So, here's chapter 6!!!
Disclaimer: I own no Newsies... though, they don't really show up in this chapter too much...
Warning: There may be a few misspellings... So, I apologise for them now...
"Ma?" I said fearfully, "What are you doing here? I thought you were looking after Celso."
"What am I -?" she was practically speachless, "I left him with Emilio. What are you doing, with these -?" she gestured to the boys on the field, who were watching the whole scene.
"Ah -" I didn't really have acceptable answer for her.
"Well, I hope that your tongue won't be tied when you explain this behavior to your father", she said, taking my arm and practically dragging me home.
I gave a small sad smile to the guys as I turned the corner; I saw Race, who was at the front of the mob, give me a small wave of good-luck. I was going to need it.
. . .
Ma and I walked back to Brooklyn in silence. It was a terrifying silence - when the whole world seems to know that you're in trouble. When all you can hear is your own heartbeat and your feet slapping against the hard ground.
And I thought that it would be better when we got home. And it was - but barely.
"What were you thinking, Amelia?!" Ma cried the second that we were safely inside.
"What is this all about?" asked Dad as he came to the front hall.
Ma turned to Dad, "I found her with a bunch of street urchins in Manhattan! They were playing ball, Robert!"
Dad slowly turned to face me, "Why -?"
"That's just what I was about to ask her", Ma said, engulfed in rage.
"Gio, darling", Dad said, trying to calm Ma down by using her given name, "Your temper..."
She gave a frustrated sigh, looking away from me, "Fine. Ask her what you want."
Dad then turned back to me, "Amelia, how - exactly - did you hurt your leg so badly?"
I looked down at my leg. This was the first time that I had really looked at it. And it was pretty bad. The left side of my dress was covered in dirt, and my leg was still bleeding. The whole side of it had practially been skinned, and there were pieces of rock and sand intertwined with the blood.
I then looked back up at my father and said, "I slid into home after hitting a grand."
Dad looked down at the floor. He then looked back up and walked toward me. Finally, he face cracked a very small smile, "Very first Grand Slam, 'ey?"
I nodded.
"Well, then", he continued with a straight face, "Congratulations."
"What are you doing, Robert?!" Ma said, horofied, "You're letting her get away with this type of behaivor?!"
"No", he said simply.
"Well, good", Ma said, "Because, thi -"
"Will you let me finish, Gio?" Dad was getting frustrated now, "Thank you."
"Now", Dad started off, "I agree that such behavior isn't lady-like. And that if anyone had seem you playing, your chances of finding a suitable husband would be severily damaged. But, I also must say that your behavior, Amelia, brings out somebody that I once knew. Actually, two people that I knew."
"Robert", Ma sounded like she was pleading at this point.
"Gio?" Dad, however, was unfazed by her begging.
She sighed, "Amelia, will you come here for a moment?"
I slowly moved across the room toward Ma.
"Why do you think that I want you to be a lady?"
I was caught off guard, "So I can become a good wife?"
"More than that", she said.
"So I can climb the social ladder of society?"
"Amelia", Ma said looking right at me, "I mean really, why do you think that I've been teaching you all of these things."
I dug up all the courage I could, and said to her, "So that I can be like you. So that I can be Mommy's perfect little daughter. So that I can be exactly what she wants with me."
She looked down, sadly, "Darling", she said, "It's not that I want you to be like me; it's that I don't want you to be like me."
I looked at her confused.
"See, Amelia. I wasn't always like this", she said, gesturing to herself, "I used to be different. I used to be like you; I used to be a tomboy."
"You?" I had to be dreaming, "A tomboy?"
"I know that it seems hard to believe, but yes. I was a tomboy", Ma said, "I was born in Italy. On a vinyard. I was one of the biggest tomboys. I refused to do anything lady-like. I wouldn't wear formal dresses, because I thought that they were too hot. And I wouldn't learn the ways of society. Nobody could get me to do anything."
"How did you change into this, then?" I asked.
"Well, you know my given name, right?" she asked.
"Yes, Giovanna."
"Well, when I came to America, I was fourteen years old", she looked sad as she spoke, "And my name was taken."
I looked down. I already knew this, but it was still very sad. I was very proud of my name. I could never imagine somebody taking it away.
"It was changed to Virginia - which is a beautiful name. But it's not my name. That's when I started to change. I had a new name, a new country, and a new life. My Mother was always angry with me for giving up my Fire, as she called it. But I realized that it was impossible to get through life as someone that radically different. I realized that to survive, I couldn't be a tomboy", Ma said, "And I didn't want you to have to make that awful change. I didn't want you to go through what I had to. And I know that was selfish of me, but it's what I thought was best for you. I'm so sorry, Amelia."
"But, Ma", I said, "You don't always have to give up your fire to survive."
She sniffled, "You sound just like your grandmother. I guess it's a good thing that we named you after her."
I smiled at her, "I supose it is."
"Thank goodness!!" Dad said, coming back into the conversation, "You two are finally acting like mother and daughter."
We smiled at Dad.
"Now, we can get on with something that's been an issue ever since you two walked in here."
"What's that?" I asked.
"Your leg", Dad said, "It needs to be cleaned up."
I looked down at my leg. I had completely forgotten about it.
No references needed for this one...
But comments are WONDERFUL!!! (doesn't matter if you've got an account or not!!)
for now,
newsie dork from D.U.M.B.O.