Chapter 5: Mush Goes Out...
Mush folded up the collar of his jacket to keep the biting cold away from his neck as he made his way around another corner. He wished now that he had written Gabriel's directions down, but what could possibly be so important that Mush had to go all the way across town to get for him.
Gabriel had simply told him that there was something he needed, and he wanted Mush to get it and bring it back to the lodging house.
Mush stopped outside a small department store, and read the name on the front window. "Andersons", this was the place. Mush edged to the other side of the building and into the side alley, just as Gabriel had told him to do.
"Next to a wooden crate, by a trash box..." Mush muttered to himself, walking further into the alley. At least the small area sandwiched between the two buildings blocked a good deal of the wind.
He immediately spotted the trash box and hurried over to it, and when he saw no crate, he walked past it to check the other side.
And was met with something he hadn't expected.
It was obviously a person, laying curled up in a ball next to a wooden crate, covered with two or three blankets. Mush recognized the one from Gabriel's bed, he'd had two when he first arrived, and Mush had overheard Crutchy saying something about the missing blanket to Jack, but neither said anything to Gabriel.
Oh boy, Mush couldn't help but think. "Uh...Hey?" He said out loud, but the person didn't respond. "Hey, you awake?" He continued, crouching down and tapping the figure gently. Whoever it was shifted a little, and the blankets were pulled away from their face to reveal a young girl, thin and pale faced. Upon seeing him, she pulled away, frightened.
"It's alright, Gabriel sent me". Mush said right away, but the girl still looked frightened. "I's t'take you back to the lodgin' house with me".
At this, the girl looked a little more at ease, even hopeful.
"The newsies lodging house?" She spoke, her voice soft and frail, with an obvious Irish accent that Mush noticed right off, but didn't say anything about. "Yeah, come on". Mush said, offering to help her up, and she accepted his offer, though making sure to keep the blankets wrapped tightly around herself. Mush put his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the alley and into the bitter cold wind, which continued to grow fiercer with every minute that passed.
Mush noticed right away that the girl tended to walk funny, her legs were a little further apart than normal, especially for a girl her size.
"How far is it?" She asked then, interrupting Mush's thoughts.
"About ten blocks from here, I think".
A pained expression crossed the girls face, but she said nothing.
Mush didn't offer to carry her, but decided in his head that if she fainted or appeared to be getting sick, he'd carry her.
Though another thing he couldn't get over though was that it seemed that she was holding something beneath the blankets that he could not see, he wondered what it was. Half way to the lodging house he found out.
A strong wind suddenly swept across them, and the girl began to cough violently. She lost her grip on her blankets for a moment, causing them to fly open and let a cold breeze hit her, but also long enough to allow Mush to catch sight of her mid-section, which made his eyes go wide.
Either the frailty of her face hid the fact that she was very over-weight, or she was pregnant!
Mush helped her wrap the blanket back around herself, but she looked as though she hadn't even noticed it if she were pregnant.
Mush's silence only lasted a block before he finally asked the question, "Are you pregnant?"
She looked up at him with a look that said didn't you know?. "Yes".
"Well, why didn't you'se say somethin' before?" And with that, Mush swept her off her feet and into his arms in one swift motion, and though she looked greatly startled, he carried her the rest of the way to the lodging house.
*
Mush stumbled up to the lodging house door and banged on it with his foot. The girl had moments before seemed to loose consciousness in his arms, making the trip slightly more difficult for Mush to handle, especially when carrying the extra weight of a baby!
The first one to answer the door, much to Mush's surprise, was Spot Conlon, leader of the Brooklyn newsies! He looked startled when he first saw what was waiting at the door, and when Mush nearly tripped trying to get though the doorway, Spot reached out a caught the load in his arms just before Mush dropped her. Jack was there a second later, helping Spot balance with the girl in his arms and shutting the door behind Mush to keep the cold from coming in.
Spot remained speechless, the whole event having taken place in a matter of about three seconds, while Jack was all questions.
"Where the heck was you?" He asked.
"I had to do somethin' fer Gabriel". Mush said, panting slightly.
"Well who's this?" Jack asked, indicating the girl in Spot's arms.
"That's what I had to do". Mush answered.
"Jacky, she's pregnant!" Spot spoke up then, having just then realized it. "Pregnant!?" Jack exclaimed, hurrying over. Then they both turned to Mush, dumbfounded, and Mush shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me! I just picked her up!"
"Gabe sent you t'get her?" Jack asked, and Mush nodded. Jack and Spot looked at each other, then down at the girl.
"Well, come on, let's find out what's goin' on". Jack said, motioning for Spot to follow him as he made his way toward the storage room where Gabriel was. "If Kloppman finds'er, he'll string us both up, you know dat don't ya?" Spot said, and Jack nodded. "Yeah, and Gabriel too. Then he'll burry us in the basement. Come on". He opened the door quietly and peered in, seeing that Gabriel was awake.
"Jack?" Gabriel spoke weakly, trying to sit up.
"Hey, hey, take it easy there, Gabe. I think you'se got some explaining t'do". Jack said, though not with a threatening tone as he stepped into the room, followed by Spot. Gabriel's eyes went wide. He tried to speak, but only ended up coughing terribly, choking out "What happened?".
"Mush brought her like this, she you're girl or somethin'?" Spot asked, he and Gabriel had met only once before, so they knew each other somewhat.
"Kind of, what's wrong with her?" Gabriel was attempting to get out of bed, and Jack nearly had to shove him to get him to stay there.
"Let me go-," Gabriel tried to say, but Jack interrupted him. "Spot, bring'er over here". Spot did so, and laid her on the bed next to Gabriel.
Gabriel touched her face lightly, and then bent over to listen to her stomach. After a moment a faint, tired smile crossed his face.
Jack looked over at Spot, who only shrugged. "Mind tellin' us what this is all about, Gabby". Jack asked, and Gabriel looked up, as if remembering that they were still there. "Kinda". He said honestly.
Jack scowled. "Well, she can't exactly stay here unless we'se got a good reason to let her. Kloppy'd have our heads".
"We won't tell anybody if that's what you'se worried about". Spot added. Gabriel's face had taken on a beaten expression, and he sighed.
"I guess I don't have a choice, do I". He said.
"Not if you'se want her to stay here." Jack confirmed, and Gabriel sighed. "Alright..."
Gabriel paused, as if hoping one of them would intercept and say he didn't have to tell them, but neither said a word, only waited his story. Gabriel looked down at the sleeping figure beside him, and reached with one weak hand to pull the blankets more securely around her. "We both came here from Ireland. Immigrated, I guess you could say, to America after an accident. (pause) One that got her pregnant". Gabriel seemed almost regretful, and Jack spoke before he could continue. "Was you the one that did it?" He asked, and Gabriel shook his head. "No, I only was acquainted with her before it happened, but it wasn't me. I had no part in it, (pause) I only wished I could have stopped it". He gazed down at her again, and Spot and Jack looked at each other.
"What happened?" Spot asked, and Gabriel closed his eyes, as if he'd been there to see it and was remembering it with horror and disgust.
"She was...taken advantage of one night. I didn't find her until the next night, that's when we left for America".
"But why'd ya hafta leave?" Spot asked.
"It was the only way..." Gabriel stopped to cough, rather violently, as he'd had to do numerous times as he spoke, and they waited patiently for it to subside. "It was the only way, where she came from they'd have punished her greatly, they'd never have believed it to be an accident".
"Well, dat ain't fair". Jack said, scowling.
"Where'd she come from?" Spot asked, and Jack swatted his arm. "Maybe he don't wanna say, lay off with the questions, will ya?"
"A convent". Gabriel said, sort of interrupting Jack. "She came from a convent in Ireland".
Spot and Jack both looked at each other, either face displaying a look of surprised mixed with discomfort. They knew what a convent was, just barely, and knew that there weren't any in America as far as they knew. This was definitely a strange turn of events.
"What's her name?" Spot asked, and Jack fought the urge to swat him again. "Sarah". Gabriel said with slight hesitation.
"When's she gonna have the baby?" This time Jack did swat him, and he instinctively reached for his cane. "It's alright, Jack". Gabriel said, braking into another fit of coughing and sinking lower onto his pillow, forced to do so from exhaustion. "Just shy of a month, I think".
"And you left her out there alone?" Jack asked, not meaning to sound harsh, but not being able to help himself. "It wasn't my choice!" Gabriel immediately defended himself. "I couldn't bring her here, I'd have stayed out there with her if I could've. That's why I came here, I had to make money somehow, I couldn't let her stay outside all winter! I'm only a little shy of having enough money to rent a room in an Inn I found near Queens, the cheapest I could find-..."
"Queens! Are you crazy or something!?" Spot exclaimed, then paused suddenly. "Wait a minute, what am I thinkin'! You'se could come to Brooklyn! I practically run the joint up there, I'se could get ya a room, easy!" Spot almost looked excited, but Gabriel shook his head.
"N-no, I couldn't intrude on ya like that-..."
"Heck, don't make no difference. We got lots'a space free, and you'se wont hafta pay for nothing". Spot said it with a sharp nod, and Gabriel suddenly knew there was no way he could turn down Spot's offer. He knew this was a sheer blessing from God, the leader of the Brooklyn newsies offering a room at no charge for himself and Sarah. He didn't know Spot very well, but well enough to know that he wasn't the type to go around doing things like this without expecting something back.
Gabriel looked down, or more like over, at the young girl laying beside him, and closed his eyes half from exhaustion and half with content and thankfulness, silently thanking God for answering his prayers. When he opened them again, he smiled weakly at Spot. "Thank you, Spot".
Spot looked over at Jack, smiling almost triumphantly. "That settles it then, soon as you feel up to walkin', you'se is comin' to Brooklyn".
"What about the girl- I mean Sarah. Do we really wanna explain all this to Kloppman?" Jack said, unsure, and Spot paused. "I dunno, Cowboy, if I hurry on outta here, it'll be your hide and not mine. (pause) I suppose I'se could just take her with me, get her set up in Brooklyn and keep an eye on her 'till Gabby here's able to walk on his own to feet".
Gabriel didn't like the sound of this at all. Even though he'd rather have her with Spot than out on the street alone, he wanted badly for her to stay there with him where he could protect her.
"Whadda ya think, Gabe?" Jack asked, and Gabriel thought for a moment. He knew that, in his condition, he wouldn't be able to take very good care of her, and her being with him could vary easily get her sick as well, which would be no good by any means. He knew Spot would protect her, he was known for his fighting ability. No one messed with Spot Conlon. It gave him only little comfort though.
With great hesitation, Gabriel consented to let Spot take Sarah with him to Brooklyn.
Mush folded up the collar of his jacket to keep the biting cold away from his neck as he made his way around another corner. He wished now that he had written Gabriel's directions down, but what could possibly be so important that Mush had to go all the way across town to get for him.
Gabriel had simply told him that there was something he needed, and he wanted Mush to get it and bring it back to the lodging house.
Mush stopped outside a small department store, and read the name on the front window. "Andersons", this was the place. Mush edged to the other side of the building and into the side alley, just as Gabriel had told him to do.
"Next to a wooden crate, by a trash box..." Mush muttered to himself, walking further into the alley. At least the small area sandwiched between the two buildings blocked a good deal of the wind.
He immediately spotted the trash box and hurried over to it, and when he saw no crate, he walked past it to check the other side.
And was met with something he hadn't expected.
It was obviously a person, laying curled up in a ball next to a wooden crate, covered with two or three blankets. Mush recognized the one from Gabriel's bed, he'd had two when he first arrived, and Mush had overheard Crutchy saying something about the missing blanket to Jack, but neither said anything to Gabriel.
Oh boy, Mush couldn't help but think. "Uh...Hey?" He said out loud, but the person didn't respond. "Hey, you awake?" He continued, crouching down and tapping the figure gently. Whoever it was shifted a little, and the blankets were pulled away from their face to reveal a young girl, thin and pale faced. Upon seeing him, she pulled away, frightened.
"It's alright, Gabriel sent me". Mush said right away, but the girl still looked frightened. "I's t'take you back to the lodgin' house with me".
At this, the girl looked a little more at ease, even hopeful.
"The newsies lodging house?" She spoke, her voice soft and frail, with an obvious Irish accent that Mush noticed right off, but didn't say anything about. "Yeah, come on". Mush said, offering to help her up, and she accepted his offer, though making sure to keep the blankets wrapped tightly around herself. Mush put his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the alley and into the bitter cold wind, which continued to grow fiercer with every minute that passed.
Mush noticed right away that the girl tended to walk funny, her legs were a little further apart than normal, especially for a girl her size.
"How far is it?" She asked then, interrupting Mush's thoughts.
"About ten blocks from here, I think".
A pained expression crossed the girls face, but she said nothing.
Mush didn't offer to carry her, but decided in his head that if she fainted or appeared to be getting sick, he'd carry her.
Though another thing he couldn't get over though was that it seemed that she was holding something beneath the blankets that he could not see, he wondered what it was. Half way to the lodging house he found out.
A strong wind suddenly swept across them, and the girl began to cough violently. She lost her grip on her blankets for a moment, causing them to fly open and let a cold breeze hit her, but also long enough to allow Mush to catch sight of her mid-section, which made his eyes go wide.
Either the frailty of her face hid the fact that she was very over-weight, or she was pregnant!
Mush helped her wrap the blanket back around herself, but she looked as though she hadn't even noticed it if she were pregnant.
Mush's silence only lasted a block before he finally asked the question, "Are you pregnant?"
She looked up at him with a look that said didn't you know?. "Yes".
"Well, why didn't you'se say somethin' before?" And with that, Mush swept her off her feet and into his arms in one swift motion, and though she looked greatly startled, he carried her the rest of the way to the lodging house.
*
Mush stumbled up to the lodging house door and banged on it with his foot. The girl had moments before seemed to loose consciousness in his arms, making the trip slightly more difficult for Mush to handle, especially when carrying the extra weight of a baby!
The first one to answer the door, much to Mush's surprise, was Spot Conlon, leader of the Brooklyn newsies! He looked startled when he first saw what was waiting at the door, and when Mush nearly tripped trying to get though the doorway, Spot reached out a caught the load in his arms just before Mush dropped her. Jack was there a second later, helping Spot balance with the girl in his arms and shutting the door behind Mush to keep the cold from coming in.
Spot remained speechless, the whole event having taken place in a matter of about three seconds, while Jack was all questions.
"Where the heck was you?" He asked.
"I had to do somethin' fer Gabriel". Mush said, panting slightly.
"Well who's this?" Jack asked, indicating the girl in Spot's arms.
"That's what I had to do". Mush answered.
"Jacky, she's pregnant!" Spot spoke up then, having just then realized it. "Pregnant!?" Jack exclaimed, hurrying over. Then they both turned to Mush, dumbfounded, and Mush shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me! I just picked her up!"
"Gabe sent you t'get her?" Jack asked, and Mush nodded. Jack and Spot looked at each other, then down at the girl.
"Well, come on, let's find out what's goin' on". Jack said, motioning for Spot to follow him as he made his way toward the storage room where Gabriel was. "If Kloppman finds'er, he'll string us both up, you know dat don't ya?" Spot said, and Jack nodded. "Yeah, and Gabriel too. Then he'll burry us in the basement. Come on". He opened the door quietly and peered in, seeing that Gabriel was awake.
"Jack?" Gabriel spoke weakly, trying to sit up.
"Hey, hey, take it easy there, Gabe. I think you'se got some explaining t'do". Jack said, though not with a threatening tone as he stepped into the room, followed by Spot. Gabriel's eyes went wide. He tried to speak, but only ended up coughing terribly, choking out "What happened?".
"Mush brought her like this, she you're girl or somethin'?" Spot asked, he and Gabriel had met only once before, so they knew each other somewhat.
"Kind of, what's wrong with her?" Gabriel was attempting to get out of bed, and Jack nearly had to shove him to get him to stay there.
"Let me go-," Gabriel tried to say, but Jack interrupted him. "Spot, bring'er over here". Spot did so, and laid her on the bed next to Gabriel.
Gabriel touched her face lightly, and then bent over to listen to her stomach. After a moment a faint, tired smile crossed his face.
Jack looked over at Spot, who only shrugged. "Mind tellin' us what this is all about, Gabby". Jack asked, and Gabriel looked up, as if remembering that they were still there. "Kinda". He said honestly.
Jack scowled. "Well, she can't exactly stay here unless we'se got a good reason to let her. Kloppy'd have our heads".
"We won't tell anybody if that's what you'se worried about". Spot added. Gabriel's face had taken on a beaten expression, and he sighed.
"I guess I don't have a choice, do I". He said.
"Not if you'se want her to stay here." Jack confirmed, and Gabriel sighed. "Alright..."
Gabriel paused, as if hoping one of them would intercept and say he didn't have to tell them, but neither said a word, only waited his story. Gabriel looked down at the sleeping figure beside him, and reached with one weak hand to pull the blankets more securely around her. "We both came here from Ireland. Immigrated, I guess you could say, to America after an accident. (pause) One that got her pregnant". Gabriel seemed almost regretful, and Jack spoke before he could continue. "Was you the one that did it?" He asked, and Gabriel shook his head. "No, I only was acquainted with her before it happened, but it wasn't me. I had no part in it, (pause) I only wished I could have stopped it". He gazed down at her again, and Spot and Jack looked at each other.
"What happened?" Spot asked, and Gabriel closed his eyes, as if he'd been there to see it and was remembering it with horror and disgust.
"She was...taken advantage of one night. I didn't find her until the next night, that's when we left for America".
"But why'd ya hafta leave?" Spot asked.
"It was the only way..." Gabriel stopped to cough, rather violently, as he'd had to do numerous times as he spoke, and they waited patiently for it to subside. "It was the only way, where she came from they'd have punished her greatly, they'd never have believed it to be an accident".
"Well, dat ain't fair". Jack said, scowling.
"Where'd she come from?" Spot asked, and Jack swatted his arm. "Maybe he don't wanna say, lay off with the questions, will ya?"
"A convent". Gabriel said, sort of interrupting Jack. "She came from a convent in Ireland".
Spot and Jack both looked at each other, either face displaying a look of surprised mixed with discomfort. They knew what a convent was, just barely, and knew that there weren't any in America as far as they knew. This was definitely a strange turn of events.
"What's her name?" Spot asked, and Jack fought the urge to swat him again. "Sarah". Gabriel said with slight hesitation.
"When's she gonna have the baby?" This time Jack did swat him, and he instinctively reached for his cane. "It's alright, Jack". Gabriel said, braking into another fit of coughing and sinking lower onto his pillow, forced to do so from exhaustion. "Just shy of a month, I think".
"And you left her out there alone?" Jack asked, not meaning to sound harsh, but not being able to help himself. "It wasn't my choice!" Gabriel immediately defended himself. "I couldn't bring her here, I'd have stayed out there with her if I could've. That's why I came here, I had to make money somehow, I couldn't let her stay outside all winter! I'm only a little shy of having enough money to rent a room in an Inn I found near Queens, the cheapest I could find-..."
"Queens! Are you crazy or something!?" Spot exclaimed, then paused suddenly. "Wait a minute, what am I thinkin'! You'se could come to Brooklyn! I practically run the joint up there, I'se could get ya a room, easy!" Spot almost looked excited, but Gabriel shook his head.
"N-no, I couldn't intrude on ya like that-..."
"Heck, don't make no difference. We got lots'a space free, and you'se wont hafta pay for nothing". Spot said it with a sharp nod, and Gabriel suddenly knew there was no way he could turn down Spot's offer. He knew this was a sheer blessing from God, the leader of the Brooklyn newsies offering a room at no charge for himself and Sarah. He didn't know Spot very well, but well enough to know that he wasn't the type to go around doing things like this without expecting something back.
Gabriel looked down, or more like over, at the young girl laying beside him, and closed his eyes half from exhaustion and half with content and thankfulness, silently thanking God for answering his prayers. When he opened them again, he smiled weakly at Spot. "Thank you, Spot".
Spot looked over at Jack, smiling almost triumphantly. "That settles it then, soon as you feel up to walkin', you'se is comin' to Brooklyn".
"What about the girl- I mean Sarah. Do we really wanna explain all this to Kloppman?" Jack said, unsure, and Spot paused. "I dunno, Cowboy, if I hurry on outta here, it'll be your hide and not mine. (pause) I suppose I'se could just take her with me, get her set up in Brooklyn and keep an eye on her 'till Gabby here's able to walk on his own to feet".
Gabriel didn't like the sound of this at all. Even though he'd rather have her with Spot than out on the street alone, he wanted badly for her to stay there with him where he could protect her.
"Whadda ya think, Gabe?" Jack asked, and Gabriel thought for a moment. He knew that, in his condition, he wouldn't be able to take very good care of her, and her being with him could vary easily get her sick as well, which would be no good by any means. He knew Spot would protect her, he was known for his fighting ability. No one messed with Spot Conlon. It gave him only little comfort though.
With great hesitation, Gabriel consented to let Spot take Sarah with him to Brooklyn.
