* * *
Part 2
Pie Eater dropped the suitcases on the bed as Kay carefully set Little David in his crib. Everything would return to normal now: Kay would tend to the baby while Pie Eater would be downstairs, aiding his father in his carpentry and woodwork. Once enough money was made, they would be living in an apartment on their own.
He returned downstairs to speak to his father. Joseph was in the kitchen, heating water for a cup of coffee. He saw his son and grinned.
�How was your second honeymoon?� he wondered.
�Words can�t describe it.� Pie Eater seated himself at the table. �Didja land th� contract with that store?�
Joseph nodded. �I did. Things are looking up for the business now.�
�That�s great.�
�Once you make enough, are you going to take Kay and Little David to a place of your own?�
�Yeah.�
�Make sure you find yourself a good place. But I�ll admit, I�ll miss not having my grandson as close as the door next to mine.�
�Well no offense, but th� place jus� ain�t right for the kid. �E could get hurt.�
�Yes, I know.� He took the kettle from the stove. �How�s Karen doing?�
�Okay. An� th� baby�s doin� better too. It shouldn�t be long b�fore �e sleeps through th� night.�
Joseph nodded and rubbed his temples. Headaches were common for him lately, but they were never too severe to worry about. He had been working rather hard these past few weeks, promoting his furniture and selling it to various companies.
He poured some water into his mug and added some coffee grinds. Then he stirred it together and seated himself at the table.
�Ready to get back to work?� he inquired.
�Liddle bit. How much we gettin� paid now?�
�Well, with all the expenses for wood and polishes, that takes about thirty dollars a week. And then there�s the matter of food, oil and other things we need around here. That comes to about ten dollars. All other miscellaneous things take some money as well, so I�d say the money you�ll be making is about sixteen dollars a week.�
Sixteen dollars a week. When Pie Eater had returned to the business over three months ago, he was earning ten. At this rate, he and Kay could be on their own in no time. He grinned.
�Six dollar raise, huh?�
�Yes. You should put some of that away for your son�s future.�
�I wouldn�t forget that.�
�David!� Kay called from the upper level.
�I�d better see Karen.� He rose from his seat. �Be back later.�
He trudged up the stairs to the bedroom where Kay was seated beside the cradle, rocking it to keep Little David lulled. She glanced up at Pie Eater and smiled softly.
�Somethin� ya need?� he wondered.
�Not really. I heard you and your father talking down there about the money you�re making. How much is it now?�
�Sixteen bucks a week.�
Her eyes widened. �Really?�
�Yup! We can move out in a couple weeks.�
�I�ll be glad. No offense to your pa or anything like that, but it�s odd having your father in the next room.�
�Yeah, that�s a liddle uncomfortable.� He stood beside her and gazed at Little David. �Sometime later this week you should look at some complexes �n� see what�s available. I�ll letcha pick th� place out.�
She shrugged. �I don�t know when I can. I have the baby to take care of. It�s a full-time gig, David. You never know when he�s gonna need his diaper changed or if he�s hungry.�
He bent down and kissed her cheek. �Ah, don�t worry. Everything�ll work out jus� fine.�
* * *
Kay roused sleepily when her outstretched hand could not feel Pie Eater. She shifted to see that he was not beside her. Then she heard Little David�s soft whining, and she looked in the corner.
She found Pie Eater in the rocking chair, holding the baby and rocking to keep him calm. Kay sat upright, catching Pie Eater�s attention.
�What�re you doing over there?� she wondered.
��E was cryin�. I din�t wanna wake ya up.� The rocking ended. �Did �e wake ya up?�
�No.� she rubbed her left eye with the heel of her hand. �Just the fact that you weren�t here. That woke me up.�
He grinned at her. �Sorry.� His gaze returned to the sleeping baby. �I jus� wanted t� hold �im. Every time I look at �im I�m just breathless cuz I can�t believe he�s our son. He�s just incredible.�
Kay�s pregnancy had been completely unplanned for, but Pie Eater was thankful for it nonetheless. Though Kay nearly lost both the baby and her own life, and they were faced with the option of an abortion, they pulled through and their baby was born.
Little David had grown quite a bit within five and a half weeks. He had gained some height, and weight as well. The most noticeable traits that changed about him was that his skin was no longer red, and he was growing light brown hairs all over his head. He was made in the image of his father.
�I hope a couple of the newsies get married soon.� he thought to himself. �They should all experience what we�ve gone through.�
* * *
Bumlets could feel the old emotions of guilt and regret stir inside of him as he went to visit Mary. He knew that seeing her would only make matters uptight, but he needed to speak with her. He had prayed all night that she would talk to him, and that her fianc� would not be with her when he went to see her.
He reached her home; an inexpensive boarding house near the Brooklyn Bridge. Nausea boiled in his stomach, particularly because they had only spoken once since she had left the newsie business. It was because of him that she had left.
By the time he reached her room, he was weak-kneed and ready to race from there without confronting her. But he needed to do this. He tapped lightly on her door and forced the resentfulness in his heart away.
The door opened, and Mary peeked out. Instantly, a flush of red came to their faces. Mary�s sight lowered so she could not see his face.
�Bumlets.� She murmured in surprised acknowledgement.
�Hey Mary.� He said softly. �I ain�t gonna ask ya if I can come in.�
�I�m glad.�
He sighed heavily. �So how�s life?�
She refused to make any eye contact with him. �I�m getting married in two weeks.�
�Congratulations.�
�Why are you here?� she wondered rather harshly.
�I need to know if yer gonna tell �im �bout what we did.�
�Someday, yes. But not anytime soon.�
Some tension left him. �I came here t� tell ya that I�m thinkin� of gettin� married too.�
She nodded. �That�s nice.�
�But the problem is that I know I can�t do it unless she knows �bout what happened. She�s gotta know, Mary.�
Her face grew even redder. �Are you here to ask permission to tell her?�
�I�m here t� ask is ya�ve forgiven me for what I did.�
�I was just as much involved as you were.�
�Ya don�t think I know that?�
�We were both responsible for our actions, Bumlets. I know it was a huge mistake, but it wasn�t all your fault. I�m to blame too.�
�Then do ya forgive me for my part?�
She paused, and only once did her eyes meet his. That brief second was all that she needed to know that he was truly sorry for the worst moment in their lives. She could also tell that he was deeply in love with the woman he wished to marry.
When he turned his head away from her, she did the same. The old feelings of guilt were weighing heavily on her. If only she hadn�t been too compassionate to him�if only he didn�t agree with her�if only they knew this would destroy their friendship�if only, if only, if only. There were no if onlys. What had been done was in the past. It was time they moved on.
�I will if you�d forgive me too.�
�I did already. I jus� wanted t� make sure that you do.�
�I do.� She began to close her door. �I wish I could say that it was good to see you again.�
�Wish I could too.�
The door was now open only a crack. �You make that woman of yours happy, Bumlets. But don�t hurt her the way we hurt each other.�
�You got my word on that.�
* * *
He plopped down into the seat and his shoulders hunched over. He folded his hands together, rested them on the tabletop and placed his head atop them. His meeting with Mary had done more to him than he had expected.
Not only had the old feelings revisited, but with them came images. Images that Bumlets was so desperate to block. There were feelings, images�and sensations. The pleasures that had occurred were incredible at first, but lasted only too briefly. They led to confusion, to realization, and finally, to humiliation and guilt. And it had taken place during a five-minute time period.
What would Seven do when he told her? He couldn�t tell her today. Definitely not today. Emotionally, he was completely drained and exhausted. There was no way he would be able to tell her without pouring obscenities at himself and breaking into tears from the regret he held.
He could hear some of the girls chattering elsewhere. Raising his head slightly, he noticed that the girls at the nearby table � Balla, Goosey, Blizzard and Princess � were all staring his way and wondering why he was in the state that he was. He ignored them and hid his face again.
The door opened and he heard Seven�s voice calling hello to the newsies. Instantly, Bumlets knew she would be coming to him. He straightened to a seated position and forced a tiny smile when she appeared.
�Hi.� She said as she sat beside him. �Where were you this afternoon?�
�I had something to take care of.� He replied.
�Does it have anything to do with what I said to you two weeks ago?�
It had, but he would not say so. It would give her the wrong impression, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
�Not really.� He rubbed his neck. �I�m stiff from it, though.�
�What�d you do?�
�I hadta walk pretty far. I�m stiff all over.�
A waiter came to the table, and Bumlets turned to face him and ordered their usual plates: ham sandwiches and potato wedges. Once the order was taken, the waiter left. Bumlets was ready to turn back around when he felt Seven�s hands on his shoulders. She began to knead the muscles, relieving some of his tension.
�Whatcha doin� that for?� he wondered, rolling his shoulder blades with the movement of her hands.
�You felt tight. I thought this would make you feel better.�
Make you feel better. The same exact words had been spoken to him by Mary that one day. Instantly, the memories returned, and he drew away from Seven. She stared at him, stunned.
�What�s the matter?� she wondered.
�I�I�m feelin� much better now.� He said too quickly. �I din�t need any more massagin�.�
�But I�d only just started.� She paused. �Did I do something wrong?�
�No, it�s not that.�
�Then what is it?�
�It�s just that�now�s not the best time for this stuff. I�ve got a lot on my mind right now.�
�Do you wanna talk about it?�
�Not right now. Just forget about the whole thing.�
* * *
A shrill cry shattered the dark silence in the room. Instantly, Pie Eater lurched up settled down. The baby was crying. He lay back down and tapped on Kay�s shoulder.
�Karen.�
She didn�t respond at all. Apparently, she was sound asleep, and did not want to be awakened. When Little David�s crying grew louder, Pie Eater knew that he wanted to be fed, even at this time of night. He gently shook Kay.
�Karen, wake up!� he whispered.
She moaned and stirred slightly, but was still not awake. He shook her again, and this time, she responded.
�Leave me alone.� She muffled as she hid her face in the pillow.
�Karen, th� baby�s cryin�! An� this is a hungry cryin�!�
�I�m tired, David. I want my sleep.�
He yanked the pillow out from under her head. �C�mon. Yer the one who feeds th� baby! I can�t do it!�
She snatched the pillow back. �I want some sleep for once. He�s been waking up in the middle of the night for feedings, and I haven�t had a full night of sleep since before he was born. And I�m always taking care of him!�
Shrugging, he threw the bedcovers aside and staggered to his feet. He went to the baby�s crib and lifted him up. He cradled him and attempted to shush him, but the cries grew louder. He went to the bed and set Little David on Kay�s stomach. Her head shot up with a start.
�Wha-�
�Karen, if I could, I�d feed the kid myself. But there ain�t no way on this earth that I can. Ya gotta do it yourself!�
She complied and allowed the baby to nurse. When he slid back into bed beside her, she began to cry tears of her own. Her tears confused Pie Eater.
�What�s wrong?� he wondered.
�This.� She said, gesturing at the baby. �I�m always taking care of the baby! It�s always me who has to do it.�
�Well that�s because I can�t do all th� stuff ladies can.�
�That�s not the point. Since he�s been born, I�ve been nauseous, sore all over, I�ve got hemorrhoids, and I leak! I�m tired, and for once I�d like a day off!�
�I thought bein� a momma was a full-time gig.�
�It is. But you should be helping out too!�
�Ya know I help out. I change �is diaper, I rock �im t� sleep, an� I do some cookin� for ya so ya don�t go hungry. I also got work t� do, Karen. I got a lot �f stuff t� do.�
�Well why can�t you take care of the baby for just one day?�
�How could I do that?�
�Keep him downstairs, for one thing. Isn�t pa going to another store to sell the furniture tomorrow?�
�Yeah.�
�See? You won�t have too much to do, and the baby�s in the next room. The only time you bring him to me is if he�s hungry.�
�An� what�ll you do while �e�s downstairs?�
�Sleep. I haven�t had a decent night of sleep since I was six months pregnant. I�d sleep all day if I could.�
He grinned and kissed her cheek. Because she had not expected him to do that, she inquired of it.
�Jus� t� tell ya that you cin sleep all day t�morrow. I�ll take care �f th� baby downstairs an� I�ll only wake ya up if �e needs feeding.�
�Really?�
��Course! I�d love t� spend th� day with �im.�
Grateful beyond belief, Kay relaxed and sighed. If she could sleep all day, she could not ask another favor. Tomorrow would be so wonderful. And if she couldn�t sleep the rest of the day, she could go shopping with the money that Pie Eater gave her from his paycheck. With her savings, she could buy a new dress.
The baby finished nursing, and she closed the nightgown and sat up. Then she tapped on Pie Eater�s shoulder so he would roll over. He did, and wondered why she woke him up again.
�He�s done now. You should put him back in his crib.�
He shook his head. �Uh uh.�
�Why not? You said you were gonna take care of him for the day.�
�Cuz it�s still nighttime. I said durin� th� day.�
When she scowled, he laughed at her and rolled onto his other side. Then Kay slapped him, and he laughed again and finally went back to sleep.
* * *
The door creaked open, and Kay hid her face in her pillow. She knew that Pie Eater would be coming into the bedroom, but hoped he would not be here to wake her up. It was too early for the baby to nurse.
Then a pleasant aroma filled the room. There was a warm scent, accompanied by a sweeter smell. Something smelled so wonderful that her stomach began to rumble. She felt Pie Eater�s hand grasp her shoulder lightly and shake her awake.
�Karen, wake up.�
�I�m sleeping today.� She mumbled.
�But ya shouldn�t sleep on �n empty stomach. I brung ya some breakfast.�
Now able to identify the smells, she rolled onto her back. Pie Eater was holding a tray in one hand, and on it was a plate with a steaming stack of pancakes. There was a clear shot glass filled with maple syrup on the side, and a mug of milk. Although she preferred coffee, she knew that it was not good for women who were breast-feeding.
�Ya hungry?� he offered, lowering the tray to her.
�Starved.� She yanked the bedcovers off. �That was sweet of you.�
�Figured ya�d be a stick if ya slept th� day an� din�t eat a thing.� He handed her the tray. �Now you eat up an� I�ll come back later t� pick up th� dishes.�
�Thanks, honey.�
�You�re welcome.� He bent down and kissed her mouth. �Th� baby�s downstairs with me. An� �e�s in a good mood. I don�t think �e�ll be botherin� you for a while.�
He left her and returned downstairs to the kitchen. Little David was sleeping in the cradle he had brought down earlier, and would be sleeping for a while. Although he hadn�t been fed, his diaper had been changed and he fell right to sleep when he was set down.
Pie Eater went to the cradle and touched the baby�s face. He stirred a little, but remained asleep. Pie Eater grinned.
�Looks like it�s jus� gonna be you �n� me, liddle guy.� He said proudly. �We�re gonna have some good times t�day.�
* * *
