Powder

When I came down with the fever, my mama cared for me. She nursed me until I was on the road to recovery. Then she and papa caught it. They caught it from me. I was too weak to care for them, and mama nursed papa until the end. Then she laid in her bed, too weak to fight her own disease. I was left completely and utterly alone. Some neighbors took me in once Doc told them they couldn’t catch the fever from me anymore. After the funeral, my Great Aunt Geraldine took me to live with her in New York City. As my only living relative, I suppose she felt it her duty. She certainly didn’t do it out of love.

My life was turned completely upside-down. Everything I was familiar with was torn away from me, and I was put in a completely dreadful and new position. New York was a long way away from the small logging community in Minnesota where I had been so happy up until about a month ago.

Aunt Geraldine lived in a large, forbidding house in Brooklyn. It looked like something right out of the ghost stories the boys had always been telling during lunch break at school. I hated it. It wasn’t the small, cozy cabin that I had always known as home. More than anything else, I hated it because Aunt Geraldine made me clean it from top to bottom. I suppose she saw an opportunity for a new servant. One she wouldn’t have to pay.

For two long, hot, sweaty, summer months I put up with having to respond to that awful bell she used to call me. She seemed to know when I had just sat down, or when I had just fallen asleep. She wore me ragged, but no one else in the community ever saw that. She had strict rules about clothes, and made me wear the most dowdy, horrid pieces of clothing I had ever seen. When I went out, which was always to do some shopping for her or to go to church, she made sure no one could see how exhausted I was.

Finally it was September, and I figured that I would at last get to be out of the house to go to school. Aunt Geraldine never said a word about it, so finally I gathered all my courage and asked her when the school term would be starting. She said, "Child, you’ve had an eighth grade education! That’s all I ever got, and then I concentrated on finding myself a suitable husband. If you work on that, instead of wasting your time with books and figures, you’ll marry rich and not need to bother with education." She said the word as if it was disgusting, like talking about a cockroach.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to be free from this terrible, awful woman. Aunt though she may be, I couldn’t live with her forever. I couldn’t follow her rules anymore. My plan was to wait until I knew she was asleep, and then run away. Ideally, I could run to the train yards, catch a train back to Minnesota, and find someplace to live there. Maybe one of my friends’ families would take me in. There was just one problem. I didn’t have any money. So I just ran blindly, hoping to find ANYWHERE to stay besides there.

Part 2

I ran and ran that night, terrified to stop. I was crying, and it had started to rain. I was cold, wet, and lost. A flash of lightning lit the night, and I read a sign above the closest building. It read "Newsgirls’ Lodging House." Hmmm... I’d seen the newsboys selling when I went shopping for Aunt Geraldine. Occasionally, I’d seen a girl. I had longed to stop to talk to one of them, but I knew if I didn’t rush back with my packages for Aunt Geraldine, she would yell at me.

I ran up the stone steps to the front door of the building. I started pounding on the door, and yelling, "Please let me in!" After a couple minutes, a kind-looking woman and several girls about my age crowded around the door.

"What’s da trouble, darlin’? You look a fright. Come in an’ let us give ya’ some warm, dry clothes," the woman said. The small crowd of girls parted, and the woman led me upstairs, with the girls following. Upstairs there was a large room with bunks in it.

"She can wear some a’ my clothes," a girl with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes said. "She looks ta be ‘bout my size."

"Thank you, Chaser," said the woman, taking the clothes from the girl, Chaser, and handing them to me. To my surprise, she handed me a plaid men’s shirt, and a pair of pants, of all things! "I’m Mrs. Perkins. These are my newsies." She pointed to each girl, and told me her name. There was a tall girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes, named Swany. There was a shorter girl with brown hair and brown eyes, named Strawberry. There was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, also short, named Karmel. Next was a tall, hefty girl with brown hair and blue eyes, named Nickels. Then there was Chaser, and then came Ernie, who was tall with light brownish blonde hair and blue eyes.

I changed clothes, and Mrs. Perkins said, "Now. Tell us who ya are an’ what happened ta have upset ya so terribly."

"I... I’m Liza," I said. I launched into my whole story. I told them about my parents, and about horrid Aunt Geraldine.

"There, there, darlin’," Mrs. Perkins comforted me. "It’s all right. You can stay hea’. You’ll be safe. I would neva’ let ya go back ta dat horrible woman, even if she is your legal guardian."

"Thank you," I said quietly. I smiled.

"Now we should all try ta sleep. These goyls have a lotta sellin’ ta do tomarra’, and they’re goin’ ta have ta teach ya da tricks a’ da trade, if you’se goin’ ta be a newsie."

I didn’t think I would be able to sleep very much that night, but I was so exhausted that I fell asleep almost instantly.

Part 3

The next morning I woke up to the sounds of the girls trying to be quiet as they got dressed and washed up. I climbed groggily out of bed.

"Oh... you’se up. We was tryin’ not ta wake ya," Swany said. I remembered their names. I had always been good with names.

"That’s all right. I’m going to need to get up if I’m going to sell newspapers with you," I said.

"You sound funny," Strawberry giggled. "You’se got an accent!"

"I’ve got an accent?" I laughed.

I went into the washroom, got dressed, and pulled my hair back in a small pony-tail at the nape of my neck. I would try braiding it, as most of the other girls did, but I didn’t think I had time. The other girls were already waiting for me. I put on a hat that Chaser had given me, and headed out the door.

The other girls were waiting in the lobby area where I had come in during the night. As a group, we headed outside to my first day of being a newsie.

Part 4

"Foist, I don’t suppose ya have any money?" asked Nickels.

"Uh... no," I said.

"All right, den. I’ll lend ya some," she said, tossing a coin to me. We bought our papes, as I noticed the girls called them, and headed out.

"We usually all spread out, but stick wit’ me today. I’ll show ya da ropes," Karmel said. She taught me how the first thing you need to know is that "Headlines don’t sell papes. Newsies sell papes." That meant I could go ahead and embellish stories. I could say anything I needed to, if it would sell a pape.

We had been selling a while when Karmel asked, "Are ya gettin’ hungry?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay. We can head ova’ to da Dew Drop Inn. Dat’s where we a’ways meet fo’ lunch. Hey, you’se gonna get a chance ta meet da guys! Be careful whatcha say ta Spot Conlon. He’s nice, but he’s wicked wit’ a slingshot!"

We walked to a small restaurant, and Karmel started introducing me to the guy newsies. "Dis is Dusty, Howie, Mac, Half-Pint, Black-Eye, Red, and Mac. And dis..." she paused for effect. "Is Spot Conlon. Guys, dis here’s Liza. We haven’t come up wit a nickname for ‘er yet, but she’s oua newest goyl."

Spot was the cutest guy I had ever seen. He had the most beautiful blue eyes. He spit in his hand and stuck it out. I was frozen. "He wants ya ta shake ‘is hand. But spit first. It’s a newsie code," Karmel whispered and nudged me.

I spit in my hand and shook with Spot. It was rather disgusting, I thought, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Spot. Karmel led me over to a table where the other girls were sitting, and I had to force myself to stop staring at Spot. As I walked away, I heard one of the guys say, "I think she likes ya, Spot!" My face blushed bright red.

Part 5

That night the girls and I all sat in a circle on the floor of the bedroom. "We hafta get youse a nickname, Liza!" said Ernie. "It’s tradition! We all had normal names once upon a time."

"Well... like what?" I asked.

"Hmm... dere has ta be some REASON for a nickname. It can’t be totally random," Chaser said.

"How ‘bout Ivory?" Karmel asked.

"Ivory?" asked Nickels and Swany in unison.

"Yeah, ‘cause her skin is pale like ivory," Karmel explained.

"It’s good, but she doesn’t look like an Ivory. Plus, it’s too elegant-soundin’ fo’ a newsie name," said Nickels. "I like da idea ‘bout her skin, though. What else is pale like dat?"

"Powda’! Like baby powda’!" Swany exclaimed.

"I like it, too," I said.

"Does everybody like it?" asked Swany.

It was unanimous. "Powda’ it is," said Nickels.

Part 6

The next day I found myself looking forward to lunch. I was really happy when I ran into Spot before lunch. "Hey! Da goyls find ya a nickname yet?" he asked me.

"Actually, they did," I said.

"Well..." he prompted.

"Powder," I told him.

"Powda’... I like dat!" Spot said. He flashed me the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen. "Hey, ya wanna sell da rest a’ da mornin’ wit me?" he asked.

"Sure!" I said excitedly. Spot Conlon wanted to sell with me!!! I was floating the rest of the morning. We walked around, and all of a sudden I realized we were at the Dew Drop Inn.

"Ya want a bite ta eat?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I’m starving!" I told him, as he held the door open for me.

The girls insisted I sit with them at lunch. "We saw you walk in with Spot! What happened?" Strawberry said excitedly, as she tried to keep her voice down.

I told them that we had sold together. I didn’t think it was THAT big of a deal, but they said they thought he liked me.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked.

"Well... for one thing, he’s starin’ atcha," Karmel smiled.

"Is he really?" I asked, forcing myself to resist the urge to look over there.

"Yup!" said Ernie, beaming.

I blushed and grinned like an idiot.

Part 7

As I walked out of the Dew Drop, Spot came up behind me. "So... do ya wanna do somethin’ tonight? A walk maybe?" he asked.

"I’d love to," I answered, turning to face him. I thought it was kind of funny for us to go on a walk after we had been walking all day to sell our papes, but I was definitely not about to refuse a date with Spot Conlon!

"Awright, den. I’ll meetcha in front a’ your lodgin’ house at, shall we say seven?" he asked, smiling at me.

"Seven sounds great," I told him.

"Okay. I’ll see ya den," he said. He turned away and started shouting headlines.

"Okay," I said quietly to myself. I stood there for a minute, soaking in the reality that Spot Conlon had just asked me out. Then I turned and got back to work.

I realized how lucky I was. I had found a great group of friends. I had only known the girls a couple of days, and already they were like sisters to me. I was sure I would get to know the guys better before too long, and then there was Spot. I couldn’t believe that just a few days before, I had been toiling like Cinderella for my horrible Aunt Geraldine. For the first time since my parents died, I found myself actually being happy. I missed my parents terribly, but I knew that they would approve of my decision. They wouldn’t have wanted me to stay with Aunt Geraldine. And I knew they were watching over me from up in heaven. I looked up at the sky. I was going to be all right.

Epilogue

In a few months, Powder fit in completely with her new friends. She had sort of become the leader of the girls, because she was so easy to talk to and gave good advice. Everybody knew if they had a problem, they could turn to sensible Powder for help.

It wasn’t long before it became known to all the newsies in Brooklyn, and maybe everywhere else, that she was Spot’s girl.

Her "Minnesota accent" completely vanished, and was replaced by a New York accent.

All thoughts of the much despised Aunt Geraldine disappeared, and although she was poor, she was "da happiest goyl in da woyld."

THE END!!

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