Kit decided that Spot need the whole truth about Baltimore. The truth that she had never told anyone, not even her own brother. She sighed and started into the telling of her story for the second time in as many months.
"Cray Swan and I came east to look for jobs. Our money ran out in Cincinnati. We all worked until there was enough money to send me and Swan further east. This time our money ran out in Bal'more. We were thrown off the train and this kid found us. He offered us jobs and a place to live. He along with every other newsie just assumed that me and Swan were related and we let them think that. The guy, Chair, decided that I was going to be his girl, I never had a choice, but to keep a roof over our heads, we decided to go with it.
We were in Bal'more three weeks before it all came crashing down. Some how Chair found out that me and Swan weren't related and confronted me when he insisted that Swan sell on his own. Chair accused me of cheating then two others came and joined in on beating me up. I drifted in and out of consciousness. Wakened only by slaps to the face every time one switched places with another. They raped me all three of them. I remember the last time I was conscious seeing Swan come into the alley and punch Chair in the nose. Chair went down and the guy holding me as a shield fled. I remember falling and I guess Swan caught me.
I woke up at the boarding house. Mrs. B was over me, cleaning me up. I decided then to act delirious and not quite there. The cities 'finest' came looking for Swan in connection with Chair's death, but they couldn't prove anything they didn't even have a body.
Swan decided it was time to leave so we left, headed to Philadelphia. When we got there I decided to 'wake up' from my trance. Swan then decided we should head for home and we got as far as Pittsburgh before Swan thought better of it. We turned around and headed for her. That night in the Manhattan bunk room was my first night in New York, and you know the rest of the story."
Spot thoughts of Kit's story as they teamed up to sell the remaining papers were in a jumble. When Jolly and Bait appeared Spot took the money they had eared and sent them off to play after telling them to be back before dark.
When they were out of sight Spot turned to Kit and began to ask some questions that had been bugging him. "Ise got a couple of questions."
Kit had been dreading this since she had finished her story but nodded that she would answer the questions.
"Why youse play that youse don't remember the month after the attack, or even the attack?"
"I didn't want Swan or Cray asking me questions bout the attack or explain stuff that first month. Jus forgetting seemed the logical action."
"So youse been haven nightmares about this ever since youse been in Brooklyn, but Ise don't get why youse didn't wake anyone up that night in Manhattan? Youse not get one or something?"
Kit considered it before answering, "I think that first nights I was exhausted and just slept. Me and Swan had gotten in on the early train and I had been up since I guess I was jus too tired to care that night. And the other nights I was in a room surrounded by people I guess I felt safe."
Spot stopped to think on her answer, and it did make sense, the nights she hadn't had the nightmares were nights she would fall into bed exhausted. "As Ise sees it the best way to stop this here is dreams is to work youse till you can't see straight. Den youse be too tired to have the nightmares and everybody gets sleep." Spot smiled at his plan, until Kit cuffed him.
"Oh sure brilliant play Spot. Run me ragged then I'll get sick or something and just die. That works." Her sarcasm cut to him to the bone.
"Not sleeping is gonna make youse sick." Spot protested as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well we're jus gonna have ta find a plan so that I can sleep but I also don't' get run ragged."
Spot nodded slowly conceding to her point. They reached the boarding house before either could come up with any more bright ideas. Going up to the bunkroom they found it a mad house as Kosei had decided that the stuff in the washroom must be moved back to the storage room where it belonged. Kit decided that sorting through stuff would be a good idea, and had the boxes placed off to the side. While the guys placed the furniture in an order along the wall of the room, Kit began to sort. Kosei told Kit that most of the stuff in the boxes was his late wife's and that she could take what ever she wanted.
Kit hoped to find other useful items in the sorting, not just clothes for herself and settled in for a night of cobwebs and mothballs. The guys on the other hand started games of poker, tiddlywinks or just bunked down to sleep, not wanting to be drafted into helping. Even Jolly and Bait were no where to be found and Spot had made himself scarce not long after everything was in place. Kit sighed and began to dig into the boxes.
The first box that Kit opened had some clothes that would be nice additions to her wardrobe come winter; and some that could probably be used to make things for the others also. In the second box Kit uncovered more clothing, but this time it was for a younger boy along with some toys. The clothes looked as if they could fit Bait and Jolly but the toys were a gold mine. She found a checkers set, some tops, a set of jacks, an entire bag of marbles and a wooden sword. Kit knew she would have to ask Kosei if they could use the toys, but figured he would say yes.
Kit continued her search and found blankets and quilts, a cookbook, some pots and pans and some jewelry. In the final box Kit found some baby clothes and toys. She marked the box but didn't take anything out if it. She laid aside the quilts and jewelry to give to Kosei and began placing the boxes she hadn't found anything useful in away. She had just moved a set of shelves near the bunk when Spot come in, deciding that the sorting had to be done by now.
"Find anything good in dos boxes?" Spot stood back and watched as she placed her finds on the shelves.
"Yep some of the stuff I have to ask Kosei what he wants me to do with it, but look I found some blankest and games. I am the guys will love it."
"Youse probably right. What's this?" Spot bent down and picked up a ring. It was a diamond surrounded by pearls on a gold ring.
"I found that along with some other stuff. I am going to give it to Kosei I am pretty sure it belonged to his wife." Kit looked at the ring in wonder.
"Ise sure it looks expensive."
"I know that is why I am giving it back to Kosei, I am sure he could use it." Kit spoke as she took the ring and put it on her finger. "I don't know bout you but I am tired. I am heading to bed." Kit gathered up the nightgown and robe she had found and went into the washroom to change.
As she climbed into bed she looked at Spot. "You know a dressing screen would be nice. Then I wouldn't have to change in the wash room."
"Ise thought Ise saw one in the pile of furniture. Ise look tomorrow. If not wes could always string a rope and throw a blanket over it."
"True I hadn't thought of that. Well I'll see you when you wake me up tonight." While it was said as a joke, Kit's voice held little humor.
"Maybe you won't have to get woken up." Spot's voice muffled by his shirt as he took it off.
"We can hope but I doubt it. I'm gonna blow out the candle so you can finish getting ready for bed." Kit spoke as she leaned over to blow the candle out.
"Fine, Night Kit."
"Night Spot."
Kit blew out the candle and lay back on to her bunk. She heard some clothing rustle and the bed squeaked as Spot climbed into the top bunk. She soon fell into a deep sleep. Spot stayed awake a little longer thinking about some things that had been brought up in the bunk room, yet soon even he had drifted off to dream land.
That night marked the first night that Kit had slept through the night with out dreaming without either going to bed exhausted or Spot sleeping in the bed next to her. Neither of them woke until morning and the call of Kosei waking up the newsies.
"Cray Swan and I came east to look for jobs. Our money ran out in Cincinnati. We all worked until there was enough money to send me and Swan further east. This time our money ran out in Bal'more. We were thrown off the train and this kid found us. He offered us jobs and a place to live. He along with every other newsie just assumed that me and Swan were related and we let them think that. The guy, Chair, decided that I was going to be his girl, I never had a choice, but to keep a roof over our heads, we decided to go with it.
We were in Bal'more three weeks before it all came crashing down. Some how Chair found out that me and Swan weren't related and confronted me when he insisted that Swan sell on his own. Chair accused me of cheating then two others came and joined in on beating me up. I drifted in and out of consciousness. Wakened only by slaps to the face every time one switched places with another. They raped me all three of them. I remember the last time I was conscious seeing Swan come into the alley and punch Chair in the nose. Chair went down and the guy holding me as a shield fled. I remember falling and I guess Swan caught me.
I woke up at the boarding house. Mrs. B was over me, cleaning me up. I decided then to act delirious and not quite there. The cities 'finest' came looking for Swan in connection with Chair's death, but they couldn't prove anything they didn't even have a body.
Swan decided it was time to leave so we left, headed to Philadelphia. When we got there I decided to 'wake up' from my trance. Swan then decided we should head for home and we got as far as Pittsburgh before Swan thought better of it. We turned around and headed for her. That night in the Manhattan bunk room was my first night in New York, and you know the rest of the story."
Spot thoughts of Kit's story as they teamed up to sell the remaining papers were in a jumble. When Jolly and Bait appeared Spot took the money they had eared and sent them off to play after telling them to be back before dark.
When they were out of sight Spot turned to Kit and began to ask some questions that had been bugging him. "Ise got a couple of questions."
Kit had been dreading this since she had finished her story but nodded that she would answer the questions.
"Why youse play that youse don't remember the month after the attack, or even the attack?"
"I didn't want Swan or Cray asking me questions bout the attack or explain stuff that first month. Jus forgetting seemed the logical action."
"So youse been haven nightmares about this ever since youse been in Brooklyn, but Ise don't get why youse didn't wake anyone up that night in Manhattan? Youse not get one or something?"
Kit considered it before answering, "I think that first nights I was exhausted and just slept. Me and Swan had gotten in on the early train and I had been up since I guess I was jus too tired to care that night. And the other nights I was in a room surrounded by people I guess I felt safe."
Spot stopped to think on her answer, and it did make sense, the nights she hadn't had the nightmares were nights she would fall into bed exhausted. "As Ise sees it the best way to stop this here is dreams is to work youse till you can't see straight. Den youse be too tired to have the nightmares and everybody gets sleep." Spot smiled at his plan, until Kit cuffed him.
"Oh sure brilliant play Spot. Run me ragged then I'll get sick or something and just die. That works." Her sarcasm cut to him to the bone.
"Not sleeping is gonna make youse sick." Spot protested as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well we're jus gonna have ta find a plan so that I can sleep but I also don't' get run ragged."
Spot nodded slowly conceding to her point. They reached the boarding house before either could come up with any more bright ideas. Going up to the bunkroom they found it a mad house as Kosei had decided that the stuff in the washroom must be moved back to the storage room where it belonged. Kit decided that sorting through stuff would be a good idea, and had the boxes placed off to the side. While the guys placed the furniture in an order along the wall of the room, Kit began to sort. Kosei told Kit that most of the stuff in the boxes was his late wife's and that she could take what ever she wanted.
Kit hoped to find other useful items in the sorting, not just clothes for herself and settled in for a night of cobwebs and mothballs. The guys on the other hand started games of poker, tiddlywinks or just bunked down to sleep, not wanting to be drafted into helping. Even Jolly and Bait were no where to be found and Spot had made himself scarce not long after everything was in place. Kit sighed and began to dig into the boxes.
The first box that Kit opened had some clothes that would be nice additions to her wardrobe come winter; and some that could probably be used to make things for the others also. In the second box Kit uncovered more clothing, but this time it was for a younger boy along with some toys. The clothes looked as if they could fit Bait and Jolly but the toys were a gold mine. She found a checkers set, some tops, a set of jacks, an entire bag of marbles and a wooden sword. Kit knew she would have to ask Kosei if they could use the toys, but figured he would say yes.
Kit continued her search and found blankets and quilts, a cookbook, some pots and pans and some jewelry. In the final box Kit found some baby clothes and toys. She marked the box but didn't take anything out if it. She laid aside the quilts and jewelry to give to Kosei and began placing the boxes she hadn't found anything useful in away. She had just moved a set of shelves near the bunk when Spot come in, deciding that the sorting had to be done by now.
"Find anything good in dos boxes?" Spot stood back and watched as she placed her finds on the shelves.
"Yep some of the stuff I have to ask Kosei what he wants me to do with it, but look I found some blankest and games. I am the guys will love it."
"Youse probably right. What's this?" Spot bent down and picked up a ring. It was a diamond surrounded by pearls on a gold ring.
"I found that along with some other stuff. I am going to give it to Kosei I am pretty sure it belonged to his wife." Kit looked at the ring in wonder.
"Ise sure it looks expensive."
"I know that is why I am giving it back to Kosei, I am sure he could use it." Kit spoke as she took the ring and put it on her finger. "I don't know bout you but I am tired. I am heading to bed." Kit gathered up the nightgown and robe she had found and went into the washroom to change.
As she climbed into bed she looked at Spot. "You know a dressing screen would be nice. Then I wouldn't have to change in the wash room."
"Ise thought Ise saw one in the pile of furniture. Ise look tomorrow. If not wes could always string a rope and throw a blanket over it."
"True I hadn't thought of that. Well I'll see you when you wake me up tonight." While it was said as a joke, Kit's voice held little humor.
"Maybe you won't have to get woken up." Spot's voice muffled by his shirt as he took it off.
"We can hope but I doubt it. I'm gonna blow out the candle so you can finish getting ready for bed." Kit spoke as she leaned over to blow the candle out.
"Fine, Night Kit."
"Night Spot."
Kit blew out the candle and lay back on to her bunk. She heard some clothing rustle and the bed squeaked as Spot climbed into the top bunk. She soon fell into a deep sleep. Spot stayed awake a little longer thinking about some things that had been brought up in the bunk room, yet soon even he had drifted off to dream land.
That night marked the first night that Kit had slept through the night with out dreaming without either going to bed exhausted or Spot sleeping in the bed next to her. Neither of them woke until morning and the call of Kosei waking up the newsies.