I like kids. At home there were always kids crawling around. My mother and father were very in love I suppose. Well until he left for no reason. He wasn't really my father. My real father was a Man who my mother met one night and swore to love for ever. But he left in the morning.
Nine Months later I was born. My mother never loved me as expressly as she did my younger siblings. Then when I was two she married a man who loved her and me. We moved into a bigger apartment and had it all to ourselves, then she started having kids.
First was Dario and Estaban the twins, mama and papa loved them and never worried about them. I was three when they were born and as soon as they were weaned my mother expected me to take care of them so that she could work. I learned how to take care of them well. Nine months later Isabel was born and I was four. The children stopped for a while and I was hard at work taking care of three children who my parents adored.
My father would sometimes let me sit on his lap and run his hand through my hair as he read the paper aloud and my mother would be taking care of her children giving me a break. I would hear about the happenings in London with the mysterious Jack The Ripper case. As I would lie in the bed with my brothers I would be afraid that the man would try to kill my mother and tried to stop her from leaving the next day. She sternly told me not to be silly and to take care of my siblings.
I loved my siblings don't get me wrong the twins were about two and absolutely adorable. They weren't too much trouble and wanted to help out as much as possible. They would watch me as I would make a scant dinner and eat it happily. They would sing some of the old songs that I knew from nights with my mother and Father trying to pass the time. And Isabel was a joy, she hardly ever cried and loved to be taken out of her crib for walks around the neighborhood. She would laugh what ever the circumstances.
My mother would look at me sadly sometimes when she was bouncing Isabel on her knee and Isabel would laugh. According to her I was a very sad baby, I wouldn't laugh and I ate too much. My Father wouldn't say anything only continue to play marbles with the twins.
Then about a year later my mother gave birth to Lorena and she cried all the time, my nickname her was "El Niña que llora" The crying child. My mother blamed me for her tears. My father would kiss her and tell her that some babies were like that. She went to work soon after leaving me with the four children.
I was supposed to enter school soon, but my mother said I couldn't be spared. No one pointed out that the twins could easily do my job and I could go to school. My father taught me to read with the papers I bought each day, He said I was a good reader and smart as he ruffled my hair.
Days got harder as Lorena got older, she was always picky and hard to feed. The twins and Isabel tried to help out, the twins started to take Isabel out for the walks that all of us used to go on but now Lorena needed my attention all the time. She would tug on my hair and wail no matter how I tried to quiet her. I had more head aches that first ear then I have had since.
My mother adored the kids and would take them all to church with her, dressing them up in their best clothing and carrying Lorena proudly. My father would carry Isabel and I would walk with the twins. The night before mother would insist that we wash thoroughly rubbing the younger ones raw with soap to clean them. Then she would make up wash our best clothes and hang them to dry. I would bath last and hated it, the soap was coarse and made me feel dirtier then when I started.
Church was an interesting experience, being warned against temptation and other stuff when we didn't even understand it. Estaban was scared so much by the minister that he confided in me one night that he was scared of god and that nothing the devil did to him could be worse then what the minister was telling him about god. I laughed and told him stories of what a great place heaven was, where you were never hungry and everything was sunny and you could play all day. I don't think he was too in favor of the devil after my description of heaven.
My mother was pregnant again when I was seven. I wanted desperately to go to school at that point and my father suggested that the twins could stay, but my mother said that they were old enough to go to school and why should both of them miss out on an education so I could get one. I was hurt by that, but the twins would help me with what they were learning in school and that way I learned. Isabel and Lorena were normally keeping busy playing with each other and sharing toys. Lorena was sickly and my mother feared losing her more then anything else.
My father wanted us to remember our heritage and would teach us Spanish everyday after the twins were done with school. We were all fluent in it, even though my mother protested telling my father heatedly that we needed to be American, not Spanish. Still we learned Spanish.
The twins got a job soon after they started school, when my mother got too big to work I went and sold newspapers with them, they would pretend to be homeless immigrants whose parents were dead. I just made up headlines. It was simpler.
When Francisco was born I had to return home to take care of him. He was an easy baby, and the two girls loved to baby him. Sometimes my mother would take them all out and parade them around, I wasn't included in these things, she was ashamed that I was a bastard.
When Francisco was two and I was nine Lorena died. My mother was devastated and hardly talked to anyone. It was horrible for all of us, but Isabel was hit hard by the loss of her sister. She was now the only girl in the family aside from my mother who was reclusive and depressed. I felt bad for her, I wasn't much good at playing dolls with her or any of the other things she wanted to do. Any way I was too busy with Francisco a lot of the time even if I did try to spend time with her. The twins would take her out on walks and take her to the fancy parts of town where rich ladies would coo over her and give her a penny or so to buy candy.
They would all go looking for scraps of metal to sell to the junk man. Then they would bring the money home and give me half for food and divide the rest up to go buy candy. Sometimes they would remember me when they were buying candy and gave some to me. I never went with them or asked for anything because I would stay at home and read.
My mother was proud of me for few reasons. One was my ability to cook. She would stand in the room that all of us children shared and clear her throat getting my attention. Then she would wait for me in the kitchen, telling me what we needed and where to go get it. Then, while the younger kids were off enjoying the afternoon, I would help mama with the supper for the night. It was one of the few times we were together and I felt worth wile in that house.
It was like that until I was twelve and my father said he was going out to buy some bread and didn't come back.
That was the hardest part of my life. I knew that my real father had abandoned my mother and me and the fact that the man who I had taken to be my father had left us for no reason was impossible to comprehend for me. My mother was shocked and spent the next day in tears, neglecting every one. I took care of us all during that time and it was hard for us to get up and go to work. The twins got a job at a factory, making boots, Isabel worked at a lace making factory and me and Francisco sold papers.
I had everything back to normal by the time my mother was ready to take care of us again, it took a year. A hard year that was spent with all five of us working and the younger four at school. I wouldn't jeopardize their education. Something I was jealous of in the first place, although I didn't enroll my self in school. I sold papers all day, though I didn't socialize and wasn't bothered to get to know the other "Newsies" as we were called. My mother started to act more like herself and started cooking. Which was a relief because I had hardly enough time as it was.
The day after she was working again she woke me up and told me that she needed to talk to me. The following conversation was the hardest one I had ever had. She sat me down and told me that she needed me to leave. That the twins weren't old enough to be by them selves, but I was. She told me to leave now so the kids wouldn't be hurt.
I refused, saying I would leave but I was telling them why and that they had nothing to do with it. It was too horrible to be abandoned. I knew that first hand. When I told everyone that I had to leave Isabel burst out crying and the twins looked at me and each put a hand on her shoulder trying to explain why I needed to leave. She looked at me with tearful eyes and I remember her saying "Socorro what did I do?"
I knelt down and whispered that she did nothing, that I wanted to go and that we would see each other again. Telling her to listen to Dario and Estaban that they were in charge now. Told her to be a good girl. I didn't tell her that mother made me leave. She needed a mother to guide her. Francisco solemnly gave me a nickel and told me that it was all his savings and to take them. I tried to give it back to him but he shook his head and pushed the nickel back at me. I still remember how he looked. Like an image of me when I was his age. My mother gave me her blessing.
I understood I wasn't allowed back home. That now I was on my own. I was thirteen and alone. So I bought some papers. One of the guys recognized me and asked where my sister was. I told him that she was at home. The guy introduced himself as Specs and asked if I wanted to sell with him, we both sold out and after I hung around he asked me if I had a place to stay. I felt stupid telling him I didn't, mainly because I had always been around with my family and they might think I had done something wrong.
Specs took me to the lodging house and after being introduced to Kloppmen I was given a bed and told that I'd be woken up in time to sell the morning edition. I was told by one of the other boys that I would be woken up by a stick being poked into my ribs. They all laughed.
As I climbed up onto my bunk the kid across from me smiled at me.
"I'se Mush who are ya?" He smile innocently, dangling his feet down. The kid below him swatted the offending limbs.
"Socorro" I introduced my self. Mush's face screwed up as I said it.
"Dats a strange name." He said "Wha' ya nick name?"
"Dun have one." I said trying to ignore him so I could sleep.
"whaevah ya say!" The a devilish grin crossed his face. "Bumlets!"
So I became Bumlets, and I nearly killed Mush the next day when I was introduced as that name.
Nothing really happened. Sometimes I would go home when I knew my mother wouldn't be home and talked with my siblings. Then one day I went and she was there. Apparently Francisco let it slip and she sent them out while I was supposed to visit. She even yelled at me in Spanish, something she only does when she is especially mad.
"Go away! We were just getting our lives back on track!" She had yelled. Blocking the doorway with the broom.
"Dere my bruddah and sistahs!" I said. "I jus wanna see em!"
"They aren't you siblings!" She yelled. "You're a bastard! You have no right to be here any more We don't need you!"
I tried to reason with her and she started telling me that I disgraced my family by being born. That I was the most painful birth. That I was the reason my step father left. I tried to leave the candy I'd bought for my siblings and she raised the broom, I flinched away from it as the handle cracked down on my back. It was the first time I had ever been struck for no reason.
Then she told me "¡Juro por el hijo de madre y fantasma santo, eso si usted tanto muestra como una sombra cerca de cualquiera de mis niños que cazaré usted hacia abajo y lo golpea a la muerte usted, bastardo!"
I wandered around. I was fifteen at the time and couldn't believe that I was not only kicked out of my family I was a disgrace and couldn't see them again. My back also hurt as my mother had cracked me over the back with the cursed broom.
As I wandered back to the lodging house one of the kids was sitting on the steps. I asked him what was wrong and he told me that he was scared because on of the other boys was going to soak him. The kid looked like Estaban when he was younger and I told him not to worry about it. I'd take care of him. Then I became the protector of all the little kids at the lodging house. I was used to it, sometimes the kids would take advantage of me, but I learned to track them down and confront them.
I wasn't really a big part of anything there, but I was accepted. During the strike I was one of the only ones with enough money to lend out. I made sure that the kids had places to sleep before I would go to sleep. When Jack betrayed us I never quite forgave him. But he came back in the end. I just couldn't understand how he could leave us. We were his family. We hid him from Snyder and he just betrayed us! He was the one who started this whole thing, it only makes sense to finish it.
I don't trust David. His little brother is nice, He likes me because I taught him to fence. Something I picked up somewhere. But Jack left him in charge. The guy was only a newsie for a day! Sure I was glad when we won and when all those kids came in cheering. But honestly the next minute he left us, again. We had to go sell papers and he left with money to go to Santa Fe.
When he came back a lot of us were mad at him, but we wouldn't ever say so. He left us twice in two days. Betrayed our trust. Only those who had the most invested in him trusted him after that.
I started walking around other areas and then I ran into Magic. I'd heard about her but I didn't recognize her, she had grown up and she didn't look how my mother had described from the gossip my Tia Isi would tell her. That the Puta of Spanish Harlem was lecherous witch who wanted to steal your soul. To me she seemed like a cold girl who upon reflection had entered the lodging house many time with many different people. She looked at me and smiled, her cheeks had newsprint on them and it looked adorable.
I think I started falling in love at that moment. She was beautiful, even in the shabby clothing and newsprint beautiful is the only way to describe her. The clothing she wore was also covered in newsprint but it looked good on her. The skirt was long enough to be decent but to short to make her seem innocent. The shirt was short sleeved and light, giving you a good view if she bent over. He hair was thick and brown. It shimmered around her and made her eyes seem bigger and browner. Her eyes looked to be black almost, they seemed to have no end. And her lips, looking at them still makes me want to kiss them.
Immediately I felt stupid around her Stupid and clumsy. I subsequently dropped my papers and tripped over them. She laughed and helped me up. Gently she kissed me as she pulled me up. I'll never understand her, she kissed me before she knew who I was and never asked any questions. Not even if I had a girl or was married.
By the end of that kiss I was ready to do anything, I felt ugly when we were walking together that first time. When we got to the lodging house One of the kids came over and started talking to us. At that time I didn't want him around. But I sat down and played a game of hand slap with him. Magic sat behind me and laughed as the kid tried to slap my hands. Instead of letting him so the game would be over I played my hardest. As I played I felt better about myself because she wasn't leaving even though the other guys were trying to get her to go with them. She laughed and sat next to me. As the kid finally got my hands she laughed really loud and demanded that I teach her how to play.
Me and Pine, the kid I was playing with, taught her. Every one found it funny to watch the girl most of the older boys had slept with playing a stupid game. She was having a great time. Most of the younger kids didn't know her to think badly of her. By the time she won a game I was in love. Not so much with the girl who had come in with me but with the girl who was leaning against me because she was laughing to hard to support herself.
Pine told me later that he liked her. I told him at the same time that I loved her.
Magic did come up with me that night. Then the next night.
A month later we were still sleeping together. Around that time I started taking her out to eat and stuff. It was at that time I told her that if she got pregnant that I would marry her. She then asked if it was aperment offer. I said it was. She looked about to cry. I though I had said something wrong and moved over to kneel next to her, putting my hand on her knee.
"Wha's wrong?"
"Nuten." She turned her head away from me I was worried that I had said something wrong.
"Magic, tell me what's wrong." I raised my self to look her in the eyes and put my finger under her chin making her look at me. "What did I say?"
"No one's evah cared enough about me ta say dey'd take carea me." Sh whispered. I felt ashamed that I was the first one. No one else wanted to take care of this girl who'd they'd slept with, no one else cared if they ruined two people lives for a night of fun. Gently I kissed her forehead.
"Magic, ya special an' ya beautiful." I kissed her hand. "Ya da Magic a Spanish Harlem. Da best parta it!" She smiled and she was actually crying. I felt great as we left. That night we didn't have sex, she just slept in my arms.
Two days later Brooklyn visited. Spot Conlon is the worst womanizer in New York. He Has no respect for any one. Not even himself. He saw Magic and pulled her onto his lap kissing her. I wouldn't have minded but it looked so right. They were both the best at getting laid. I moved to leave As she started kissing him back.
About five minutes after I was lying on top of my covers thinking about what a fool I was, thinking Magic, the Magic. Could actually love me I heard a loud slap ring out from down stairs and a bunch of people laughing. Zachary, one of the younger kids, came running upstairs doubled over. Immediately I was worried and leapt down to see if he was hurt. As it turned out Magic had slapped Spot Quite hard across the face when he suggested that she come back to Brooklyn with him.
I shot down the stairs to see Spot and Magic in a circle comprised of both Brooklyn and Manhattan Newsies, Spot attempted to be trying to hit Magic and she was dodging him trying to get out. I barged in and told Spot to stop it.
"Whadda mean! Da whore hit me!" He yelled his eyes frozen with anger. "She fucking led me on! She gives it out to every one! Don't tink she's innocent! Ya don't need ta go an defend hoi innocents!"
Magic turned me around so I was facing her. "Just let him hit me." She whispered to me kissing my ear.
"See she's leadin you on too!" Spot yelled, pointing.
"Spot I'se sorry!" Magic said "really I am!" She looked at him with tear filled eyed.
"Den you'll retink me offah?"
"Sorry Spot I can't." She said and broke out of the circle, running up stairs. I shook my head and followed her as the crowd dispersed. I walked up to see her shaking on my bed. "God Bumlets," she said. The few people in the room left us alone. "Ya dersoive bettah den me!" She said.
I pushed my shelf up and pulled her close to me. "Magic, Ya got problems I know dat." I whispered to her "I know dat guys tink ya easy. I know ya was easy. An' I hope dat ya wanna stay wid me. I ain't makin ya dough."
Magic looked at me with the widest eyes I have ever seen her make. "Wah?" She asked.
"I hope dat ya dun wanna go an' sleep wid uddah people, but I ain't gunna make ya stay wid me." I said my breath catching in my throat as I said it a second time. "I'll be jealous. An' I'll be sad but I ain't gunna stop ya."
She looked at my face searching for something and kissed right between my eyes. "God Bumlets, I dun wanna be wid anyone but you!" She said and kissed my nose and my lips gently.
Five weeks later she told me she was pregnant. I think she was worried I wasn't going to go through with my promise. I was overjoyed that we were going to have a child. I couldn't stop kissing her and putting my hand on her stomach from the moment she told me.
Kloppman helped me to find a place for us both to live. Its hard and we don't have much money. I'm amazing Magic with my ability to cook and how much I know about Kids.
I love her so much and every day when I get home from work I love seeing her face. Every time I wake up she's there.
She's eight months pregnant and I can't help but lay my hand flat on her stomach and feel the baby, our baby kick. I love her so much.
I love her. I'll love our baby. I'll love what ever life throws at us.
Disclaimer: I own Magic and all unrecognizable characters. Disney owns The ones you know (Well you know Magic)
Author's Notes: Okay maybe I should explain what was going on in my insane little mind while writing this. Ever since I started writing about Magic and Bumlets I've been watching the movie just to find out his personality. What I found was that he was almost always in the back ground, but around the leads. He's always got a far off look in his eyes but has a ready smile. I also noticed that he makes sure the kids are okay. (He takes care of Boots in both huge crowd scenes and is one of the few to even notice Les in King Of New York) And he does like girls (In the beginning he is the one who say "What an Angel" when the girl walks by. [Thank god for lip reading!]) So I took all that and wrote what I think his past was like. I also used information about Dominic Lucero to enhance the character.
Author's Babblings after seven or more hours of writing this story: Yaaaay! One Carton of juice, six viewings of Newsies and three inane babble breaks to my father You get this story! YAY
Author's note of EXTREME Importance: TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!! GO ME!! I'm Sixteen! Go me Go me! Go Go Go Me!So review like NOW!
Dedications: To everyone who wanted longer chapters! If I get enough Reviews I will Do more of this! (It might seem like my Magic but its set in th the 1900's so BIG difference!) Or I might do up to this point in Magic Perspective! What ever! If I get enough reviews I'll post the next Bit up with a teaser and Shout outs.
Cards on:
Cheese Pizza-
Our Pizza place put like a centimeter of cheese on it! Dead serious! -Shows pizza-