"Heya, Race! Ova hea! Come ova hea!" yelled Crutchy. The boy walked over."Race dis is Faith."
"Yea Crutchy, I know who dis is. She's da beautyful goil Jack's been braggin' 'bout," said the boy, obviously named Race.
"Nice to meet you...Race?" said Faith." Um, Crutchy, I've got to go. Do you know where the girls Lodging House is?"
"Yea, it's down dis street, ya take a left, go past da Greeley statue, an' der should be a sign tellin' ya da rest a da way."
"I can take ya? Ise going dat way ta da races," offered the boy.
"No thats okay. I wouldn't want to impose..." thats when Race cut her off.
"Comon. Ya don't need ta pay me nuttin'. Plus ya need someone ta walk ya through da circulation centa. Da Delancey's 'el get ya. An' by da looks a you dayed be happy ta rape ya," explained Race.
"Especially da Delancey's. Dey's da one dat put me in da refuge," said Crutchy.
"Okay, just this once."
Faith walked up to the counter to pay for her sandwich. She took her money out and payed the man. Race figured she was rich because she had all that money. He watched her scuttle out the door. Crutchy knew he'd marry her. He thought she was totally into him. She was flirting with him. She didn't say ' Crutchy AND Race'. She just said Crutchy. She even recognized him and sat with him. He liked her most because she didn't make fun of his crutch. Like most people did. Race and Faith rounded the corner of the circulation building.
"Looky, looky what we got here, Oscar," said Morris.
"Yeah, it's Racetrack Higgins and his damsel in distress.I thought you were Jack's girl," said Oscar.
"Race, how does everyone KNOW WHO I AM!!!" screamed Faith. Right that moment a police man on a horse came into the alley. He looked young to be a police man. Maybe 25 or 26.
"Faith? I thought you were sick. Where are you going?" asked the policeman.
"Who are you?!" yelled Faith. By now she was completely annoyed at Jack. Iris, who was in her basket, was starting to meow really loud.
"Jack told me you were back in town. Remember I'm the really old boy in the refuge? Charlie?" asked the policeman.
"Charlie. The one that we called Charlie horse, the pain in my leg?" asked Faith. By now Race had started to chuckle and the Delancey's knew they were in trouble so they started to run.
"Boy's you are going to jail if you start trouble ever again. This is your warning!!" screamed the policeman chasing after them. Faith knew this had to be the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened to her. It was less than a minute but it was the weirdest minute of her life. She told Race just to keep going. Racetrack had started holding her hand when the Delancey's came. He was still holding her hand and was until they reached the girls Lodging House.
"Bye, Race thank you SO much! You're one of the best people I've ever met. Bye," said Faith as she kissed him on the cheek. She brought her money in and payed for about a month to stay there.
Race knew he'd marry her. She even gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was holding his hand. The best thing was she said he was one of the best people she'd ever met. She was very educated. She used big words like impose and exquisite. She had a very nice body and a most beautiful face. She was only 17. Race was 18 but he figured a year didn't make much of a difference.
Faith brought her things into the room where her bunk was. She took her things out and carefully folded her things. Every bunk had a table next to it and the table had 2 drawers in it. She put her clothes and book in the first drawer and made a nice little spot for her cat to sleep in the top drawer. Faith folded her quilt and nicely placed it in the top drawer and put Iris there. Iris seemed to like it. She purred like she had never purred before. She sat down on her bed and took her poem book out. She flipped through it reciting her favorite poems. Then she found a picture. It was a picture of her entire family. There was her mother who looked so beautiful. Her mother was holding Truth. Truth was a newborn. Angel stood there looking so arrogant. She had her pink dress on. You could tell it was her pink dress because it was the one she wore almost everyday. Angel was 16 in that picture. Faith looked at herself. She hated that picture of herself but it was the only one she had. Nana was standing there. Nana looked beautiful. Nana looked alot younger than she did now. Then there was father. Faith hated father ever since he left them. He moved to Sacramento to start a new life. He promised once he found a place to live he'd write a letter and they'd be on the next train west. Everyday Faith would run to the mailbox and open it. Like a hurricane rip all the letters open addressed to Mother from somewhere unknown. Next to Father in the photo was their maid, Olga. Olga came from Sweden and had to go through Ellis Island to get to Boston. Olga was beautiful. She had been in vaudeville but quit after a long tour. She was on vaudeville with Medda. While she was thought to be asleep she heard Jack talking about Medda and the theater. Faith decided she'd visit Medda when she got a chance. Then the last person she noticed in the picture was Laurel Shirley. Laurel was the girl next door. She was only about 13 but she was quite outspoken. She had fiery red hair. She was an orphan for about her whole life. Anne played with the butler's daughter.
Faith heard a loud bang. She looked over. There was a girl with a very large suitcase that she had just plopped on the ground. The girl had blonde hair. But her hair was short. She looked so snobby.
"MELODY! I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE!" yelled the girl.
"Kathrine, it's only a month. Learn to deal with it," said another girl.
"MELODY! TELL ANNE TO STOP ANNOYING ME!" screamed the first girl. The girl obviously named Kathrine looked at me, and now Faith as staring extensively." What are YOU looking at? Mind your own businness!"
"Ignore my sister. She's sort of snobbish. Well, I guess she's an all 'round snoot. Hi, I'm Anne," said the girl switching her childs basket from one arm to the other. She put her hand out. Faith looked at her hand a moment and shook it."Is this your cat? She's beautiful. What's her name?"
"My name's Faith. The cat is Iris. She's a Tigercat. That's the breed. She's only a few months old. How old is the baby..." started Faith as Kathrine cut in.
"Anne? Get me my book!" she screamed. The baby started to cry. Anne took the baby out of the basket.
"It's right at the end of your bed. Right >>there.She's about 10 weeks," said Anne pointing to the book. Now the baby was like a water works of tears.
"But Anne, you're closer to it!" yelled Katherine.
"I can't get your book and hold Rachel," said Anne.
"Oh, let me hold her. I have a younger sister named Truth," said Faith.
"Oh thank you," said Anne as Faith took Rachel in her arms. She rocked Rachel slowly in her arms. She sang a lullaby. The baby stopped crying."Oh my gosh, Rachel doesn't warm up to anyone. That's great."
Anne took the baby back. She put the baby on the bed. By now it was about time for bed. Goodnights echoed across the room.
That night Faith had a dream of a boy and a girl. They were holding hands. It was Faith and a newsy. She didn't know which one. It was her destiny. She would just let her life take its course. It took her a long time to figure that dream out but she had bigger problems.
The next morning she found a note. It read:
Dear Faith,
I cannot believe Rachel warmed up to you so easily. She never likes anyone. The truth is her full name is actually Beth Rachel Pagan. She is a newborn. She was born only about 3 days ago. She is a beautiful girl and I love her dearly but I can't take care of her. Having a child is alot of work and I can't do it. I may look older but I'm only thirteen. I am sorry. Have a nice life with my daughter.
Goodbye,
Pamela Anne Pagan-Smith
That was it. She had full responsibility of a baby girl, a cat, and she had to figure out a way not to get caught by the other newsies. She had to find a way to get to the police station without any newsies noticing. She put different clothes on and put a clothe around her head. She saw about three newsies. With the cat and baby it was especially hard to tell it was Faith. When she finally got to the police station they said Faith could either put Rachel in an orphanage or they could keep her in the refuge. Faith had been in both places before. They treated the children worse than the mice that lived in the walls. She couldn't do that to Rachel. She decided She'd have to get an apartment. She had enough money to last her years and years. Almost 12 years. By then she'd have a well paying job. First she went to the bank. She made a bank account and put all her money in it. Then she went to a newsy she hadn't seen yet and bought a newspaper. She looked at the want adds and found a two room apartment perfect for the two...I mean three.
"Yes, I have the money. I'm only seventeen but I have about $12,000. I really need this apartment. I have a cat and a baby," begged Faith.
"Well, you told us exactly what we wanted to hear. You've got it!" said the saleswoman. Faith went back to the girls Lodging House. She couldn't believe in less than a week she had a ... daughter, I guess, had ranaway, and had gotten an apartment. She had to wait a day before she could move into her new apartment. To clean it and stuff like that so she just went to the lodging house packed and decided to wait. Oh no! She needed to get stuff for her apartment. She decided she'd go to the store once she got her apartment. The apartment was already furnished so all she needed was stuff to fill it with. She put her thinest, lightest, most cool dress on and left the lodging house. She left her cat with a kind lady that had befriended her. Faith would come back to get the cat when she was done shopping. Faith walked through the park holding little Rachel in her arms.
"Beth Rachel Pagan. I'll call you Beth Rachel Hart. It'd be weird having a child with a different last name. I just won't tell you, you were adopted," whispered Faith to the baby. Then, all of a sudden Jack was standing in front of her holding Sarah's hand who was holding Les's hand. "Hello, Sarah. It's a lovely day today. Hope to see you again soon," she said like they had known each other for years."Jack," she said nodding with a very earnest grin on her face.
"Faith?!" yelled Jack. Sarah sat down to tie Les's shoes knowing they needed to talk.
"Yes, Jack?" asked Faith looking so seriously at him.
"Wuz dis 'bout?" asked Jack.
"What's what about?" asked Faith looking Jack straight in the eyes.
"Foist ya run off wid out telling anyone bout it. I had to wait and hea about it from Race and Crutchy, den we come to da goils lodging house and ya ain't der eeter where ya said ya'd be, den a baby? Wuz a matter wit you?" screamed Jack. The baby started to cry. She tryed to calm the baby down but couldn't. She walked to the bench and got the bottle out of the basket.
"Jack whenever you come around I either get into trouble or you make more for me! Just keep your distance!" she screamed right back at Jack.
"Okay, all right! Just one question, why'd ya leave? Why?"
"It just got too hard. I didn't want anyone to like me anymore than already did. So I left."
"Do ya really tink iz easier wit da baby? Where ya gunna stay?" asked Jack who had calmed down by now.
"I have an apartment. I rented it for a year. I paid for the best one I could get. It cost me $300 but I got it. With out your help or anyone else!" she screamed as she stood up and left. Jack chased after her.
"Faith, I lost youse once. I ain't gunna lose youse again. What did ya do ta get caught, again?" asked Jack trying to make her feel better.She refused to answer.
"Jack? It's almost dinnertime. I've gotta leave. I love you," Sarah said kissing him on the cheek. She was trying to shove it in Faith's face. Sarah was trying to say he's my boyfriend so leave him alone.
"Bye. Well, Faith, will ya spend ta day wit me?" asked Jack.
"I would but I have the baby..." that's when she decided it'd be a great way to make Sarah completely and utterly hate her. She'd spend the day with Jack.
