Chapter 6
Jack and Charity walked until they reached Central Park. They came upon a big rock, and sat there for a few minutes silent. Jack sensed something was wrong.
"S'matta? Are ya alright?" Jack asked stroking her hand lovingly. "I don't know." Charity replied. "I feel different." She finished. "Waddua ya mean? You're not different." Jack said attempting to look her in the eye. It was fairly difficult, considering she was sitting in his lap. "I feel like no one loves me. I just feel like my life is falling apart." She said with a tear dropping from her eye. "Waddua ya mean? I love ya." Jack said shocked. Charity didn't believe him. "You're just saying that. I know you don't mean it." She said openly weeping. "What are ya talkin about? I do mean it. I love ya Charity." He said again. "Ok." She said to drop the issue. She still didn't believe Jack. "I have to go." She said getting up and leaving without even a hug or a kiss. Jack could tell something was seriously wrong. Since Charity had left, Jack wasn't just going to sit there and wait for her to come around. He decided to do something about it. He got up and started looking for someone, anyone who might know something. The first person he ran into was Blink. "Blink." He shouted from across the road. Jack motioned for Blink to come over to where he was. Blink got the message and did. "Heya Jack, where'd Charity go?" Blink asked. "Dat's da problem. There's something wrong wit 'er, but she won't tell me, and I was wondering if ya knew anything about it. Ya know?" Jack asked. "Now dat ya mention it, she did act a little different today. But she didn't say nothing about it." Blink said. "Race and Doll face are at da lodging house. Maybe day know sumthin." Blink said. "Thanks Blink." Jack said as he departed for the lodging house. When he got there, he went inside, and sure enough, Race and Doll face were lying on Race's bunk together. "Heya guys, listen, I need to talk to yas." Jack said. "Sure Jack, bout what?" Race said. "Well, Charity's been acing funny today. Not herself, ya know? She won't tell me what's wrong wit 'er. I was wonderin if maybe you guys knew." Jack finished. "I gotta go. bye Race." Doll face said. "Oh no ya don't. Ya know sumthin don't ya?" Jack said. "Doll face, if sumthin's da matta wit Charity, ya gotta tell us." Race said. "It's nothing, really, I know nothing." Doll face said. "You do know sumthin, and ya not telling us." Jack said. "So what if I do, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Doll face said. Jack looked her straight in the eye. His eyes looked so concerned, and helpless. "I'm sorry, I really can't tell ya. If she wants you to know, she'll tell ya." Doll face finished. "She won't even look at me Doll face. She won't let me help 'er." Jack said. "Come on hun." Race said. Doll face leaned over and gave Race a kiss goodbye. "I'm sorry." She said and she left the lodging house. Jack's arms flew up in the air in rage. This was driving him crazy. He only cared about her, and wanted to help her. Jack walked around Manhattan for a while, when he ran into Charity sitting on a bench alone. She hadn't noticed him, because she was in deep thought. Jack sat down next to her, and she still didn't move. "Hey hun." He said softly. It took her a moment to snap out of her daze. "Oh, Hi." She said looking down at her feet. "Ya really need to tell me what's da matta. I'm scared for ya." Jack said. "You don't need to know." She said crying again. "Yeah I do, it's affectin our relationship. You won't even look at me for god sakes. I need ta know." Jack said resting his hand on hers. She moved her hand away. This was getting over the line, she wouldn't even let him touch her. "I'm sorry. I just can't. Not yet." She said. "You want to know so badly, take to Mush." She finished. Now that Charity said that, Jack realized Mush had been acting weird lately too. He decided this was a good plan. "Charity, I am going to go talk to Mush, because I do love you, and I need to know. I care about you so much, and your not telling me anything. This is serious." Jack said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and left to go find Mush. Mush was with Crutchy in Tibby's. They were sitting all by themselves in a corner. Mush looked very depressed. "Heya Mush, Crutchy. Mush, are ya alright?" Jack asked. "No. Got a bit of bad news last night." Mush said. "That's what I want ta talk to ya about." Jack said. "Ya mean, ya know about it already?" Mush asked. "No, I don't. But Charity is really upset about whatever this is, so I need ta know, because he won't talk to me at all. I'm really worried." Jack said. "I'd expect her ta be." Mush said. "Last night, our mother died." Mush said.
Jack and Charity walked until they reached Central Park. They came upon a big rock, and sat there for a few minutes silent. Jack sensed something was wrong.
"S'matta? Are ya alright?" Jack asked stroking her hand lovingly. "I don't know." Charity replied. "I feel different." She finished. "Waddua ya mean? You're not different." Jack said attempting to look her in the eye. It was fairly difficult, considering she was sitting in his lap. "I feel like no one loves me. I just feel like my life is falling apart." She said with a tear dropping from her eye. "Waddua ya mean? I love ya." Jack said shocked. Charity didn't believe him. "You're just saying that. I know you don't mean it." She said openly weeping. "What are ya talkin about? I do mean it. I love ya Charity." He said again. "Ok." She said to drop the issue. She still didn't believe Jack. "I have to go." She said getting up and leaving without even a hug or a kiss. Jack could tell something was seriously wrong. Since Charity had left, Jack wasn't just going to sit there and wait for her to come around. He decided to do something about it. He got up and started looking for someone, anyone who might know something. The first person he ran into was Blink. "Blink." He shouted from across the road. Jack motioned for Blink to come over to where he was. Blink got the message and did. "Heya Jack, where'd Charity go?" Blink asked. "Dat's da problem. There's something wrong wit 'er, but she won't tell me, and I was wondering if ya knew anything about it. Ya know?" Jack asked. "Now dat ya mention it, she did act a little different today. But she didn't say nothing about it." Blink said. "Race and Doll face are at da lodging house. Maybe day know sumthin." Blink said. "Thanks Blink." Jack said as he departed for the lodging house. When he got there, he went inside, and sure enough, Race and Doll face were lying on Race's bunk together. "Heya guys, listen, I need to talk to yas." Jack said. "Sure Jack, bout what?" Race said. "Well, Charity's been acing funny today. Not herself, ya know? She won't tell me what's wrong wit 'er. I was wonderin if maybe you guys knew." Jack finished. "I gotta go. bye Race." Doll face said. "Oh no ya don't. Ya know sumthin don't ya?" Jack said. "Doll face, if sumthin's da matta wit Charity, ya gotta tell us." Race said. "It's nothing, really, I know nothing." Doll face said. "You do know sumthin, and ya not telling us." Jack said. "So what if I do, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Doll face said. Jack looked her straight in the eye. His eyes looked so concerned, and helpless. "I'm sorry, I really can't tell ya. If she wants you to know, she'll tell ya." Doll face finished. "She won't even look at me Doll face. She won't let me help 'er." Jack said. "Come on hun." Race said. Doll face leaned over and gave Race a kiss goodbye. "I'm sorry." She said and she left the lodging house. Jack's arms flew up in the air in rage. This was driving him crazy. He only cared about her, and wanted to help her. Jack walked around Manhattan for a while, when he ran into Charity sitting on a bench alone. She hadn't noticed him, because she was in deep thought. Jack sat down next to her, and she still didn't move. "Hey hun." He said softly. It took her a moment to snap out of her daze. "Oh, Hi." She said looking down at her feet. "Ya really need to tell me what's da matta. I'm scared for ya." Jack said. "You don't need to know." She said crying again. "Yeah I do, it's affectin our relationship. You won't even look at me for god sakes. I need ta know." Jack said resting his hand on hers. She moved her hand away. This was getting over the line, she wouldn't even let him touch her. "I'm sorry. I just can't. Not yet." She said. "You want to know so badly, take to Mush." She finished. Now that Charity said that, Jack realized Mush had been acting weird lately too. He decided this was a good plan. "Charity, I am going to go talk to Mush, because I do love you, and I need to know. I care about you so much, and your not telling me anything. This is serious." Jack said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, and left to go find Mush. Mush was with Crutchy in Tibby's. They were sitting all by themselves in a corner. Mush looked very depressed. "Heya Mush, Crutchy. Mush, are ya alright?" Jack asked. "No. Got a bit of bad news last night." Mush said. "That's what I want ta talk to ya about." Jack said. "Ya mean, ya know about it already?" Mush asked. "No, I don't. But Charity is really upset about whatever this is, so I need ta know, because he won't talk to me at all. I'm really worried." Jack said. "I'd expect her ta be." Mush said. "Last night, our mother died." Mush said.