| "You know that you love her, Skittery." "Yeh? Well last time that I checked most people said dat I didn't know nothin'." "Everybody's gotta know sometin'." "Ya know what? You're right. I know sometin'. I know dat Gingah and me, we don't be long togetha." "Den you're stupider dan I thought." ---------------------- That conversation was so long ago. But I remember it, clear as crystal.....Oh yeah. Sorry. You have no idea what I'm talking about. See, my name's Skittery. I'se a Manhattan newsie. One day, I made the stupidest mistake of my life. --------------------- Skittery walked down the busy streets of Manhattan, his hands in his pockets curled around his money he had earned for the day, and his head down. He didn't like to show his face, just in case the bulls would somehow recognize him. Now he wasn't some sort of criminal. it's just that he was a newsie, and one time he stole an apple from a vendor's cart. He didn't want to take any chances. Besides, the police didn't like the newsies. They called them street rats, street rats with no brains, no respect for nothin' includin' themselves. Skittery stopped in his tracks. He had almost stepped on something. It was a little pink purse. He picked it up and looked ahead to see who had dropped it. In front of him was a girl in a long silky pink dress. She was wearing white gloves and a pink hat. It must have been hers. He ran up and shouted, "Miss!" she turned around and shaded her eyes with her hand. Skittery ran up to her and said, "Uh...I tink you dropped dis." The girl smiled and said, "Why thank you! Goodness, I'm so irresponsible! I dropped my own purse! Honestly, I was just day dreaming so much that I totally forgot I had it with me! My name is Ginger." she held out her hand. Skittery brought his hand up to spit in it, but took a look at her gloves and her clothes and just shook it. Her glove was a darker shade of color once he shook her hand. "I'se Skittery. Sorry bout yer glove." "Oh, don't mind that! It's all right, I've got plenty more pairs at home!" Skittery thought to himself, "Of course you do. You're rich." but instead said, "Yeh, dat's good." Ginger looked at him and said, "Are you a newsboy?" Skittery nodded his head and said to himself, "Yeh I tink dat's pretty obvious..." Ginger smiled and said, "Well, I best be on my way. Mother is going to get terribly worried of me. Nice meeting you, Skittery!" and with that she was swept into the busy crowd of New York. Skittery smiled to himself about how proper she was. "Geez, it's like she's royalty or sometin'. I bet she lives in some kinda palace." ------------------- Back at Tibby's Skittery joked around with his friends Swifty, Race, Blink, Mush, and Jake. They were all sipping their drinks chatting about what had happened that day. "Hm, deyre was dis goil I met taday." said Skittery. Race whistled and winked at him and said, "And?" Skittery rolled his eyes and smacked Race in the head."What's dat supposed ta mean? Jus cause I met a goil taday don't mean dat anyting happened." Race rolled his eyes and said, "Yeh, sure. Whateva you say, Skit!" Suddenly, Skittery spotted something outside the window. It was a little pink purse. He got up and was about to go out the door when Jake said, "Hey, Skit! Where ya goin'?" Skittery kept his eyes on the purse out the window and said, "Uh....I'se gotta go do sometin'......" and with that he walked out the door. He walked over to the purse and picked it up. Ginger was nowhere in sight. He opened it up (I know he was being so bad!) and there was an address sewn on the inside. It read, 1800 broadway Skittery groaned. "God, she really is rich." He set off for her house to return the purse. -------------------- It was dark when he had arrived at her door. He knocked. The door creaked open and a woman that looked like a maid glared at him. With her heavy British accent she said sharply, "What do you want?" Skittery tried to look inside but said nervously. "Yeh, is Ginger heah?" The maid's mouth was scrunched up and her eyes narrowed. "What business have ye with Miss Gingah?" Skittery held out the purse and said, "Dis is 'ers I tink." Suddenly Ginger appeared at the door. "Elizabeth, who is it?" "Oh nothin' Miss Gingah...just some doity street rat heah who stole your purse!" Skittery was shocked. "No wait! I didn't-" "Why Skittery! It's you!" interrupted Ginger. Elizabeth glared and went inside. Ginger stepped outside and closed the door gently behind her. She was wearing a long blue dress and her curly auburn hair was up in a bun. Her earrings were of diamonds and her blue eyes sparkled in the lamplight. Skittery realized how beautiful she was. Realizing he was getting lost in his own thoughts, Skittery cleared his throat and handed Gnger her purse. "Uh...heah. I found dis in da street and figured I should bring it to ya." Ginger laughed and said, "Oh goodness gracious. That silly purse had gone lost again!" Ginger's laugh bubbled out like sweet champagne. "MISS GINGAH! YOUR MOTHER WANTS YOU INSIDE!" shouted Elizabeth from the window. Ginger rolled her eyes and said, "Oh well. Mother needs me. Do some by and visit me again, Skittery!" she held out her hand. Instead Skittery took her hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed it and tipped his hat. After she shut the door Skittery realized what a loser he must have looked like, kissing her hand like he was some sort of a gentleman. "Gawd Skit! You're such a bonehead! She must have thought dat you were bein' stupid! You're not gentleman! You'se a streetrat!" He could have kicked himself but instead ran back to the lodging house as a chill came in the air. ------------------------- For the next few days Skittery could think of nothing but Ginger. He liked her all right, it was like a little crush. Her beautiful smile, her sugary voice, and her sparkling eyes kept on interfering with his thoughts. He knew he didn't have a chance of course. Streetrats and rich did NOT go together. Her words kept on getting tossed around in his confused head. "Do come by and visit me again, Skittery!" echoed through his head. Did she really mean it? Should he? Skittery shook his head and started for 1800 Broadway. Next |