“You’re hoggin’ th’ bunk, an’ I wanna sleep.” Itey murmured sleepily. “couldja shut up, please?”
“Aw, hear me out. Five minutes.”
“Fine, fine. Time starts now.”
“Okay. Camilla was real different when I saw ‘er. I mean, she used t’ be so friendly ‘n’ sweet. She wasn’t shy at all.”
“That wasn’t the impression she game me ‘n’ Jake.”
“I know. That’s what’s been buggin’ me. I thought she’d be exactly th’ same if we ever met up again. But now…she’s so different.”
“Everyone’s different after not being around ya for a long time.”
“Yeah, but this is like almost completely different. She seems so shy ‘n’ scared all th’ time.”
“Maybe she was all scared from bein’ lost.”
“She wouldn’t be. She never got scared.”
“So girls change over th’ years. They all do.”
“But how could someone as fearless as Camilla suddenly become a frightened kid?”
“Girls change like that all th’ time. Sometimes they like somethin’, then th’ next year, they don’t. Or vice versa.” He yawned. “You done yet? I wanna go back t’ sleep.”
“No, I ain’t done yet. Ya think somethin’ happened to ‘er?”
“Where’s ‘er mom?”
“She died havin’ Camilla.”
“So maybe she’s havin’ a crisis, realizin’ she ain’t got a momma.”
“That can’t be it. She ‘n’ ‘er daddy got a good relationship.”
Itey shrugged. “Then I dunno what t’ tell ya.”
“Don’t give up on me now.”
“I was never holdin’ you up. You dragged me int’ this.”
“No I didn’t. You’re th’ one who brought Camilla in. Ya could’ve saved ‘er life.”
He grinned. “Yeah, ya got that right. Goosey says I’m a heroic stud now.”
“Good grief.” He uttered lowly. “So do ya think I should ask ‘bout what’s been happenin’ in Camilla’s life? I mean, she ain’t th’ type ‘f girl t’ just suddenly change from who she was.”
“Go ahead ‘n’ try what ya want. But I’d be careful with my words. If she’s changed like ya said, maybe she’s more sensitive ‘r somethin’.”
“Think I should invite ‘er t’ Bumlets’s ‘n’ Seven’s wedding?”
“Why not? She might like that. Now roll over, you’re hoggin’ th’ bunk, an’ your five minutes are up. Good night!”
* * *
Camilla rolled onto her back and sighed. She had just finished her second nap for the day, and it was only three o’clock. The clock’s ticking was the only noise in her room besides her slow breathing.
She turned her head to the window, then proceeded to rise off her bed and to her feet. Walking slowly, she went to the twin French doors and pushed the curtains aside. The sunlight streamed across her body and blinded her view with its brightness.
When her eyes adjusted to the light, she scanned the courtyard to see the butler and maid in the garden picking tomatoes, probably for the dinner the cook was preparing. The courtyard was simply beautiful with a fresh cut green lawn, pink and white flowers and ivy decking the whitewashed fences.
One corner of the courtyard was fenced off to harbor multi-colored rose bushes, irises, pansies, camellias and gardenias. With a soft breeze blowing, it would send fragrances all over the courtyard and into open windows of the house. Then on the other side of the courtyard was Mrs. Connick’s herb and vegetable garden.
It was a lovely sight, much more lovely than the house and courtyard of the house back in Pennsylvania. But Camilla’s heart longed for that plain home. Everything was perfect there. Perfect up until what had happened four months ago.
Closing the French doors, Camilla pressed a hand against the windowpane, then pressed her forehead against the pain as well. The glass was cool and sent shivers through her body. Then her tongue sent a message to her brain, and a craving took place. Pressing her lips together, she reluctantly left her bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen.
As she drew near to the kitchen, warm smells alerted her senses, causing her mouth to water. But her mind was set on the two things she wanted, and no other food would suffice. She entered the kitchen.
Mrs. Connick was over the stove, stirring a pot when she heard Camilla. Turning, she smiled and wiped her perspiring hands on her soiled apron.
“Hello, Camilla.” She said sweetly.
“Hello, Mrs. Connick.” Camilla murmured, seating herself on a stool.
“Hungry?”
Camilla nodded.
“Just tell me what you need, and I’ll get it for you.”
“Lemonade.”
“You’re in luck. I’ve just finished squeezing a fresh batch. I’ll get some for you.”
Camilla crossed her arms on the countertop and sighed as Mrs. Connick temporarily left the kitchen. When she returned, she had in her hand a full glass of lemonade, complete with a lemon slice on brim.
“Here’s your lemonade, deary.” She set the glass before the younger woman. “Would you like anything else?”
“Pumpkin pudding.”
Mrs. Connick sighed. “I’m afraid that may take a while. I have fresh pumpkin in the garden, but it may take a while to prepare.”
“But can you get it done?”
“Of course I can. Remember, I was told to make anything you needed. It’s what your father gives me bonuses for.”
Camilla cracked a slight smile. “I know. When do you think you could have the pudding ready?”
“By later this evening.”
“I think I can hold on till then.”
“Alright.” Mrs. Connick opened the window and stuck her head out. “Hey, Emerson! Bring me one of those big pumpkins! No, not that one. The one on the right. Your other right! Yes, that’s the one!” She leaned back inside. “That man will never learn his right from his left.”
“He’ll have to if papa will keep him employed.”
“I think he’ll last long enough. He’s a very trustworthy butler.” She smiled slightly. “I hear you met up with an old friend the other day.”
“Yes, I did.” She nodded.
“So tell me, who was this friend?”
“His name is Dean.”
“Oh, so it’s a young man?”
“He’s not so young anymore. He was almost thirteen when he left to live with his grandmother.”
“So that would make him how old now?”
“Eighteen. I think maybe almost nineteen.”
“You’re seventeen.”
Camilla shook her head. “Please, don’t make your suggestions. Just because Dean and I had a puppy love relationship when we were younger doesn’t mean it can happen today.”
“I believe in miracles.”
“Take one look at me.” Camilla raised her head. “Do you really think we could have a chance right now?”
Mrs. Connick’s cheeriness eased down. “Camilla-”
“Please, let’s not talk about us now. I don’t want to hear about it.”
Sighing, Mrs. Connick turned around to remove the simmering pot from the stove. Then she removed her apron and seated herself across from Camilla. When she looked away. Mrs. Connick smiled softly and took her hand and patted it gently.
“You poor dear.” She said soothingly. “You’re young. You’re beautiful. You’re-”
“Unfit for any man.”
“Oh, don’t lie to yourself. Listen to me. I know that what you’ve been going through has been painful and hard, and that it’ll only get worse before it gets better. But once it’s all over, you don’t have to look back. You can take care of it as soon as it happens.”
“I know what I’ll do then. But it’s not going to be easy to turn my back on.” A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. “I’m never going to be the same again.”
“Physically, dear. But not mentally. You can change your feelings and not look back once on this event. You’re a sweet girl, and you didn’t deserve what happened to you. But you’re a strong girl, too. You can make it through all this and never once reflect back on this. You can block it from your memory.”
“It’s not so easy! You didn’t go through all of this!”
“Yes I did.”
“But under different circumstances!”
Mrs. Connick shrugged. “Yes, under different circumstances.”
“So you can’t possibly know how I feel!”
She jerked her hand out from under the cook’s and slipped off of the stool. Before Mrs. Connick could say anything to stop her, Camilla fled from the kitchen and stormed up the stairs. The door slammed behind her, and she covered her eyes with her hand and began to sob.
* * *
“Gee whiz, it’s been three days. Why hasn’t Harry sent someone t’ bring me t’ see Camilla?”
“Calm down, Snitch.” Goosey ordered. “You’re gonna give yourself a brain aneurysm.”
“A what?”
“Your brain’ll pop.”
“Okay.”
“Look Snitch,” Itey said, “maybe they’re takin’ time t’ adjust. I mean, they only jus’ moved ‘ere.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. But Camilla ‘n’ me…we go way back. She was th’ first girl I eva loved.”
“An’ th’ only.” Itey added with a grin.
“I think it’s sweet that you’ve met up after all these years.” Goosey voiced. “I never thought Camilla would be that pretty.”
“She’s one ‘f those girls that you cin describe ‘n’ describe ‘n’ she’ll still be much prettier than words cin say.”
“Aww, you’re such a romantic.”
Snitch blushed. “Actually, not really.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Th’ way we left each other.”
“How’d ya do that?” Itey wondered. “Ya never did tell me.”
“My uncle died. An’ I hadta come ‘ere t’ live with gramma. I told Camilla that I hadta leave ‘n’ that we probly shouldn’t see each other anymore.”
“You’re right, that’s not romantic.” Goosey agreed.
“But she did see me again. She told me I’d always be th’ guy for her.”
“I’ll give ‘er th’ credit of bein’ th’ romantic in this situation.” Itey said.
“Yeah, that’s th’ way she was. But she din’t seem that romantic toward me when she saw me. She acted more like…like…”
“Like what?”
“Like I was ‘er daddy. From what I remember, ‘er daddy was ‘er protector. ‘E always went hard on guys who got rough around Camilla. ‘E made an exception for me cuz I was friends with Camilla when we was kids ‘n’ ‘e trusted me. She held me like she would ‘er daddy.”
“She did have quite a scare, you know.” Goosey informed. “She was shaking like a leaf when she came around. She was probably just relieved that someone she knew was there to help her out.”
“But I always used t’ think that if we met up, we’d…”
“You’d what?”
“We’d…kiss on contact. I loved Camilla a lot back then. I still do now. An’ I thought it was th’ girls who was always bein’ th’ ones who didn’t give up on th’ guys.”
Goosey scowled. “Now you’re sounding like a chauvinistic pig.”
“I don’t mean to. That’s jus’ what I thought.”
“Well, you’re right in some cases. But not all go over like that.”
“Sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“So whatcha gonna do when ya see ‘er again?” Itey inquired. “Ya gotta find out why she’s changed so much.”
“I think I’ll jus’ ask ‘er what’s been goin’ on in ‘er life ‘n’ tell ‘er how I noticed right off th’ bat that she’s different. Then maybe she’ll tell me.”
“Maybe.”
Snitch leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Ya think we might have ‘nuther chance at this?”
“Here’s hopin’.” Itey grinned.
“Oh, speaking of which.” Goosey lowered her voice as well. “You heard about Aki and Skittery, didn’t you?”
“No, what happened?” Snitch wondered. “They next t’ head down th’ aisle after Mush ‘n’ Psyche?”
“They broke up.”
“Aw, that’s too bad. They made a cute couple.”
“Are you absitively posilutely sure about this?” Itey questioned.
Goosey jerked her head in Aki’s general direction. “Look for yourself.”
Carefully, the two boys peered over their shoulders to sneak a peek at Aki. She was in a booth by her lonesome with her arms folded tightly over her chest and her hat covering her eyes. Aki had been noted to pull her hat over her eyes when she was upset about something. And to further confirm Goosey’s statement, Skittery was absent from the restaurant. Snitch shrugged.
“So it’s true. That’s sad.”
“Yeah.” Goosey said. “I guess now though Race’ll hafta pay Balla four bits.”
“Why for?” Itey asked.
“They put a bet on whether Seven and Bumlets or Skittery and Aki can have kids first. Race betted on Skitt and Aki.”
“Sheesh, will he ever win a bet?” Snitch slouched back into the booth. “Lady Luck has never had reign in ‘is bets.”
“Lady Luck, that thing that all gamblers b’lieve in, or Lady Luck, th’ Brooklyn newsie?” Itey questioned sarcastically.
Snitch rolled his eyes. “Quit actin’ stupider than ya really are.”
Bells jingled as the door opened. Snitch cast a quick glance backward to see which newsie had just arrived. However, it wasn’t a newsie who had entered. It was a well-dressed middle-aged man wearing a bowler hat with the fine tailored suit he wore.
Uninterested, Snitch returned his attention to Itey and Goosey who were now talking without him involved. Then Snitch realized that the man who had entered was now standing next to the booth. Snitch raised his eyes to the stranger suspiciously.
“Are you Dean Nichols?” the well-dressed man inquired.
“Who wants t’ know?”
“I am the butler for the Henderson household.” He stated blandly. “Mr. Henderson has requested that you come and visit him and his daughter.”
“Requested.” Itey snorted with a chuckle.
Goosey elbowed him in the ribcage, and he grunted at the pain. Snitch followed with a dirty look.
“Oh really?” he said, returning his attention to the butler. “How’d ya know t’ come ‘ere?”
“I knew to come here because Mr. Henderson told me where to find your place of residence. The man in charge told me that you were not at your home and that you were most likely here at this restaurant. Apparently, he assumed correctly.”
“So you’re ‘ere t’ take me t’ see Camilla?”
“Yes.”
“Mind if I take some friends with me?”
The butler frowned. “Mr. Henderson did not specify.”
“Camilla knows me.” Goosey spoke up. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I tagged along.”
“Hey, what about me?” Itey whined.
“You’re the one who scared her into that faint. You should stay away.”
His mouth dropped. “Ah-”
“Goosey, ya know ‘e can come.” Snitch stated, partially annoyed.
“I know, I know.” She said, shaking her head mockingly. “I was kidding, Itey.”
“Yeah, okay.” He muttered.
Snitch rose to his feet. “Hey, I’m goin’ t’ see a friend.” He announced. “Anyone wanna tag along, particularly girls?”
“Is your friend male or female?” Blizzard wondered hopefully.
“She’s a girl. Might want some new friends t’ hang around.”
“I’ll come.” Fantasia volunteered.
Snicker rose. “Me too.”
“Anyone else?” Snitch offered.
Most of the rest of the girls were too busy being preoccupied over their boys to respond. Fantasia and Snicker made their way over to Snitch, ready to leave.
“I guess it’s us five.” Snitch confirmed to the butler. “Well jeeves,” he slapped the man on the shoulder, “lead th’ way.”
* * *
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