Chapter Two: London
When Kathryn awoke from her rest under the bush, it was mid-afternoon. She jumped up eager to begin her journey, and scraped her forehead on the limbs of the bush. Blood trickled slowly down the side of her face as she started on her journey. The sun beat down on the dusty road as Kathryn shuffled along on the way to her new life. As she walked, she tried to think of everything that she needed. I'll need food and clothes, she thought, and a new name! I'll need to dress up as a boy so that no one will recognize me. I really like the name Alexander. Alexander Darcy. No, wait. I'll need a new last name too. How about Alexander Darby? That was it. Her new name was to be Alexander Darby.
Bored on the road, Kathryn practiced her boy-voice and stance which was very entertaining, and she soon became very good at walking and talking like a boy. Occasionally, she passed other travelers and noted the way the boys and men walked. She tried her best to copy these stances and was very soon rewarded.
That night, she slept under an old, broad tree with many roots and gnarls. To Kathryn, it seemed like a friendly tree, the only friend she'd found in a long time.
When the morning sun woke her, Kathryn sat up and stretched, finding her muscles to be very sore. Her feet were also painful. When she examined them, she found them to be covered in blisters that she hadn't noticed the day before. Even with these barriers, Kathryn made herself get up and start walking. I need to get to London by today or tomorrow, she told herself, I need to find a job so I can feed myself and buy boy's clothes. She didn't practice her boy stance that day because she was so sore. However, to try to keep her mind off of all the pain in her tired, hungry body, she continued practicing her boy-voice. This in particular needed to be very convincing as her voice could easily give her away.
Kathryn limped on, passing more and more travelers as she neared London. Almost faint with hunger, it seemed to be a blessing from God when she passed by a bread lady's cart and looked at all the nice, warm buns and bread. The bread lady saw how hungry the girl looked and gave her a small, deformed bun for no charge. Kathryn thanked her and went on her way, feeling better since she had eaten the bun.
While painfully walking along the dry, dusty road, Kathryn spotted something shiny lying amidst all the dirt and grime along the side of the road. When she went over to investigate, she found it was a two-pence coin. She was very pleased with her find and started walking again, planning how to use her money. I really need boy's clothes so I don't look like a girl, she thought, but I also need food or I will die. I haven't eaten anything except the bun since yesterday's morning gruel. She continued arguing with herself for a good half-hour before finally deciding to spend half of it on clothes, and the other half on food. But she knew that tuppence couldn't last her very long. She needed a job. As soon as I reach London, she thought, I need to buy food and clothes and find a job. As much as she wanted to believe that finding a job would be easy, she knew it wouldn't be.
When Kathryn finally arrived in London, it was late-afternoon. She needed to find a job and buy food and clothes before nightfall. Large crowds thronged every street and side-street: the alleys were the only areas free of people. When Kathryn tried to huddle in one of the alleys, she was scared out again by the biggest rats and dogs she had ever seen. Back in the crowds of people, Kathryn had to stand on tiptoe to see over the heads of taller people.
The first store she saw was a clothing store. She fought her way through the crowd and in the front door. The lady standing behind the counter eyed her disdainfully as Kathryn carefully wiped her feet on the rug right inside the door. When she finished, she walked nervously up to the tall counter. The lady standing behind the counter was a sharp featured, older woman with medium brown hair which had some grey streaks creeping in. Her dress was very tight and Kathryn could tell she wore a corset. "Please ma'am," she said nervously, "I would like to buy some ready-made boy's clothes."
"And what may your name be, little girl?"
"If you please, ma'am, I'd rather not say." The lady eyed her suspiciously before asking another question.
"Why would a little girl like you be wanting boy's clothes?" Kathryn thought fast. She couldn't tell the lady why she really needed the clothes or she might be arrested.
"I need them for my brother, ma'am. He's about my size and needs new clothes."
"I see. Well, why didn't your brother come himself to fetch his clothes?"
"Please ma'am, my brother is working today, as he does everyday. We are very poor, ma'am, my mother and brother and I. We lost our father to an illness last year. Ever since, my brother has been doing my father's work. He has no time to spare to come and get his own clothes." Kathryn had taken her story a little far, but the lady seemed to believe the whole thing. Her eyes softening a bit, she reluctantly came out from behind her counter to measure Kathryn for the ready-made clothes. She brought a stool out with her for Kathryn to stand on to make her taller. After measuring, the lady went back behind her counter to find some suitable clothes.
While the lady was behind the counter, Kathryn looked about the shop. Large rolls of fabric were hanging everywhere: ink silk, purple satin, calico, linen, and everything in between. Without realizing what she was doing, Kathryn reached over to touch the pink silk just as the lady came out from behind the counter with her clothes. "You naughty, naughty girl!" she almost screamed, "Get your dirty little hands off my silk this instant!"
"Please ma'am," Kathryn pleaded, "please, I was just looking, ma'am. Please give me my clothes and I will be gone."
"Here they are, you little girl. Now where's your money?"
"Here it is ma'am." Kathryn held out the little two-pence to the lady. She snatched it out of Kathryn's fingers as if they had been infected. "How much will it be, ma'am?" The lady looked at the piece of money in her hand before replying.
"Tuppence." she said curtly. Kathryn was crushed: she had spent all her money on clothes and now she didn't have any for food.
"Please, ma'am," she pleaded, "I need half of that for my dinner tonight." This was a mistake. The lady snatched the clothes from her and threw the tuppence back at her.
"Get out of my store this instant!" she yelled. Kathryn quickly grabbed her money and took to her heels.
Back out in the crowded streets, Kathryn was at a loss. The sun was about to set, and she still didn't have clothes or food. She sat down on a barrel to cry, losing hope that she could find a store for clothes and another for food.
When she finished crying, Kathryn looked up at the store in front of her. To her great relief and amazement, there were two shops side by side; one was a ready-made clothing shop, and the other was a bakery. Letting out an involuntary cry of joy, Kathryn jumped up from her barrel. She pushed her way through the crowd and into the bakery.
She was met with a warm gush of delicious-smelling air. The bakery was filled with freshly made buns, bread, cakes, and muffins. A warm fire blazed at the opposite end of the room in a beautiful stone fireplace. When Kathryn walked in, a round baker woman appeared behind the counter. She had curly brown hair tied up with a handkerchief behind her head. A faded green apron dusted with flour was tied neatly around her plump waist. She had kind, blue eyes and a pretty little nose. "What can I do fer ya dearie?" she asked. Kathryn jumped.
"Oh! I would like as many buns as I can buy with one-pence, please"
"Yes, o'course dearie, I will get that fer ya right away." She is much nicer than the other lady, thought Kathryn. "Here ya go, my dear," said the baker woman, "three nice, hot buns fer ya."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Kathryn, handing her the money.
"Anytime dearie," she said as she gave Kathryn a pence back in change.
Kathryn walked reluctantly our of the bakery wishing she could stay in with the kind baker woman forever.
Next was the clothing shop, and Kathryn hoped it would be a different experience than the last one. She walked in nervously.
"Hello, what can I do for you?" said the absentminded woman behind the counter. Kathryn told her what she needed, and the woman didn't question her. Kathryn supposed she was just tired and ready for her day's work to be over. The woman came to measure her immediately and quickly found the appropriate clothes. Kathryn handed her the remaining pence, and the woman gave her the clothes.
As Kathryn walked out into the street, she decided that she would have to change in an alley. Shuddering, she walked into one of the deserted alleys. Finished changing, Kathryn started to walk out of the alley when she heard a scurrying noise behind her back. Turning around, she saw one of the gruesome rats chasing her. Quickly turning back around, she ran as fast as she could towards the opening of the alley. Since she was running so fast, she didn't notice the puddle of mud in her path. Falling face first into the thick, sticky liquid Kathyrn throught, It was only a rat! Why did I run? Now my clothes are dirty. Well, at least I fit in with everyone now.
When Kathryn finally came out of the alley, she looked like a different person. She was no longer Kathryn Darcy; she was now Alexander Darby.
Now she had to find a job. Wandering through the slightly less crowded streets, she sat down on another barrel to rest and figure out where to go next.
As she was sitting on the barrel, a boy with light blond hair and blue eyes walked up behind her. He had a dirty brown suit on with a worn black top hat. His face needed washing, and his hands were covered with gloves. "Hi there, me mate!" he said. Kathryn jumped.
"Do you know me?" she asked, careful to use her boy voice.
"No, I can't say I do. Ya looked a li'l down, and I was wonder'n if ya needed accommodations fer tonight. I know a kind, respec'able gen'leman who'll give ya food and a place to stay, provided ya work fer him, that is."
"I do need a place to stay and food," Kathryn replied nervously. "Do you think he would mind?"
"Not at all, me mate!" he said enthusiastically, "You jus' come with me, and I'll take ya to Fagin. That's the respec'able gen'leman's name." Kathryn hesitantly took the hand he offered her and stood up.
"What is your name?" she asked.
"I am Jack Dawkins," he answered proudly, "bet'er known as the Artful Dodger."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dawkins. May I ask how old you are?"
"I am thirteen years old. Please call me Dodger," he said with a bow, "Might I ask 'ow old you are?
"If you please, I am the same age as yourself: thirteen years old." Dodger surveyed Kathryn's small figure. She definitely looked the part of a London boy. Her gloves were torn in places as were her scarf and jacket. Her pants were a ragged mess and her hat was black with dirt. Her shoes, once black, were now a dull grey color. When he had finished looking her over, he asked, "I believe I forgo' to ask your name?"
"K-Alexander Darcy-I mean Darby." Satisfied, Dodger nodded and turned.
"Come on now!" he said, "we've got to ge' back to Fagin before nigh'fall." The two of them started off down the back streets of London, weaving through piles of trash and other rubbish. Kathryn observed that Dodger knew his way very well through these mazes of back streets and alleys. Surprisingly, she wasn't as scared when he was with her. It seemed that having another human with her made things like rats and shadows a little less spooky.
Soon they arrived at what seemed to be Fagin's place. Dodger led her up a flight of stairs that opened into a small room filled with about a dozen boys eating. Dodger announced himself and Kathryn by banging loudly on a iron pot hanging near the door. An old man, who appeared to be Fagin, came shuffling towards them. When he saw Kathryn he asked, "Dodger, my dear, who is this?"
"Ah, Fagin, this is Alexander Darby," he stated while pushing Kathryn towards Fagin. Kathryn started to bow but stopped when all the other boys laughed. Looking around, she saw that the room had only one window: a small, dirty piece of paper stuck to a window frame. Handkerchiefs of all colors and sizes were hanging everywhere, along with cobwebs and dust. Kathryn was brought back to earth by Fagin telling her to help herself to what seemed to be moldy sausages. She sat down just as Fagin was beginning to tell her what she would have to do for work.