"Necessary Deceit"

By: Novahlie Bea/Mouth

In 1900 in New York City, employment for the under educated female was hard to come by. The newsies strike had opened the eyes and ears of so many children, that they were demanding pay for the work they were doing- decent pay. For few, lives changed and they were payed a respectable wage for their labor. For others, nothing was different- except now they were poor and hungry. One of the latter group was Novahlie Bea- alone in the world with hardly a place to sleep at night.

At sixteen, Novahlie was forced to fend for herself. Her father had abandoned the family when she was born, and her mother had passed when she was only 13. No one knew the medicinal cause of her mother's death, because there was no one to pay for the tests. Her life savings hardly payed for the burial. Due to her mother's untimely demise, Novahlie was left with no money for food or shelter. Her only option was to find a job.

Try as she might, Novahlie couldn't get work in a shop because she was too young. She couldn't get work in a bank or a business, because she hadn't the schooling. Instead, Novahlie found herself sewing tags on women's clothing. She worked 14 hours a day for two cents an hour, and if she didn't make her quota (1000 tags) she would only be paid half. More often than not, Novahlie didn't make her quota, and more often than not, Novahlie didn't eat.

When the newsies strike arose, the sweatshop "Lady Esmerelda's Fine Fabrics" laid off all 400 girls and shut down before dear Lady Esmerelda was arrested for child labor. After three years of suffering "The Lady's" verbal and physical abuse, Novahlie was relieved to be free. However, the fact was that she was out of a job.

"Where will I sleep tonight? I've only got a few pennies..." Novahlie asked herself as she counted the few coins in her purse. She wore a white cotton and lace dress with blue ribbons on it. It was one of her few nice things. In her hand was a good sized suitcase containing the rest of them. "I need a job... but what could I do? What could I possibly do?" Novahlie felt a violent bump against her left shoulder. She spun to see what it was.

"Sorry Miss," said a dashing (if not dirty) young man with newspapers tugging at his left arm. "Didn't mean nothin' by it. Wasn't watchin' where I was goin' I guess."

"It's fine," replied Novahlie with a smile. His profuse apologies caught her off guard and she giggled a bit.

He smiled, tipped his hat with his free hand, and walked away taking his sweet brown eyes with him. Novahlie watched him as he called out "Terrified Flight From Inferno! Extry, extry! Mayor Caught Redhanded in Sex Scandal! Extry!" and then resumed her brainstorming. "I don't want to sew any more tags on." She thought to herself. "What else could I do? There's seamstress, laundry, dishwasher... I could try waitressing!" She picked up her suitcase (which she had set down to give her arm a rest as she was talking to the newsie) and marched herself over to Tibby's. Tibby's seemed like an okay place. It got quite a bit of business.

Novahlie crossed the street and stood outside the door of Tibby's. She smoothed her hair and dress as she listened to the noisy chatter from inside. As she opened the door, the chatter stopped suddenly, and 30 to 40 newsies sat looking at her. She was a little embarassed and stood there in the awkward silence until she heard "How may I help you miss?"

"What?" said Novahlie in surprise. She turned to see who was adressing her, and seeing that it was someone who worked there she was relieved. "Oh, sorry. I was wondering if you were hiring any waitresses right now?"

"Waitresses?" said the manager. "Well, I'm sorry, but we've never really had waitresses. It's a family business, you see."

"Yessir," she said, the disappointment apparent in her face. "Sorry to have bothered you, sir." And with that, Novahlie turned on her right heel and headed for the door. As she reached for the door handle she heard one of the newsies say "Musta been workin at Lady's." Novahlie considered confirming the wondering statement, but decided it better to simply leave before she burst into hopeless tears.

Novahlie sat outside Tibby's on the curb, on top of her suitcase. She struggled with her tears for a few moments and then let them out in a silent cry. She had nowhere to sleep that night, and only enough for one more meal. If only I'd been born the son my father wanted..." she thought to herself. "Even if he left anyway, I could be a blacksmith or a newsie... Come to think of it, those newsies have things pretty nice if you ask me. At least they have somewhere to sleep with real matresses- and they make an okay profit since the strike..." she sniffed, and in doing so, alarmed a passing young man. He sat next to her on the curb, and was silent for a long time.

"Miss?" he said, holding his hand out to her. A handkercheif! How lovely. "Use this."

"Thank you," said Novahlie, shyly taking the handkercheif from his hand and dabbing her eyes with it. She pulled it away from her face and looked at it. It was embroidered with beautiful silk floss in a flower pattern. "Oh! it's beautiful."

"It was me mudda's," said the boy. Novahlie looked up at him to hand him the handkercheif back, and noticed it was the same boy who had bumped into her only 30 minutes ago. As she tried to give him the hankie back, he shook his head and pushed it toward her. "Nah, you can keep it. I jus been waitin' for a cute goil to give it to anyway. Jus' so happens it was the same goil I almost plowed a bit ago!" He laughed.

"Oh, you barely bumped me. Just startled me is all" said Novahlie as she gently folded the pretty handkercheif into a neat little triangle. "Besides, I needed waking up. I've got to find a job before dark or I'll be sleeping outside tonight."

"No. I'm afraid that just wouldn't be right. Or safe, for that matter. Come with me, we'll find you somewhere to sleep" he said has he stood, holding his hand out to her to help her up. She accepted, and stood. The young, nameless man took her suitcase and said that she should follow him. And she obliged.

Author's Note: Next chapter on its way!!