Chapter 7: Bumlets and Amigo
John was a bit confused. Who was Bumlets, he wondered. And how was he going to tell Mush that he wasn't going to sell with him and Blink? Would they be offended? More importantly, would BLINK be offended? John desperately wanted to avoid offending Blink.
"Hey, John? Can I talk to you for a moment?"
John looked up. Mush stood there, looking a bit nervous and guilty. He shrugged.
"Sure. Talk."
"I'se really sorry, but I thinks Blink needs a little time alone. I was thinkin' it might be better if you'se sold with someone else today. I'se sorry, but Blink's still real angry about everyone seein' his eye. He's really sensitive about that, y'know."
John nodded in relief. Now he wouldn't have to worry about offending anyone. "Actually, Mush, Skittery, Snitch, and Bumlets asked me to sell with them already."
Mush looked even more worried than he had before. "Those three? John, answer me honestly. How fast can you'se run?"
John was starting to get a little suspicious. "I can run fairly fast. Why?"
Mush looked over at Snitch, who was dodging blows from Specs and Dutchy. "Snitch has a habit of snitchin' things. Sometimes the bulls-" Mush noticed John's confusion and clarified. "Cops, sorry, the cops chase him and everyone has to run away from them. I don't want you getting' put in the Refuge-that's a jail-on your second day sellin', that's all."
John nodded. He didn't want to go to jail either. "I'll think about that, Mush. Thanks for the warning."
Mush blushed a bit and went to get Blink and go to the Distribution Office. John went over to Skittery. "Hey, Skitts? We aren't going to be put in the Refuge if Snitch steals something and gets caught, will we?" Ah, the direct approach. The best way to get information.
Skittery looked up and grinned. "You'se been talkin' to Mush, haven't you? No, we'se gonna stay out of trouble today. We'se going to go visit Spot Conlon!"
Skittery checked Snitch's (probably stolen) pocket watch. "Okay, guys. Let's get our papes while they still got some."
Snitch and a boy with longish black hair who looked Spanish joined them. That must be Bumlets, John thought.
As if sensing his confusion, the boy smiled politely and introduced himself. " I am Bumlets. The only reason we are going to Brooklyn is because my cousin is one of Spot Conlon's boys. Otherwise, we wouldn't be welcomed there. Skittery told us you have never been to Brooklyn, so we thought you would enjoy going there."
John took an immediate liking to Bumlets. The Spanish boy's warm smile and heavy Spanish accent made him feel very welcome in their group. It had been years since he had heard Spanish!
The boys only bought fifteen papers each. "We'se got to make a living," explained Skittery, "But we also need to have our papes sold by the time we get to the Brooklyn Bridge. Conlon won't let Manhattan newsies sell papes in Brooklyn."
It was a very pleasant walk to Brooklyn. Bumlets often wandered ahead of them, singing softly in Spanish and sometimes doing short dances. The others sold as they went and talked in between customers. The walk to Brooklyn was almost too short.
Bumlets had taken to calling John 'Amigo'. Bumlets had been pleased to find that John understood a little bit of Spanish and had been speaking in Spanish the whole way to Brooklyn, much to the annoyance of Skittery and Snitch.
Before they knew it, the Bridge was before them. To John's astonishment, the three boys went to the side of the bridge and yelled. Bumlets laughed at the confused look on John's face.
"Amigo, it is a tradition among newsies to yell off the Brooklyn Bridge. Think nothing of it. We are not crazy."
Soon after they had reached the other side of the Bridge, a boy who looked a lot like Bumlets ran to greet them.
"Bumlets! Como estas, mi primo? (Bumlets! How are you, my cousin?)"
Bumlets grasped the younger boy's hand in a spit-shake. "Muy bein, Picante. Y tu?(Very well, Picante. And you?)"
"Igualmente. Adios, Bumlets(The same. Good-bye, Bumlets.)" And the boy ran off to sell papers, while Bumlets tried not to look disappointed that their meeting was so short. Skittery patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Bumlets. You'se gonna see him on Saturday. We has a Poker Night at Spot's. Remember?"
Bumlets shrugged. "Okay. Let's go see Spot now." (A/N: Okay. I will try not to make any jokes about Seeing Spot Run now. Spot!muse: *throws cane at her*. For those of you who don't know, See Spot Run is one of those books they make kids who are learning to read use. Not a very good way to encourage them to read, if you ask me. Those books are BORING! I had to try to teach some kids at an elementary school to read a few years ago, and those books were so boring! I almost fell asleep!)
Skittery pointed to a boy. "We don't have to. Spot's coming to see us!"
John looked at the famous 'Spot' Conlon. The diminutive newsie heading towards them looked quite harmless; until John looked into his eyes. Spot's light gray eyes flashed dangerously, almost daring them to say something wrong so he could beat them up. John's first opinion was that this wasn't someone to mess with. He was right.
SHOUTOUT:
TO NAKAIA AIDAN-SUN:
Aguachica: Duct tape rules! Thanks for reviewing! I wouldn't want to get Blink mad either!
Blink!muse: I'se sure you wouldn't.
Aguachica: So why exactly does Mush have such control over you? What's the secret you two are keeping?
Blink!muse: . . .
Mush!muse: Shut up, Aguachica.
TO INQUISITIVE INK: Aguachica: Good review. Nice reader. Cute Blink. Love reader. Thank you. Here's update.
John was a bit confused. Who was Bumlets, he wondered. And how was he going to tell Mush that he wasn't going to sell with him and Blink? Would they be offended? More importantly, would BLINK be offended? John desperately wanted to avoid offending Blink.
"Hey, John? Can I talk to you for a moment?"
John looked up. Mush stood there, looking a bit nervous and guilty. He shrugged.
"Sure. Talk."
"I'se really sorry, but I thinks Blink needs a little time alone. I was thinkin' it might be better if you'se sold with someone else today. I'se sorry, but Blink's still real angry about everyone seein' his eye. He's really sensitive about that, y'know."
John nodded in relief. Now he wouldn't have to worry about offending anyone. "Actually, Mush, Skittery, Snitch, and Bumlets asked me to sell with them already."
Mush looked even more worried than he had before. "Those three? John, answer me honestly. How fast can you'se run?"
John was starting to get a little suspicious. "I can run fairly fast. Why?"
Mush looked over at Snitch, who was dodging blows from Specs and Dutchy. "Snitch has a habit of snitchin' things. Sometimes the bulls-" Mush noticed John's confusion and clarified. "Cops, sorry, the cops chase him and everyone has to run away from them. I don't want you getting' put in the Refuge-that's a jail-on your second day sellin', that's all."
John nodded. He didn't want to go to jail either. "I'll think about that, Mush. Thanks for the warning."
Mush blushed a bit and went to get Blink and go to the Distribution Office. John went over to Skittery. "Hey, Skitts? We aren't going to be put in the Refuge if Snitch steals something and gets caught, will we?" Ah, the direct approach. The best way to get information.
Skittery looked up and grinned. "You'se been talkin' to Mush, haven't you? No, we'se gonna stay out of trouble today. We'se going to go visit Spot Conlon!"
Skittery checked Snitch's (probably stolen) pocket watch. "Okay, guys. Let's get our papes while they still got some."
Snitch and a boy with longish black hair who looked Spanish joined them. That must be Bumlets, John thought.
As if sensing his confusion, the boy smiled politely and introduced himself. " I am Bumlets. The only reason we are going to Brooklyn is because my cousin is one of Spot Conlon's boys. Otherwise, we wouldn't be welcomed there. Skittery told us you have never been to Brooklyn, so we thought you would enjoy going there."
John took an immediate liking to Bumlets. The Spanish boy's warm smile and heavy Spanish accent made him feel very welcome in their group. It had been years since he had heard Spanish!
The boys only bought fifteen papers each. "We'se got to make a living," explained Skittery, "But we also need to have our papes sold by the time we get to the Brooklyn Bridge. Conlon won't let Manhattan newsies sell papes in Brooklyn."
It was a very pleasant walk to Brooklyn. Bumlets often wandered ahead of them, singing softly in Spanish and sometimes doing short dances. The others sold as they went and talked in between customers. The walk to Brooklyn was almost too short.
Bumlets had taken to calling John 'Amigo'. Bumlets had been pleased to find that John understood a little bit of Spanish and had been speaking in Spanish the whole way to Brooklyn, much to the annoyance of Skittery and Snitch.
Before they knew it, the Bridge was before them. To John's astonishment, the three boys went to the side of the bridge and yelled. Bumlets laughed at the confused look on John's face.
"Amigo, it is a tradition among newsies to yell off the Brooklyn Bridge. Think nothing of it. We are not crazy."
Soon after they had reached the other side of the Bridge, a boy who looked a lot like Bumlets ran to greet them.
"Bumlets! Como estas, mi primo? (Bumlets! How are you, my cousin?)"
Bumlets grasped the younger boy's hand in a spit-shake. "Muy bein, Picante. Y tu?(Very well, Picante. And you?)"
"Igualmente. Adios, Bumlets(The same. Good-bye, Bumlets.)" And the boy ran off to sell papers, while Bumlets tried not to look disappointed that their meeting was so short. Skittery patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Bumlets. You'se gonna see him on Saturday. We has a Poker Night at Spot's. Remember?"
Bumlets shrugged. "Okay. Let's go see Spot now." (A/N: Okay. I will try not to make any jokes about Seeing Spot Run now. Spot!muse: *throws cane at her*. For those of you who don't know, See Spot Run is one of those books they make kids who are learning to read use. Not a very good way to encourage them to read, if you ask me. Those books are BORING! I had to try to teach some kids at an elementary school to read a few years ago, and those books were so boring! I almost fell asleep!)
Skittery pointed to a boy. "We don't have to. Spot's coming to see us!"
John looked at the famous 'Spot' Conlon. The diminutive newsie heading towards them looked quite harmless; until John looked into his eyes. Spot's light gray eyes flashed dangerously, almost daring them to say something wrong so he could beat them up. John's first opinion was that this wasn't someone to mess with. He was right.
SHOUTOUT:
TO NAKAIA AIDAN-SUN:
Aguachica: Duct tape rules! Thanks for reviewing! I wouldn't want to get Blink mad either!
Blink!muse: I'se sure you wouldn't.
Aguachica: So why exactly does Mush have such control over you? What's the secret you two are keeping?
Blink!muse: . . .
Mush!muse: Shut up, Aguachica.
TO INQUISITIVE INK: Aguachica: Good review. Nice reader. Cute Blink. Love reader. Thank you. Here's update.