They reminded her of the elephants she had seen when her mother had taken
her and Lilliana to the circus, stomping around the alley like two big
elephants.
"Da boss is gonna kill us," whispered the one they called Cards.
"Not if we don't tell 'im," replied Dice.
Isabella Monticelli smiled as she slid further back in the alley; her hand clamped tightly against her baby sister Mona's mouth.
"How da hell do we not tell 'im?" asked Cards.
"Easy, let's go visit da goils in Harlem," exclaimed Dice "Den we'll look for dem goils tommorow."
"All right."
Isabella released Mona and wiped her palms on her torn dress.
"Izzy?" asked Mona "What are we gonna do?"
Isabella closed her eyes, seeing it all again. Slowly walking into her family's apartment, the cold blue of her mother's eyes, the crimson red of her older sister's blood and the pure hatred in their killer's eyes as he stood over their lifeless bodies.
"I guess we oughta find somewhere ta stay for da night," whispered Isabella.
She took Mona's hand and together they walked out of the alley. New York is such a large city that it was easy for two young girls to get lost in the crowds even in the dead of night. By the time they had reached the large brick building Mona was conked out and Isabella was carrying her tiny sister.
"Da Newsies Lodging House," she exclaimed.
Entri In Tutti Che Cerchino Il Santuario.
Enter all who seek Sanctuary read the sign in several different languages.
His name was Alexander but he had been called Kloppman by so many different generations of newsboys that he had nearly forgotten the headstrong Irishman who had opened the Lodging House so many years ago. Tonight it was his birthday and he was celebrating it with the only family he had left.
"Happy Birthday!" yelled Racetrack Higgins as he proudly produced a small cake that his girlfriend Ribbons had made.
"Tank you boys and goils," whispered Kloppman.
"Aww, Klopp," laughed Revolution Fredrich drapping her arm around the aging man's shoulders "Ya aint gonna cry are ya?"
"Hush," he exclaimed kissing her cheek "Hush and let me enjoy da company of mah kids."
Revolution smiled and hugged him.
Isabella opened the heavy oak door with a bump of her hip.
"Mona?" she whispered "Wake up!"
Setting Mona down on a chair, she looked around the dusty lobby of the old house.
"'ello!" she yelled "Anyone 'ere?"
"Yes?" asked Kloppman as he walked into the lobby.
"Do ya 'ave a room free?" asked Isabella.
"No, but we got beds free," replied Kloppman "Ya planning on becoming a newsgoil?"
Isabella thought for a minute.
"Yes," she replied "Me and mah sista." "Sign here," said Kloppman smiling gently.
"Tank you," whispered Isabella.
Carryin Da Banner, Revolution
"Da boss is gonna kill us," whispered the one they called Cards.
"Not if we don't tell 'im," replied Dice.
Isabella Monticelli smiled as she slid further back in the alley; her hand clamped tightly against her baby sister Mona's mouth.
"How da hell do we not tell 'im?" asked Cards.
"Easy, let's go visit da goils in Harlem," exclaimed Dice "Den we'll look for dem goils tommorow."
"All right."
Isabella released Mona and wiped her palms on her torn dress.
"Izzy?" asked Mona "What are we gonna do?"
Isabella closed her eyes, seeing it all again. Slowly walking into her family's apartment, the cold blue of her mother's eyes, the crimson red of her older sister's blood and the pure hatred in their killer's eyes as he stood over their lifeless bodies.
"I guess we oughta find somewhere ta stay for da night," whispered Isabella.
She took Mona's hand and together they walked out of the alley. New York is such a large city that it was easy for two young girls to get lost in the crowds even in the dead of night. By the time they had reached the large brick building Mona was conked out and Isabella was carrying her tiny sister.
"Da Newsies Lodging House," she exclaimed.
Entri In Tutti Che Cerchino Il Santuario.
Enter all who seek Sanctuary read the sign in several different languages.
His name was Alexander but he had been called Kloppman by so many different generations of newsboys that he had nearly forgotten the headstrong Irishman who had opened the Lodging House so many years ago. Tonight it was his birthday and he was celebrating it with the only family he had left.
"Happy Birthday!" yelled Racetrack Higgins as he proudly produced a small cake that his girlfriend Ribbons had made.
"Tank you boys and goils," whispered Kloppman.
"Aww, Klopp," laughed Revolution Fredrich drapping her arm around the aging man's shoulders "Ya aint gonna cry are ya?"
"Hush," he exclaimed kissing her cheek "Hush and let me enjoy da company of mah kids."
Revolution smiled and hugged him.
Isabella opened the heavy oak door with a bump of her hip.
"Mona?" she whispered "Wake up!"
Setting Mona down on a chair, she looked around the dusty lobby of the old house.
"'ello!" she yelled "Anyone 'ere?"
"Yes?" asked Kloppman as he walked into the lobby.
"Do ya 'ave a room free?" asked Isabella.
"No, but we got beds free," replied Kloppman "Ya planning on becoming a newsgoil?"
Isabella thought for a minute.
"Yes," she replied "Me and mah sista." "Sign here," said Kloppman smiling gently.
"Tank you," whispered Isabella.
Carryin Da Banner, Revolution