Life As Ordinary People-Sequel to Little Miss Marker
By Taylor C. Downing
_____This story takes place where Little Miss Marker ended, a few months later.
Sorrowful and Bangles have gotten married, but times are still hard. They have
adopted Marky, but are now reconsidering their lifestyle for their little angel
of a child.
Characters
Marthy Jane "Marky" Jones
Gloria "Bangles" Carson Jones
Humphrey "Sorrowful" Jones
Regret
Sore Toe
Benny the Gouge
Canvas Back
Sun Rise
Doc Chelsey
Consuela the maid
________The year is 1934, one of the worst years of the great depression. People are
standing in long lines to get food and get a job. In New York, it is gloomy and
depressing. Though, in the Jones apartment, on 5th avenue, times seem to be
thriving. Sorrowful Jones and Bangles Carson have been married for about fourth
months and seem very happy. They had been in love for years, but never admitted
to each other. It was five months ago when a little blond-haired kid by the name
of Martha Jane had stolen both of their hearts and made them re-evaluate their
relationship. Bangles had been the girlfriend of the notorious gangster, Big
Steve, but once she realized that she was in love with Sorrowful and hated Big
Steve's selfish ways she left him.
Now, Sorrowful and Bangles were the proud parents of five year old Marthy Jane
a.k.a. Marky. Marky's parents were both dead. Her mother died of natural causes
and her father committed suicide when a horse that he better on lost. He had
left Marky as an I.O.U. at Sorrowful's booking joint for $20.00. Her father
really needed the money to pay the rent for the tenement in which him and his
daughter lived. If he didn't pay the rent, he would be evicted. Since the horse
lost, he would be evicted and times would be hard for him and his daughter. He
didn't want his daughter to live in poverty, so he killed himself, hoping some
nice couple would adopt his child. His wish came true, now, she was the daughter
of two hard but kind souls who would do anything for her.
This morning, Marky and her parents were helping her get ready for
kindergarden.
"Oh Mommy and Daddy, I am so happy to be going to kindergarden", Marky said
while putting her shoes on, "Mommy, are you coming to pick me up after school?"
Bangles smiled at her new daughter, picked her up and sat her on her lap. "Yes
Darling, I will pick you up from school".
"Then, are we going to the club where you sing and then visit Daddy at this
job", Marky asked with enthusiasm.
"No Honey, I'm going to take you to the Ballet and then we will go out to
dinner. I'm not going to work today. We'll have the whole day together", Bangles
told her while giving her a hug. Bangles loved her new beautiful little daughter
and wanted to expose her to different cultural events in New York while they
fortunate to do these things. Bangles at times wished that she and Sorrowful
still didn't have the jobs they did. Bangles worked at one the top nightclubs in
New York and Sorrowful still was a bookie. Bangles spent her days with Marky,
while Sorrowful spent evenings with her. Their jobs made them good money, but
sometimes she wished that she just had a regular job. Maybe as a nurse, a
dressmaker, or even the owner of a drugstore, but she wouldn't make as much
money. Now that she had child that she adored she wanted her to have the best.
As well as Sorrowful, there was nothing they wouldn't do to make her happy, but
they were careful not to spoil her too much. They gave Marky simple chores to do
like clean her room, make her bed, and help Consuela, their maid with dishes
whenever they had time to eat dinner as a family. Other times, they would take
her to the museum, the zoo, the circus, the park, baseball games, symphony
concerts, visits to farms in Upstate New York, and Consuela would take her to
the library and let her get a new book every week. They wanted Marky to be a
well-rounded, kind, and lovely child. Not that she wasn't already, but they
wanted to improve her perspective on life and make her more open-minded.
"Daddy, are you coming too", Marky asked Sorrowful as he sat down next to
Bangles on Marky's bed.
"No Dear, I'll be busy today, but hopefully, I can meet up with the two of you
for dinner tonight", Sorrowful said, while patting Marky's hand.
Consuela, then came back in Marky's bedroom to tell her that her breakfast was
ready. Sorrowful took Marky out of Bangles' arms and carried her to the door.
Marky then held Sorrowful's hand and asked if he would have breakfast with her.
He tells her that he will be with her in a minute. Marky runs to the breakfast
table , while Sorrowful and Bangles give each other a kiss.
"Oh Sorrowful, I haven't been this blissfully happy in a while", Bangles said
smiling and still embracing her husband, "It seems like these past four months
have been heaven. Marky is so sweet, she's everything that I have always wanted
in a child."
"I'm happy too Dear", Sorrowful said happily, "But Bangles, you look like
something is bothering you".
"Sorrowful, I am a little concerned about our future, I mean we have a lot of
money, but my main concern is Marky. When people ask her what her parents do for
a living what is she going to tell them? Her father is a bookie and her mother
is a nightclub singer. What are people going to think", Bangles told Sorrowful.
"Well, she coould say that her mother is popular entertainer and her father is
a businessman. She wouldn't be streching the truth at all", Sorrowful said
playfully.
Bangles just shook her head and smiled.
"But that is not what else I am worried about. I am also worried about Marky
being around Regret, Sore Toe, Canvas Back, Benny the Gouge and Sun Rise. You
remember what happened last time, she started talking and acting like them. I
just don't want that to happen again. So next time they come around, please tell
them to watch their language around her. They don't have kids and just live any
way they feel. But you and I have a responsiblity now and it is Marky. Doc
Chelsey is okay, he acts like a gentleman around her." Bangles then shook her
head again and said,
"Gee, I sound like a real mother now. I'm a totally different woman now then I
was then. I just hope that I am a decent mother."
Sorrowful embraces his wife again and says,
"You're an excellent mother. I just hope that I am a decent father."
"You're the best father a kid could ever have", Bangles said while smiling at
her husband. They kiss one more time and then walk out to have breakfast.
A half an hour later, Bangles, Sorrowful, and Marky are in a taxi on the way to
take Marky to Kindergarden.
"I'm so excited about going to school", Marky said gleefully, "I get to meet all
kinds of new people and have fun".
"Now remember Marky, be on your best behavior, listen to what the teacher has
to say, and be nice to all of the kids in your class", Sorrowful told Marky.
"I will Daddy", Marky replied.
A moment later, they arrive at a school called, " Fifth Avenue Day School", it
is a brick buidling which stands by itself and it had a small black iron gate
around it. There a lot of little kids playing in front of the school. Marky is
excited. Sorrowful and Bangles are both holding her hands.
Bangles bends down to Marky's size and says,
"Well Darling, how you go. Will you be okay?"
"Yes Mommy, I'll be fine. I'm not afraid", Marky said while smiling.
Bangles then picks up Marky, hugs her, and gives her a kiss on the cheek.
Bangles then hands Marky over to Sorrowful and he gives her a hug and kiss on
the cheek.
They watch Marky as she walks toward the schoolyard and then she turns around
to wave to them. They wave back to her. Sorrowful then holds Bangles hand and
they share bittersweet moment as they watch their child go into the school.
Bangles and Sorrowful are uncertain for what their future will hold.
To be Continued.
