Out Front

[Administrator]

On the sidewalk out in front of the store.

[Peaches Carington]

(New Day- for Brynner)

Peaches walked down the sidewalk humming the tune to the newest song she was learning to sing for work at Medda's. Business at Medda's was picking up. Spring was turning to summer and people were frequenting Irving Hall more and more.

As Peaches passed by the front window of Mason's Music, she stopped to admire the beautiful musical instruments and latest sheet music on display there. Standing there alone on the street peering in the window, she stopped humming and began softly singing one the songs from the open sheet music on display.

Completely unaware she was no longer alone and getting wrapped up in the beautiful song, Peaches began singing a bit louder.

[jessen]

Brynner Graetz was alone. He could look around him desperately, searching for a familiar face--that of his father or mother perhaps, or that of Dietrich or Annika, but it would be in vain. He was here in Manhattan, New York, in America, and his family was... who knew? 

Less than six hours ago, Brynner Graetz had descended the boat ramp and set foot on Ellis Island with his mother and father, Ehren and Edana, and his eight year old twin siblings, Dietrich and Annika. They had set feet on the Land of Opportunity, their past in Germany more or less behind them, and a new life to look forward to. But, just as they had left Germany and their struggles more or less behind them, Brynner was now left behind. No, better said, he was left ahead. His parents had been rejected and sent back to Germany, while he, Dietrich, and Annika proceeded through customs. 

Brynner had vowed to protect Dietrich and Annika and to support them in the absence of their parents. But again, Brynner had been stripped of that which he valued most. Reaching the end of the customs process, Brynner was sent into a line of adults and older teens, while Dietrich and Annika were sent to the left where small children were huddled together under the watchful eye and care of several female immigration agents. Some of the youth were crying, some were standing stock-still, frozen with fear, anxiety, and nervousness stemming from being separated from their families, and others were peering around concernedly, attempting to locate their families, as if they were going to bolt to them at a moments notice if they spotted them. Brynner had worn an anguished expression, desperately searching for Dietrich's messy mop of blond-brown hair because Brynner knew that he could count on Dietrich because Dietrich would never ever allow himself to be separated from Annika by strangers, especially in such a stressful situation.

Brynner trudged down the cobbled street, taking in the sights and sounds around him. He grasped the handle of his battered black violin case in one hand, and gripped the shoulder strap of his knapsack with the other. To his right lay the expanse of the harbor of Manhattan where not too long ago he had disembarked from a ferry that had carried, from Ellis Island to the mainland, those immigrants who were both inspected and approved for admission to the states. Brynner halted suddenly, overwhelmed by the predicament he was in. What was there for him? He had money, but what was he to buy? Where was he to stay? Question after question ran through his mind as he paused at a small wooden bench and took a seat, gently putting the violin case down by his right leg. He released a long sigh and rested his head in his hands. He was becoming hungry, and, to think of it, he couldn't remember when he had last ate. Brynner sat there, rubbing his temples, trying to alleviate the headache building up behind his eyes. With a sigh, Brynner picked up his violin case, and turned to face the street and shops. He rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the tension, crossed the street, and began walking away from harbor, heading through an alley and emerging on a parallel street. He paid no attention to where he was going, and actually tried to keep his head down lest he call attention to himself. After walking for a while, Brynner found himself near a music shop. A few feet away there was a girl, with beautiful reddish hair, singing beautifully, and not yet aware of his presence. Wetting his lips nervously, Brynner spoke up, saying the first thing that crossed his mind, "Hello? Do you--is this... your store?"

[Peaches Carington]

"Hello? Do you--is this... your store?"

Peaches spun around quickly, startled by the sudden presence of another person. "Are you talking to me, darling?" Peaches glanced around, and realizing the young man was talking to her, she replied, "I guess you are... No, but I wish it was my place. Look at all those beautiful instruments...and all those beautiful songs. What I wouldn't give for a place like this." She turned back towards the window, smiling.

After a few minutes of admiring the window display, Peaches turned back to the young man. "You're new here, aren't you, Darling?" She extended her hand towards him and added, "My name is Charlotte Mariella Victoria Carrington, but most people just call me Peaches or Charli." She flashed him her sweetest most genuine smile. She loved meeting new people and her friendly nature seem to help in that.

[jessen]

"Are you talking to me, darling? I guess you are... No, but I wish it was my place. Look at all those beautiful instruments... and all those beautiful songs. What I wouldn't give for a place like this."

Her words reached him in a jumble, jostling for space in his weary mind. The excess words floated around his head, beautiful in tone yet not quite comprehensible. Her voice was unlike any voice he had heard in New York since arriving. When she spoke she seemed to sing. He needed to learn more English. That, he decided, would be his first priority, following the search for shelter and work. Caught up in his inner struggle to understand what the girl had said he realized that it would be better to speak up. He glanced at her, then looked past her to the display in the window of the store. She seemed to be entranced by the sight of such fine instruments. Music. That he could discuss. However, just as he was about to respond, the girl spoke again.

"You're new here, aren't you, Darling? My name is Charlotte Mariella Victoria Carrington, but most people just call me Peaches or Charli."

It was a relief to have a name to match to the pretty face. At least he knew enough English to communicate on a basic level. She extended her hand, smiling warmly. Brynner returned the smile and took her hand in his gently and shaking it. "Brynner... Graetz. I have one name, not many like you have, but I like Charli.
I come from Germany. Today, from the island with family... I... am lost."

[Peaches Carington]

"Brynner... Graetz. I have one name, not many like you have, but I like Charli. I come from Germany. Today, from the island with family... I... am lost."

Peaches released his hand and brushed her hair behind her right shoulder. "Well, Brynner, darlin', it's a good thing you ran into me then. Isn't it? I can help you get wherever you need to go..."

Realizing that before she continued on with this conversation, she better determine whether he was actually understanding her. "You speak pretty good English for someone who just arrived today, darlin'. Do you know a lot of English? Enough to understand what I'm saying...? Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch, damit ich in der Lage sein könnten, damit Sie lernen Englisch. Wenn Sie wollen." She looked the boy over. With his shaggy mop of dirty blond hair, his beautiful greyish-blue eyes, and his darker complexion, he was pretty good-looking so that would definitely be a plus in spending a lot of time with this boy.


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_{German lesson (using translate.reference.com/) Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch, damit ich in der Lage sein könnten, damit Sie lernen Englisch. Wenn Sie wollen.-I speak a little German so I might be able to help you learn English. If you want.}