Chapter 5.
We arrived at the distribution center, and Nova bought a hundred papers, and I bought thirty. He sat down and started reading some of the headlines, and I did the same. Even though I wasn't a newsie before didn't mean I didn't know what to do.
"I think ise gonna let ya sell alone taday, see how well ya do." He smiled.
"Ok, Ise tink I can do dat." I replied, as I stood up grabbing my papers.
"Well I'll see ya latah den," he called back to me as he walked away shouting "Extry! Extry! Lady attacked by four crooks. Lifeless body reported in alleys!"
I watched him walk around the corner of the distribution center, and I sat down again reading a paper. "Women dies from bad beef," I read to myself. "I'll use dat one I guess." I thought standing up and grabbing my papers.
I walked out of the gates followed by boys shouting headlines that I thought were real. "Dang where dey getting does stories from?" I mumbled. After a hour of failed attempts to sell my papers I decided to do what the other boys were doing, make up my own headlines. Instead of calling out "Woman dies from eating bad beef!" I called out, "Women dies from mad cow! Read all about it!" After shouting my made up headline a man with his fiancée bought a paper from me, they paid a nickel when it was only a penny so I said "Sorry mistah no change."
He looked angry, but his fiancée chuckled. "It's ok honey let her keep the money." And they walked away.
I sold all my papers within the next two hours. I started walking around so I could find a new spot to sell at tomorrow. I walked through alleys, main streets busy with people.
While I was walking this kid came up and bumped into me, "Sorry ma'am, wasn't lookin were ise was goin'," he muttered walking off with his head hanging low as if to hide something.
"Hey kid! Git back heah!" I yelled running after him. The boy started running and I sped up, it was a all out chase. He ran into an alley, and I followed as he jumped up onto a crate and went behind it. When I was behind the crate the kid was no where to be found, so I looked around and saw a board leaning against the wall of a brick building.
I walked over to the board ready to defend myself if need be. I lifted up the board and saw a hole in the wall. Walking through the hole I saw a bunch of boys hanging out, smoking cigars, playing cards, darts, and fighting with each other for the fun of it. I walked further unnoticed by the boys at the opening. Some boys gave me glares and the rest left me completely alone.
We arrived at the distribution center, and Nova bought a hundred papers, and I bought thirty. He sat down and started reading some of the headlines, and I did the same. Even though I wasn't a newsie before didn't mean I didn't know what to do.
"I think ise gonna let ya sell alone taday, see how well ya do." He smiled.
"Ok, Ise tink I can do dat." I replied, as I stood up grabbing my papers.
"Well I'll see ya latah den," he called back to me as he walked away shouting "Extry! Extry! Lady attacked by four crooks. Lifeless body reported in alleys!"
I watched him walk around the corner of the distribution center, and I sat down again reading a paper. "Women dies from bad beef," I read to myself. "I'll use dat one I guess." I thought standing up and grabbing my papers.
I walked out of the gates followed by boys shouting headlines that I thought were real. "Dang where dey getting does stories from?" I mumbled. After a hour of failed attempts to sell my papers I decided to do what the other boys were doing, make up my own headlines. Instead of calling out "Woman dies from eating bad beef!" I called out, "Women dies from mad cow! Read all about it!" After shouting my made up headline a man with his fiancée bought a paper from me, they paid a nickel when it was only a penny so I said "Sorry mistah no change."
He looked angry, but his fiancée chuckled. "It's ok honey let her keep the money." And they walked away.
I sold all my papers within the next two hours. I started walking around so I could find a new spot to sell at tomorrow. I walked through alleys, main streets busy with people.
While I was walking this kid came up and bumped into me, "Sorry ma'am, wasn't lookin were ise was goin'," he muttered walking off with his head hanging low as if to hide something.
"Hey kid! Git back heah!" I yelled running after him. The boy started running and I sped up, it was a all out chase. He ran into an alley, and I followed as he jumped up onto a crate and went behind it. When I was behind the crate the kid was no where to be found, so I looked around and saw a board leaning against the wall of a brick building.
I walked over to the board ready to defend myself if need be. I lifted up the board and saw a hole in the wall. Walking through the hole I saw a bunch of boys hanging out, smoking cigars, playing cards, darts, and fighting with each other for the fun of it. I walked further unnoticed by the boys at the opening. Some boys gave me glares and the rest left me completely alone.