A.N. It's the epilogue (Sad Face) Just so you know I was debating adding
another chapter where they had their kids or just extending the last
chapter but then decided that it would be pushing it. So here it is folks
the end of Chicago to New York and I hope everyone liked it.
Christmas, 1960
Aisla was a curious eight year old and she always found great pleasure in visiting her great grandmother, because the woman was full of stories. Of course her Pappi as she referred to her great grandfather as was a little on the moody side but Grandma said it was because he was a man and he was born a king and the combination was never good. This visit though promised to be fun because Aisla had found an old photo album with her mothers stuff and decided to bring it along with her to here stories about all the people in it. Her favorite picture was one of two girls in wedding gowns, smiling at something off camera.
Aisla jumped out of the car and ran up to the door to ring the bell, she couldn't wait to ask her Granny all about it. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to the overly anxious girl the door was pulled open and Pappi stood there in all of his 5'9 glory. She looked up into the gray blue eyes and gave her sad face and she saw the annoyance melt away and her Pappi pulled her in for a tight hug. "Look at you'se cutie, you jist all grown up. So how old are you'se now?"
"I'm eight Pappi!"
"Dat's right and here's I'se taught you'se was at least ten," Aisla let out a girlish giggle and then heard her Granny in the background.
"Patrick! You'se bettah not be standin in da doorway wit da door wide open, especially when it's dis cold out." Then her Granny came into view and saw her oldest great grandchild and her smile widened. "Why sweetie is you'se Pappi makin you stand out dere in da cold. Shame on him for dat!" Then she swatted the old man with a dish towel and pushed him to the side to allow Aisla to come in along with her granddaughter-in-law and her grandson. Upon seeing Cole she laughed, "Why you'se look jist like you'se fadder, but you got your grandpa's eyes." When she saw the man beaming out of the corner of her eye she smirked, "Not dat, dat's anything to be proud of but you shoulda seen him when he was younger."
Cole smiled, "Granny whatever your making smells delicious. When's dad going to be here?"
The woman smiled, "You'se know how you'se parents are dey's always fightin ovah da little stuff but dey'll be here soon. Make yourselves at home while I go check on little Aisla."
They settled in the family room and began conversing with the old man while the lady walked into the kitchen and found Aisla plopped up on a chair at the kitchen table looking through what seemed to be a photo album. She sat down next to her and gasped at the pictures, "I'se been lookin for dese for ages."
"There yours?"
"Me and your pappi's."
"Will you tell me about all of them?"
"Coirse, sweetie," She opened the book to the first page and smiled at the newspaper clipping of all of her old friends, it was from the strike. She hadn't remembered even putting that in there, then her smile slipped as she turned the page. It was her wedding picture and Jo was in it, she missed Jo and Skitt, they'd moved out of New York and to Pennsylvania awhile ago. She heard from them every now and then but hadn't seen either in years. She pointed to the picture and smiled, "That right there is me wit me best friend Jo. She was quite a goil, smart and sweet and cared bout everybody."
Tears began to fill her eyes and she told stories about each and every one of the people in the album. She kept in contact with most of the newsies, Kloppman had died years ago and he had left the lodging house to Blink, but then newsies stopped being the ones to sell papes so he converted it into an apartment building. He married a beautiful girl and they had three beautiful children, but Blink had moved to Maine after Moira, his wife, died three years ago. Then there was Race and he ended up marrying one of the few people who could deal with his gambling, of course, she dealt with it by forcing him to quite but they loved each other a great deal and were still together and living in the Bronx. They had seven kids all of which had a great many kids of their own.
There was also Jack, he and Sara married but she died a few years after in labor and so did the child. Jack didn't date for years but finally he started to date one girl and he even was going to ask her to marry him but then he was shot and died six hours later. Irish never felt that kind of pain before in her life, she had just lost the one guy who was truly family.
Of course Rage was still around, but he was a grumpy old man who still lived up to his old nickname but Irish loved him for it even more. As she finished telling about each of the newsies, Aisla pointed at a picture of herself and Spot that was taken the day they were married. "Well I have a story to tell you about those two, that right dere is Spot Conlon and Irish O'Hara nevah saw two people more in love den them." Spot walked in in time to here that and he smiled at her, "Pat come ovah here and help tell Aisla da story about da day dey met."
"Soire ting Kitty," As he sat next to her he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I love you'se."
She looked at him, "Always and forever." With that promise Spot launched into the story of their meeting and how she chased Rage all over the docks.
Christmas, 1960
Aisla was a curious eight year old and she always found great pleasure in visiting her great grandmother, because the woman was full of stories. Of course her Pappi as she referred to her great grandfather as was a little on the moody side but Grandma said it was because he was a man and he was born a king and the combination was never good. This visit though promised to be fun because Aisla had found an old photo album with her mothers stuff and decided to bring it along with her to here stories about all the people in it. Her favorite picture was one of two girls in wedding gowns, smiling at something off camera.
Aisla jumped out of the car and ran up to the door to ring the bell, she couldn't wait to ask her Granny all about it. Finally after what seemed like an eternity to the overly anxious girl the door was pulled open and Pappi stood there in all of his 5'9 glory. She looked up into the gray blue eyes and gave her sad face and she saw the annoyance melt away and her Pappi pulled her in for a tight hug. "Look at you'se cutie, you jist all grown up. So how old are you'se now?"
"I'm eight Pappi!"
"Dat's right and here's I'se taught you'se was at least ten," Aisla let out a girlish giggle and then heard her Granny in the background.
"Patrick! You'se bettah not be standin in da doorway wit da door wide open, especially when it's dis cold out." Then her Granny came into view and saw her oldest great grandchild and her smile widened. "Why sweetie is you'se Pappi makin you stand out dere in da cold. Shame on him for dat!" Then she swatted the old man with a dish towel and pushed him to the side to allow Aisla to come in along with her granddaughter-in-law and her grandson. Upon seeing Cole she laughed, "Why you'se look jist like you'se fadder, but you got your grandpa's eyes." When she saw the man beaming out of the corner of her eye she smirked, "Not dat, dat's anything to be proud of but you shoulda seen him when he was younger."
Cole smiled, "Granny whatever your making smells delicious. When's dad going to be here?"
The woman smiled, "You'se know how you'se parents are dey's always fightin ovah da little stuff but dey'll be here soon. Make yourselves at home while I go check on little Aisla."
They settled in the family room and began conversing with the old man while the lady walked into the kitchen and found Aisla plopped up on a chair at the kitchen table looking through what seemed to be a photo album. She sat down next to her and gasped at the pictures, "I'se been lookin for dese for ages."
"There yours?"
"Me and your pappi's."
"Will you tell me about all of them?"
"Coirse, sweetie," She opened the book to the first page and smiled at the newspaper clipping of all of her old friends, it was from the strike. She hadn't remembered even putting that in there, then her smile slipped as she turned the page. It was her wedding picture and Jo was in it, she missed Jo and Skitt, they'd moved out of New York and to Pennsylvania awhile ago. She heard from them every now and then but hadn't seen either in years. She pointed to the picture and smiled, "That right there is me wit me best friend Jo. She was quite a goil, smart and sweet and cared bout everybody."
Tears began to fill her eyes and she told stories about each and every one of the people in the album. She kept in contact with most of the newsies, Kloppman had died years ago and he had left the lodging house to Blink, but then newsies stopped being the ones to sell papes so he converted it into an apartment building. He married a beautiful girl and they had three beautiful children, but Blink had moved to Maine after Moira, his wife, died three years ago. Then there was Race and he ended up marrying one of the few people who could deal with his gambling, of course, she dealt with it by forcing him to quite but they loved each other a great deal and were still together and living in the Bronx. They had seven kids all of which had a great many kids of their own.
There was also Jack, he and Sara married but she died a few years after in labor and so did the child. Jack didn't date for years but finally he started to date one girl and he even was going to ask her to marry him but then he was shot and died six hours later. Irish never felt that kind of pain before in her life, she had just lost the one guy who was truly family.
Of course Rage was still around, but he was a grumpy old man who still lived up to his old nickname but Irish loved him for it even more. As she finished telling about each of the newsies, Aisla pointed at a picture of herself and Spot that was taken the day they were married. "Well I have a story to tell you about those two, that right dere is Spot Conlon and Irish O'Hara nevah saw two people more in love den them." Spot walked in in time to here that and he smiled at her, "Pat come ovah here and help tell Aisla da story about da day dey met."
"Soire ting Kitty," As he sat next to her he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I love you'se."
She looked at him, "Always and forever." With that promise Spot launched into the story of their meeting and how she chased Rage all over the docks.