That night in Brooklyn went peacefully, Kit had no more dreams good or bad. She slowly woke up moving closer to the warmth. She opened her eyes as she sat up stretching. "Good morning Kit, sleep better?" Spot was in her bed?!
"What are you doing here?"
"Youse had a night mare, Ise came to wake youse up, and as youse fell back to sleep you wouldn't let me go. So Ise slept here."
"Oh" Kit blushed but anything else she was going to say was lost as Bait and Jolly entered the room. "Kit, Kit do youse want to sell with me and Bait?"
Jolly was bouncing up and down as he climbed on the bed. Kit grabbed him and started to tickle him. "Yes I'll go out with you, if you stop bouncing."
She had him laughing crazily, so much so that Kit didn't notice Spot till he was tickling her. That started a tickle war till Rounder came in.
"Youse gonna actually sell papes today Spot?" He tried to act like it was normal to find Spot in bed with a girl and the two younger boys.
Spot untangled himself from the pile "Yeah come on guys Kit needs to get dressed. See youse in five minutes Kit. There might be some old clothes in that box over there if you stuff ain't dry yet." Spot pointed at a box then gathered the two boys up by their waists and left.
Kit felt the clothes she had laid out last night; they were dry. She quickly dressed not thinking of what had happened last night. She was standing out side of her doorway waiting for her selling partners when they came of the washroom, hair still a mess. Kit couldn't resist mothering them and she took Bait and Jolly off to the side as the older guys walked past, and straightened their messed hair.
"So where are you gonna sell?" She noticed the boys' eyes were shining with the kind of mischief only little boys could get into trying to be good.
"Wes sell over at Coney Island all the time." Bait answered.
"Yeah wes do, then wes get to see all the neat stuff after wes get done." Jolly interjected.
"Well then we better get going, the big guys might get all our papes before we get there."
"Nope Spot gets our papes for us and then wes pay him back. Wes supposed to meet him outside now." Bait jumped up and down impatiently. "Come on he's probably already waiting."
Kit was cautious, "Is he going to come with us?"
"No he jus walks us there and gets us like he always does, cause he sells close to the bridge." They got outside before Spot arrived so they sat on the stairs and waited.
"So what is your favorite thing to do at Coney Island?"
"Ise likes the side shows." Jolly answered as he rolled a marble in his hand.
Bait was suddenly shy, "Ise like watching the street people as they do their stunts. There's this guy who paints really pretty pictures and he's fun to watch."
"Youse ready to go selling?" Spot came walking up and handed Kit 75 papes. "Here is 45 for youse and 15 for each of the boys. The papes should go quick, these two could sell a lot if they put their minds to it. Plus no ones gonna not buy from poor siblings."
"Siblings? US?" Kit gave Spot a look as they walked.
"Youse siblings. There be Coney Island, don't let these two jokers play till after they done working. And youse two, youse got a keep Kit here safe. Either of youse sees anyone suspicions like come get one of the big guys got it? Youse know where everyone sells."
Both boys nodded seriously, and Kit smiled knowing that they would feel important getting to make sure she was okay. "Bye Spot we'll be fine, go do your think and we'll do ours." Kit was ready to leave Spot behind and start working. Spot nodded and waved and disappeared into the crowd.
"So what do the headlines say Kit?" Bait looked at her expectantly.
"Can't you read? Either of you?"
Both boys shook their heads, "No, Spot normally tells us what they say for he leaves."
Kit thought about that, "Well we'll just have to teach you to read soon. Let's see, nope, nope not gonna sell with that one." Kit perused the paper looking for an interesting story. "Hmm this one will probably work, if we sell in the right place. "Babies born joined at hip, it's from the Bronx."
"Must be the water, that happened a couple years ago too." Jolly informed Kit.
"Really well I think that will be the selling headline today, now for the perfect place to sell. I say the freak show will probably be the best place to sell. What do you guys think?"
They nodded their heads enthusiastically and so began the day of selling.
"Baby joined at Chest. Read all about it." "Doctors amazed at babies joined at the chest." On and on the day went Kit hawked the headlines while Jolly and Bait worked the "Buy me last pape mister?" angle, along with standing beside Kit grabbing her skirt and gaining sympathy for looking young.
They stopped around one to eat lunch. Kit treated the boys to a famous Coney Island Hot Dog and some lemonade. After lunch the papers sold well and they were finished around 4. They had a couple of hours before Spot would return so they began to wander. The first thing they came to the Ferris Wheel that Jolly liked so much.
"Mister how much for a ride?"
"A cent for all of youse."
"You guys want a ride."
Jolly nodded but Bait hung back looking nervous, "Youse sure its not gonna come crashing down?"
"Yes Bait it won't come crashing down, you can sit next to me if you want."
"I'm not scared, I'll go."
They all got in the basket and prepared to go up. Jolly was standing at the edge but Bait was sitting on the seat next to Kit. "Bait youse should see this Ise can see lots of stuff."
"Ise happy here. Kit wen this done?"
"Soon, I am sure, it isn't that bad."
Kit was right the ride ended not long after words, Bait got off carefully and was relieved he was back on the ground. "Can was go do some thing else?"
"Sure what do you want to see?"
"The freak show." Bait smiled showing his teeth off.
"I should have known, it's almost time to meet Spot anyway and that is near where we are meeting him." They went back to the side show tent.
When they got there the ticked seller motioned them over. "Youse want to go in?" The boys nodded, but Kit looked at him "How much?"
"It's free, youse brought use money by selling papes with that headline. Prepared to be amazed." He opened the tent and they all went in.
Jolly and Bait found all the sights very cool but Kit fought to keep from heaving. The large cockroaches and the two headed sheep about made her sick and would be giving her nightmares. The boys wanted to see the bearded lady and the short men, so they went there last. Kit felt sorry for the performers but as the little boys are they stared and kept asking Kit if they were real. Kit nodded and began herding the boys out of the tent.
"What are you doing here?"
"Youse had a night mare, Ise came to wake youse up, and as youse fell back to sleep you wouldn't let me go. So Ise slept here."
"Oh" Kit blushed but anything else she was going to say was lost as Bait and Jolly entered the room. "Kit, Kit do youse want to sell with me and Bait?"
Jolly was bouncing up and down as he climbed on the bed. Kit grabbed him and started to tickle him. "Yes I'll go out with you, if you stop bouncing."
She had him laughing crazily, so much so that Kit didn't notice Spot till he was tickling her. That started a tickle war till Rounder came in.
"Youse gonna actually sell papes today Spot?" He tried to act like it was normal to find Spot in bed with a girl and the two younger boys.
Spot untangled himself from the pile "Yeah come on guys Kit needs to get dressed. See youse in five minutes Kit. There might be some old clothes in that box over there if you stuff ain't dry yet." Spot pointed at a box then gathered the two boys up by their waists and left.
Kit felt the clothes she had laid out last night; they were dry. She quickly dressed not thinking of what had happened last night. She was standing out side of her doorway waiting for her selling partners when they came of the washroom, hair still a mess. Kit couldn't resist mothering them and she took Bait and Jolly off to the side as the older guys walked past, and straightened their messed hair.
"So where are you gonna sell?" She noticed the boys' eyes were shining with the kind of mischief only little boys could get into trying to be good.
"Wes sell over at Coney Island all the time." Bait answered.
"Yeah wes do, then wes get to see all the neat stuff after wes get done." Jolly interjected.
"Well then we better get going, the big guys might get all our papes before we get there."
"Nope Spot gets our papes for us and then wes pay him back. Wes supposed to meet him outside now." Bait jumped up and down impatiently. "Come on he's probably already waiting."
Kit was cautious, "Is he going to come with us?"
"No he jus walks us there and gets us like he always does, cause he sells close to the bridge." They got outside before Spot arrived so they sat on the stairs and waited.
"So what is your favorite thing to do at Coney Island?"
"Ise likes the side shows." Jolly answered as he rolled a marble in his hand.
Bait was suddenly shy, "Ise like watching the street people as they do their stunts. There's this guy who paints really pretty pictures and he's fun to watch."
"Youse ready to go selling?" Spot came walking up and handed Kit 75 papes. "Here is 45 for youse and 15 for each of the boys. The papes should go quick, these two could sell a lot if they put their minds to it. Plus no ones gonna not buy from poor siblings."
"Siblings? US?" Kit gave Spot a look as they walked.
"Youse siblings. There be Coney Island, don't let these two jokers play till after they done working. And youse two, youse got a keep Kit here safe. Either of youse sees anyone suspicions like come get one of the big guys got it? Youse know where everyone sells."
Both boys nodded seriously, and Kit smiled knowing that they would feel important getting to make sure she was okay. "Bye Spot we'll be fine, go do your think and we'll do ours." Kit was ready to leave Spot behind and start working. Spot nodded and waved and disappeared into the crowd.
"So what do the headlines say Kit?" Bait looked at her expectantly.
"Can't you read? Either of you?"
Both boys shook their heads, "No, Spot normally tells us what they say for he leaves."
Kit thought about that, "Well we'll just have to teach you to read soon. Let's see, nope, nope not gonna sell with that one." Kit perused the paper looking for an interesting story. "Hmm this one will probably work, if we sell in the right place. "Babies born joined at hip, it's from the Bronx."
"Must be the water, that happened a couple years ago too." Jolly informed Kit.
"Really well I think that will be the selling headline today, now for the perfect place to sell. I say the freak show will probably be the best place to sell. What do you guys think?"
They nodded their heads enthusiastically and so began the day of selling.
"Baby joined at Chest. Read all about it." "Doctors amazed at babies joined at the chest." On and on the day went Kit hawked the headlines while Jolly and Bait worked the "Buy me last pape mister?" angle, along with standing beside Kit grabbing her skirt and gaining sympathy for looking young.
They stopped around one to eat lunch. Kit treated the boys to a famous Coney Island Hot Dog and some lemonade. After lunch the papers sold well and they were finished around 4. They had a couple of hours before Spot would return so they began to wander. The first thing they came to the Ferris Wheel that Jolly liked so much.
"Mister how much for a ride?"
"A cent for all of youse."
"You guys want a ride."
Jolly nodded but Bait hung back looking nervous, "Youse sure its not gonna come crashing down?"
"Yes Bait it won't come crashing down, you can sit next to me if you want."
"I'm not scared, I'll go."
They all got in the basket and prepared to go up. Jolly was standing at the edge but Bait was sitting on the seat next to Kit. "Bait youse should see this Ise can see lots of stuff."
"Ise happy here. Kit wen this done?"
"Soon, I am sure, it isn't that bad."
Kit was right the ride ended not long after words, Bait got off carefully and was relieved he was back on the ground. "Can was go do some thing else?"
"Sure what do you want to see?"
"The freak show." Bait smiled showing his teeth off.
"I should have known, it's almost time to meet Spot anyway and that is near where we are meeting him." They went back to the side show tent.
When they got there the ticked seller motioned them over. "Youse want to go in?" The boys nodded, but Kit looked at him "How much?"
"It's free, youse brought use money by selling papes with that headline. Prepared to be amazed." He opened the tent and they all went in.
Jolly and Bait found all the sights very cool but Kit fought to keep from heaving. The large cockroaches and the two headed sheep about made her sick and would be giving her nightmares. The boys wanted to see the bearded lady and the short men, so they went there last. Kit felt sorry for the performers but as the little boys are they stared and kept asking Kit if they were real. Kit nodded and began herding the boys out of the tent.