She'd seen that newsie before. He sold newspapers in Central Park where
she took the children. But she never took him to be a hero. When
Christian swam out too far, she'd never seen anyone move as fast as that
skinny newsboy as he jumped in the lake to steady the child. She was in up
to her waist, but with all her skirts getting caught between her legs, she
would probably be the lake's next victim if she'd chosen to wade in
further.
She watched the newspaper boy emerge from the sparkling green water. It was one of those fine days, the type of pleasant weather that one wouldn't expect unpleasant things to happen in. If only she hadn't been so wrapped up in trying to capture the day in one of her sketches, then this mess might have been avoided! That poor child! The boy's savior trudged through the shallow water carrying him in his arms.
"Is he alright?!" she yelled, waving her arms and tripping over her heavy wet skirts. He didn't answer. He carefully placed Christian onto the beach. Folks gathered around them.
"Is anyone a doctor?" someone yelled.
"Is he alive?"
"Oh! That poor child!"
The world was spinning while she located Christian's little sister, picked her up, and pushed their way to the center of the crowd. The newsie was breathing into the child's mouth. Oh Lord please save him! Christian coughed. The crowd sighed in unison. But she bawled. She grabbed the newsie and hugged him muttering thanks and promises, then turned to grab Christian, and in attempt to stand up with both children, nearly toppled over. Steadying herself on a park bench, she tried to calm herself and the children, who were, by then, pretty shaken up.
"Please don't cry, Miss Sadie," Christian begged as he threw his small arms around her neck. His sister, Anna, squirmed out of her grip to return to her sandcastles. She was too young to understand that her brother nearly drowned because her nanny wasn't paying enough attention.
"So, Sadie it is. This yer chap?" the newsie approached her.
"Yes," Sadie stammered, realizing what a pitiful sight they were in soaking wet clothes and tear streaked faces. Ladies do not cry in public places. She pulled out her handkerchief, even though it too was damp, and wiped her face, then Christian's. "…And no, you see, I'm his governess, and apparently not a very good one at that!" And of course, she could hold in her tears no longer and buried her face in her handkerchief.
"There, there…" Christian said, obviously mocking the way Sadie comforted him when he cried. She could help but crack a smile. What a tough little boy.
"Looks like da kid is gonna make it," the newspaper boy shoved his hand towards her. "They call me Mush, and yer Sadie da govaness."
"Yes. Eh hem." Calm down! It's over! "Here, let me buy the rest of your papers, it's the least I can do after you saved his life. No, here's some money to go buy yourself some dinner too. Oh dear! You're a hero, you deserve something better." She bit her bottom lip and tried to think of something she had to give.
"Nah, calm yourself. You'se shakin real bad. I bet yer freezing. You should go home and get dried off. This hea kid looks like he needs some dry clothes," Mush said as he scruffed Christian's hair. Christian shot him an evil look as if to say that Mush was treading on his territory. "Hey now kid, I jus saved yer life!"
"You are right, we should be getting cleaned up. Thank you so much for your help. If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know."
"You can let me walk ya back!"
Sadie pulled Anna away from her sandcastles and put her arm around Christian. "I would be honored if you would escort us home"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mush had walked this road before, but never once thought he'd be on good terms with the kinds of people who live in these huge townhouses. Sadie walked next to him pushing a baby carriage with the little girl in it, and the little boy followed closely behind picking up stones and throwing them at Mush's feet. He tried to ignore the boy's ungratefulness, and think of something interesting to talk about. She was a governess, she was of a higher class of people, she didn't have to live in a crowded apartment with eight other people. And she had a paying job. Mush had to move out of the lodging house when he turned eighteen (which is why he turned seventeen two years in a row), but finding a job between all the depressions and recessions, was not an easy thing to do.
"So do you do anything besides sell papers?" Sadie interrupted his thoughts. She had a thick British accent that was so proper. It made him feel even more so like a street rat.
"Uh… Yeah. Well, sorta. I box."
"Like those matches in the streets?! You do that?"
"Yeah. I'se pretty good too, me friend Race got me into it. Said we'd make a killin in the business. He's what you'd call a bookie I guess. But dis month, we didn't win nothing, so back to sellin papes fer me." Damn, why did he just tell a lady that he's a gambling man?? Now she's never gonna talk to him again! Stupid!
"I'm going to be a boxer too!" Christian announced as he grabbed Mush's hand.
"Wow, it didn't take him long to warm up to you!" She threw a spectacular grin his way. She was fairly average looking, but between her accent, her long dark red hair, and that smile, Mush couldn't help but be nervous. Her curly auburn hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned down to face Christian. "Now, we are not going to mention boxing matches to your mother and father, understand? They will not let us continue our afternoon walks if they think I'm corrupting their children," she explained to Mush.
"Sorry"
"No! Don't be sorry. I was trying to hint that I wouldn't really mind if we saw you on another afternoon walk," she laughed. "This is our stop," she lifted the little girl from the carriage. A servant emerged from the house and carried the carriage up the steps into the house. He returned to retrieve the girl, and comment on the state of disrepair Sadie and the boy were in their wet clothes. Sadie turned and nodded at Mush. So proper. "It was lovely, and remember, if there's any way I can repay you. You know where to find me." He thought of a good way she could repay him…. She turned and led the boy into that big stone house, and disappeared.
She watched the newspaper boy emerge from the sparkling green water. It was one of those fine days, the type of pleasant weather that one wouldn't expect unpleasant things to happen in. If only she hadn't been so wrapped up in trying to capture the day in one of her sketches, then this mess might have been avoided! That poor child! The boy's savior trudged through the shallow water carrying him in his arms.
"Is he alright?!" she yelled, waving her arms and tripping over her heavy wet skirts. He didn't answer. He carefully placed Christian onto the beach. Folks gathered around them.
"Is anyone a doctor?" someone yelled.
"Is he alive?"
"Oh! That poor child!"
The world was spinning while she located Christian's little sister, picked her up, and pushed their way to the center of the crowd. The newsie was breathing into the child's mouth. Oh Lord please save him! Christian coughed. The crowd sighed in unison. But she bawled. She grabbed the newsie and hugged him muttering thanks and promises, then turned to grab Christian, and in attempt to stand up with both children, nearly toppled over. Steadying herself on a park bench, she tried to calm herself and the children, who were, by then, pretty shaken up.
"Please don't cry, Miss Sadie," Christian begged as he threw his small arms around her neck. His sister, Anna, squirmed out of her grip to return to her sandcastles. She was too young to understand that her brother nearly drowned because her nanny wasn't paying enough attention.
"So, Sadie it is. This yer chap?" the newsie approached her.
"Yes," Sadie stammered, realizing what a pitiful sight they were in soaking wet clothes and tear streaked faces. Ladies do not cry in public places. She pulled out her handkerchief, even though it too was damp, and wiped her face, then Christian's. "…And no, you see, I'm his governess, and apparently not a very good one at that!" And of course, she could hold in her tears no longer and buried her face in her handkerchief.
"There, there…" Christian said, obviously mocking the way Sadie comforted him when he cried. She could help but crack a smile. What a tough little boy.
"Looks like da kid is gonna make it," the newspaper boy shoved his hand towards her. "They call me Mush, and yer Sadie da govaness."
"Yes. Eh hem." Calm down! It's over! "Here, let me buy the rest of your papers, it's the least I can do after you saved his life. No, here's some money to go buy yourself some dinner too. Oh dear! You're a hero, you deserve something better." She bit her bottom lip and tried to think of something she had to give.
"Nah, calm yourself. You'se shakin real bad. I bet yer freezing. You should go home and get dried off. This hea kid looks like he needs some dry clothes," Mush said as he scruffed Christian's hair. Christian shot him an evil look as if to say that Mush was treading on his territory. "Hey now kid, I jus saved yer life!"
"You are right, we should be getting cleaned up. Thank you so much for your help. If there is anything I can do to repay you, let me know."
"You can let me walk ya back!"
Sadie pulled Anna away from her sandcastles and put her arm around Christian. "I would be honored if you would escort us home"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mush had walked this road before, but never once thought he'd be on good terms with the kinds of people who live in these huge townhouses. Sadie walked next to him pushing a baby carriage with the little girl in it, and the little boy followed closely behind picking up stones and throwing them at Mush's feet. He tried to ignore the boy's ungratefulness, and think of something interesting to talk about. She was a governess, she was of a higher class of people, she didn't have to live in a crowded apartment with eight other people. And she had a paying job. Mush had to move out of the lodging house when he turned eighteen (which is why he turned seventeen two years in a row), but finding a job between all the depressions and recessions, was not an easy thing to do.
"So do you do anything besides sell papers?" Sadie interrupted his thoughts. She had a thick British accent that was so proper. It made him feel even more so like a street rat.
"Uh… Yeah. Well, sorta. I box."
"Like those matches in the streets?! You do that?"
"Yeah. I'se pretty good too, me friend Race got me into it. Said we'd make a killin in the business. He's what you'd call a bookie I guess. But dis month, we didn't win nothing, so back to sellin papes fer me." Damn, why did he just tell a lady that he's a gambling man?? Now she's never gonna talk to him again! Stupid!
"I'm going to be a boxer too!" Christian announced as he grabbed Mush's hand.
"Wow, it didn't take him long to warm up to you!" She threw a spectacular grin his way. She was fairly average looking, but between her accent, her long dark red hair, and that smile, Mush couldn't help but be nervous. Her curly auburn hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned down to face Christian. "Now, we are not going to mention boxing matches to your mother and father, understand? They will not let us continue our afternoon walks if they think I'm corrupting their children," she explained to Mush.
"Sorry"
"No! Don't be sorry. I was trying to hint that I wouldn't really mind if we saw you on another afternoon walk," she laughed. "This is our stop," she lifted the little girl from the carriage. A servant emerged from the house and carried the carriage up the steps into the house. He returned to retrieve the girl, and comment on the state of disrepair Sadie and the boy were in their wet clothes. Sadie turned and nodded at Mush. So proper. "It was lovely, and remember, if there's any way I can repay you. You know where to find me." He thought of a good way she could repay him…. She turned and led the boy into that big stone house, and disappeared.