been over a week since they had seen anything of Race aside from the back of his head. Race blinked a few more times and his joints screamed at him for even moving, let alone anything else.
"Hey, fellahs…" Race groaned in a raspy tone. The guys blinked in shock, then huge grins spread across their faces and they crowded around Race, patting him gently on the back.
"You gonna be ok, Race?" Blink asked concernedly, his icy blue eyes filled with hope for his friend.
Race nodded slightly and coughed, "Yeah, I'm gonna be ok," he said, his voice again very raspy.
Blink smiled and tears came to his eyes, as well as many of the others, "Well, good. Welcome back, Race."
Race smiled weakly, "Thanks, Blink. It's good to be home."
~*~*~
A few weeks went by and Race was finally getting much better. It was almost Christmas before he was well enough to go outside and sell, and even then it was only for half the day. Every weekend Race stopped at Aleena's grave, leaving her a single white rose, whispering quietly so only she could hear, "Thanks for guiding me back, Alee…I love you."
On Christmas Eve, Racetrack slipped away from the guys and went up to the roof, carrying some blankets with him. He wrapped himself up tightly in the blankets and sat down in the same chair that he had one year ago, which had not been moved at all. He smiled and watched what went on around him, noticing the small things, "You know what I see, Alee?" he whispered quietly. "I see fresh snow covering the ground. I see warm lights glowing in all the windows. I see green wreathes on strong wooden doors. I see children playing in the snow," he paused then and smiled, a few tears trickling down his cheeks as he looked up and watched the stars, "and I see me…and I've finally opened my eyes…"
Racetrack smiled and withdrew a dozen white roses from within a blanket and laid them down in Aleena's empty chair, packing some snow around them, "So, Aleena, Merry Christmas," he finished, sitting back in his chair and looking up at the stars, taking careful care to notice the two stars in the sky that glowed the brightest, side by side next to the moon.
"In God's name, we bless thee, Aleena Talino, on this day that thou joins our Christ in heaven."
All of the Manhattan newsboys and half of the Brooklyn boys were assembled around the six-foot grave that day. Aleena had been everyone's little sister, everyone's best friend. Aleena had no enemies and many of her friends were openly sobbing, supporting one another from collapsing in the misery of losing her.
Aleena died too young and all alone, much like many young people on the streets of New York. No one wanted to believe that in one instant, Aleena was taken away, and they hadn't even the chance to say goodbye.
When Aleena died, she left behind a hole in everyone's heart, one that could never be refilled by anyone else. She had been so special to them…so precious…and now she was gone. All that remained of their dear Aleena was a small stone marker in a garden of death, that and the fond memories that brought back the bitter tears that reminded them she was gone.
The wooden casket creaked as it was lowered into the wet, cold earth and the weeping intensified as each boy threw a single yellow rose onto Aleena's casket before turning away, unable to watch as their dear friend was buried, the dark heavy mud eternally sealing Aleena away from them. From the very moment the first shovel was pushed into the mound of dirt, all hope was lost and the harsh reality of Aleena's death came upon those who still clung to a shred of hope.
The newsies slowly made their way through the rain back to the Lodging House. Only one figure stayed behind and he stood, motionless as a stone and his eyes blurred with tears as he sniffled, not moving to wipe the tears away. He watched as the dirt filled the grave of his true best friend, his confidante.
Nothing could console the dark haired Italian, his heart hurt far too much. The other friends of Aleena shared his grief, but not nearly so deeply. Aleena had been there by the young man's side for as long as he could remember; she had laughed with him, cried with him, grown with him, and now, she was gone…without him.
The young man sighed heavily and knelt by Aleena's grave. He slowly ran his trembling hands over her name and gripped the simple stone for support, so hard that his knuckles turned white. Sniffling, he wiped a clenched fist across his face and leaned a tearstained bouquet of white roses against the smooth marker. He took a deep wavering breath and stood up, wiping the mud from the knees of his brown pants and slowly made his way out of the graveyard, away from Aleena.
The rain continued to tumble down from the heavens as the Italian wandered blindly to an unknown destination. The wind continued to whip the boy's coat around him and he came to a sudden stop as he saw the Brooklyn Bridge looming in front of him in the distance. The young man took off, sprinting to the bridge in a furious rage.
As he reached the middle of the bridge, he grasped the guardrail hard, taking deep, shaky breaths as he looked over the bridge, watching the water splash against the support beams of the great structure. He covered his face with his hand then and sobbed uncontrollably, Aleena, why did you leave me? He thought to himself as he was suddenly brought back to the day that Aleena was taken away, taking a large part of him too…
…Aleena had always been full of surprises and energy, so no one was surprised when she was chosen to fill in as a jockey at the tracks when the real guy suddenly came down with Scarlet Fever. Aleena had been ecstatic, all her life she'd wanted to racehorses, and now was her big chance to make her dream come true. Aleena had been posing as a boy, cleaning the stables and working out the horses for over six years, she knew it all, so no one had been worried…if only they'd known what would happen…
The Italian shook his head, trying to clear the memory away. He didn't want to watch it again. The images replayed in his nightmares every night, he didn't want to see it…he wanted to forget it, but, he just couldn't…
… "Oh Race! I'm a jockey! Did ya hear? I'm a jockey!" Aleena screamed in delight, grabbing her baby-faced Italian friend in a hug.
Race patted her on the back, "Great job, Alee! I heard all about it! Uh…Aleena…Aleena! I can't breathe!" he choked out. Aleena laughed, blushing, and released her friend from the Alaskan bear hug she had him in.
"Sorry…I better go get dressed! This is so exciting!" she exclaimed again, taking off toward the dressing rooms at the back of the barn.
"Be careful! And good luck!" Race managed to call out to her as she waved to him, disappearing through a door…
…Race sighed, wishing he had enjoyed the moment more, because that was the last time he ever saw Aleena alive before it happened. Another tear trickled down his cheek as he sighed again, the memories coming back to him full force, taking over all other thoughts…
…Race stood by the finish line waving to Aleena, who was nervously adjusting her hat. Race knew Aleena better than anyone and he knew that she wanted to check her saddle. Aleena trusted only her own work, and because she'd been dressing, someone else had readied her horse, Ace.
Race wished he could reassure his friend as he talked to himself quietly, "Come on, Aleena, you can do this…You can do this… You can do this…It's all gonna be ok…" He took a deep breath as the bang sounded; the race was off. Aleena steadied herself and was quickly taking off in front. He smiled as she smiled and he clapped wildly, cheering his friend on.
There were only three laps left…Aleena was being caught up to quickly now, all the horses were right on Ace's tail and Aleena was pushing him as hard as she could. Suddenly, Racetrack felt the hairs on the back of his neck as they rose up and he took a sharp breath and looked desperately at Aleena. He watched as her face suddenly became panicked and he heard a loud 'snap', like a whip cracking, and one of Aleena's stirrups broke free.
Before Race could even call out her name, Aleena screamed and slipped off her horse, who kept on going…Race listened in terror as another earsplitting scream escaped Aleena's lips as she hit the ground and tried to move out of the way of the other horses. But the horses were moving so fast, it all happened so fast…Aleena disappeared in a cloud of dust as the horses came upon her…
…Race again shook his head, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks. He had done nothing to save her…nothing to protect her. Aleena had trusted him with her life, and yet when she needed him the most, Race could do nothing. But the thing that Race regretted the most was that he had never told Aleena that he loved her…really and truly loved her…
…Race screamed Aleena's name in agony as the horses flew by, leaving the cloud to settle, revealing a very crumpled form of a fallen young woman. Race leapt over the railing of the fence as the gasps and murmured conversation began to rise in the crowds.
Racetrack ran to her side, skidding to a stop and sliding in the dirt, trying to get to her faster. As he finally reached her, he lifted her up and cradled her head in his lap, "Don't you die on me, Aleena…Please don't die…"
Aleena's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment and she smiled weakly. Using every ounce of her strength that she had left, she brought her hand up to Race's cheek and wiped a few of his tears away, "Why do you cry, Racetrack? It's all gonna be ok…I'll fly with the angels now…I'll ride with them…I'll help them guide the ones I love. Stop those tears…" she coughed weakly and a few of Race's own tears hit her cheeks.
"Aleena, don't leave me! You can't-" he choked back a sob and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "You can't leave me…Aleena…I-" Suddenly, Aleena smiled weakly one more time and closed her eyes. Her body went slack against Race and he could feel as the life left her body. "Aleena? No, Aleena! You can't…You…" Race's head bent forward and he rocked back and forth with Aleena still cradled in his arms…
…Racetrack coughed and wiped his face with the back of his hand. He was completely drenched and he suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as a bitter wind suddenly rose from the river, chilling him to the bone. He hugged his arms to his chest and shivered involuntarily, turning away from the bridge and walking back toward Manhattan.
As Race walked, his steps seemed to drag more and more, as though he were walking through a bed of wet cement. When he went home, it would be final. Aleena would be gone forever when he walked through that door. His eyes and throat burned with his tears and sharp breaths, he felt as though he would fall down if he had to take another step. Yet, he somehow managed to get himself back to the lodging house.
At the base of the front steps, Race looked up at the door with dread, not wanting to go inside when he knew Aleena wouldn't be there to greet him with a warm smile and a gentle hug. Race's yearn to be warm and dry eventually won out and he slowly trudged up the front steps, taking the worn doorknob in his trembling hand and turned it carefully. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him, heading up the rickety old wooden stairs to the bunkroom.
When Race walked through the bunkroom door, everyone looked up and many sighed with relief, glad that Race had finally come home. Race didn't look at anyone as he walked across the room, passing row after row of bunk-beds, and laid down on the top bunk against the wall, curling up in a ball without even removing his shoes. Race smelled the strong scent of the pillows, Aleena's scent. He slowly began to cry again and shook violently with silent sobs that wracked his frail body. Racetrack hugged Aleena's pillow against himself and wished he could just disappear into Aleena's bed. He sighed and stared blankly at the wall in front of him, thinking of nothing but Aleena and how much he missed her.
Everyone watched Race for a moment, no one knew what to say to him to make him feel better. It was a very quiet and sad day in the Lodging House, no one wanted to speak, everyone was lost in their own thoughts, but their thoughts all revolved around the same person: Aleena.
Aleena had been the one person that everyone went to for advice, the one that everyone trusted. Whenever one of the guys was having trouble with a girl, Aleena was who they went to, no questions asked. She seemed to have all the answers, as well as a gentle smile, a few kind words, and a warm hug. Aleena was as honest as they came, she wasn't afraid to let her feelings show, no matter what the consequence, and she always said exactly what was on her mind. Aleena brought joy to everyone's life, she showed everyone the happiness of unconditional love. Aleena had been a living angel, and no one could face saying goodbye to such a wonderful person. Everyone was envious of heaven at that time, for it had just gained the most heavenly angel of them all.
~*~*~
As the days went by, the guys slowly began to heal. They knew that Aleena would always be alive in their hearts…all, that is, except for Racetrack. Race couldn't be consoled, he wouldn't even look at anyone or anything. He spent his days and nights curled up in Aleena's bed, trying to dredge up every last fiber of memory of her. He could smell her, her hair, her clothing. If he tried really hard, he could even remember and feel again what it was like for her to hug him, and the softness of her skin. Race never slept and he refused to eat, fearing that if his mind slipped from Aleena for one brief second, she would be gone from him forever.
The other newsies were worried about their friend and each of them tried to coax him out of bed, but Race didn't even blink an eye. He simply continued to look at the wall and would mumble the same thing to everyone, "You may be ready to desert her, but I'm not leaving her. I won't live without her."
Race was lying in bed about a week later, still staring at the same spot on the wall, mechanically running his thumb and forefinger down the fringe of Aleena's favorite blanket. At that particular moment, he was thinking of the Christmas of 1898, nearly one year earlier, the last Christmas he'd ever have with Aleena. He was almost smiling as he remembered how she'd taken his hand and led him to the roof, where she'd given him his Christmas present…
…Aleena had shoveled all the snow off the roof and set up two chairs with about twelve blankets folded up in the middle of the roof. After Race finally sat down, and Aleena had covered him with half the blankets, she'd then done the same for herself.
"Now, Race, I want you to look around and tell me what you see," she had said to him, with a special warmth to her voice.
Race cocked an eyebrow at her and patted her shoulder, "Uhm…Alee…no offense, but by any chance did ya happen to drink a few too many glasses ah Kloppy's famous eggnog?" he asked coyly, referring to the Lodging House innkeeper's highly intoxicating eggnog concoction.
Aleena snickered and rolled her eyes, "No, Race, I didn't. Now quit kidding! I want you to look around and tell me what you see…"
Race sighed and shook his head, looking around slowly, "Alee, I don' see nothin'…I see a dirty city, some slushy snow in da alley across da street, an some smoke from da chimneys…"
Aleena smiled, as though she knew something that no one else did, "Well, you want to know what I see? I see a ledge covered in crisp, fresh snow with the footprints of birds in them. I see houses glowing with warm light. I see chimney smoke floating into the evening air. I see a dear, kind friend who just needs to open his eyes to the good in the world." She paused then, smiling at Race and taking his chin in her hands and kissing his cheek, smiling warmly at him, "And you know what I see most of all?" she pointed one hand to the sky and Race followed her gaze to the stars above, which shown even more brightly than usual, "I see angels looking down on us, guiding us through the night with the help of their lanterns, which light our way and protect us when the sun is sleeping. You see that bright one over by the moon?" she asked.
Race nodded his head and looked intently at the star.
"Well, that's our angel, Race, yours and mine. And until the day we die, she'll be watching over us. Then we'll join her in the sky to guide those we love. If we're ever apart, she'll be there to guide us back together again. So, Race, Merry Christmas," Aleena smiled as tears glistened in her eyes and Race hugged her close, holding her against him and crying softly.
"Thank you, Aleena…Thank you for that…I'll always remember this…and our angel…" The two of them stayed there on that roof, clinging to each other for all they could, not wanting the night to end…
…Somewhere during this memory, Race's eyes came together and he drifted into a peaceful sleep, from which he didn't awaken for over a day. His slumber was filled with many dreams, one of which would change his life forever…
…Racetrack stood on the roof of the Lodging House, gazing at the dark night sky, "Alright," he said out loud, his voice carrying with the wind, "You said that our angel would lead us back together…so I'm asking her to do her job, please send her back to me…" Race wiped a tear from his eye and the star he was watching suddenly shown brightly and the sky flashed briefly with a golden light as a small sparkle seemed to get bigger and bigger as it came to Racetrack on the roof.
As the glowing sparkle came closer, it began to take shape and a very familiar girl dressed in a long white gown floated down to Race, smiling at him, "Hello, dear Racetrack. You asked me to come and so I have, but why do you cry so?"
Race stood in awe, blinking a few times before he ran forward to hug his dear friend. But as he reached out to hold her, his arms grasped nothing but air and he went through her, "What?" Race gasped in confusion, his eyes begging Aleena for an explanation.
Aleena smiled weakly, "You can't hold me, Race. I'm no longer a body, I'm a soul now, an angel…your angel. Why do you cry the way you do, Race?" She asked as she concentrated hard and managed to wipe a tear from Race's cheek, although he didn't feel her soft touch at all.
"Alee…I miss you…My life's not worth living without you in it!" He cried quietly.
Aleena smiled at him, "Oh Race, you're not without me! I'll always be here with you…I'll be with you here," she gently put her hand over his heart, "and here," she ran her hand over his forehead, "As long as you remember that, I'll never be gone. I'll always be here to watch over you. You just have to remember what I told you on the roof that night, Race. I'm in the heavens, and I have my own special lantern now. Don't forget that I'll always be guiding you through the night, alright?"
Tears streamed down Race's cheeks and he nodded his head, "Please don't go, Aleena…Not before I can finally say goodbye…"
Aleena's bottom lip trembled and two shimmering tears fell from her eyes, "It's time for me to go, Race…Know that I'm always going to love you…Goodbye…"
"No!" Race yelled, grabbing for Aleena and actually feeling her warm skin as he wrapped her in his arms and held her close. He cried softly as tears streamed down his cheeks, falling onto Aleena's shoulder, "I love you, Aleena…so much…Please don't leave me…"
Aleena hugged Race close and pulled away a little. Then she looked deeply into his eyes and kissed his lips lightly, "I love you too, Race, and I always will. I'm not leaving you, I'll always be here. Remember, this isn't goodbye forever, just for awhile, we'll always have eternity," She smiled at him and wiped his eyes, then her own, "Goodbye, my sweet angel…" she whispered in his ear.
Race nodded and whispered, "I love you, Alee…" He closed his eyes for just a brief moment and she was gone. Racetrack sighed and wiped his eyes one last time, "I'll keep going Aleena…I'll keep going…" And then, everything went black…
…When Racetrack finally awoke, he heard birds twittering faintly outside and he slowly opened his eyes. Race blinked a few times and groaned softly, he stretched his legs out and slowly rolled over and looked across the room to see the shocked faces of his friends. It had been over a week since they had seen anything of Race aside from the back of his head. Race blinked a few more times and his joints screamed at him for even moving, let alone anything else.
"Hey, fellahs…" Race groaned in a raspy tone. The guys blinked in shock, then huge grins spread across their faces and they crowded around Race, patting him gently on the back.
"You gonna be ok, Race?" Blink asked concernedly, his icy blue eyes filled with hope for his friend.
Race nodded slightly and coughed, "Yeah, I'm gonna be ok," he said, his voice again very raspy.
Blink smiled and tears came to his eyes, as well as many of the others, "Well, good. Welcome back, Race."
Race smiled weakly, "Thanks, Blink. It's good to be home."
~*~*~
A few weeks went by and Race was finally getting much better. It was almost Christmas before he was well enough to go outside and sell, and even then it was only for half the day. Every weekend Race stopped at Aleena's grave, leaving her a single white rose, whispering quietly so only she could hear, "Thanks for guiding me back, Alee…I love you."
On Christmas Eve, Racetrack slipped away from the guys and went up to the roof, carrying some blankets with him. He wrapped himself up tightly in the blankets and sat down in the same chair that he had one year ago, which had not been moved at all. He smiled and watched what went on around him, noticing the small things, "You know what I see, Alee?" he whispered quietly. "I see fresh snow covering the ground. I see warm lights glowing in all the windows. I see green wreathes on strong wooden doors. I see children playing in the snow," he paused then and smiled, a few tears trickling down his cheeks as he looked up and watched the stars, "and I see me…and I've finally opened my eyes…"
Racetrack smiled and withdrew a dozen white roses from within a blanket and laid them down in Aleena's empty chair, packing some snow around them, "So, Aleena, Merry Christmas," he finished, sitting back in his chair and looking up at the stars, taking careful care to notice the two stars in the sky that glowed the brightest, side by side next to the moon.