CHAPTER 3:
Medda let me stay with her for a few days. We didn't talk. I think she felt
responsible for what happened to my mother, and she should have. My mama was her attendant,
not security. She had no business asking a woman, who had a child to support, to help stop
a riot. She really didn't.
The funeral was nice. It seemed long and drawn out though. I was asked to give a
eulogy, which was very hard. I made it through though, and when it was all over, the boys
and I went to Tibby's. Brian Denton, the man who helped the boys get their strike out to
the public the year before, paid for all of the food. I thought that was very generous since
I hardly knew him, but he said any friend of the boys was a friend of his, and he helps friends
when they need it.
It was a shame though, because I wasn't very hungry. I wasn't very anything actually.
Everyone kept telling me how sorry they were, and asked if they could help. Jack sat by my side
the whole day, and when night finally came and we were asked to leave; I finally talked to him.
"Jack, I know Medda is your friend and everything, but I can't stay there anymore. The
woman gets to me. So I don't know where I'll be for the next couple of days, but I'll let you
know." I told him.
"Ya comin' home wit us." He said.
"Jack, I can't. I don't want to impose. I'll be fine."
"No. No you won't be, Bit. You need us, okay? So no, ya comin'." With no other
option but Medda's, the Lodging House was really all I had.
All of the newsies left to get to bed, but Jack and I took a stroll around Central Park. He didn't ask me about my mama, or anything else. We just talked about our fantasies, and our wishes. I told him I just wanted to be happy, maybe own a bookstore, and he told me about his dreams of owning a ranch. We'd had this conversation a million times before, and it was a nice reminder of my happier days.
We got back to the lodging house around eleven that night, and when I saw Mr. Kloppman, he
just looked at me with that sad face, and he tried to make a smile, but it wouldn't come.
I whispered a "thank you" as I walked up the stairs.
I entered the room, and a gust of sadness hit me. As I looked around at the bunkbeds, I noticed
that not one boy was asleep. They all stared at me as I walked across the apartment to the
washroom. I closed the door, turned on the water so no one could hear me and started to cry.
After about five minutes, I splashed my face, and turned the water off. When I walked out of
the washroom, Jack took my arm and led me to a bunk near the window. He took the bunk above
it. I would have to thank whoever normally slept there tomorrow.
No one said a word, and when I got underneath my covers, the lights went out.
I tossed and turned all night, not knowing what lay ahead of me. I didn't think I could
stay here; it was a boys' Lodging House. I couldn't go back to Medda's, and whenever I passed
the theatre I even shuddered a little bit.
I finally got out of bed and went to the fire escape. It was such a nice night out. Surpris-
ingly, it had not rained that day, even though it always seemed to in New York. I walked up to
the roof top and sat there for the rest of the night. I was only half-conscious when I heard
voices the next morning. It sounded like the boys were searching for me.
"Wheah d'ja think she coulda gone, Jack?" I heard Crutchy ask. Poor Crutchy. He had
a bad foot since he could remember, but somehow he always seemed to lighten up a situation,
without a care about his own handicap. He reminded me of my mother that way.
"I dunno Crutchy, but we gotta find huh befoah she hoits huhself."
"I'm fine. I'm here. Sorry for the disturbance. Can't a girl just watch the sun come
up without people thinking she went and offed herself?" I made my appearance back through the
window, and sat down on the bunk that was allotted to me the night before.
"We was just worried, that's ewall." I heard Specs say.
"Well I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me every dang second. I can take care
of myself." I got up, went to the washroom and got ready for a day of selling papes-my first day.
Medda let me stay with her for a few days. We didn't talk. I think she felt
responsible for what happened to my mother, and she should have. My mama was her attendant,
not security. She had no business asking a woman, who had a child to support, to help stop
a riot. She really didn't.
The funeral was nice. It seemed long and drawn out though. I was asked to give a
eulogy, which was very hard. I made it through though, and when it was all over, the boys
and I went to Tibby's. Brian Denton, the man who helped the boys get their strike out to
the public the year before, paid for all of the food. I thought that was very generous since
I hardly knew him, but he said any friend of the boys was a friend of his, and he helps friends
when they need it.
It was a shame though, because I wasn't very hungry. I wasn't very anything actually.
Everyone kept telling me how sorry they were, and asked if they could help. Jack sat by my side
the whole day, and when night finally came and we were asked to leave; I finally talked to him.
"Jack, I know Medda is your friend and everything, but I can't stay there anymore. The
woman gets to me. So I don't know where I'll be for the next couple of days, but I'll let you
know." I told him.
"Ya comin' home wit us." He said.
"Jack, I can't. I don't want to impose. I'll be fine."
"No. No you won't be, Bit. You need us, okay? So no, ya comin'." With no other
option but Medda's, the Lodging House was really all I had.
All of the newsies left to get to bed, but Jack and I took a stroll around Central Park. He didn't ask me about my mama, or anything else. We just talked about our fantasies, and our wishes. I told him I just wanted to be happy, maybe own a bookstore, and he told me about his dreams of owning a ranch. We'd had this conversation a million times before, and it was a nice reminder of my happier days.
We got back to the lodging house around eleven that night, and when I saw Mr. Kloppman, he
just looked at me with that sad face, and he tried to make a smile, but it wouldn't come.
I whispered a "thank you" as I walked up the stairs.
I entered the room, and a gust of sadness hit me. As I looked around at the bunkbeds, I noticed
that not one boy was asleep. They all stared at me as I walked across the apartment to the
washroom. I closed the door, turned on the water so no one could hear me and started to cry.
After about five minutes, I splashed my face, and turned the water off. When I walked out of
the washroom, Jack took my arm and led me to a bunk near the window. He took the bunk above
it. I would have to thank whoever normally slept there tomorrow.
No one said a word, and when I got underneath my covers, the lights went out.
I tossed and turned all night, not knowing what lay ahead of me. I didn't think I could
stay here; it was a boys' Lodging House. I couldn't go back to Medda's, and whenever I passed
the theatre I even shuddered a little bit.
I finally got out of bed and went to the fire escape. It was such a nice night out. Surpris-
ingly, it had not rained that day, even though it always seemed to in New York. I walked up to
the roof top and sat there for the rest of the night. I was only half-conscious when I heard
voices the next morning. It sounded like the boys were searching for me.
"Wheah d'ja think she coulda gone, Jack?" I heard Crutchy ask. Poor Crutchy. He had
a bad foot since he could remember, but somehow he always seemed to lighten up a situation,
without a care about his own handicap. He reminded me of my mother that way.
"I dunno Crutchy, but we gotta find huh befoah she hoits huhself."
"I'm fine. I'm here. Sorry for the disturbance. Can't a girl just watch the sun come
up without people thinking she went and offed herself?" I made my appearance back through the
window, and sat down on the bunk that was allotted to me the night before.
"We was just worried, that's ewall." I heard Specs say.
"Well I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me every dang second. I can take care
of myself." I got up, went to the washroom and got ready for a day of selling papes-my first day.