Hey everyone! I know it's been A WHILE since I've updated. Sorry, busy. Anyway, here's teh next chappie, finally. LOL. :) Oh, notes!
newsieschic: Yes I have been lingering on her hair. I'm trying to express how that's basically her prettiest feature and now it's in the open that the reason she didn't cut her hair is because her father it so much. That's why the hair is so important. You can also see that her father's death is very important, so important that she avoids it like the plague. LOL. You'll see why later. Anyway, I don't think I'll be mentioning the hair quite as much now that I've gotten it out in the open that it was her father's favorite thing about her looks.
elleestJenn: I want Race to be happy too! LOL. You'll see, just keep reading. I hope you enjoy the chappie because it's sort of like an update on her mother. Anyway, it doesn't really go into her current condition but it'd kind of transitioning back from the romantice situation to her life with her mother and they'll be a lot more of her mother from now on.
Chapter 13
Mrs. Jacobs just stared at Jenna for a moment. She was being given the chance to meet her mother and she wanted to take it. After Jenna sheepishly gave her the directions to her apartment she set out. Now she had the idea of just exactly how the newsies lived. As she passed through the streets she saw many children sleeping in the alleys and as she got closer to Jenna's house the streets became dirtier.
This is where she lives? She thought as she hurried down the road. She climbed the rotten steps delicately and gently knocked on apartment door 280.
"Come in," came a voice from inside as she slowly pried the door open. "Why'd you knock, Jenna, you never-" She stopped in her words to see a strange woman entering her home. "Who are you?" She squirmed in her rocking chair.
"Mrs. Thomas, my name is Esther Jacobs and your daughter sells papers with my sons David and Les. She had dinner with us tonight as I'm sure she told you and she asked me to come tell you that she'll be a little later than usual," Mrs. Jacobs explained.
"Oh," was all Mrs. Thomas said in reply.
"Well, I'll be off then," Mrs. Jacobs said, starting for the door.
"Oh no, please don't, it gets extremely lonely here by myself day after day, you're the first company we've had, would you, would you please sit with me until Jenna comes back?" she asked. Mrs. Jacobs smiled kindly upon the pale creature before her and nodded, pulling up a chair beside her from the kitchen table. "Jenna hardly ever tells me anything about the newsies; I'd like to hear more about them."
"Well, I don't know much either. David's friend, Jack Kelly, I guess you could say he's the leader, usually comes over for dinner because he and my daughter are sweet on each other," Mrs. Jacobs explained.
"How many children do you have?" Mrs. Thomas asked.
"Three: Sarah, David, and Les," she replied with a smile.
"M-U-S-H, 'Mush,'" Jenna said, writing down each letter slowly so as not to confuse Mush.
"That's me name?" he asked, pointing.
"Yep, sure is," she nodded.
"Wow," he breathed. She smiled.
"Right, now you try," she commanded, handing him the pencil in her hand. He shakily took the writing utensil and drew the "M." "All right, good, now the 'U,' right, you got it."
"I did it!" he cried, looking proudly upon his lopsided letters.
"Yes," she replied.
"They don't look as good as yours though," he said.
"Well, they will, wid time, ya gotta be patient, it takes practice," she said encouragingly as he sighed with frustration.
"Mom, I'm home!" Jenna shouted as she burst through the door of her apartment to find Mrs. Jacobs seated in a chair beside her mother. "M-Mrs. Jacobs, what are you still doin' here?"
"Just keeping your mother company, dear," she said, rising from the chair. "Goodbye Harriet."
"Good-bye Esther and thank you. Do come again, won't you?" Mrs. Thomas asked.
"I will, in fact, how 'bout I come tomorrow and bring some yarn so we can knit?" she asked.
"Oh, that would be wonderful," she agreed.
"See you tomorrow then," Mrs. Jacobs said as she left. Jenna had watched the whole scene in awe and very slowly began to approach her mother.
"I take it everythin' went well," she said.
"Everything's fine, dear, especially now," she replied. "You know, Esther is a wonderful woman, I'm so fortunate to have met her."
"Yeah," Jenna muttered.
I'm just surprised she stayed here in a dump like this. She thought.