Spring had finally come to New York, Katie was now 12 and been running the apartment like an adult for almost a year. She lost her childish innocence long ago and now spent her days in almost complete exhaustion from answering the never ending questions of 4 year old Joey. Nia and Mara had tired to lift some of the burden but even that was never nearly enough. Katie watched helplessly as her uncle wasted away to skin and bones heartsick for his Elaine. Shawn and Bryon only came home to drop off the rent or food money, they had taken to sleeping outside as to avoid the confusion in the small apartment.
Katie had spent most of the fateful day washing dishes and cleaning clothes, much like any other day. She had sent the children out to play telling them to stick close and not to disturb anyone who was working. The quietness of the apartment was music to the over worked girl's ears. With the children gone the chores seemed to go quickly and soon she was free to have a small bit of time to herself. Katie knew exactly how to spend this time, she curled up on the bed she had claimed when Shawn and Bryon had stopped coming home to sleep and swiftly fell into a deep slumber.
She was awoken by a persistent knocking and after quickly straightening her dress and hair went to answer it. "You know a Shamus O'Riely?" A man in a uniform stood on the other side of the door. The world suddenly became fuzzy as Katie felt she was reliving the night her father died. "We found a Shamus O'Riely passed out on the steps of St. Michael's, I am sorry goil but he is dead." The officer delivered his news and left.
Katie stared after him in disbelief before shutting the door and throwing herself on the bed. She let the tears come knowing that she was going to have to be strong for the children and was not going to be allowed to show weakness in front of her brother or Bryon. No emotion that was going to have to be her mantra, quickly Katie pulled herself of the bed and began to prepare for the return of the children, and because it was pay day Bryon and Shawn.
Her wait wasn't a long one, Bryon and Shawn were the first to appear. They were now both 14 and had begun to enter into the gangly period of their lives. They slunk in as if trying to leave as soon as possible. Katie turned quickly and pinned them with a glare. "Oh no you ain't gonna be leaving me with 3 children to care for myself on my own. Donna take a step to that door." Katie's eyes flashed as she looked at the two boys. She kept her sorrow under control daring they to try to escape.
"What you mean leave youse to care for three kids on youse own, Da is here." Bryon tried to reason. Katie's next words stopped him in his tracks.
"No he is not. Your Da is dead Bryon, I cannae take care of those children on me own. I cannae stay here with them." Katie let more of her Irish brogue seep out, as she became more agitated. "What if the bulls find out there are four children living on their lonesome? What do you think will happen to us? We'll be sent to the orphanages." Katie looked both boys in the eyes daring them to dispute her words.
"We cannae let you stay here Katie, someone is bound to realize Da not being around. I guess we all will be living on the streets." Bryon stated looking at his feet. Shawn's eyes widened at the prospect of his younger siblings on the street, the street would be hard to them, especially Joey, no telling what it would do to any of them.
"No my sisters and brother ain't gonna be living on the streets of this town. We're going to Boston, you can come with us if you wanna Bryon, but I am not letting my family grow up as street rats. In Boston I can lie about my age no one will question me coming into town with 4 children if I am 18 or so. Katie pack the children's things we leave tonight."
Shawn began searching for any money in hopes of finding enough for train tickets, but it was a hopeless search. Bryon said he wasn't going to leave a good paying job and that without his cousins to support he would do just fine. Katie was hesitant but knew that there would be no way for Shawn to raise 3 children and work at the same time. The bundle of meager belongings was finally tied as Nia, Mara and Joey came back home.
"Where we going mama?" Joey tugged on Katie's skirt, she looked at the boy eyes filling with tears before she could stop them.
"We're going on a trip on a train. It'll be an adventure." Katie laced her voice with as much enthusiasm as possible as she gathered up the last of their meager supplies and put the small boy on her hip. They left the apartment not looking back and headed for the train yards.
Katie was scared of trains but hid her fear from her brothers and sisters. They snuck onto the first train they knew to be heading to Boston and settled themselves behind piles of boxes. Soon the train was moving and it lulled them all to sleep. Katie woke up when the train stopped at a station with the sudden urge to use the bathroom. She shook Shawn awake to tell him where she was going and after he mumbled something she got off. She heard the train moving again but even running full speed was unable to catch it. She watched as her siblings got farther away. Nothing could make this day worse, was her only thought as she began walking the tracks hoping to catch another train bound for Boston.
She walked till dawn walking through the pain in hopes that maybe by some weird twist of faith she would find her siblings in Boston. By noon she was tired barely able to put one foot in front of the other. She barely noticed the smell of smoke or it curling around her as she walked.
"Hey you girl what do you think you are doing? Get off these tracks and go home." A man walked up to Katie yelling at her. She stared at him in confusion as she looked at the chaotic scene around her. Twisted metal lay on either side of the track, boxes and barrels littered the ground. A row of boxcars lay on their sides scattered over in a farmer's bean field. "Girl go home to your mother, you can't do anything."
"What happened?" Katie finally managed to get out around the lump in her throat.
"What happened? What do you think happened? The train for Boston derailed." The man looked in time to see the blood drain from her face. "I'm sorry girl you know people on that train?"
Katie barely nodded, "My brother was taking our little sisters to Boston to start over, I missed the train and was going to walk." The facts hit her that she was now alone in the world. She let the tears run down her face as she turned around and began to walk back toward New York City, in hopes that she could find Bryon, her only remaining family.
Katie had spent most of the fateful day washing dishes and cleaning clothes, much like any other day. She had sent the children out to play telling them to stick close and not to disturb anyone who was working. The quietness of the apartment was music to the over worked girl's ears. With the children gone the chores seemed to go quickly and soon she was free to have a small bit of time to herself. Katie knew exactly how to spend this time, she curled up on the bed she had claimed when Shawn and Bryon had stopped coming home to sleep and swiftly fell into a deep slumber.
She was awoken by a persistent knocking and after quickly straightening her dress and hair went to answer it. "You know a Shamus O'Riely?" A man in a uniform stood on the other side of the door. The world suddenly became fuzzy as Katie felt she was reliving the night her father died. "We found a Shamus O'Riely passed out on the steps of St. Michael's, I am sorry goil but he is dead." The officer delivered his news and left.
Katie stared after him in disbelief before shutting the door and throwing herself on the bed. She let the tears come knowing that she was going to have to be strong for the children and was not going to be allowed to show weakness in front of her brother or Bryon. No emotion that was going to have to be her mantra, quickly Katie pulled herself of the bed and began to prepare for the return of the children, and because it was pay day Bryon and Shawn.
Her wait wasn't a long one, Bryon and Shawn were the first to appear. They were now both 14 and had begun to enter into the gangly period of their lives. They slunk in as if trying to leave as soon as possible. Katie turned quickly and pinned them with a glare. "Oh no you ain't gonna be leaving me with 3 children to care for myself on my own. Donna take a step to that door." Katie's eyes flashed as she looked at the two boys. She kept her sorrow under control daring they to try to escape.
"What you mean leave youse to care for three kids on youse own, Da is here." Bryon tried to reason. Katie's next words stopped him in his tracks.
"No he is not. Your Da is dead Bryon, I cannae take care of those children on me own. I cannae stay here with them." Katie let more of her Irish brogue seep out, as she became more agitated. "What if the bulls find out there are four children living on their lonesome? What do you think will happen to us? We'll be sent to the orphanages." Katie looked both boys in the eyes daring them to dispute her words.
"We cannae let you stay here Katie, someone is bound to realize Da not being around. I guess we all will be living on the streets." Bryon stated looking at his feet. Shawn's eyes widened at the prospect of his younger siblings on the street, the street would be hard to them, especially Joey, no telling what it would do to any of them.
"No my sisters and brother ain't gonna be living on the streets of this town. We're going to Boston, you can come with us if you wanna Bryon, but I am not letting my family grow up as street rats. In Boston I can lie about my age no one will question me coming into town with 4 children if I am 18 or so. Katie pack the children's things we leave tonight."
Shawn began searching for any money in hopes of finding enough for train tickets, but it was a hopeless search. Bryon said he wasn't going to leave a good paying job and that without his cousins to support he would do just fine. Katie was hesitant but knew that there would be no way for Shawn to raise 3 children and work at the same time. The bundle of meager belongings was finally tied as Nia, Mara and Joey came back home.
"Where we going mama?" Joey tugged on Katie's skirt, she looked at the boy eyes filling with tears before she could stop them.
"We're going on a trip on a train. It'll be an adventure." Katie laced her voice with as much enthusiasm as possible as she gathered up the last of their meager supplies and put the small boy on her hip. They left the apartment not looking back and headed for the train yards.
Katie was scared of trains but hid her fear from her brothers and sisters. They snuck onto the first train they knew to be heading to Boston and settled themselves behind piles of boxes. Soon the train was moving and it lulled them all to sleep. Katie woke up when the train stopped at a station with the sudden urge to use the bathroom. She shook Shawn awake to tell him where she was going and after he mumbled something she got off. She heard the train moving again but even running full speed was unable to catch it. She watched as her siblings got farther away. Nothing could make this day worse, was her only thought as she began walking the tracks hoping to catch another train bound for Boston.
She walked till dawn walking through the pain in hopes that maybe by some weird twist of faith she would find her siblings in Boston. By noon she was tired barely able to put one foot in front of the other. She barely noticed the smell of smoke or it curling around her as she walked.
"Hey you girl what do you think you are doing? Get off these tracks and go home." A man walked up to Katie yelling at her. She stared at him in confusion as she looked at the chaotic scene around her. Twisted metal lay on either side of the track, boxes and barrels littered the ground. A row of boxcars lay on their sides scattered over in a farmer's bean field. "Girl go home to your mother, you can't do anything."
"What happened?" Katie finally managed to get out around the lump in her throat.
"What happened? What do you think happened? The train for Boston derailed." The man looked in time to see the blood drain from her face. "I'm sorry girl you know people on that train?"
Katie barely nodded, "My brother was taking our little sisters to Boston to start over, I missed the train and was going to walk." The facts hit her that she was now alone in the world. She let the tears run down her face as she turned around and began to walk back toward New York City, in hopes that she could find Bryon, her only remaining family.