|
|
Post by Administrator on Aug 30, 2008 21:41:07 GMT -5
This is where the huge boats come to dock get and take passengers and cargo as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Sept 19, 2008 15:26:27 GMT -5
David made his way slowly down the dock, admiring the towering ships. He wondered what it would be like to sail away on one. Just buy passage and go out to sea to who-knew-where. He shook his head, turning his attention back to the people around him. There would be time to moon over boats after he found Spot.
David didn't know Brooklyn very well, but he knew Spot often hung around the docks and decided that would be the best place to start his search. He had avoided the lodging house. He wanted a private word with Spot without anyone else listening in.
Tugging nervously on his collar, David leaned against a wooden post. He hoped Spot would listen to what he had to say. They had almost been friends once; he wasn't sure what they were now.
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Sept 19, 2008 18:21:44 GMT -5
Bear saw a kid looking around him and tugging at his collar nervously. Bear smirked thinking, great another kid afraid of Brooklyn. Grinning mischeviously, Bear came up behind him and said, "Lookin' for somebody?" In a cold voice, putting a tough and sly look on his face.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Sept 21, 2008 0:09:36 GMT -5
"Lookin' for somebody?"
David almost jumped out of skin at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, which almost made him fall off of the dock. Once he had righted himself, he schooled his face into a irritated scowl. He wasn't a newsie any longer; he had no reason to fear their petty rivalries. And he had been a friend of Brooklyn's once.
"Yes, actually," he said, straightening up to his full height. "I'm looking for Spot Conlon. Have you seen him around?" He made sure to look the boy in the eye. "It's a legal matter."
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Sept 23, 2008 20:07:28 GMT -5
"Maybe I have, Maybe I haven't. It depends on who's askin." Bear replied slyly. He looked David up and down.
"I dunno if Spot would really wanna see a hoity toity....or a scab." Bear glared at David coldly, gripping his slingshot.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Oct 3, 2008 20:26:43 GMT -5
[Sorry for the delay! School is killing me]
"Maybe I have, Maybe I haven't. It depends on who's askin."
David looked the newsie in the eye. “My name is David Jacobs. Would you mind telling me yours? I don’t recognize you.”
"I dunno if Spot would really wanna see a hoity toity....or a scab."
David glanced at the slingshot, but squared his shoulders and continued. “I’m about as far from hoity-toity as you can get, friend.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “And as I’m not a newsie, I don’t think it’s possible for me to be a scab.” He looked at the newsie more closely. He knew Spot’s kids were protective of him, but this immediate accusation made him nervous. Was Spot already so far gone that he was worried about scabs? The strike hadn’t even started yet. “I’m here to ask him about the strike,” said David, deciding honesty was the best choice. “And before you ask, no, I’m not representing Manhattan or anywhere else, I’m here on my own.”
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Oct 4, 2008 8:52:47 GMT -5
“My name is David Jacobs. Would you mind telling me yours? I don’t recognize you.”
"Bear Whitman." He said smirking a little, this guy could sure talk.
Bear looked him over a couple times, trying to remember where he had seen this kid before.
"Wait a minute...ain't choo dat one kid who was with Jack during the strike. You'se dat walkin' Mouth, aintcha?" He looked a little puzzled at all the big words this kid used.
"Ya sure seem like a hoity toity, all dose complicated woids you use."
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Oct 4, 2008 11:10:32 GMT -5
"Bear Whitman."
David decided to be friendly. He doubted Bear had anything against him personally; Spot’s newsies were just a tight-knit pack. They looked after their own. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, holding out his hand.
"Wait a minute...ain't choo dat one kid who was with Jack during the strike. You'se dat walkin' Mouth, aintcha?"
David smiled. “That’s me,” he said. “I was –” he broke off with a sigh when Bear finished. “Yes, yes, I’m the Mouth.” He was never ever going to live that nickname down, was he?
He noticed Bear looked rather perplexed. “Something wrong?” he asked.
"Ya sure seem like a hoity toity, all dose complicated woids you use."
“Ah.” David rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “I just read a lot.” He didn’t want to blather on about law school to a kid who would probably never get a chance to see the inside of one, much less attend. David knew life wasn’t fair, but he also knew he was damn lucky. That was why he wanted to do all he could to help the street kids. Maybe he couldn’t get them into law school, but he could keep them from starving at least. “It’s been a while since I ran with newsies,” he confessed to Bear with a sheepish grin. “I’ve lost the dialect.”
“Anyway,” he added, looking out over the large ships dropping anchor further out in the harbor. “Do you live around here, Bear?”
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Oct 4, 2008 11:27:55 GMT -5
Bear spit in his hand and shook David's, a wide smile forming on his face.
Bear smirked when he said he was the mouth. This guy ain't so bad, he thought.
"Reading? Hmmmmm...." Bear said trailing off. He had never learned to read. He just would scan the papers and find catchy words and would look at the pictures.
"Yeah I live in Brooklyn at da Lodging House." Bear said pointing towards it.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Oct 6, 2008 16:03:31 GMT -5
"Reading? Hmmmmm...."
David resisted the urge to wipe his hand on his pants when Bear released him. Instead he smiled and said, "It's not all it's cracked up to be." Reading might be a useful skill for a lawyer, but to a kid living on the street, books weren't worth anything. You couldn't eat them and they didn't sell for much.
"Yeah I live in Brooklyn at da Lodging House."
"That's the Brooklyn Lodging House, huh?" asked David, shading his eyes to peer at the squat building. "Do you think Spot might be there? I wanted to talk to him about this price hike." David had decided during the walk over that he was going to be open and honest with every newsie he spoke to. Maybe they would respect that and maybe they wouldn't, but he knew he had nothing to hide. "How's that been treating you anyway? Are you getting by all right?" Bear looked hearty enough, but one never knew.
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Oct 6, 2008 18:56:50 GMT -5
Bear shrugged.
"I don't know. Spot might be there. He usually doesn't really tell us where he's going. Only tells his closest newsies or whateva. He likes his privacy. But you could try."
Bear looked at David surprised. Not many people asked him how he was doing. He shrugged.
"I guess so. It does me fine. It ain't a box a' candy but none a' life is a box a' candy." Bear said polishing his slingshot.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Oct 6, 2008 20:16:52 GMT -5
"I don't know. Spot might be there. He usually doesn't really tell us where he's going. Only tells his closest newsies or whateva. He likes his privacy. But you could try."
David nodded slowly. “Any chance I’ll be able to talk to him alone, do you think?” David wanted to hear what Spot really thought of this business, and he doubted he would get the truth from him if he was forced to play the leader to an audience. Frowning, David raked his fingers through his hair. He hoped he could convince Spot and his newsies that he was operating as a free agent here. He didn’t know when this feud had begun, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere if all the Brooklyn newsies saw when they looked at him was “Manhattan spy.”
Realizing he was scowling blackly into space, David forced another smile. “Thanks, though. I wasn’t sure where to start looking.”
"I guess so. It does me fine. It ain't a box a' candy but none a' life is a box a' candy."
“That’s true,” said David. “What about the younger kids? Are they doing all right?” David thought of Les and Pup sitting at home, probably drinking tea with Mama. It was kids like Pup he wanted to look out for the most. No little kid should be reduced to sleeping in a drooping crate in some Brooklyn back alley. It just wasn’t right.
“Anyway,” David said, squaring his shoulders. “I guess I better go check if Spot is in. Something has to be done about this and quickly.”
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Oct 6, 2008 20:38:58 GMT -5
"Well, I could go wit ya back to da Lodging house so that nobody beats ya up or gets angry cuz they think you'se a spy. I could help ya look for Spot, I guess. Gots nothin else ta do."
"Oh da little ones do fine. I think dey're happier and better off. They like selling papes mostly, think da city's exciting. Da rest a' us usually get sick a' papes." Bear said looking down at a hole in his shoe and frowning inspecting his slingshot.
|
|
|
|
Post by davidjacobs on Oct 6, 2008 20:51:41 GMT -5
"Well, I could go wit ya back to da Lodging house so that nobody beats ya up or gets angry cuz they think you'se a spy. I could help ya look for Spot, I guess. Gots nothin else ta do."
David chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip. “That might be a good idea,” he admitted. At least he wouldn’t look like he’d wandered in by mistake. “I don’t want to keep you from your work, though,” he said to Bear. “You’re sure you’re done selling for the day?”
"Oh da little ones do fine. I think dey're happier and better off. They like selling papes mostly, think da city's exciting. Da rest a' us usually get sick a' papes."
David nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I just hope we can keep it that way.” He turned his eyes to the Lodging House again. “I suppose it’s now or never.” He had promised Prince he would tell her where Spot stood; she deserved a quick answer. More importantly, the kids who couldn’t afford to sell didn’t have time to wait for him to get over his nerves. “All right,” he said to Bear. “Let’s go.”
|
|
|
|
Post by bear on Oct 6, 2008 21:05:37 GMT -5
"A'right." Bear nodded and followed the Walking Mouth towards the lodging House. He was kind of nervous but excited also. He had never been involved in any important business before.
|
|
