Part 5: Father of the Year


Jack Kelly and Spot Conlon strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge catching up on old times. Spot's attitude had changed so much, Jack noted. He wasn't as aggressive and cold-hearted acting as he was when they were kids. Spot didn't notice any difference in Jack. He still looked the same - only aged a little - and had a beard growing. But, all and all, he was still the same Jack Kelly.
"How long have you been back, Jacky-boy?" Spot asked, as they walked down a street in Brooklyn. Jack had no idea where Spot was actually going, but he went with him anyway.
"Just a day" he replied, relaxed.
Spot looked over at him surprised. "That's it! You couldn't a gone too many places. Where you been?"
Jack glanced at his friend. "To the ole' lodgin' house."
"You got to meet any of the kids there?"
"Yeah" Jack replied.
"You met Hawkeye? That kid reminds me so much of you." He smirked. "But not as stupid."
Jack pushed Spot's shoulder. "You have room to talk, mister 'but I got brains too'. I didn't really see any thing similar between me and him."
"Yeah, well, the kid is a wise guy like you. He keeps all the newsies in all the boroughs in line."
"I got to meet your 'cousin', Cock Shiloh. Now, that kid reminds me a you."
Spot glared over at him. "Criminy, that kid!"
"Is he your real cousin?"
Spot frowned. "With the way my luck was going at da time, yeah."
"How do you know he's really related to you?"
"Me mother's brother is his father. I didn't know until the kid came around about a year after you left. I had to take him in. After I left the Brooklyn lodgin' house, he just sorta took over."
"I tell you Spot, that group of kids there now in Manhattan, they're all right."
"Yeah, they are."
Spot suddenly stopped in front of an apartment building that wasn't too worn down looking. He smirked, and pointed up to it.
"This is my stop. Why don'tcha come up."
Jack agreed, and they headed into the building. He followed Spot up three flits of stairs until he stopped in front of the second door of the third floor. He unlocked it and walked in. Jack peered around the mid-size tenement. It was a clean apartment with more of a ladies touch than a man's. Jack wondered.
"Make yourself at home, Jacky-boy" Spot said, putting his cane down by the door. "Baby, I'm home!"
"Daddy!" came two little voices in unison from the kitchen. Two little girls came running at full speed right into Spot's arms.
"Heya girls" he greeting, scooping them up into his arms.
The smallest girl with curly blonde locks pulled away from him. "Daddy, we missed you today."
"Kid, you always miss me" he retorted, ruffling her hair.
"Yeah, but today…" She leaned in closer to his ear. "Mommy's been getting mad and then happy then mad again."
"She's driving us nutballs" the little brown headed girl whispered.
"Y'know, Mommy is gonna have mood swings with the little baby grownin' in her belly."
Jack watched in shock at the scene that was playing out in front of him. Was this the same Spot Conlon? The boy who was so rough and intimidating to everyone? Naw, this is not Spot.
"Ben" a female voice called. A lady around Spot's height walked out of the kitchen with a round belly under her apron.
"Hey Glory" he greeted his wife, kissing her on the cheek.
Glory looked over at the door to see an unfamiliar face. "I see you brought home a friend."
Spot smiled intently. "Yeah, baby. This is a ole' friend a mine, Jack Kelly. Jack this is my wife, Glory."
"Pleasure to meetcha ma'am" he said, shaking Glory's hand.
"Oh, these two are my daughters. Sally…" he placed his hand on top the brunette. "…and this is Tressa." He ruffled the little blonde girl's hair again. She slapped his hand away.
"Your Jacky-boy?" Tressa asked, staring up at Jack with intense, crystal blue eyes that looked so much like Spot's.
"Yeah, that's me." Jack smiled.
"Wow! Daddy has told us stories about you and him when you were kids. He told us everything about the strike, and how he saved your lousy hide when you and the Manhattan newsies got locked in the gate. And…"
Tressa was getting faster and faster as she talked. Spot throw his hand over her mouth to stop her from saying anything he didn't want to be repeated.
"That's enough, Tress. You gotta learn how to breath, goil. Besides, Jack knows all the stories." He leaned in closer to Jack. "Don't know where she got that mouth." Jack just smiled, knowing exactly where she got it.
Glory stepped in. "Girls. Why don't you go in the kitchen, and set the table." The little girls ran back into the kitchen. "Jack, are you staying for dinner?"
"Uh…" He thought for a moment, but Spot interrupted.
"Of course, he is."
"I don't want to intrude."
"You're not intruding, Jack. I always make plenty of food, because someone…" she glanced over at Spot who was sarcastically staring off into space. "…brings home newsboys ever week to eat with us."
"Hey! Sometimes they need a hand. We know how it feels to not have anything, don't we Glory?" He stared her straight in the face.
Glory diverted her eyes to the floor. She hated when he did that. She mumbled something that sounded like "yes, I know", but they couldn't hear her very clearly.
Jack found the tension growing in the room. He looked down to see Glory's belly that was bulging. "How far along are you?"
She looked up, smiling. "Seven months. The arrival is coming soon."
"Yeah, and it's gonna be a boy too" Spot declared, rubbing Glory's stomach.
"Ben, we don't know if it's going to be a boy or girl till it's born."
"It's gonna be a boy. I love my goils ana all, but I wanna pass on the Conlon name."
"Well, the girls are probably finished setting the table now."
"Good. I'm starvin'."
Fish and beans were on the Conlon family menu that night. Tressa fought to sit by Jack. She was a little devil, he noted. He watched her chat away while everyone else at the table listened, or at least seemed to listen. Spot stopped her a couple times, but she went right back to talking a few seconds later. Jack shook his head still amazed that this was actually Spot Conlon's family. He never imagined it. He glanced over at Spot's oldest daughter, who was just fiddling with her food. She hadn't spoke a word since he'd gotten there.
"So, goils, how old are you?" he asked to see if he could get her to talk.
"I'm five" Tressa blurted, holding up five fingers. "And, Sally…"
"Tressa! Sally can speak for herself" Glory cut her off.
Tressa sat back in her chair and pouted. Jack turned to look at Sally. She looked like she wanted to shrivel up and die as she slid down in her chair.
"How old are you, Sally?" Jack asked her directly.
She was silent for a moment till she collected enough courage. "I'm seven and a half."
Jack laughed. "That half is important, isn't it?"
Sally nodded slightly then grinned shyly.
"Is this guy a good dad?"
"He's the greatest!" Tressa hurried up to say.
"Yeah, he's the best" Sally said. "And, I'm not just saying that because he's in front of me" she added, glancing up at Spot to see his expression.
He smirked at her. "That's my goils."
"How'd you two meet?" Jack asked Spot and Glory.
Spot put down his glass. "Well, I was walkin' on the Brooklyn Bridge one day when I saw this goil spittin' off into the water."
Glory continued. "He strolls up to me casually and began a spitting contest with me. He didn't even know who I was."
"After we ran outta saliva, we went and got something to drink. She told me she didn't have no place to go, so, I offered her to stay at the Brooklyn lodgin' house and become a newsie. We found out we didn't get along too good though."
Glory started snickering to herself. "I stole his slingshot and popped him one on the back of his head."
"And, I pushed her into the river."
"After we got into all that, he came to me with a peace offering."
Spot turned sharply to her. "I came to *you* with a peace offerin'?!"
Tressa smirked mischievously. "Mommy and Daddy's gonna get into it again."
They all looked at her, bemused. She grinned sheepishly then went back to eating.
The argument ended a few seconds later. Jack noticed Spot and Glory were very competitive with each other, but they never fought for long. He could tell she had changed him indirectly. So had his children. I never thought Spot would change. So, this is what happens when you settle down. He watched as Spot played with the girls in the front room. He really does love 'em. Jack glanced at his pocket watch.
"I gotta get goin'." He stood up from the armchair.
"Do you really have to go?" Tressa groaned.
"Yeah, but don't worry. You'll see me again" he told her, bending down to her height.
"Jack, you better not leave New Yawk witout sayin' 'good-bye', like you did last time" Spot said.
Jack nodded. "Of course, I won't leave without sayin' 'good-bye'. I'll be heah for a while."
"Where you goin' now?"
"I'm off to the Sheepshed Races. I hear Racetrack is an announcer there."
Sally lit up. "We go there all the time."
"I bring the goils there. They like to see the horses especially Sally" he said, pulling his oldest daughter to him. She leaned her head against his waist.
"I'll see you later. Bye, Glory."
Glory waved from the kitchen table. Jack sudden got an unexpected leach attached to him.
"Bye, Jacky-boy" Tressa said, into his shirt. "Come back and tell me some stories about Santa Fe."
"I will, kid. I will."