* * *
Part 3
Bumlets declined breakfast in the morning, prompting everyone to suspect that something was wrong with him. Seven was the first to ask, and he said that he wasn’t hungry. In truth, he wasn’t, for his secret was bearing down heavily on his conscience. He and Mary had made amends, but the damage would not be undone. Someone needed to know, and it couldn’t be Seven.
Who could he trust not to tell the newsies? He would usually speak to Specs or Dutchy with his secrets, but with a secret like this, it was liable to leak out to Twilight or Cyanne. He couldn’t tell them.
Once they reached the distribution office and everyone lined up, Bumlets finally knew who he could speak to. Pie Eater. He was no longer a newsie, though many visited him from time to time, and he could keep secrets until death. Even if he told Kay of what Bumlets would tell him, he wouldn’t mind because she would not tell anyone else. Not even Fantasia.
The line gradually moved, and since Bumlets was near the end of the line, he decided to order only eighty newspapers, as opposed to his normal hundred, and sell by himself. Since he was to visit Pie Eater, it was best to go alone. He turned to Seven, who was chatting with Books, Twilight and Aki. He apologized for intruding.
“I gotta talk t’ Seven for a sec.” he said. “Ya mind?”
“Not at all.” Seven turned to the girls. “Hold those thoughts, I’ll be back.”
Bumlets smiled faintly, but enough for Seven to see. However, his smile appeared that it was forced. What was he going to tell her?
“Seven,” he said, “wouldja mind if we din’t sell t’gether t’day?”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“I’ve been really stressed out lately, an’ I’d like some time alone. This ain’t got nothin’ t’ do with you, it’s just me. An’ I gotta check somewhere. Is that okay with you?”
“I guess so.” She murmured disappointedly. “Twilight and Specs aren’t gonna sell together either, so I’ll sell with Twilight.”
“Okay.” He kissed her cheek. “Thanks.”
“I love you.” She whispered.
He grinned to show his pleasure, but also to hide the guilt. “You too.”
* * *
“…An’ then ya add on th’ cheese, slap th’ two pieces of bread t’gether an’, viola! Ya got yerself a sandwich!”
Little David watched with wide eyes, not understanding a thing his father was showing him. Pie Eater smiled at him, then took a large bite from his sandwich.
“When ya get bigger you cin eat one ‘f these too.” He continued, his mouth still full. “But ya got no teeth yet, so that’ll be a while.”
He finished the sandwich in two more bites, then put the condiments he used in preparing his sandwich away. Little David continued to watch his papa, wondering what he was doing. After everything was put away, Pie Eater went to his cradle and lifted him up.
“Think it’s time I hold ya.” He muttered. “Oopsy daisies, you’re gettin’ heavier!”
He sat down in a nearby chair and cradled Little David in his arms. Though he had grown since he was born, he was still so tiny and fragile in his father’s arms. Pie Eater was blooming with pride.
Little David was his son. Named after his father and the deceased son of a family friend, he was perfect. Even the woman who had delivered him said that he was. To Pie Eater, he was a miracle. A wonderful human being made from his and Kay’s flesh. He kissed the baby’s forehead.
Bells jingled, indicating there was a customer in the shop. Pie Eater rose to his feet, set Little David back into his crib and went outside to see who was there. When he saw Bumlets, a grin spread across his face.
“Bumlets!”
Bumlets advanced toward him. “Been a while, Pie Eater.”
The two embraced quickly. “Haven’t seen ya since th’ wedding. So, whatcha doin’ ‘ere?”
“I gotta talk t’ ya.”
“Alright. Why don’tcha come back here to th’ kitchen area? I was gonna put some coffee on.”
“Thanks.”
“Little David’s there too. I just put ‘im down t’ sleep.”
“Why’s ‘e down ‘ere? I thought ‘e’d be with Kay.”
“Kay’s takin’ a day off. She’s dog tired from takin’ care of th’ baby so I’m doin’ th’ work today. She’s sleeping upstairs.”
They reached the kitchen and Bumlets seated himself in a chair close to the cradle. Little David was awake, and staring at him with wide and observant eyes. He was making odd sounds, as though he was trying to talk to Bumlets. He smiled at the baby.
His smile melted after several seconds. Staring at the baby brought memories of Mary again. It was difficult for him to look at any baby for wondering what would happen if Mary had become pregnant. Would he be married to her now and raising their child, or would he have left her and denied that the baby was his?
“How’s th’ newsies?” Pie Eater said, breaking Bumlets of his thoughts.
“They’re pretty good. Specs ‘n’ Twilight din’t sell t’day cuz ‘e went out t’ buy a ring.”
“Really?”
“Yup. I think ‘e wants t’ catch ‘er off guard.”
His smile widened. “That’s great. They’re gonna be real happy.” He added some sugar to his coffee. “Ya want sugar?”
“I like mine black, thanks.”
“‘Kay. So how’s things goin’ with you ‘n’ Seven?”
“That’s why I’m here. I gotta talk t’ ya about ‘er.”
Pie Eater took the mugs and walked to the table. He handed Bumlets his coffee, then took a seat across from him.
“Is everythin’ okay with you?” he wondered anxiously.
“I’d be lyin’ if I said yes.”
“Ya thinkin’ of leavin’ ‘er?”
“No. I’d never do that. Two weeks ago she said th’ three little words t’ me.”
“Ya couldn’t say ‘em back to ‘er?”
“I know I could’ve. I was gonna, too. But somethin’ held me back.” he sipped his coffee, ready to confess. “Ya remember that one newsgirl, Mary?”
“Mary, th’ girl who was only a newsie f’ four months?”
“That’s her.”
“Barely. I remember she was friendly th’ first two months, then after that she seemed a liddle depressed ‘bout somethin’ an’ left.”
He bent his head down. “I know why she left. An’ why she was upset.”
Little David began to fuss, and Bumlets sighed heavily. Did he have to cry now? If he didn’t tell the truth now, it would never come out. He covered his face with his hands.
“Hold that thought, Bumlets.” Pie Eater said. “Th’ baby’s hungry. I’ll be back in a flash.”
Oddly enough, that’s how quickly time flew for Bumlets. It seemed as though Pie Eater had just left when he returned. Thankfully, his courage was still intact.
“So, what were ya sayin’?” Pie Eater wondered as he drank some coffee.
“I know why Mary left.”
“I thought she left cuz she din’t like sellin’ papes.”
“She left because of me.”
This sparked Pie Eater’s attention. Something in Bumlets’ eyes suddenly became evident to him. There was a tortured presence within him, one that screamed for confidentiality.
“B’fore I go on,” Bumlets continued, “ya gotta swear that ya won’t tell a soul ‘bout what I’m gonna tell you.”
“I’ll never tell.” He swore.
“Good. Remember when my grandma died?”
“Yeah. I think Mary lost a family member ‘round that time too.”
“It was th’ same time. She lost one of ‘er cousins. We was both hurtin’ a lot. Then this one time, I went to this old, broken-down warehouse my grandma used t’ work at when it was still up ‘n’ runnin’. What I din’t know was that Mary was followin’ me.”
Pie Eater was sensing danger. “Why was she doin’ that?”
“I dunno.” He raked his fingers through his hair, fighting every negative fiber in his body to tell the truth. “Either way, I went int’ th’ warehouse ‘n’ started cryin’. I thought it was a place where no one’d find me ‘n’ see me cryin’. Then I saw Mary. Her eyes were all red too. She came out of ‘er hidin’ place ‘n’ told me she lost ‘er favorite cousin.”
“But why’d she follow ya?”
“I ast ‘er that. She said that she could tell that somethin’ was wrong wit me. She came up to me ‘n’ hugged me an’ I kept cryin’. Then she said she wished there was somethin’ she could do t’ make me feel better.”
It was now when Pie Eater feared the worst. “Feel better in what way?”
Bumlets kept his head bent, not wanting to see his friend’s face. “I din’t know what she meant. But my body jus’ felt hot all ‘f the sudden, an’ I realized I wanted some physical comfort. I jus’ grabbed her arm ‘n’ I said I din’t wanna feel better. An’ she said she knew what I wanted. She kissed th’ top ‘f my head. Then I kissed her.”
“Bumlets, don’t tell me-”
“It happened.”
He leaned backward into his chair and shook his head. “Is that why she left? She was pregnant?”
“No, she wasn’t. Actually, it only lasted five minutes.”
“Only five?”
“Maybe more, maybe less, but all I know was that I jus’ panicked. Mary was my friend, ‘n’ I realized what we was doin’ was gonna destroy our friendship. So I got away from ‘er. An’ she got away from me. We turned our backs on each other ‘n’ agreed that this wasn’t right. We put our clothes back on ‘n’ left. She went home, but I din’t. I couldn’t face ‘er, Pie. After that day, we couldn’t even look at each other th’ same. We’d barely look at each other ‘n’ turn around cuz we was embarrassed.”
“You did a good job in coverin’ up.”
“Not too good. But afta two months, she’d had enough. I couldn’t even talk t’ her anymore. We din’t have th’ same relationship we used to. We both ruined each other. She couln’t take it anymore. That’s why she left. She used th’ excuse of not wantin’ t’ sell papes t’ cover our tracks.”
“I never woulda guessed.”
“We’ve only spoken t’ each other twice since then. She came up t’ me a few months ago t’ tell me she was engaged. An’ ya know somethin’? That ripped my heart in two. Part of me felt like she’d betrayed me. That part ‘f me wouldn’t’ve cared if we hadn’t done what we did.”
“An’ th’ second time?”
“Couple days ago. I told ‘er ‘bout Seven an’ asked if she’s forgiven me for what I did. But she reminded me it was her fault too.” He released a ragged breath. “We’re never gonna be th’ same again. I used ‘er, she used me, an’ now we’re both sufferin’ from it.”
“Have ya told Seven yet?”
“I can’t. I know I gotta, but not now. She told me again this mornin’ that she loves me. I wanna tell ‘er that I love ‘er too, but I can’t. Not after what happened b’tween Mary ‘n’ me.”
“Ya won’t be able t’ put this b’hind ya if ya don’t tell Seven. You say ya love ‘er. So tell ‘er.”
“I will, someday.”
“Soon.”
“B’fore we get married. I know Mary ‘n’ me aren’t gonna be able t’ give the ones we love everything cuz we gave somethin’ to each other. Somethin’ we wasn’t supposed t’ have. It’s takin’ away from what Seven ‘n’ me could be havin’ now. It’ll take away from what we’ll have.”
Kay’s voice floated from the upstairs, telling Pie Eater to come and pick up the baby. He excused himself, rushed upstairs, then came back down slowly with the baby in his arms. He walked to Bumlets and allowed him to see Little David’s face.
“I dunno if this’s th’ best thing right now,” he said, “but ya wanna hold ‘im?”
Bumlets’ stomach dropped, but he nodded. “It’s okay.”
As the baby was placed in his arms, he felt an odd feeling stir inside of him. From his event with Mary, nothing had happened except emotional damage. Pie Eater and Kay had done the same at the right time, and their result was this tiny baby. They had nothing to be ashamed of.
“I’m always wonderin’ what would’ve happened if Mary would’ve had a baby. Would I be a husband ‘n’ a daddy now, or would I ‘ave skipped th’ state with Seven so I could deny it happened?”
“It didn’t happen, Bumlets.” Pie Eater soothed. “It’s time you look at what could happen now instead of what could’ve happened then.”
“I’ve been tryin’ to.”
“Quick tryin’ ‘n’ make it happen.”
He raised his sight to his friend. “It’s hard cuz I can’t forgive myself for it. But it ain’t about me. It’s about Seven. Because of what I did, what I want for Seven ‘n’ me is not gonna be the same. It’d be incredible if Mary ‘n’ me din’t do what we did.”
“Sounds like you’re sittin’ in your own guilt.” He folded his arms over his chest. “I think you’d better get out of it b’fore ya do anythin’ else with Seven.”
“I’ll try.” He rose, and brought the baby back to his father. “Thanks for lettin’ me hold ‘im. ‘E looks just like ya.”
“Not exactly. ‘E’s got Kay’s eyes.”
“Yeah, he does.” He shrugged. “I’ll be leavin’ now. Thanks so much for listenin’.”
“Anytime. Come back again if ya need anyone t’ talk to.”
“I will.”
He left the building and shoved his hands into his pockets. What Pie Eater said was right: he was wallowing in his guilt. Mary had forgiven him as he had her, so now was the time to forgive himself. The load was much lighter now since the talk with Mary, and now with him telling Pie Eater of what happened.
Though the load was still heavy, he knew there were only two ways to make it disappear. The first way was to forgive himself for his role in his and Mary’s decision, and the second was to tell Seven. This, by far, would be more difficult than going back to Mary to ask her forgiveness.
* * *
Though Kay spent the entire day in bed, Pie Eater brought her some dinner so she wouldn’t lose any weight before morning. As he spent most of his time alone with the baby, he repeated his talk with Bumlets over in his head. His friend had had sex with a girl he didn’t even love and no one had known.
He began to wonder if he would feel the same way had he done with Bumlets did. He had not had sex until after he and Kay married the first time. Though the thought had crossed his mind to do it before their wedding, he would never have done that to her. Not after she became pregnant so easily.
‘Bumlets must be going crazy like this.’ He thought. ‘He’s so guilt-ridden at himself that it starting to show through much easier. It won’t be long before Seven catches on.’
It was growing late, the clock tolled at eight thirty. Joseph still hadn’t returned home, which was proof enough that they had landed another store to sell the merchandise. He yawned, and Little David began to fuss. He decided then he should be going to bed, and took the baby with him. He shushed him as he climbed the stairs carefully.
He softly entered the bedroom and found Kay sprawled all over the bed on her stomach with one arm dangling off the side. Swallowing back laughter, he shouldered Little David and shook her awake. She groaned as she rolled onto her back, still half-asleep.
“Is the baby hungry?” she muttered groggily.
“Yup.” He replied, setting the baby down on her chest. “I’m gonna get down for th’ night too. I’m tired.”
“Is your father home yet?”
“Not yet.” He yanked his shirt over his head. “Probly means he landed th’ deal.”
She shifted the baby as he began to suckle. “I’m sorry I slept all day. I was more tired than I thought.”
“Don’t need t’ apologize. Ya deserved some good sleep.”
“I know. But I was going to look at apartments today.”
“Oh. Well, you cin do that t’morrow. I wouldn’t mind spendin’ some more time with th’ baby.”
“You sure?”
“‘Course! We had a great time t’day! He also got t’ meet Bumlets. He stopped by.”
“How’s he doing?”
“He’s thinkin’ of askin’ Seven th’ big question.”
She grinned. “I think that’s wonderful.”
He said nothing more after that, knowing that if he did, he could spill the confidential information Bumlets had shared with him. He had sworn not to tell, and meant to keep that vow.
Once he had changed into his nightwear, he climbed into bed and watched Kay as she nursed Little David. He felt warm inside, knowing that they were a family. He was with the woman he loved, and they had a child to raise on their own. He had never felt so content.
Then his thoughts drifted to Bumlets again. He wondered if his episode with Mary would interfere with him feeling the same what if he married Seven. He had seen the two together; they were always happy and loved each other very much. Would his mistake destroy them both?
As soon as Little David finished nursing, Kay put him back in his cradle and went back to bed. She rolled onto her side and pulled the covers beneath her arms and closed her eyes. She looked so peaceful as she fell asleep.
Pie Eater touched her hair. Even the slightest touch from her sent a shock through his veins. And again, he thought of Bumlets. Did he feel the same when he was with Seven? Or did his guilt interfere with those sensations?
Bumlets had mentioned he and Mary did what they did because they were both hurting from the loss of a loved one. It appeared now that they were both hurting more now from their decision. Pie Eater was hurt by the fact that they didn’t love each other. It was never mentioned, but he knew.
He pushed his thoughts away, wanting to go to sleep. He slipped an arm around Kay’s waist and kissed her cheek. She stirred and turned onto her back.
“I love you.” He whispered.
He bent down to kiss her, allowing her to know that he meant it from the bottom of his heart. He hoped that someday, Bumlets would be able to do the same without being tormented by regret.
* * *
