The Oak

[drifter]

Drifter wandered through Pelham, looking for a good spot to settle in and play. It was quieter than Central Park, more families less business men, and she liked that. Plus, here she didn't have to worry about getting into trouble with Ace around to help her out. She was busy admiring the large fluffy clouds when she tripped over something, falling on her back to protect her fiddle.

"Sweet Mary," she muttered as she stood and brushed herself off. She had ditched her own clothes today, it being way too hot to walk around in all the layers of her dresses. Instead she snagged a pair of short brown pants belonging to one of the younger boys. The blue shirt was 'borrowed' from the same boy, she'd have to ask the girls where they got their clothes later. She had tucked her hair into a white scarf to keep it from sticking to her neck in the stifling heat.

Looking at what she stumbled over, Drifter couldn't help but blush from embarassment. 'Perfect,' she thought, 'Now this kids gonna think real high o'me.'

"Eh sorry bout that," she said sheepishly, "Didn't see you theah. I thought I was the only one in this paht of the pahk." Once again, Drifter couldn't help but feel like her accent stuck out like a sore thumb. Only around Ace did her Bostonian tounge seem normal.


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[Skittery]

Skittery shot up and thrashed his arms about, still in a daze from his nap. "Wha-? i din' do nut----" He snapped out of it after a bit more gibberish and finally focused on Drifter. He started to rub his shin where she had hooked her foot on him as he studied over. She was obviously embarassed, her face flush.
"Maybe ya should look where youse goin' then - it aint like i'm small or nuthin'!" His usual sour disposition came through in his voice.

He ignored his leg and tossed his hat on the ground besides him, sifting his hand through his sweaty hair and pealed his damp pink shirt so it wouldnt stick to his skin. He kept his eye on her. she obviously was not of New York - not with that accent- but it was foreign to him, he only really came in contact with immigrants who barely spoke the language or people from Jersy.
"Where ya get yer accent?" He questioned suspiciously.

[drifter]

Drifter eyed the kid, wondering who the hell he was to get an attitude with her like that.

"Yous don't gotta be so rude bout it you know," she said annoyed, "Ise said Ise was sorry, get ovah it already."

Drifter set her case down next to her as she sat up Indian style. Brushing an errant curl out of her face, she looked the kid over.

"Ise from Boston originally. Been heah, theah and everywheah in between since. Name's Drifter by the way. I'm staying heah in the Bronx with an old friend."

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[Skittery]

He srunched up his face after she called him rude but quickly shook it off - wasnt an unusual name for him to get. She was nononsense though, telling him to get over it - most people let him sulk and/or be moody but it didnt seem like shed tolerate that.

He decided she wasnt a threat so he relaxed again leaning back so his elbows were propping him up. "Boston..Drifter..." He repeated as if to register it permenantly. His voice was calm and casual. "Skittery. Manhattan jus' ovah here to hide from everyone i know." He raised his eye brows rather than his shoulders for a shrugg. "Its exhastin' when someone ya know always comes outta the woodwork no privacy" he laughed "in da biggest city in the woild"

He pointed to the case with his foot and cocked his head curiously. "Ya in a band or somethin'?"

[drifter]

Drifter laughed at that, if anyone understood how small a big city could be it was her. Skittery from 'Hatten, that'd be easy to remember.

"Nice ta meetcha Skittery," she much more pleasantly now that he dropped most of his attitude.

'Ya in a band or somethin'?'

She grinned and opened up the case, pulling out her treasured fiddle.

"Nah, it's how Ise make my livin. Ise been playing since Ise was a kid, family tradition, this was me Pa's once. Ise play and the real hoity-toity folk in the pahk tip me. It's not a bad deal really."

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[Skittery]

He grinned and sat up to look at the instrument. The only other instrument he had really seen up close was Race's harmonica which was not that spectacular. "Not a bad deal at all! Makin' money doin what ya like sounds a lot bettah than sellin' some papes" He snorted and wiped his hand through his dirty hair again.

"Ya play that irish type stuff?" He had no idea what it was really called, "I see some Irishman playin' round the pubs sometimes.."

[drifter]

Drifter picked up her fiddle and her bow and drug it slowly across the strings checking the tune. It being fine she began to play a small tune. (Click Me)

Setting down her bow and fiddle across her lap she looked back up at Skittery.

"I'd be lost witout this. Can't play in the pubs, they'd nevah let a lass in even though I'm bettah than a lot of em. Ise can usually play at the dances, its great music to dance to."

Drifter looked out over the park and remembered how her father used to play at the local weddings back home. Those were some of the best times she ever had.



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[Skittery]

A broad grin came across Skitterys face and he fell onto his back once more. It was soothing to hear the music and he waved his foot slightly to its beat.

"Well I thinks yer great - girl or not..." He rolled over on to his stomach so he could see her and picked at the grass. "Yer real lucky ta be able ta do that ya know, and ya make some money with it. aint to shabby" A hint of envy was on his voice. He had nothing like that to be proud of or enjoy - he was so average.

[drifter]

Drifter blushed slightly at the boy's compliments. She wasn't used to them being so genuine.

"Sometimes Ise thinks its moah of a friend than a thing. Befoah I ran into Ace, it was one of the only things connecting me to my past. It's not a fiddle, it's an ankah," she said with a small laugh.

"And everbodys got something that theys good at. Ise just happens to be good with music. Ise known girls that could sew, sing, and steal bettah than I play. Wes kinda gotta have something if wes wanna make it out heah on our own. Ise not that dumb anymoah. If a girl can't make money, she can't find an honest place to sleep and it aint safe bein on the street at night."

Stretching out she sighed happily, enjoying the sun.

"You know, you outta smile moah. It makes ya easiah to tawk to if Ise don't think yoah all bittah down theah," she said with a cheeky grin.

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[Skittery]

He totally ignored her name for the instrument - to him it was the same as a fiddle and a violin a hunk of wood with some strings. His ears perked up when he heard Ace's name. She had just said a friend, but never said it was the Bronx newsie leader. "Ace Cardoni?" He asked with a little intrigue, "I'll be seein' you then, Bronx and Manhattan newsies tend ta mix a lot..."

His smile dwindled as she talked about everyone having something there were good with. He was good at being moody but that wasn’t much of a feat - Race was the gambler, Jack the leader, Kid and Much, well, they were just overly happy and optimistic. His smile was completely erased by her final comment, which was the opposite of her advice.

"Yeah well, I don't always 'ave somethin' ta smile about." He pulled a dandelion out of the ground and proceeded to pluck its petals. "An' I ain't bitter - jus' realistic. Life ain't always that grand an' I'd rather not get burned again if I can avoid it" It was his defense to the world, if he was cynical and didn’t get his hopes up he wouldn’t have as many disappointments in his already bleak existence.

[drifter]

Drifter watched as Skittery picked one of the flowers out of the ground and played with it, a serious look on his face. Boy he was moody. She placed her bow and fiddle back into their case.

"Ace an Ise goes way back. Wes was friends befoah eithah o' us left Mass. Life was a lot different back than," she said simply, "But I'm glad that 'Hatten and the Bronx mix it up, I like talkin to you when yoah not all pouty. If you keep it p, yoah face'll freeze like that and thatd be a shame."

Reaching out she pick a few flowers of her own, weaving them into a small chain, soemthing she learned to do back in the days when she lived outside the city near Ace. Plucking a few more, she continued to work as she spoke.

"And theah's plenty to smile about if youse preciate the little things, like warm weather, time to relax and good company."

Sitting up on her knees she leaned foward and dropped the newly wove Daisy crown on Skittery's head, chuckling lightly.

"Theah ya go."

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[Skittery]

He flared his nose slightly and looked up at her, "Arnt you optamistic...ya sound like Mush.."he grumbled. "Maybe if my face freezes it'll scare people so they aint trippin' ovah me.." He said half joking.
He let his body fall so his cheek was on the cool grass and he continued to play with the plants as she talked. The crown of flowers plopped on his face, covering up part of his eye. A smile curled up on his lips and he picked his head up, the crown on crooked.
"Thank ya so much...i'm sure I jus' make a poifect princess" He said sarcastically trying to make himself sound irritated although it amused him more than anything. He streightened his crown and rested his chin on his hands.

[drifter]

Drifter watched as the boy tried to hide his smile. As he fixed his crown, Drifter flopped down on her belly, vocalizing an umph as she landed. Grinning she mimicked his stance and peered up at him.

"I dunno, I think it suits you," she said grinning. She then shifted so that she was leaning on one hand and playing with the grass with her other. Still watching Skittery, she continued, "It's not often Ise get to relax like this. Ise think I'm gonna like it heah."
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[Skittery]

"Always knew i was suppose ta be royalty" he responded, the smile finally makeing its way on to his face. He laughed when she mirrored him - it reminded him of Tumbler or when Les followed Jack. He let out a yawn a moved so his hand cradled his cheek.

"Relaxin' dont usual come often ta me either - should be out sellin' but its jus' too hot." That reminded him of the sweat collecting on his brow which he immediatly wiped off with his dirty hand. "I was sweatin' all ovah my papes and who whats to buy a smelly newspaper?" He took a deep breath, "hope ya like it here ,gets a bit crazy now an' again specaily living at the lodgin' house but hey i'm alive an' aint starving." He shrugged and moved his eyes back to the grass where he was attempting to clean his hand.

[drifter]

"Ise lways done well enough foh myself. Nevah gone hungry, Ise go witout lodgin first." Noticing Skittery's discomfort from the heat, Drifter pulled her scarf off her head and shook out her loose curls. She tossed it over to the boy before reaching for her case and pulling out an old bootlace.

"Use that steada yoah hand. Ise used to the heat, its hottah than this in DC."

Running her hand through her hair, she sat up and wrapped the lace around her ponytail before knotting it. She stretched out her arms before laying down on her right side, propping herself up on her arm and resting her head on her shoulder.

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