Chapter Seven
"Are you alright?" Mush asked with worry and concern in his voice. His arm was still around her waist, and she was comforted by his presence and closeness. "Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for rescuing me," she replied. "It was very nice of you."
"Yeah, but I promised your bruddah dat I was gonna takes care of ya. He would kill me if I'se woulda let anyting happen ta you, especially by da Delancey bruddas," Mush explained. "Besides, it was my pleasure. It's not everyday I gets ta rescue a beautiful goil from Oscar and Morris Delancey." They both laughed at this comment. However, this wonderful spell was broken when a strong gust of wind came and blew Mush's hat off his head, making him have to remove his arm to go retrieve it. Bobbie found herself wishing he would put his arm back, but she knew that Mush was too much of a gentleman to do so without an invitation. He had had an excuse before, but he wouldn't dare do it now. And both of them knew it. After retrieving his hat, Mush stuttered, "It's been a long mornin'! I'se should take ya back to da lodging house." He added, "I guess I'se'll stat too since I left all of my papes where we had our lil' misfortune." Bobbie nodded in affirmation and continued walking down the street. They were almost to the lodging house when Bobbie stumbled and fell down. !uickly, Mush bent down to help her up. "Oh, are you okay?
The concern in his voice was almost Bobbie's undoing. As he helped he up, Bobbie's sleeve rose and revealed a hideous bruise. Mush could only stare. Bobbie saw Mush's expression and immediately covered the bruise. "I'm okay, Mush. Really, I am. I just bruise pretty easily," she quickly explained. Still Mush had seen how hard Oscar's grip on her arm had been. He also knew that she did NOT bruise easily. He had seen her wrestle with Jack and she had never once gotten a bruise. "No, I'm okay, really," she reassured him, having seen his pensive expression. "No, no, you'se is not." By that time, they had reached the lodging house. "I'm gonna leave ya heah wit Kloppman. I'll be goin' ta find Oscar. I'se'll see ya latuh." And with that, he left a very bewildered Bobbie standing in the doorway.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey Davie! Hurry it up! I wanna see how Bobbie's day went," Jack hollered to David who was trailing behind. Bobbie had been on his mind all day. He could sense vulnerability in her where it concerned Mush. Oh, she tried to hide it, but Jack knew it was there. Maybe it was a brotherly intuition. He also hoped that by putting them together as selling partners, he could help mush. Ever since Bobbie had come, Mush had been much more reserved and withdrawn. He knew that when that time of evening when Mush would disappear for a couple of hours, Bobbie was always affected. Yes, she would again try to hide it by laughing and joking with Race, whom with she had formed a friendship, but she was different nonetheless. Maybe it was just a brotherly thing, his wanting to help her.
It was a laughing pair who came into the lodging house. "Hey, Davie! I'm goin' ta go ta Bobbie's room and see how it went," Jack told his friend. "Okay. See ya later, Jack," David replied as Jack bounded up the stairs to the small room which he had just recently finished for Bobbie. Whe Jack knocked and there was no answer, Jack opened the door and walked in. He whirled around as Bobbie came through the door wearing a sleeveless shirt. If Bobbie thought that she was surprised, she was in no comparison to the surprise that Jack felt. "Oh, Jack… Hello… how was--…"she stopped abruptly when she saw that Jack was not listening, but staring at the atrocious bruise on her arm. "Jack, it's not what you think…" she tried to explain, but Jack, with cold eyes, simply said, "Mush," and stormed out of the lodging house.
"Are you alright?" Mush asked with worry and concern in his voice. His arm was still around her waist, and she was comforted by his presence and closeness. "Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for rescuing me," she replied. "It was very nice of you."
"Yeah, but I promised your bruddah dat I was gonna takes care of ya. He would kill me if I'se woulda let anyting happen ta you, especially by da Delancey bruddas," Mush explained. "Besides, it was my pleasure. It's not everyday I gets ta rescue a beautiful goil from Oscar and Morris Delancey." They both laughed at this comment. However, this wonderful spell was broken when a strong gust of wind came and blew Mush's hat off his head, making him have to remove his arm to go retrieve it. Bobbie found herself wishing he would put his arm back, but she knew that Mush was too much of a gentleman to do so without an invitation. He had had an excuse before, but he wouldn't dare do it now. And both of them knew it. After retrieving his hat, Mush stuttered, "It's been a long mornin'! I'se should take ya back to da lodging house." He added, "I guess I'se'll stat too since I left all of my papes where we had our lil' misfortune." Bobbie nodded in affirmation and continued walking down the street. They were almost to the lodging house when Bobbie stumbled and fell down. !uickly, Mush bent down to help her up. "Oh, are you okay?
The concern in his voice was almost Bobbie's undoing. As he helped he up, Bobbie's sleeve rose and revealed a hideous bruise. Mush could only stare. Bobbie saw Mush's expression and immediately covered the bruise. "I'm okay, Mush. Really, I am. I just bruise pretty easily," she quickly explained. Still Mush had seen how hard Oscar's grip on her arm had been. He also knew that she did NOT bruise easily. He had seen her wrestle with Jack and she had never once gotten a bruise. "No, I'm okay, really," she reassured him, having seen his pensive expression. "No, no, you'se is not." By that time, they had reached the lodging house. "I'm gonna leave ya heah wit Kloppman. I'll be goin' ta find Oscar. I'se'll see ya latuh." And with that, he left a very bewildered Bobbie standing in the doorway.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey Davie! Hurry it up! I wanna see how Bobbie's day went," Jack hollered to David who was trailing behind. Bobbie had been on his mind all day. He could sense vulnerability in her where it concerned Mush. Oh, she tried to hide it, but Jack knew it was there. Maybe it was a brotherly intuition. He also hoped that by putting them together as selling partners, he could help mush. Ever since Bobbie had come, Mush had been much more reserved and withdrawn. He knew that when that time of evening when Mush would disappear for a couple of hours, Bobbie was always affected. Yes, she would again try to hide it by laughing and joking with Race, whom with she had formed a friendship, but she was different nonetheless. Maybe it was just a brotherly thing, his wanting to help her.
It was a laughing pair who came into the lodging house. "Hey, Davie! I'm goin' ta go ta Bobbie's room and see how it went," Jack told his friend. "Okay. See ya later, Jack," David replied as Jack bounded up the stairs to the small room which he had just recently finished for Bobbie. Whe Jack knocked and there was no answer, Jack opened the door and walked in. He whirled around as Bobbie came through the door wearing a sleeveless shirt. If Bobbie thought that she was surprised, she was in no comparison to the surprise that Jack felt. "Oh, Jack… Hello… how was--…"she stopped abruptly when she saw that Jack was not listening, but staring at the atrocious bruise on her arm. "Jack, it's not what you think…" she tried to explain, but Jack, with cold eyes, simply said, "Mush," and stormed out of the lodging house.