Chapter 9: Kloppmon
He grabbed at his lower back, counting and recounting his savings in his head, making sure he had enough to keep the girl. He had never had a girl before and keeping up with her was going to mean more work. Most girls either were either living with their mothers on the street, both selling their bodies, or working in factories at sewing machines. He wanted neither for the girl, especially if she was cowboy's little sister. She looked like she resembled him but it had been so long since Kloppmon had seen Cowboy it was hard to remember.
Cowboy had stayed at the lodging house only a few nights after the strike. He either slept in Brooklyn or with Dave and Les, and their sister Sarah. Kloppmon hoped Jack was smart enough to respect the girl and not pull a Jack and do anything stupid.
Kloppmon sighed, as much as he tried to teach those kids, he wondered how much they actually learned. He felt sorry for them, but never showed it, the last thing they wanted was pity. They had grown up too soon, some of them a matter of days had taught them how to live their lives in the real world, and sadly this was all their lives would probably succumb too. Kloppmon shook his head, 'it's not right,' he thought. 'It just is not right.'
Kloppman, Race, and the girl spent the majority of the afternoon putting together her room; it was down the hall from Kloppman's. Kloppman's room was in between her room and the stairs, not that Kloppman was scared anything would happen, just in case something ever did. Race seemed to know the girl, and she looked distantly familiar to Kloppman, but not enough to ask her if he'd seen her before.
"Is Cowboy from Frisco too?"
"Cowboy?" She looked a little confused.
"I'm sorry, Jack?" Kloppmon shook his head; he couldn't believe he forgot that he had started calling Jack that, right after he got here. He remembered the conversation, he and Jack's first real conversation
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"So what do they call you now, Jack Kelly, right?"
"Yea, whatya want with it?"
"Just wondering what I should call you, Jack Kelly, sounds like some sort of super hero."
"Nah, I ain't no hero, well not yet anyways…"
"Well boy, what are we going to do about that? How can we make you a hero?"
"When I can go save my sister and my aunt, and we can alls go to Santa Fe and bes happy foreva."
"Santa Fe? Well then boy, you wouldn't be a super hero, but a cowboy."
"Yea, whateva." There was a slight pause, Kloppmon let the kid think, and then it became time for them both to go inside.
"Well Cowboy, I think it's time for you to head off to bed, big day sellin' papers tomorrow."
"Who needs sleep to sell papes?"
"You do Cowboy, you do,"
"Yea Ima goin."
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"Oh right, no sir, he's from here, but so am I. I moved to Frisco with our Aunt Martha a few years back." She hung her head, as if she didn't want to continue the conversation, so Kloppmon didn't go on.
But race didn't seem to get the hint.
"Yea, Lanie left us all here about seven years ago. Jack was livin' here then Kloppmon, but we was all new, you might not remembers us." Race just kept going; he was hanging curtains that Kloppmon found in an extra closet, so he couldn't see Lanie's face. "Yea, Cowboy wasn't really Cowboy then, I thinks he gots the name afta Lanie left. She came here once or twice, wes all knew her, or at least the majorities of us knew OF her. Jackie-boi used to talks about you all the times Lanie, but afta ya left, you gots a little quiet in da lodgin' house."
"Alright I think the room is suitable, don't you Miss Lanie?"
"Yes sir, it's wonderful, thank you."
"Alright Race, let's go upstairs," And Race, finally taking the hint, followed Kloppmon out the door.
"Lanie," Race ran back in to say, "Ima sorry we didn't find him today, he'll bes here tomorrow im sure, just gets some good sleep alrigh?"
"Thanks Race, its fine, good night."
"Night Lanie." Kloppmon watched Race run up the stairs into the boys' room, he shook his head again. Lies, when was Race gonna tell her that Cowboy never came around anymore. Oh well, She would find out plenty soon enough.
