Thank you to everyone who reviewed! So happy to get the feedback and to know people are reading.
Thegirlsmiles ~ There were a few subways that were in operation back then, most notably the Lexington Avenue Line, which is the oldest subway structure in New York to this day. However, much like today, the subway doesn't service the Lower East Side very well. With the language thing, at first I was trying to use more accurate language to the time but it seemed simply…simpler to use more modern language. I love the idea about the stereo thing, though. I definitely took a good amount of creativity to the story….
Theamazingmolly~ This will make me sound like such a noob but what's a beta?
Melchior's Chapter
Semptember 19th, 1892
I woke up to the smell of bacon. I hadn't smelled anything like that since I left home. I turned on my back on the make shift bed we had created. Alaster and Alex Elipidas helped me with the sawing and binding. It didn't turn out half bad, actually. We did the best we could with some miscellanous couch cushions, a window pane without the window and some scrap metal. Wendla went to a wholesale fabric store with Oona and got enough fabric for sheets, curtains and any extra clothing we would need. We made the best of the situation, and the best wasn't so bad. The smell got strong and stronger so I sat up and opened my eyes to see Wendla with two plates of bacon and eggs from the stove. She had the biggest smile.
" Happy birthday!," she squeed.
How could I have been such a fool to forget my own birthday?
"Thank you," I said.
She sat down on the bed and handed me a plate from the set Mrs. Yosef had given us when she was cleaning out her kitchen after Mr. Yosef, has passed.
"Oh, God," I said, after taking a bite.
"What? Did I cook them too long? Not enough?" Wendla asked inquisitively and visibly upset.
" No, no," I chuckled. " They're great."
"Really?" She said with tears in her eyes.
"Really," I said, finishing them.
" I just want today to be good. I've been planning for today and I just want it to go well."
" I'm sure it will be."
She smiled again and it assured me all was well. I didn't have to go to work today because the theatres were dark, given that it was a Monday. Wendla's boss was away on "holiday" and only took a small amount of staff but she paid everyone so they wouldn't leave for other work.
" Come, get dressed, it's a beautiful day and we're going out," Wendla said as she took my plate to the sink.
" Yes, ma'am," I joked, which made her giggle.
That alone made my day. I got dressed and Wendla already was. She took my hand and we walked down the stairs and out of the apartment. We wound our way through some streets and we came to a stoic and very elegant building. Wendla turned to me, as if I was supposed to understand immeadiately.
"What am I missing?"
" Well, this is or eventually will be the New York Public Library. There are a lot of details but anyway, I've arranged for you to be the first member of library even though it doesn't technically exist. So we're here to get your very own library card!"
" Wendla, how did you do this?"
" I don't know I just figured it out. I read in the paper that they are planning opening a major library system in a few years and so on and I don't know. I just figured it out."
If anyone could manage to do this, it was Wendla. Her English was progressing just as fast or maybe even faster than mine. She was one of the most determined people I have ever known. We walked in, hand-in-hand. There were many crates and one lone desk.
" Hello, Mabel." Wendla said.
" Hello, Wendla. Is today the day for the library card?" Mabel asked, happily.
Wendla nodded and Mabel handed the card over with a pen. She instructed me to sign it on the white strip on the back. I did so.
"Congratulations, you are the first official member of this library!"
"Thank you," I said.
With that, Mabel waved and we left.
"Wendla," I cried " this is absolutely incredible!"
I was so happy I didn't know what to do with myself. I saw her smiling so much that I couldn't help but kiss her. I felt awkward about it at first because she pulled back.
" No, sorry," she said. " You just took me by surprise."
"You just took me by surprise." Martha said, in the woods, where she thought no one could find her. They could though.
" Oh, I'm sorry," her father said.
"It's fine. What brings you out here?"
"Well, I know you were close to Wendla, so I thought I should let you know that they've given up on her investigation, along with Melchior's. They can't find anything. They've looked all over Germany but nothing. I'm sorry, Martha."
Martha was sorry, too. She was always sorry. Sorry about what occurred with her father, about her grades and now about her friend. She felt as if she was a stigma, which, if anyone came in to contact with, would be effected. She wanted help from Ilse, for she knew that they had similar experiences. Ilse ran away. Martha sought to take solace in her studies. Her grades went down. She had told her friends, or what remained of them, about the beatings and she refused help from everyone, especially Wendla, who also ran away. There was no end in sight for Martha. Not only was it impossible for her to run away, given that her father was the Constable of the District, but she couldn't wait until she was of age to leave. She was trapped. The only thing she could keep doing with assistance from her father, of course, was to leave herself numb.
"Do you feel it?" Wendla asked.
" Almost." I said, while my hand, guided by her's, travelled the sphere that Wendla's stomach had become.
All of a sudden, I felt it. The actual touch felt dull and distant but it sent electricity up my arm.
The next day, I couldn't stop myself from telling Alaster. He nodded and smiled, when appropriate.
Finally, he asked " how old are you, boy?"
" Fifteen," I said, confused.
" I was about your age when Moyna was born. I was so in love with Oona and I still am. I'll tell you, though, kids don't make the love thing easy. They don't make anything easy. Don't tell Oona I ever told you this, but for about a year after Moyna was born, we were homeless. I mean, really? Who's going to hire some Irish kids with a kid? We had no skills. We had nothing. I'm not saying we're in the lap of luxury or nothing but we've figured things out. It's gonna be a struggle, for sure. Hopefully,though, you and Wendla will be as happy as Oona and I are. We didn't have anyone to help us but we'll help you."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"No problem, kid. But how far along is Wendla, like six months? Just you wait, friend. I've survived, what… seven pregnancies. Let's just say living homeless for a year was comparable to a few pregnancies. Especially when you're so young.
After that, my breathing became erratic and my face became flushed.
October 28th, 1892
Alaster was right. Weeks after his and my conversation, things went down hill. She had trouble walking. To get up and down the stairs, Wendla would have to lean on me, which was no easy matter for anyone. This action became less and less frequent because of the difficulty level. Wendla going to work became out of the question, which led me to take a job at the soon to be library. It brought in sufficient money but I was almost never home. I must say that our neighbors were phenomenal in helping us, be it with food or helping Wendla every now and then. Wendla was trying so hard to stay positive but it wasn't always enough.
One night I came home late from selling newspapers. Wendla was lying down on our bed, sobbing. I lied down behind her and put my arm around her body, although my hand didn't quite make it to the new end of her stomach.
" Are you alright?" I asked
" I don't know," she said, trying to catch her breath.
"What don't you know?"
" I don't know why I'm here. I don't know if I can finish this. I don't know if I can raise a child. I don't know anything. Jesus."
This was a side I had never or rarely I seen of Wendla before. I was why she was angry. I was the reason she was here and expecting a child.
" I don't know if my body can take it anymore. It's petty to say but I feel so ugly. My clothes barely fit me."
" Well, I promise you like I've promised you before, that we will get through this together. I know we're low on food but I know we have thread, scissors and needles so you can let your dresses out. I'll help you, if you want."
She giggled. " That would be absolute hilarity. "
This was followed by more giggles. With that, Wendla started to turn on her back towards me. She bit her lip, so I knew she was about to ask me something.
"Melchi, can I have a favor?''
" Of course," I said, lacing my fingers through hers as I repositioned my body to accommodate her new form.
" Can you just kiss me? For a while."
"I think I can manage that."
