It was almost Thanksgiving and the stores had begun to get ready for holiday shopping, their windows spilling light into the streets and the restaurants were lit brightly in the gathering dusk. The horror of the fire seemed oddly removed now, but still her heart clenched at the thought of it. Her thin coat barely protected her from the rushing wind and bursts of snow that flew at her from all directions.
Nearly seventeen, Annalesa was beginning to look more like a woman and less like the child she had been treated like all of her life. Her chestnut auburn hair was fairly long and wavy, though at the moment it resembled nothing more than a pile of dark brown straw tucked under a dark green wool hat she had managed to find in the boxcar. The green intensified the dark brown of her eyes, and brought a slight green sparkle to them. She walked hurriedly along the sidewalks since stopping allowed the wind to bite into her. Every now and then she looked up at the buildings around her, looking for someplace where she might be able to spend the night.
Suddenly, Annalesa collided with another person on the sidewalk. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Tired, cold, and hungry, she had no patience or temper left and spat out
"Watch where you're going!"
Only then did she look at the person she was talking to. He was a boy about her age, with a kind face and dark curly hair. Next to him was a younger boy of about nine or ten. Both were carrying a small pile of newspapers. The older one handed his papers over to the younger one and held out a hand to help her up.
"I'm so sorry...I wasn't looking where I was going. My name's David Jacobs and this here's my brother Les."
Annalesa accepted David's hand and stood up, brushing the dirt off of her coat. David had a little bit of an accent, but not like the ones she'd heard in the train yard. Annalesa regained her composure and offered her hand as an introduction.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Annalesa MacGaren."
She spoke with a bit of a Southern accent which gave her voice a soft and unhurried quality, not like the sharp accent heard in New York. She shook hands with the boys and then the three stood there for a moment not knowing what to say next. Finally, David spoke.
"Well Annalesa, it's nice to meet you too. Now, it's getting kind of late so why don't you let me and Les walk you home. You shouldn't be alone in the dark in the city."
Annalesa didn't know what to say to him...she couldn't admit she had no place to stay, but she knew nothing about the city and couldn't even come up with a fake address. Finally she decided to do what her mother had always taught her. Tell the truth and be a lady.
"Well, you see, I'm new to the city and don't have anywhere to go yet. Perhaps you could show me a hotel?"
Annalesa just couldn't admit to being broke. She figured she'd go to the hotel and then sneak out after the boys had left. However, David was looking her over and in her present state she didn't look like someone who had enough money to eat, let alone rent a hotel room.
"I've got a better idea. Why don't you come eat dinner with my family, and afterwards we can see what we can do about finding you a place to stay until you figure out where you're really going." David sincerely hoped she would come, because it was far too dangerous for her to be alone.
Annalesa was freezing and hungry and wanted desperately to go with David, but her pride wouldn't let her. She didn't want to be dependent on anyone or owe anyone anything. This was a new life she was trying to start and she was determined to do it on her own.
"Thank you, you really are very kind, but I'm quite sure I can manage on my own. It was nice meeting you, now if you would please excuse me..." Annalesa quickly brushed past David and Les and turned the corner. The moment she was out of their sight, she started running.
She found herself on a dark deserted street and couldn't run anymore. She found an alley and grabbed some newspapers to keep warm with. Curled up in a tight ball and trying to wrap her nearly useless coat and newspaper blanket around her, Annalesa finally fell asleep.
David and Les stood looking after the girl. David debated over whether or not to follow her, but she seemed capable of taking care of herself and he and Les were already late and Mother would be worried. David sighed. "I hope she finds a place to stay...it's too cold to be outside tonight. Come on...we've got to get home."
With that David took Les' hand and they walked home, still trying to sell their last papers to the few people left on the streets.
The next morning, Racetrack and Crutchy were heading out to Greeley Square earlier than usual so they could get their papers before all the other newsies and sell them out before noontime. It had snowed a little during the night and the wind was freezing cold. Race was talking about the track, as usual.
"Well I gots a tip on a horse and the man said dat he was sure gonna beat dem other horses...'is name's White Lightning. All I gotta do is get to da track before twelve so's I can see 'im win."
Crutchy rolled his eyes at Race. "All's you ever think about's de horses." He gave Race a playful punch in the shoulder and Race returned the favor. Soon the two were play fighting down the street and Race playfully pushed Crutchy who lost his balance and fell into an alley. As he got up and dusted himself off, he noticed a person sleeping under a pile of newspapers.
"At least someone made yestaday's headline worth somethin...I sure couldn't." Crutchy turned to leave but Race stopped him.
"Hey Crutchy...dat's a goil! Why's a goil sleepin in an alley?" Race went over and tried to wake the girl up, but all she did was make a small mumbling noise. He felt her face and her skin was icy. "Crutchy she's awful cold...maybe we'd bettah take her to the Lodging House so's she can warm up. Or at least ask Jack what ta do."
Crutchy nodded, wide-eyed. He wasn't quite sure what to do around girls, especially not sleeping ones. "Yeah...yeah you's right Race. Heah...let's carry her back."
Racetrack picked up the girl and noticed she was shivering, so he took off his coat and put it over her. Crutchy hovered around trying to be helpful, but succeeded only in slowing Race down. Finally Race got exasperated and said
"Hey Crutchy...you go ahead and tell the boys to wait 'cause we's got a goil who needs to get warm, and I'll be there in a while." Carrying the girl was harder than Race had thought, because she couldn't make any effort to hang on. Consequently he was moving quite slowly. Crutchy, glad to have some purpose, nodded and went on ahead.
Back at the Lodging House, the boys were getting dressed, washing their faces and generally making a mess out of the bunkroom. Jack Kelly was just tying his red bandana around his neck when Crutchy burst into the room all out of breath. He leaned against the doorway to catch his breath and said
"Jack! Me and Race we found a goil and she won't wake up and she's cold and Race is carryin her back here but she can't hold on and so he's goin' slow." With that, Crutchy sat down on the closest bunk and Jack came over to him.
"You said you found her? Outside?" Crutchy nodded. Jack nodded and looked around the room. "Mush, you go get Davey. He's smart and maybe he'll know what ta do. Blink, you get some blankets or somethin...clean ones. I'm gonna go help Race."
As Jack was about to leave the room, Mush spoke up. "Hey Jack? Maybe I should get Sarah too. She's a goil and all and maybe she could help."
The room fell silent. Jack and Sarah had been together for a few months, but they were too different. There had been a nasty fight a few days ago and nobody had seen Sarah since. David and Les had been quiet about everything, not wanting to anger Jack, but defending their sister every step of the way if they had to. Jack's mood hadn't been the greatest lately and had he not had another problem occupying his thoughts at the moment, he probably would have hit Mush. As it was, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In a quietly controlled voice, Jack said
"Yeah. Get Sarah too." And then he ran out of the Lodging House, stopping long enough only to grab his cowboy hat.
Jack had run about two blocks when he spotted Race carrying the girl. "Race! Hey Race!" He ran up to him and took the girl from his arms. Race breathed a sigh of relief.
"Man, Jacky-boy am I glad you showed up...she's not heavy but she can't hold on."
Jack took a look at the girl. Her lips were blue and she was shaking a little. He couldn't help but think that if her skin weren't quite so icy looking she'd be pretty. Wasting no more time he started walking towards the Lodging house with Race right behind.
When they reached the Lodging House Race grabbed the door and yanked it open so Jack could get the girl inside. Jack was greeted by Blink with a warm blanket and Kloppman's assurance that Mush had gone as fast as he could to get the Jacobs'. Jack carried the girl up the stairs to the bunkroom and laid her on the bunk below his since it was in the middle of the room and therefore warmer than the ones by the door or window. Blink placed three or four blankets on top of the girl and then the boys stood wondering what to do. Kloppman came up the stairs carrying a quilt.
"Here boys...give her this. It's the warmest thing I've got. Now everyone clear out except a few of yas. We can't do nothin more until the Jacobs' get here."
All the newsies except Jack, Race, and Blink filed out of the room and headed to the square to get their papes and start another day of selling.
Mush was quite out of breath when he reached the Jacobs' apartment and knocked on the door incessantly until someone opened it. Finally Mrs. Jacobs came to the door. Since the strike she'd gotten to know most of the newsies either through Sarah or David so it didn't surprise her to have one show up at the apartment. However, the look of urgency on Mush's face was something quite different than the look of indifferent amusement that the boys had perfected.
"Hello Mush...what on earth is the matter?"
Mush nearly fell into the apartment and saw David and Les eating breakfast at the table. By now his breathing was returning to a somewhat normal pattern and he managed to get out a few words to David.
"A goyl...in de alley...need yous and Sarah..."
David spoke up and said, "Mush, calm down...what are you saying? A girl in an alley? What are you talking about?"
Mush sat down in the nearest chair and said very clearly and slowly so the Jacobs' would get the point and get moving "Dere was a goyl...Race and Crutchy found 'er in an alley all cold an' not movin' and so's dey brought 'er to the Lodging House and now we needs you and Sarah to come and figure out how to make 'er better." Mush took a breath and looked expectantly at the Jacobs'.
Finally David seemed to understand and grabbed his coat. "Ma, I'm going with Mush back to the Lodging House. You help Sarah grab some blankets and warm things and...whatever else. Les, you come with us and then you can go on to the square and catch up with someone so you can sell today. OK?"
Seeing that everyone understood, David threw on his hat and was halfway out the door with Mush when Sarah yelled at them to wait. She was carrying a nightgown and a wrapper and was picking up her coat.
"Whatever she's wearing, if she was sleeping in an alley it's not going to be warm or dry. Let me go with Mush so I can get her into something decent to wear." Sarah didn't mention that she hadn't seen Jack in days and despite the fight they'd had, she didn't want to lose his friendship.
David nodded. "Ok...you go with Mush and take Les with you, I'll carry everything over as soon as we can get it together."
Mush was standing in the doorway hopping from foot to foot waiting for whoever was coming with him. Finally Sarah got on her coat and they ran down the stairs and out of the building. Sarah could run pretty fast for a girl, Mush had to admit. Finally they reached they Lodging House and ran up the stairs.
Sarah fairly flew into the bunkroom and found Kloppman, Blink, Race, and Jack standing around a bunk halfway down the room and looking awkward. At her entrance, they all four looked at her and breathed a sigh of relief. She caught Jack's eye briefly but averted her gaze and focused all of her attention on the situation at hand. Race, as always, was the first to speak.
"Oh boy Sarah thank goodness you're here...she still won't wake up." The boy looked genuinely worried, and as Sarah crossed to the bunk, she saw that the others looked the same way. Sarah realized that they were scared...things like this never happened to the girls they knew and they didn't know what to do. She assumed her best motherly tone and briskly set about getting things in order.
"Ok. David is on his way, and Les is downstairs. He needs someone to take him to sell today, since Dave will be here for a while. Blink and Race, why don't you go with him today? And Jack, I need you to find some clean washcloths and some soap...this poor girl hasn't been in a real house with a real bath for days, it looks like. Now all of you go away so I can get her changed into a real nightgown."
With that, Sarah busied herself with getting the nightgown on the girl as the men filed silently out of the room. Just then David showed up with some clothes and a blanket. He handed them over to Sarah and went downstairs to wait with the other guys. Blink had gone to get a doctor, just in case, and the others were standing around waiting.
About ten minutes later Sarah walked out of the bunkroom to find David, Jack, and Race standing silently in the hallway. Race spoke up.
"Blink went to get a doctor...so...how is she? I mean...is she awake or nothin?" Sarah shook her head.
"She's not awake yet. Someone stay with her until she wakes up or until the doctor comes." With that, she ducked out of the hallway and down the stairs, trusting that the boys would do what she said. Jack looked around at the guys.
"Ok...so we needs someone to stay wit the goil. Davey, you and me's gonna stay...Race, you go on and sell, but at lunch you come back and get us some food. Got it?" Race nodded and said
"Ok Jacky-boy...see yas then." He left and Jack and David went to sit by the girl's bed. When they got there, David looked more than a little surprised.
"Annalesa!" he whispered.
"What'd you say Davey?" Jack asked, looking at his friend strangely.
"This girl...Les and I met her on the street last night. She wouldn't come home with us, said she'd find somewhere to stay."
"Well, she sure picked a stupid one. What kinda goil sleeps in an alley?"
"Maybe one who has nowhere else to go."
Before Jack or David could say any more, Blink came bounding up the stairs with the doctor behind him. He made the boys leave and so for the second time that day, they filed down the stairs to wait for news about the girl.
A few minutes later the doctor returned. "She's just fine. She had a nasty fright with hypothermia, but as long as she stays warm she should recover in a few days. Try not to let her get out of bed too much and if she shows any signs of anything more serious than a cold, call me again. She's awake now...I would recommend bringing her some food. Good day."
The doctor left and Jack looked at Blink. "You mind goin ta get some food?"
Blink shook his head. "Nah, I'll be back soon." With that he put on his hat and bounded out the door on the way to Tibby's.
Jack and Dave headed up the stairs and went into the bunkroom. They approached the girl's bed quietly. David was the first to speak.
"Annalesa?" At the sound of her name, Annalesa's eyes opened. She recognized David from the night before and closed her eyes again. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and inwardly groaned. Of all the embarrassing things...but before she could think anymore, he spoke again.
"How are you feeling?" Annalesa opened her eyes again and she tried to smile.
"Much better than I was an hour ago. I have to admit, these aren't the circumstances under which I had hoped to better make your acquaintance."
Jack's eyes got a bit wider at her fancy language and drawling accent. David noticed that Jack was looking a little bewildered and introduced the two.
"Annalesa MacGaren, this is Jack Kelly, the leader of the Manhattan newsies."
Jack nodded. "Nice ta meet ya."
She smiled back. "Nice to meet you as well."
He spoke again. "So where ya from?"
Annalesa's eyes clouded over and grew dark. She looked down at her lap and said quietly "Does it matter?"
David spoke up. "No, it doesn't matter. We're just glad you're feeling better."
Just then Blink walked in the door holding a box.
"Kloppman said she was awake, sos I brought up the food." He walked over to Annalesa's bed and stuck out his hand. "I'm Kid Blink, but most everyone calls me Blink. Nice ta meet ya."
Annalesa shook his hand and said "Annalesa MacGaren. Nice to meet you too."
"Ya want somethin ta eat?"
Annalesa nodded. "That would be wonderful."
The boys stayed with Annalesa while she ate and it was decided that she would stay in the Lodging House at least for a while so she could recover, and they would go from there. They left her then because she was tired and wanted to sleep. Later that night she was introduced to all of the other guys and everyone was incredibly friendly with the exception of Jack. He hung back from the rest, watching Annalesa carefully. There was something...something about her that bothered him.
Later that night after everyone else was asleep, Jack crept out of the window and climbed to the roof. He often came out to stare at the stars and dream of a different life in Santa Fe. Tonight, however, he had other things on his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about Annalesa. All night, the newsies had gathered around her bed talking and laughing. They were all very impressed. She spoke like she owned the world...all fancy and confident. Not to mention the fact that she was absolutely beautiful. She wasn't the kind of girl one expected to find in an alley. Jack had an easier time imagining her at a ball covered in silk and diamonds than in a dirty Manhattan lodging house for boys who lived day to day never knowing if they could sell enough papers to eat dinner that night. He shook his head. Why was he even thinking about her anyway? It's not like he'd never seen a girl before...she was just some stupid girl who didn't have the sense to come in out of the cold and happened to fall into the hands of some very nice and adoring strangers. Jack didn't buy it. None of it made sense to him, and as he climbed down the fire escape and into the bunk room he made a silent vow to find out exactly who this girl was and why she was there.
Over the next few weeks, Annalesa became as much a part of the lodging house as any of the boys. She recovered quite nicely from her night in the alley and had nothing but a slight cold to remind anyone of that fact. The guys agreed that she needed a nickname and dubbed her Allie, since that was where they found her. Only Jack still referred to her as Annalesa. She quickly befriended all of the newsies, but in particular she got along with David, Blink, and Specs. One thing that shocked the newsies was how good Annalesa was at selling papes. Her green wool hat became a familiar sight in Central Park and on the streets of Manhattan, where she sold at least one hundred papes a day, and sometimes more.
It was two days before Thanksgiving and Annalesa had been rather quiet all day. The truth was, she missed her family and her house.
Now 'Lesa, she chided herself, using the nickname her father used to use, you know very well that they're not there, and you most certainly cannot go back. The images of the fire that had haunted her memory and her dreams for the past few weeks came again. More than anything, she saw her father silhouetted against the orange glow and relived the horror of the moment he ran into the blaze to save her brother. When neither had returned, she fled. She shivered inwardly and was glad to be shaken from her reverie by Blink's voice behind her.
"Hey Allie! Come wit' me...I gots somethin ta show ya!" She turned to see Blink running towards her, and beckoning her to come his way. She walked over to him and said
"What is it Blink?"
"Just come on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him down the street towards the harbor. She had no idea what was going on until she saw an orange glow around the corner. She pulled back and Blink stopped. "What is it?"
"Blink I don't want to see a fire."
"Aw come on! Da big warehouse is burnin' down. Everyone's there!" Annalesa took a big breath and convinced herself that a warehouse didn't have people in it, that nobody she knew was going to be in it, and nobody was going to jump in the fire to save people. "Ok. Let's go."
They ran the rest of the way to the harbor and suddenly were engulfed by a wave of heat as they turned the corner. Annalesa stopped and stared. The building was blazing and all the newsies from Manhattan and even some from Brooklyn were there, along with all the other bystanders who had gathered. Blink pulled her further into the crowd and she was surrounded by the Manhattan newsies, all cheering and laughing. Even David and Les were there. Suddenly there was a cry from somewhere in the crowd.
"Look! The factory's burning too!"
She looked over to the next building and saw a textile factory. The girls were still hard at work since it wasn't yet quitting time. They knew there was a commotion outside, but the foremen wouldn't let them see what it was, though most could tell from the shouts in the street. The old wooden building, filled with cotton and lint, was soon a blazing inferno. Annalesa watched in horror as girls ran out the front door and down the fire escapes. Some were still trapped, and silently she prayed that the fire department would have ladders. Her prayers were in vain, and the boys around her started to move towards the front of the crowd. She grabbed Specs' sleeve as he pushed by.
"Where are you going?"
"We've got ta help get those goyls outta dere."
"Specs! You'll all be killed..." her voice trailed off as she saw Blink and Mush go into the factory. Before Specs could respond, Annalesa turned and ran. Tears clouded her vision and a scene from a different place kept playing in her mind...a different fire, different people, and the same horror. She had almost made it out of the crowd when she collided with Jack.
"Hey...where do ya think you're goin?" He caught her by the shoulders. The streets were more deserted than usual tonight since everyone was watching the fire and he didn't want her wandering by herself.
"Jack...please let me go..." she choked out. No matter how hard she fought the tears, they insisted on pouring down her cheeks.
"Annalesa, what's wrong?" Jack sounded more concerned than he wanted to. What he had tried not to admit to anyone else, much less himself, was the fact that this girl made him feel eight thousand emotions at once, something he wasn't used to.
"Nothing! The smoke hurts my eyes...now leave me be!" With that she wrenched herself from his grasp and took off towards the Lodging House. He stood, angry and worried at the same time.
"Well, if she doesn't want me to help her, I won't." he thought. Turning towards the blazing building, he made his way through the crowd to help in any way he could.
Annalesa ran to the Lodging House and flew through the door and up the stairs, not noticing Kloppman's quizzical glance at the distraught figure he saw tearing through the house. She threw herself on her bunk and sobbed. Why had she left home? Everyone she loved was dead and instead of staying somewhere familiar, she had gone and run away to a strange city with strange people. She cried until she was too tired to care, and stayed awake thinking what to do. She had just made up her mind when the newsies began to drift into the house. Annalesa feigned sleep, since she really didn't want to talk to anyone. However, she kept one eye halfway open and counted the boys as they came in and breathed a deep sigh of relief when everyone was back. When she was sure of the boys' safety, she finally allowed herself to sleep, once more fitfully as she dreamed of flames and smoke.
Jack watched Annalesa. Why had she run away tonight? He'd asked all the guys, and nobody had said anything or done anything to make upset her. As he watched her sleep, he once again realized how beautiful she was. The moonlight shining on her made her look even more fragile than she was and Jack felt a strange longing in his heart. He wanted to hold her...to tell her everything was all right. He shook his head angrily. Come on Kelly...she's an act. She's too pretty...too delicate ta have been anything but rich. But why on earth would a rich goil want ta be a newsie? It just don't add up... And as Jack's thoughts fought with one another, he eventually fell asleep.
Annalesa woke up a few hours later and quietly crept out of her bunk. She had decided to go home. She needed to go back and say goodbye properly, instead of running. After that...who knows? She wasn't sure whether or not she would come back to New York, but she certainly wouldn't stay at home. She quickly wrote a note and laid it on her bed.
Thank you all so much for everything.
I'm sorry to leave, but I have to go and finish some things back home.
Take care of yourselves...I'll see you soon.
Your friend,
Annalesa
She gathered her few belongings, pulled on her hat, and crept out the bunkroom door and down the stairs.
