Chapter 7
Hour's later, Kate's personal laundry maid walked in the room. "Um… Miss."
Kate looked up from the black and white pictures she was studying of her and her Mother. "Yes?"
"There's a man downstairs to speak with you. It's… it's about the Misses."
Kate winced and stood up, dropping the pictures on the floor. She slowly walked down the stairs, studying a man that was sitting in her Mothers' favorite leather armchair. He was wearing the usual clothing, light brown pants and white shirt. His long, dark, black hair was tied up in the back oh his head. His eyes went perfect with his hair. They were a strange shade of green and as Kate walked down they glistened and changed colors. 'Did I just smoke something?' Kate asked herself. She shook her head as she neared the man.
The man stood up and the two just stared into each other's eyes for a long time. The silence was finally broken. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but I was there, and no one else was willing to come." He bit his lip. "Your Mother walked in the ballroom," he began. "We were all just munching on our usual snacks when… Your Mother grabbed an edge of the table. She seemed to be having trouble breathing. We immediately called for help but when a doctor came… it was too late."
Kate's head spun. Wasn't it just a bit ago that her Mother and her were talking about not being mushy? Was this really happening? Kate grabbed hold of her Mother's favorite chair and then let go. She couldn't touch it. The whole house was full of her Mothers' scent. The man went on even further, "The doctor said that she had a bad bug. It's going around. He said that it looks to have started from her. He wants to come and see you as soon as possible."
The maid noticed Kate's change of color and ushered the man out. "I'll get her to bed and call the doctor later," she explained. She came back to Kate.
'How could I even say those things to Jack? How could I say that my Mother thought of me as the devil? How could I make up such lies?' Kate thought to herself, 'Am I really trying to make my life seem so bad?'
The maid took her up to her bed. "It'll be OK."
Kate knew it wouldn't be OK. Her Mother was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Jack! Ya outta da refuge! What happen?" Racetrack was excited that his friend had gotten out. He was also very glad that Kate hadn't been around.
"Well, der was some scab workin' der dat I knew a little bit about. I figured I'd do a bit of…"
"Blackmail?"
Jack chuckled, "Yeah." He took a cigarette from his pocket and Racetrack lit it for him. "So where's Kate? I hope she ain't sad ova' dis or nuttin'."
Racetrack shook his head. "It was her fault anyhow. She should'a gotten ya outta der."
Jack shook his head. "Dey could get her fa more. They might have found out about her problems and gotten her in deeper. Plus, her Mudda's all rich, it wouldn't look to good fa her either."
Racetrack shrugged. "I guess."
"So when was da last time ya saw's her?"
"Da last time you saw's her."
Jack blew a big cloud of smoke. "Dat was ova' a week ago."
"Yeah." Racetrack nodded.
Jack squashed his cigarette on the concrete. "I tink I'll go see her. Wanna come wit me?"
"Nah." He shook his head. "Be careful wit dat goil Jack!" Racetrack called out as he walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
Jack chuckled and half-smiled as he headed towards Kate's. He stopped by someone's porch and picked a weed from the owners' flowerbed. He plucked all the pieces off the weed and threw them on the ground. As he arrived at Kate's door, he kneeled down and picked a rose from her Mother's flowerbed. Then he knocked on the door. After a few minutes, the butler that Jack had remembered from his last visit opened the door. "Ay, member me?"
The butler seemed deeply confused. He looked very tired and was sweating with fury.
"Or maybe not," Jack mumbled. "I came ta see Kate."
"She's had enough visitors. We'll give her your condolences. Please go."
Jack was flabbergasted. "Condolences?" he inquired.
The butler let his head fall to the side and he wiped his forehead. He stepped aside. "I suppose she should have some company. She's up the stairs, second floor. Her room is the third on the right, not counting closets. I'd show you myself but I seem to be having some trouble with the heat."
Jack stepped inside. The house was a lot warmer than the temperature outside. It was a cool day out. He wondered why there were no windows open. He headed up the stairs, admiring the many pictures that scattered the wall up. He counted the doors, excluding the 5 or 10 closets, and reached Kate's bedroom. He knocked on it and then walked in. The room was even warmer. He took the handkerchief from his neck and wiped his burning forehead. He glanced around. The room was bright and girlie looking. It definitely didn't remind him of Kate, except for the night he had met her. There was a nightstand just a few feet from him. It was covered with pills and wine glasses. There was change spilled across the floor, a trail leading right to the bed. Kate was curled up under her covers, the bright sun shining in on her hair. The huge comforter covered the rest of her body.
Jack cleared his throat. No response. He faked a cough. Still nothing. "Kate?" he whispered.
Kate pulled her blanket off of her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a knotty mess, and her mouth was very dry and plastered with blood. She didn't say anything. She just stared at Jack. After a few minutes, she pulled the blanket back over her head.
Jack walked closer and sat on the bed. "Uh, what's new?" he inquired.
Kate pulled the blanket back off. "My…" Her voice was raspy. She coughed and watered her lips with her dry tongue. "My Mother… died." Her eyes filled up and cleared the redness that had been there a few seconds before. "She's gone!" she cried. She flew her arms around Jack's neck and watered his shirt and hair.
Jack didn't know what to say. Giving advice was Kate's job. He just hugged her right back. "Well, uh, when someone passes," he started, "ya gotta just… move on. Ya gotta try'n… not fuhgettabout it, but at least… uh…"
Kate looked up. "It's all right Jack," she said with a sniffle, "I've thought everything over." She hugged him tight again and then pulled away. "I'm sorry about the cocaine," she whispered, still sniffling.
Jack nodded. "I know ya are. Drugs, dey ain't da way ta go Kate."
"I know Jack." Kate let out a stifled sigh and pulled her covers off. There was a bathroom beside her bed and she walked towards her but staggered. Jack quickly held her up. "I haven't been up all that much," Kate explained.
"So what are ya plans?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. My Mother is dead, my Father is dead, my services are leaving, and their taking the house away. I don't know what to do."
"Take a long bath, dat's what ya do first. Den ya take a shower. Den ya get yaself all fixed up and come wit me to da party I was aimin' ta ask ya to." He played with his fingers.
Kate immediately replied, "I say 'Good idea' to all of them." She grinned and added, "When is this party? And is it formal?"
"Tonight, we's all gonna be 'Gink's' at like 6. And it's very formal."
"'Ginks'?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah, it's a nice restaurant ova' on 4th and Broome street. It's kind of a monthly ting we's do sometimes. It's fa all'a da birthdays'a dis month."
"OK then. I guess…" Kate's hands started shaking and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she got out, "my Mother loved parties…"
Jack put his arms around her again and Kate cried some more. "Ya know," she began, "I've been crying for so long and I still can't fucking stop myself."
"But it's good ta cry." He thought for a minute and added, "I tink."
Kate chuckled and pulled herself away, wiping her eyes. "I look like shit. I'll meet you there. I'm sorry."
Jack shook his head. "Dun be sorry." Kate started walking into the bathroom and Jack stopped her again, stating, "And you could neva' look like shit."
"How sweet." Kate half-smiled and got into the shower as Jack made his way downstairs.
The butler who had gotten the door was standing there. "Has the miss gotten up?" he asked Jack.
"Yeah, we're gonna go to a party tonight, uh, if dat's OK."
The butler sighed with relief. "Thank God, she's been awful. Not in any evil, sinister way, just a bit of a burden. She's been most depressed. We are all sad, and we wish not to have to leave, but we have no choice."
Jack nodded. "Right. I hope you all find a good place, but where is Kate supposed ta go?"
"Oh, she didn't tell you? She is going out west to meet a friend of her Mother's. She will stay with her till she can find a permanent home for herself."
"West? How far?"
The butler wiped his forehead, still sweating. "Around the New Mexico area I believe."
Jack's eyes bulged. "Gee, dat's far."
The butler nodded. "We shall all miss her." He opened the door. "Have lots of fun. Treat her well, she deserves it," he stated.
Jack nodded, still in disbelief.
He arrived at the lodging house to find many of the newsies dressed in suits, something he had never seen. "We's all rented suits at dis place ova' in Harlem Jack!" Racetrack exclaimed. He held a suit out to Jack. "We got you one too."
Jack cocked an eyebrow. "And what's da catch?"
"No catch. I beat des suit sealers dead in poka' and dey didn't have no money left so we said we needed some suits fa da night. We just gotta keep 'em clean is all."
Jack nodded, "Der's ya catch."
"So how's Kate doin'?" Kid Blink piped up.
"Oh. Her Mudda' passed away. She been in bed fa a while. But she's comin' to da party. So nobody bug her about it. Right?"
Some of the guys whispered "Aw" while other's nodded in reply. Racetrack, on the other hand, smiled. "So you two talkin' again?" he inquired, pointing to Jack and then at Blink.
Blink shrugged and headed to the bathroom area.
Jack shrugged and dressed himself in the suit.
Read on…
Hour's later, Kate's personal laundry maid walked in the room. "Um… Miss."
Kate looked up from the black and white pictures she was studying of her and her Mother. "Yes?"
"There's a man downstairs to speak with you. It's… it's about the Misses."
Kate winced and stood up, dropping the pictures on the floor. She slowly walked down the stairs, studying a man that was sitting in her Mothers' favorite leather armchair. He was wearing the usual clothing, light brown pants and white shirt. His long, dark, black hair was tied up in the back oh his head. His eyes went perfect with his hair. They were a strange shade of green and as Kate walked down they glistened and changed colors. 'Did I just smoke something?' Kate asked herself. She shook her head as she neared the man.
The man stood up and the two just stared into each other's eyes for a long time. The silence was finally broken. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but I was there, and no one else was willing to come." He bit his lip. "Your Mother walked in the ballroom," he began. "We were all just munching on our usual snacks when… Your Mother grabbed an edge of the table. She seemed to be having trouble breathing. We immediately called for help but when a doctor came… it was too late."
Kate's head spun. Wasn't it just a bit ago that her Mother and her were talking about not being mushy? Was this really happening? Kate grabbed hold of her Mother's favorite chair and then let go. She couldn't touch it. The whole house was full of her Mothers' scent. The man went on even further, "The doctor said that she had a bad bug. It's going around. He said that it looks to have started from her. He wants to come and see you as soon as possible."
The maid noticed Kate's change of color and ushered the man out. "I'll get her to bed and call the doctor later," she explained. She came back to Kate.
'How could I even say those things to Jack? How could I say that my Mother thought of me as the devil? How could I make up such lies?' Kate thought to herself, 'Am I really trying to make my life seem so bad?'
The maid took her up to her bed. "It'll be OK."
Kate knew it wouldn't be OK. Her Mother was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Jack! Ya outta da refuge! What happen?" Racetrack was excited that his friend had gotten out. He was also very glad that Kate hadn't been around.
"Well, der was some scab workin' der dat I knew a little bit about. I figured I'd do a bit of…"
"Blackmail?"
Jack chuckled, "Yeah." He took a cigarette from his pocket and Racetrack lit it for him. "So where's Kate? I hope she ain't sad ova' dis or nuttin'."
Racetrack shook his head. "It was her fault anyhow. She should'a gotten ya outta der."
Jack shook his head. "Dey could get her fa more. They might have found out about her problems and gotten her in deeper. Plus, her Mudda's all rich, it wouldn't look to good fa her either."
Racetrack shrugged. "I guess."
"So when was da last time ya saw's her?"
"Da last time you saw's her."
Jack blew a big cloud of smoke. "Dat was ova' a week ago."
"Yeah." Racetrack nodded.
Jack squashed his cigarette on the concrete. "I tink I'll go see her. Wanna come wit me?"
"Nah." He shook his head. "Be careful wit dat goil Jack!" Racetrack called out as he walked down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
Jack chuckled and half-smiled as he headed towards Kate's. He stopped by someone's porch and picked a weed from the owners' flowerbed. He plucked all the pieces off the weed and threw them on the ground. As he arrived at Kate's door, he kneeled down and picked a rose from her Mother's flowerbed. Then he knocked on the door. After a few minutes, the butler that Jack had remembered from his last visit opened the door. "Ay, member me?"
The butler seemed deeply confused. He looked very tired and was sweating with fury.
"Or maybe not," Jack mumbled. "I came ta see Kate."
"She's had enough visitors. We'll give her your condolences. Please go."
Jack was flabbergasted. "Condolences?" he inquired.
The butler let his head fall to the side and he wiped his forehead. He stepped aside. "I suppose she should have some company. She's up the stairs, second floor. Her room is the third on the right, not counting closets. I'd show you myself but I seem to be having some trouble with the heat."
Jack stepped inside. The house was a lot warmer than the temperature outside. It was a cool day out. He wondered why there were no windows open. He headed up the stairs, admiring the many pictures that scattered the wall up. He counted the doors, excluding the 5 or 10 closets, and reached Kate's bedroom. He knocked on it and then walked in. The room was even warmer. He took the handkerchief from his neck and wiped his burning forehead. He glanced around. The room was bright and girlie looking. It definitely didn't remind him of Kate, except for the night he had met her. There was a nightstand just a few feet from him. It was covered with pills and wine glasses. There was change spilled across the floor, a trail leading right to the bed. Kate was curled up under her covers, the bright sun shining in on her hair. The huge comforter covered the rest of her body.
Jack cleared his throat. No response. He faked a cough. Still nothing. "Kate?" he whispered.
Kate pulled her blanket off of her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a knotty mess, and her mouth was very dry and plastered with blood. She didn't say anything. She just stared at Jack. After a few minutes, she pulled the blanket back over her head.
Jack walked closer and sat on the bed. "Uh, what's new?" he inquired.
Kate pulled the blanket back off. "My…" Her voice was raspy. She coughed and watered her lips with her dry tongue. "My Mother… died." Her eyes filled up and cleared the redness that had been there a few seconds before. "She's gone!" she cried. She flew her arms around Jack's neck and watered his shirt and hair.
Jack didn't know what to say. Giving advice was Kate's job. He just hugged her right back. "Well, uh, when someone passes," he started, "ya gotta just… move on. Ya gotta try'n… not fuhgettabout it, but at least… uh…"
Kate looked up. "It's all right Jack," she said with a sniffle, "I've thought everything over." She hugged him tight again and then pulled away. "I'm sorry about the cocaine," she whispered, still sniffling.
Jack nodded. "I know ya are. Drugs, dey ain't da way ta go Kate."
"I know Jack." Kate let out a stifled sigh and pulled her covers off. There was a bathroom beside her bed and she walked towards her but staggered. Jack quickly held her up. "I haven't been up all that much," Kate explained.
"So what are ya plans?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. My Mother is dead, my Father is dead, my services are leaving, and their taking the house away. I don't know what to do."
"Take a long bath, dat's what ya do first. Den ya take a shower. Den ya get yaself all fixed up and come wit me to da party I was aimin' ta ask ya to." He played with his fingers.
Kate immediately replied, "I say 'Good idea' to all of them." She grinned and added, "When is this party? And is it formal?"
"Tonight, we's all gonna be 'Gink's' at like 6. And it's very formal."
"'Ginks'?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah, it's a nice restaurant ova' on 4th and Broome street. It's kind of a monthly ting we's do sometimes. It's fa all'a da birthdays'a dis month."
"OK then. I guess…" Kate's hands started shaking and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she got out, "my Mother loved parties…"
Jack put his arms around her again and Kate cried some more. "Ya know," she began, "I've been crying for so long and I still can't fucking stop myself."
"But it's good ta cry." He thought for a minute and added, "I tink."
Kate chuckled and pulled herself away, wiping her eyes. "I look like shit. I'll meet you there. I'm sorry."
Jack shook his head. "Dun be sorry." Kate started walking into the bathroom and Jack stopped her again, stating, "And you could neva' look like shit."
"How sweet." Kate half-smiled and got into the shower as Jack made his way downstairs.
The butler who had gotten the door was standing there. "Has the miss gotten up?" he asked Jack.
"Yeah, we're gonna go to a party tonight, uh, if dat's OK."
The butler sighed with relief. "Thank God, she's been awful. Not in any evil, sinister way, just a bit of a burden. She's been most depressed. We are all sad, and we wish not to have to leave, but we have no choice."
Jack nodded. "Right. I hope you all find a good place, but where is Kate supposed ta go?"
"Oh, she didn't tell you? She is going out west to meet a friend of her Mother's. She will stay with her till she can find a permanent home for herself."
"West? How far?"
The butler wiped his forehead, still sweating. "Around the New Mexico area I believe."
Jack's eyes bulged. "Gee, dat's far."
The butler nodded. "We shall all miss her." He opened the door. "Have lots of fun. Treat her well, she deserves it," he stated.
Jack nodded, still in disbelief.
He arrived at the lodging house to find many of the newsies dressed in suits, something he had never seen. "We's all rented suits at dis place ova' in Harlem Jack!" Racetrack exclaimed. He held a suit out to Jack. "We got you one too."
Jack cocked an eyebrow. "And what's da catch?"
"No catch. I beat des suit sealers dead in poka' and dey didn't have no money left so we said we needed some suits fa da night. We just gotta keep 'em clean is all."
Jack nodded, "Der's ya catch."
"So how's Kate doin'?" Kid Blink piped up.
"Oh. Her Mudda' passed away. She been in bed fa a while. But she's comin' to da party. So nobody bug her about it. Right?"
Some of the guys whispered "Aw" while other's nodded in reply. Racetrack, on the other hand, smiled. "So you two talkin' again?" he inquired, pointing to Jack and then at Blink.
Blink shrugged and headed to the bathroom area.
Jack shrugged and dressed himself in the suit.
Read on…