Chapter 2
3 o'clock the next afternoon; Manhattan streets---
"It's you again." Jack saw Destiny from across the street and came jogging to her.
She was looking down at the ground again. "Hi," she whispered.
Jack put his hand up to his neck and rubbed it. "Uh, so are you doin' anyting taday?"
Destiny was astonished. Is this guy really doing what I think he's doing? she asked herself. "Well… I've got to wait for Margaret and…" Almost as if it were by magic, Margaret appeared from around a corner and linked arms quickly with Destiny.
"Ay," Jack said with a nod.
Margaret grinned. "Hello again Mista' Kelly." She turned her head to Destiny. "Would you like ta talk ta this boy?" she asked her.
Destiny shrugged.
Jack chuckled. "Would you like ta go ova' ta 'Tibby's' wit me? I should be goin' ova' der 'bout now."
"What's 'Tibby's'?" Destiny asked Margaret, still not looking up.
"It's a restaurant honey. And we would love ta go there with you Mista' Kelly." Destiny suddenly looked worried. Margaret patted her hand. "It's all right baby, I'll go along ta keep it all in order," she assured her in a whisper.
Destiny nodded, forcing a grin underneath her hair. "OK."
The three walked together in silence to "Tibby's". When they arrived, Jack headed to a booth. Margaret clutched Destiny's hand and told her, "Wow! I haven't been ta a restaurant like this is a long time!" She lowered her head and whispered in Destiny's ear, "You can look up child." The girl shook her head. "It's all right," Margaret assured her, "you know I always tell you there's nothin' wrong with your eyes. You can look up. No one will know that they're…"
"Dead," Destiny mumbled.
Margaret shook her head. She saw Jack at his booth and the two walked over to him. Beside Jack was Bumlets. He was whispering in Jack's ear and stopped when they sat down. He gave them a wide grin and greeted them, "Ay, I'm Bumlets."
"Hi. Destiny." Destiny's squeak was barely heard.
"Hello!" Margaret exclaimed for the girl.
Kid Blink came over to the table, a smug grin on his face. "So didja see dat goil again?" he inquired, not realizing that there were two women in front of Jack. Blink looked at the girls and back at Jack. "Uh… I mean… didja see dat goil ya know's… dat one goil… da otha' day… uh… Betty or sumpin'… and she… Uh…"
Jack stopped him and said, "Ay, why don't ya find sumpin' fa us ta drink eh?"
Blink gave him thumbs up and turned around. He grabbed a jug of soda from a near-by table and put it in the center of their table. Jack looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. "Tanks Blink." Blink nodded and walked backwards toward his table, watching Bumlet's laugh.
Margaret chuckled. "Such an excited boy!" she told them.
Destiny let out a quick giggle and brought her head up quickly. Jack glanced at her blue eyes. They looked pure and perfect, he thought. Margaret smiled as she saw the connection. "I wonda' if I should go back and do our laundry honey. How about I do that and you stay here with these nice boys?" Destiny gave a quick shake of her head. "Don't worry," Margaret whispered, "they're gentlemen. I can tell already." Destiny stood up when she felt Margaret rise from the booth. "Mista' Kelly, I'll be back for D in about 25 minutes. Can you make sure she is outside?"
Jack smiled. "Oh sure," he told her.
Destiny slumped back down, almost shaking. How can she do this to me? she asked herself. Margaret leaned down and whispered, "You can look at them honey. Kelly liked your eyes." She winked; even knowing that Destiny couldn't see it. She added, in an even lower whisper, "And if he figures it out and he isn't mature about it, then he wasn't right for you." Destiny nodded and gave Margaret a quick hug. "Bye baby. See you in a bit."
Destiny pulled her back down quickly before she left and whispered, "10 minutes."
"OK," Margaret chuckled. And with that said she left.
Jack half-smiled. Destiny felt her heart beating even harder as she picked her head up. Bumlet's smiled when he saw the girl's eyes. "Baby blues," he commented.
She quickly put her head back down. Baby blues? she asked herself. I don't know what blue even is. She felt her cheeks get red. "So how was your day?" she asked the two.
"Well, I sold more papes den I really supposed I would'a," Jack stated.
"You're a newsie?" she asked him.
He nodded and said, "Yeah, I been one for a long time."
"I'm a newsie too," Bumlet's inserted.
Jack felt that he should make Destiny feel more at home in "Tibby's". He didn't want her to feel like she had to look down at the table the whole time and keep her eyes from looking at his own, or Bumlets' for that matter. "So where ya from?" he inquired, propping his feet up on the extra space beside Destiny.
"I'm from a lot of different places. I can't say one specific location though… I was kind of put up for adoption when I was younger."
Jack turned his head as he turned red, angry with himself for asking something that would make her feel even more uncomfortable. "Sorry," he told her.
She shrugged. "I'm glad I have Margaret," she told them. "I was taken to her adoption center in Maine was I was about 3 months old. No one wanted someone… like me… so when she decided to close it down after everyone was put up she kept me. Maybe because she felt she had to. But we've grown close." She picked her head up and smiled. Jack noticed she didn't look at him or Bumlets. Her eyes wandered through the space between their shoulders. He just couldn't help staring at her though. She didn't glance at either one of them but must have felt Jack's eyes. She put her head back down after her smile faded. "So what about you two?" she asked.
Bumlets answered for the both of them, "We live at da lodgin' house, dat way." He pointed towards the window and then shifted his hand to the right.
Destiny's face burned. She hated this. They didn't know yet. She thought she had made it quite clear and obvious. She raised her head and nodded, saying, "Yes, I think I know what you're talking about."
Bumlets shrugged and Jack told Destiny, "It's a lodgin' house fa just us newsies. It's great." He crossed his legs on the cushion of the booth. "Dat's dat dough. We all do basically da same ting each day. We wake up, try'n find some food, get our papes, sell 'em, den come ova' here till lata'. And head back ta bed. And if it's still early, we might sumpin' else wit our extra money."
"Sounds like a good life," Destiny stated. She put her hands up on the table and folded them. Then she put some strands of her hair behind her ear.
"It's OK," the two guys said at once.
From the booth behind Destiny, Racetrack turned around. "Ay!" he greeted.
Destiny raised her head and listened. "Hello?" she replied.
Racetrack smiled and got up out of his own booth. Then he kicked Jack's feet off beside Destiny and sat next to her. "Da name's Racetrack Higgins," he informed.
"Destiny Wood."
Racetrack looked at her from hair to waist. He realized she wasn't looking him or any of the other guys. "So why are ya hangin' out wit dese bumma's?" he asked her.
She giggled.
"Bumma's?" Jack inquired, his shoulders rising.
Racetrack shrugged. "Nah," he said, "I'se just…" His voice trailed off.
Bumlets raised himself up and Jack got out. "I was gonna get myself a readin' book from 'Solomonia & Hart Books'," he stated.
Jack nodded and when Bumlets left the area, he sat back down and told Destiny, "He's a real book worm, dat Bumlets. Weird. Do you read a lot?"
All the wrong things to ask, Destiny thought. She shook her head and said, "But Margaret reads a lot aloud to me."
Racetrack picked himself up. "It was nice meetin' ya," he told her.
She nodded in reply. "Yes, it was nice to meet you too."
He stalked back to the booth behind Destiny again and slumped into it as he began talking. Jack propped his feet back up again. "Dat's Race for ya," he stated.
"Where did he get his name?" Destiny inquired, "It's very… original."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, it is. We's all got's nicknames but dat one's Race's name stuck. He can't member his real one. He goes ta da Sheepshed Races outta town a lot and gambles on da horses. Dat's how he got's it. Racetrack."
"Interesting," Destiny giggled. She got up. "I think I'll go out and wait for Margaret now," she whispered.
Jack got up also. "I'll wait out der wit you…"
She shook her head. "It's OK. I'm sure she'll be there soon."
Jack nodded and sat back down. "OK. But will I see you again?" She shrugged. "Hopefully?" he inquired.
She cracked a smile. "Of course. I'll be at my corner." And with that said she departed.
7:15 that night, back at Destiny and Margaret's house---
"They still don't know?" Margaret chuckled as she brushed Destiny's hair on the bed again, like they did every night.
Destiny nodded. "I don't believe they even think I'm blind. It's kind of funny." She cracked as smile. "I like being treated normal, without anyone knowing anything," she added.
"Oh honey, they shouldn't treat you any different. If they do then they ain't good enough for nobody." Margaret tugged at Destiny's hair and pulled it up in a bun on top of her head. "You're so pretty," she observed.
Destiny sighed. "You say that but no one else seems to think so." She scrunched her face up.
"Oh baby, people think so! You need to pick your head up more for one thing though." She stood up and pulled the bed covers down. She took Destiny's hand and helped her into bed. "Did Mista' Kelly say anything to you?"
Destiny nodded. "I think he's going to meet me at the corner again."
Margaret stretched a smile. "That's nice," she said.
"I can hear you smiling," Destiny told her with a giggle.
"Nonsense. You get to sleep and you tell me all in detail about tomorrow when it happens." Margaret covered Destiny up and left the room. Destiny's eyes stuck to the ceiling but saw nothing. She wished she could see the dimness that people talk about at night. She wanted to live with color. She wanted more than darkness.
READ ON!
3 o'clock the next afternoon; Manhattan streets---
"It's you again." Jack saw Destiny from across the street and came jogging to her.
She was looking down at the ground again. "Hi," she whispered.
Jack put his hand up to his neck and rubbed it. "Uh, so are you doin' anyting taday?"
Destiny was astonished. Is this guy really doing what I think he's doing? she asked herself. "Well… I've got to wait for Margaret and…" Almost as if it were by magic, Margaret appeared from around a corner and linked arms quickly with Destiny.
"Ay," Jack said with a nod.
Margaret grinned. "Hello again Mista' Kelly." She turned her head to Destiny. "Would you like ta talk ta this boy?" she asked her.
Destiny shrugged.
Jack chuckled. "Would you like ta go ova' ta 'Tibby's' wit me? I should be goin' ova' der 'bout now."
"What's 'Tibby's'?" Destiny asked Margaret, still not looking up.
"It's a restaurant honey. And we would love ta go there with you Mista' Kelly." Destiny suddenly looked worried. Margaret patted her hand. "It's all right baby, I'll go along ta keep it all in order," she assured her in a whisper.
Destiny nodded, forcing a grin underneath her hair. "OK."
The three walked together in silence to "Tibby's". When they arrived, Jack headed to a booth. Margaret clutched Destiny's hand and told her, "Wow! I haven't been ta a restaurant like this is a long time!" She lowered her head and whispered in Destiny's ear, "You can look up child." The girl shook her head. "It's all right," Margaret assured her, "you know I always tell you there's nothin' wrong with your eyes. You can look up. No one will know that they're…"
"Dead," Destiny mumbled.
Margaret shook her head. She saw Jack at his booth and the two walked over to him. Beside Jack was Bumlets. He was whispering in Jack's ear and stopped when they sat down. He gave them a wide grin and greeted them, "Ay, I'm Bumlets."
"Hi. Destiny." Destiny's squeak was barely heard.
"Hello!" Margaret exclaimed for the girl.
Kid Blink came over to the table, a smug grin on his face. "So didja see dat goil again?" he inquired, not realizing that there were two women in front of Jack. Blink looked at the girls and back at Jack. "Uh… I mean… didja see dat goil ya know's… dat one goil… da otha' day… uh… Betty or sumpin'… and she… Uh…"
Jack stopped him and said, "Ay, why don't ya find sumpin' fa us ta drink eh?"
Blink gave him thumbs up and turned around. He grabbed a jug of soda from a near-by table and put it in the center of their table. Jack looked up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. "Tanks Blink." Blink nodded and walked backwards toward his table, watching Bumlet's laugh.
Margaret chuckled. "Such an excited boy!" she told them.
Destiny let out a quick giggle and brought her head up quickly. Jack glanced at her blue eyes. They looked pure and perfect, he thought. Margaret smiled as she saw the connection. "I wonda' if I should go back and do our laundry honey. How about I do that and you stay here with these nice boys?" Destiny gave a quick shake of her head. "Don't worry," Margaret whispered, "they're gentlemen. I can tell already." Destiny stood up when she felt Margaret rise from the booth. "Mista' Kelly, I'll be back for D in about 25 minutes. Can you make sure she is outside?"
Jack smiled. "Oh sure," he told her.
Destiny slumped back down, almost shaking. How can she do this to me? she asked herself. Margaret leaned down and whispered, "You can look at them honey. Kelly liked your eyes." She winked; even knowing that Destiny couldn't see it. She added, in an even lower whisper, "And if he figures it out and he isn't mature about it, then he wasn't right for you." Destiny nodded and gave Margaret a quick hug. "Bye baby. See you in a bit."
Destiny pulled her back down quickly before she left and whispered, "10 minutes."
"OK," Margaret chuckled. And with that said she left.
Jack half-smiled. Destiny felt her heart beating even harder as she picked her head up. Bumlet's smiled when he saw the girl's eyes. "Baby blues," he commented.
She quickly put her head back down. Baby blues? she asked herself. I don't know what blue even is. She felt her cheeks get red. "So how was your day?" she asked the two.
"Well, I sold more papes den I really supposed I would'a," Jack stated.
"You're a newsie?" she asked him.
He nodded and said, "Yeah, I been one for a long time."
"I'm a newsie too," Bumlet's inserted.
Jack felt that he should make Destiny feel more at home in "Tibby's". He didn't want her to feel like she had to look down at the table the whole time and keep her eyes from looking at his own, or Bumlets' for that matter. "So where ya from?" he inquired, propping his feet up on the extra space beside Destiny.
"I'm from a lot of different places. I can't say one specific location though… I was kind of put up for adoption when I was younger."
Jack turned his head as he turned red, angry with himself for asking something that would make her feel even more uncomfortable. "Sorry," he told her.
She shrugged. "I'm glad I have Margaret," she told them. "I was taken to her adoption center in Maine was I was about 3 months old. No one wanted someone… like me… so when she decided to close it down after everyone was put up she kept me. Maybe because she felt she had to. But we've grown close." She picked her head up and smiled. Jack noticed she didn't look at him or Bumlets. Her eyes wandered through the space between their shoulders. He just couldn't help staring at her though. She didn't glance at either one of them but must have felt Jack's eyes. She put her head back down after her smile faded. "So what about you two?" she asked.
Bumlets answered for the both of them, "We live at da lodgin' house, dat way." He pointed towards the window and then shifted his hand to the right.
Destiny's face burned. She hated this. They didn't know yet. She thought she had made it quite clear and obvious. She raised her head and nodded, saying, "Yes, I think I know what you're talking about."
Bumlets shrugged and Jack told Destiny, "It's a lodgin' house fa just us newsies. It's great." He crossed his legs on the cushion of the booth. "Dat's dat dough. We all do basically da same ting each day. We wake up, try'n find some food, get our papes, sell 'em, den come ova' here till lata'. And head back ta bed. And if it's still early, we might sumpin' else wit our extra money."
"Sounds like a good life," Destiny stated. She put her hands up on the table and folded them. Then she put some strands of her hair behind her ear.
"It's OK," the two guys said at once.
From the booth behind Destiny, Racetrack turned around. "Ay!" he greeted.
Destiny raised her head and listened. "Hello?" she replied.
Racetrack smiled and got up out of his own booth. Then he kicked Jack's feet off beside Destiny and sat next to her. "Da name's Racetrack Higgins," he informed.
"Destiny Wood."
Racetrack looked at her from hair to waist. He realized she wasn't looking him or any of the other guys. "So why are ya hangin' out wit dese bumma's?" he asked her.
She giggled.
"Bumma's?" Jack inquired, his shoulders rising.
Racetrack shrugged. "Nah," he said, "I'se just…" His voice trailed off.
Bumlets raised himself up and Jack got out. "I was gonna get myself a readin' book from 'Solomonia & Hart Books'," he stated.
Jack nodded and when Bumlets left the area, he sat back down and told Destiny, "He's a real book worm, dat Bumlets. Weird. Do you read a lot?"
All the wrong things to ask, Destiny thought. She shook her head and said, "But Margaret reads a lot aloud to me."
Racetrack picked himself up. "It was nice meetin' ya," he told her.
She nodded in reply. "Yes, it was nice to meet you too."
He stalked back to the booth behind Destiny again and slumped into it as he began talking. Jack propped his feet back up again. "Dat's Race for ya," he stated.
"Where did he get his name?" Destiny inquired, "It's very… original."
Jack chuckled. "Yeah, it is. We's all got's nicknames but dat one's Race's name stuck. He can't member his real one. He goes ta da Sheepshed Races outta town a lot and gambles on da horses. Dat's how he got's it. Racetrack."
"Interesting," Destiny giggled. She got up. "I think I'll go out and wait for Margaret now," she whispered.
Jack got up also. "I'll wait out der wit you…"
She shook her head. "It's OK. I'm sure she'll be there soon."
Jack nodded and sat back down. "OK. But will I see you again?" She shrugged. "Hopefully?" he inquired.
She cracked a smile. "Of course. I'll be at my corner." And with that said she departed.
7:15 that night, back at Destiny and Margaret's house---
"They still don't know?" Margaret chuckled as she brushed Destiny's hair on the bed again, like they did every night.
Destiny nodded. "I don't believe they even think I'm blind. It's kind of funny." She cracked as smile. "I like being treated normal, without anyone knowing anything," she added.
"Oh honey, they shouldn't treat you any different. If they do then they ain't good enough for nobody." Margaret tugged at Destiny's hair and pulled it up in a bun on top of her head. "You're so pretty," she observed.
Destiny sighed. "You say that but no one else seems to think so." She scrunched her face up.
"Oh baby, people think so! You need to pick your head up more for one thing though." She stood up and pulled the bed covers down. She took Destiny's hand and helped her into bed. "Did Mista' Kelly say anything to you?"
Destiny nodded. "I think he's going to meet me at the corner again."
Margaret stretched a smile. "That's nice," she said.
"I can hear you smiling," Destiny told her with a giggle.
"Nonsense. You get to sleep and you tell me all in detail about tomorrow when it happens." Margaret covered Destiny up and left the room. Destiny's eyes stuck to the ceiling but saw nothing. She wished she could see the dimness that people talk about at night. She wanted to live with color. She wanted more than darkness.
READ ON!
