Mush hummed the whole way back to the lodging house, every now and
then singing a lyric or two. "What a fine life… wit' me chums…"
"What are you singing?" I wondered.
"Aw, jus' a song me and the fellas use'ta sing. I won'er if'n they'se remem'er it…" He got his answer a moment later, when we passed Kid Blink in the street.
"Hey, Kid!" Mush shouted. "Ya remem'er that one song we'se use'ta sing? 'Carryin' Da Banner'?"
"Ain't it a fine life, carryin' da banner t'rough it all? A mighty fine life, carryin' da banner tough an' tall?" Kid sang, doing a little skippy dance in the street.
Mush looked positively giddy. "Tha's the one!"
He ran over and joined in Kid's dance, and the two sang together, "Every mornin', we'se go where we wishes, we's as free as fishes, shore beats washin' dishes. What a fine life, carryin' da banner home free all!"
I clapped along and sat down on a curb to watch. Some other passerby stopped to watch, and one lady said breathlessly to her friends, "Aren't the poor boys adorable?" The other ladies agreed, squawking in their heavy accents.
"C'mon, Daffodil!" Mush shouted, pulling me up from my seat. "Le's do that fancy dance! The… watz?"
"The waltz," I corrected, and we started to dance. Some street musicians on the corner noticed and struck up a waltz tempo. I threw back my head and laughed, Mush-style. I heard murmurings from the crowd; they liked us and our dancing.
Soon, money was being thrown at our feet, and Kid picked it up for us. Some other newsies came over, and they too began to dance, so Mush and I changed back to his "street" dancing style. Kid began singing "Carryin' The Banner" again, and all the other boys joined in. I wondered just when they'd found time to not only make this up, but come up with dance moves for it, too, as I just tried to copy them.
"Daffodil!" Mush called out above the song. "Backflip!" He caught my eye and nodded, and we did backflips toward each other. The other newsies cheered as they ended the song. A large crowd had gathered, and money was practically showering on us. I looked at Mush and giggled. I had never before been so entirely, completely happy in my entire life.
Mush took me in his arms and kissed me, while the other newsies scrambled for the money. "Meet at Tibby's!" Jack shouted. "We'se gonna divvy up there!"
I hugged Mush close. A woman passed by us and said we reminded her of her own romance with her husband. I looked at her in her fancy, clean clothes, and highly doubted it, but I just smiled at her.
Then the crowd dispersed a little more and I saw one face staring at me, stricken. It was my grandfather, clutching his World paper. I looked back at him, and he slowly took off his hat, in disbelief.
He made his way over. "Victoria?" he asked quietly. It took me a moment to answer, because I was so used to Daffodil that Victoria no longer seemed my name.
"Hello, Grandfather," I said stiffly, still clutching onto Mush. "This is Mush."
"How'd'ya do, sir?" Mush said, grinning and tipping his hat.
"Victoria, I think you should come home, at once," Grandfather said faintly.
"I like it out here," I answered, pushing my frizzy, unkept hair away from my face.
"And you, young sir, you must take your arms away from her. She is a proper young lady," Grandfather told Mush, some stern tones coming back into his voice.
"This is my home now, Grandfather," I answered quietly. "And I'm not a lady anymore."
"You'se ME lady," Mush told me sweetly, and kissed me.
"Get away from her, I said!" Grandfather yelled, knocking Mush away.
I glared at him. "Well, it was nice seeing you. Tell Mother and Father and Grandmother and Rose and Bonnie hello for me," I told him. I spit on my hand and held it out for him to shake, only because I knew he'd consider that my official notice of "going bad".
Just as I'd guessed, he stared at my hand in horror, and didn't shake it. So I, shrugging, wiped my hand on my dress and then grabbed Mush's arm. "C'mon, we'se goin' t' divvy up wit' da udder boys, Mush," I said, in my strongest newsie accent. I took off down the street, pulling Mush in tow.
And I didn't look back at Grandfather.
*
"Say, dat was some accen' back dere! Wondah where you'se picked tha' up," Mush laughed as we sat eating sandwiches in Tibby's. We'd gotten the most money, since Kid Blink had collected our waltzing money specifically for us, and so we'd bought ourselves lunch. After that, we were going to buy me an official newsies cap.
Mush picked me out a gray one, and shoved it on my head. "Aw, yous'e look adorable!" he laughed. I peered out from beneath the hat. Mush paid for the hat, and then led me out of the shop to parade in front of all the fellows. They all laughed and told me exactly how wonderful I looked. We even stopped in the lodging house to show Kloppman, and he too laughed in delight.
"Shouldn't we be selling the afternoon papers?" I asked Mush.
"Aw, I t'ink t'day is too special fer dat! C'mon, le's go convince Jack, Blink and Race to come an' we'se teach ya how ta swim."
We had to wait until Jack, Blink and Race were done selling their papers, but they did so relatively quickly. We headed to the river, but far from Spot Conlon's territory. We all got in, and the boys immediately began to push one another underwater. We enjoyed an afternoon of just splashing around, and, despite the river's vastness, I found it really wasn't all that different than swimming in the pond. The sun began to set, and we realized we'd been in there for a while longer than we'd meant to. As we climbed out, I saw someone sitting on the bank. He looked like he belonged there, even though he didn't; I supposed that was part of the magic of Spot Conlon.
He had on his hat, and it hid his hair and made him seem, somehow, younger. While I grabbed my dry clothes, I could feel his eyes on me, and only me. It made me feel uncomfortable, and I put on my purple dress as quickly as I could over my wet underclothes.
"Hello, there, Miss Daffodil," Spot said softly, and he handed me my new cap, which he'd been fingering. "What's new?"
I looked around. All the boys were just barely out of the water, because Kid Blink and Jack kept throwing the other back in, and Mush (of course) thought this was hilarious and was laughing hysterically, and Racetrack was sitting at the edge with his feet dangling in, trying to light a cigar.
"Spot, I want you to stay away from me," I said quietly, jamming the hat on my head. He gave a laugh, I suppose at my appearance. "No, I'm serious," I said. "If Mush knew you'd kissed me, then…"
"You didn't even tell him?" Spot asked, raising his eyebrows. "Well, well, well. I'se very impressed, Daffodil. So you wants ta keep us a secret, too?"
"Us? What us? There is no us!" I said, stomping one of my feet. "I don't want Mush to come and try to fight you and end up getting more hurt, that's all."
"I think you'se more consoined about t'ings udder dan Mushy gettin' hoit," Spot answered, and pulled a slingshot out. He grabbed a pebble next to him and shot it into the river. It fell mere inches from Jack's head.
"What the—oh, hey! Spot! What'chu doin' heah?" Jack called, standing up out of the water.
"Jus' watchin' me favorite Manhattan newsies makin' fools of demselves," Spot answered, picking up another pebble and shooting it as far as it could go out into the river.
Mush came bounding over, and scooped me up. "Mush!" I giggled, as he kissed my neck. "Go get dressed! No kissing me until you're properly attired."
He put me gently down, then saluted. "Yeah, okay, ma'am." He ran over to his pile of clothes and eagerly put them on, then ran back over and picked me up again, kissing me some more. I giggled again.
"I love you," I told him.
"I loves youse, too!" he answered.
Spot pushed himself to his feet, and as he went to talk to Jack, he lifted his eyebrows at me again. His expression clearly read, 'We'll see about that.'
"What are you singing?" I wondered.
"Aw, jus' a song me and the fellas use'ta sing. I won'er if'n they'se remem'er it…" He got his answer a moment later, when we passed Kid Blink in the street.
"Hey, Kid!" Mush shouted. "Ya remem'er that one song we'se use'ta sing? 'Carryin' Da Banner'?"
"Ain't it a fine life, carryin' da banner t'rough it all? A mighty fine life, carryin' da banner tough an' tall?" Kid sang, doing a little skippy dance in the street.
Mush looked positively giddy. "Tha's the one!"
He ran over and joined in Kid's dance, and the two sang together, "Every mornin', we'se go where we wishes, we's as free as fishes, shore beats washin' dishes. What a fine life, carryin' da banner home free all!"
I clapped along and sat down on a curb to watch. Some other passerby stopped to watch, and one lady said breathlessly to her friends, "Aren't the poor boys adorable?" The other ladies agreed, squawking in their heavy accents.
"C'mon, Daffodil!" Mush shouted, pulling me up from my seat. "Le's do that fancy dance! The… watz?"
"The waltz," I corrected, and we started to dance. Some street musicians on the corner noticed and struck up a waltz tempo. I threw back my head and laughed, Mush-style. I heard murmurings from the crowd; they liked us and our dancing.
Soon, money was being thrown at our feet, and Kid picked it up for us. Some other newsies came over, and they too began to dance, so Mush and I changed back to his "street" dancing style. Kid began singing "Carryin' The Banner" again, and all the other boys joined in. I wondered just when they'd found time to not only make this up, but come up with dance moves for it, too, as I just tried to copy them.
"Daffodil!" Mush called out above the song. "Backflip!" He caught my eye and nodded, and we did backflips toward each other. The other newsies cheered as they ended the song. A large crowd had gathered, and money was practically showering on us. I looked at Mush and giggled. I had never before been so entirely, completely happy in my entire life.
Mush took me in his arms and kissed me, while the other newsies scrambled for the money. "Meet at Tibby's!" Jack shouted. "We'se gonna divvy up there!"
I hugged Mush close. A woman passed by us and said we reminded her of her own romance with her husband. I looked at her in her fancy, clean clothes, and highly doubted it, but I just smiled at her.
Then the crowd dispersed a little more and I saw one face staring at me, stricken. It was my grandfather, clutching his World paper. I looked back at him, and he slowly took off his hat, in disbelief.
He made his way over. "Victoria?" he asked quietly. It took me a moment to answer, because I was so used to Daffodil that Victoria no longer seemed my name.
"Hello, Grandfather," I said stiffly, still clutching onto Mush. "This is Mush."
"How'd'ya do, sir?" Mush said, grinning and tipping his hat.
"Victoria, I think you should come home, at once," Grandfather said faintly.
"I like it out here," I answered, pushing my frizzy, unkept hair away from my face.
"And you, young sir, you must take your arms away from her. She is a proper young lady," Grandfather told Mush, some stern tones coming back into his voice.
"This is my home now, Grandfather," I answered quietly. "And I'm not a lady anymore."
"You'se ME lady," Mush told me sweetly, and kissed me.
"Get away from her, I said!" Grandfather yelled, knocking Mush away.
I glared at him. "Well, it was nice seeing you. Tell Mother and Father and Grandmother and Rose and Bonnie hello for me," I told him. I spit on my hand and held it out for him to shake, only because I knew he'd consider that my official notice of "going bad".
Just as I'd guessed, he stared at my hand in horror, and didn't shake it. So I, shrugging, wiped my hand on my dress and then grabbed Mush's arm. "C'mon, we'se goin' t' divvy up wit' da udder boys, Mush," I said, in my strongest newsie accent. I took off down the street, pulling Mush in tow.
And I didn't look back at Grandfather.
*
"Say, dat was some accen' back dere! Wondah where you'se picked tha' up," Mush laughed as we sat eating sandwiches in Tibby's. We'd gotten the most money, since Kid Blink had collected our waltzing money specifically for us, and so we'd bought ourselves lunch. After that, we were going to buy me an official newsies cap.
Mush picked me out a gray one, and shoved it on my head. "Aw, yous'e look adorable!" he laughed. I peered out from beneath the hat. Mush paid for the hat, and then led me out of the shop to parade in front of all the fellows. They all laughed and told me exactly how wonderful I looked. We even stopped in the lodging house to show Kloppman, and he too laughed in delight.
"Shouldn't we be selling the afternoon papers?" I asked Mush.
"Aw, I t'ink t'day is too special fer dat! C'mon, le's go convince Jack, Blink and Race to come an' we'se teach ya how ta swim."
We had to wait until Jack, Blink and Race were done selling their papers, but they did so relatively quickly. We headed to the river, but far from Spot Conlon's territory. We all got in, and the boys immediately began to push one another underwater. We enjoyed an afternoon of just splashing around, and, despite the river's vastness, I found it really wasn't all that different than swimming in the pond. The sun began to set, and we realized we'd been in there for a while longer than we'd meant to. As we climbed out, I saw someone sitting on the bank. He looked like he belonged there, even though he didn't; I supposed that was part of the magic of Spot Conlon.
He had on his hat, and it hid his hair and made him seem, somehow, younger. While I grabbed my dry clothes, I could feel his eyes on me, and only me. It made me feel uncomfortable, and I put on my purple dress as quickly as I could over my wet underclothes.
"Hello, there, Miss Daffodil," Spot said softly, and he handed me my new cap, which he'd been fingering. "What's new?"
I looked around. All the boys were just barely out of the water, because Kid Blink and Jack kept throwing the other back in, and Mush (of course) thought this was hilarious and was laughing hysterically, and Racetrack was sitting at the edge with his feet dangling in, trying to light a cigar.
"Spot, I want you to stay away from me," I said quietly, jamming the hat on my head. He gave a laugh, I suppose at my appearance. "No, I'm serious," I said. "If Mush knew you'd kissed me, then…"
"You didn't even tell him?" Spot asked, raising his eyebrows. "Well, well, well. I'se very impressed, Daffodil. So you wants ta keep us a secret, too?"
"Us? What us? There is no us!" I said, stomping one of my feet. "I don't want Mush to come and try to fight you and end up getting more hurt, that's all."
"I think you'se more consoined about t'ings udder dan Mushy gettin' hoit," Spot answered, and pulled a slingshot out. He grabbed a pebble next to him and shot it into the river. It fell mere inches from Jack's head.
"What the—oh, hey! Spot! What'chu doin' heah?" Jack called, standing up out of the water.
"Jus' watchin' me favorite Manhattan newsies makin' fools of demselves," Spot answered, picking up another pebble and shooting it as far as it could go out into the river.
Mush came bounding over, and scooped me up. "Mush!" I giggled, as he kissed my neck. "Go get dressed! No kissing me until you're properly attired."
He put me gently down, then saluted. "Yeah, okay, ma'am." He ran over to his pile of clothes and eagerly put them on, then ran back over and picked me up again, kissing me some more. I giggled again.
"I love you," I told him.
"I loves youse, too!" he answered.
Spot pushed himself to his feet, and as he went to talk to Jack, he lifted his eyebrows at me again. His expression clearly read, 'We'll see about that.'
