* * *
Part 7
Kay was aware that something odd was happening in Bumlets’ life if he was refusing to see Seven. Somehow, she could sense his tension, even as she passed by the shop on her way to the kitchen. He was still sleeping soundly on that hardwood floor. How one could sleep in such a position on a hot night and on a filthy, hard floor was beyond her.
The baby was nursed and his diaper changed, so she set him in the crib in the kitchen before pouring herself some tea. Pie Eater was preparing some eggs for breakfast and acknowledged her with a smile.
“How’s th’ kid?” he wondered.
“Ever since I changed his diaper he’s been fine.” She sipped her tea. “Are you gonna wake Bumlets up?”
“Not yet. Breakfast ain’t ready.”
“How could he sleep the night on that floor? I’d be sneezing all night.”
“He’s not really been th’ one t’ sneeze. That would be Snoddy.”
“Snoddy…doesn’t he have a girl now?”
“Yep. Name’s…Books.”
“Books. I hope she doesn’t have to put up with his sneezing.”
Snorting back a chuckle, Pie Eater returned his attention to the eggs as they cooked more. He took the pan from the stovetop and set it down on the table. Five sunny-side up eggs were cooked and ready for eating, and some strips of bacon on the sides.
“There’s five eggs and four people.” Kay observed. “Who gets two?”
“Pa. Still ain’t feelin’ very well, thought ‘e could use somethin’ extra.”
Yawning was heard from the doorway. They both looked up to find Bumlets standing there with a blanket draped around himself due to the fact he had slept in only his pants. His hair was poking out in all directions as though he hadn’t slept well that night. Neither could blame him if he hadn’t slept well at all.
“Mornin’.” He murmured sleepily, scratching the back of his head. “Smells good in ‘ere.”
“That’s cuz breakfast is ready.” Pie Eater told him. “Siddown ‘n’ have some bacon ‘n’ eggs.”
“Thanks.” He thumped down heavily into a chair. “Mornin’, Kay.”
“Morning, Bumlets. How’d you sleep?”
“Din’t, not really, actually.”
“Was the floor too hard? We could put some extra blanket under-”
“It wasn’t th’ floor. I was actually comfortable. I was jus’ thinkin’ about Seven.”
“Is everything going okay with you two?”
He shrugged. “I dunno. I told ‘er somethin’ about me…I’m givin’ ‘er a week t’ let ‘er decide whether or not she wants t’ stay with me.”
“You mean you’re leaving her?”
“No. But with what I did, she might wanna leave me.”
She glanced at Pie Eater for an explanation, and his facial expression told her not to press on the subject any further. Though her curiosity was growing, she withdrew.
“Are you gonna take care of the baby again today?” she wondered. “I was gonna look at that one apartment I told you about to check the rent and everything.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Pie Eater agreed. “Pa’s gonna take it easy t’day.”
“I’m going job huntin’.” Bumlets muttered. “Gotta find a good place t’ make money ‘n’ find a place to stay.”
“I’d suggest that ya’d better go to a boardin’ house. If ya don’t know how t’ cook, it’d be best if ya went somewhere where the people cook for ya.”
“Thanks for th’ advice.” He began to wolf into his breakfast. “This’s real good.”
“I was pretty surprised when he told me he could cook.” Kay commented. “The baby won’t have to worry if either of us will be gone while the other stays home since we can both cook.”
“Wish I could.”
“I could teach ya some stuff.” Pie Eater offered. “How ‘bout tomorrow? You do th’ major job huntin’ t’day, an’ tomorrow, I’ll help ya learn t’ make some good stuff.”
“That’s sounds nice. Thanks.”
“No problem. B’sides, if Seven does stick wit ya, ya’ll knock ‘er off ‘er feet by knowin’ this stuff!”
* * *
After hours of selling alone and with a lack of enthusiasm, Seven had finally sold her newspapers. She had never finished selling this late before, and now that she was through, she did not want to face the newsies. She looked awful: her face and hair were streaked with sweat and dust, she was exhausted, and struggling to maintain control of her emotions.
The night was sleepless for her, for fear that she may explode due to the rising tension within her. She needed someone to speak to, one who was not a newsie. She had not visited Aunt Diana for a while, but she did not fully approve of Bumlets. Would she turn herself further against him if she told her about him?
It was then that she remembered the vow she had made to Bumlets, not to tell anyone of what he did. As long as she kept the true reason under wraps, perhaps Aunt Diana would listen. Steeling herself, she headed in the direction of her aunt’s house.
Though Aunt Diana was not upper-class, her money kept her in a nice neighborhood where middle-class families lived. Diana was still unmarried and chose not to have a family of her own. For this very reason, she adored her niece, but disapproved of her choice in men and her current lifestyle.
She arrived at the house and knocked on the door. She wished it would rain, just so she would have an excuse to look so disheveled. The door opened, and Diana appeared. Clearly, she was excited to see her at first, until she took in her entire appearance.
“Rachel?” she said in wonder. “Are you okay?”
“I need to talk to you.” She stammered.
Diana ushered her inside and had her take a seat on her worn sofa. She left briefly and returned with a silver tray. Its contents included a floral painted china tea set, complete with a kettle, cups, saucers, and tiny pitchers for milk, honey and sugar. Accompanying the tea set was a tiny plate filled with biscuits and cookies.
“I was just about to make some tea.” Diana told her. “You came at the right time.”
“I don’t like tea. I like coffee.”
“With the way you look, you shouldn’t be talking.” She said sternly. “You look like you’ve been caught up in a dust storm and walked here from Nevada.”
“I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Have some tea dear, then talk.”
She complied reluctantly, adding an overkill dose of sugar and honey and forced away the noxiousness it gave her tongue, throat and stomach as she swallowed. She snatched a biscuit and tucked it away in a very unladylike manner to rid herself of the taste. Diana frowned at her performance.
“I told you that spending time with those newsies would corrupt you.” She observed. “You should’ve stayed with me in the first place.”
“If I hadn’t stayed with them, I never would have met Bumlets.”
“His name drives me absolutely crazy. What kind of a boy would take a name like that?”
She lowered her head. “One I thought I knew all about.”
Diana’s expression turned protective. “Did he do something to you that hurt you?”
She turned her head away. “It had nothing to do with me. It had to do with something he did. He told me about it because I needed to know.”
“That boy is trouble, Rachel.”
“No he’s not. I…”
Those final two words: love him; they would not roll off of her tongue as they had before last night. She could not say it aloud anymore. She couldn’t even confirm if she meant it.
“What did he do to hurt you?”
“I told you, it had nothing to do with me. It was something he did with someone else. It’s hard for me to believe.”
“Then get away from him as quickly as you can. He’ll do the same to you!”
She faced her aunt angrily. “He didn’t murder anyone. He’s never hit or…well, he has been in a few fistfights, but he’s only defended himself or someone else. He would never hurt anyone intentionally!”
“If that’s the case, then what has he done?”
“I can’t tell.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Can’t. He made me swear that I wouldn’t tell a soul about this.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What keeps you with that boy, anyway? It’s been over a year, most men propose to their girls after a year.”
“So now you want him to propose to me?”
“To tell the truth, not exactly. I still don’t approve of him completely.”
Seven rolled her eyes. “What more is there to approve? When he visited at Christmastime, he insisted we stay in separate rooms, treated you with respect, and even cleaned up after himself and more! Why don’t you just accept him for who he is?”
“He’s a boy off the streets. They are the type that are completely unpredictable.”
“Yeah? Well I’ve been living with more than twenty of them for over a year. They’re not street rats. They’re real people. Lots of them don’t even have families. Others are just trying to get a hold of their lives. And above all, they’re trying to survive. Isn’t that honorable to you?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Bumlets is like that. He has no family. He loves me, and he would never to anything to hurt me.”
“Are you sure it’s love that you speak of, and not something else?”
“It is love, Auntie. The fact that we’ve made it this far together and still have limits to our relationship shows how much he loves me. He doesn’t put any kind of pressure on me. And he’s not just that, he’s also my best friend.”
“Has he actually said that he loves you?”
“In his own way, but I know he meant it.”
“And what about you? Can you say that you love him?”
“Yes!”
“Then do it.”
“I l…l…”
Diana shook her head. “It’s just as I thought. Rachel, don’t go rushing yourself into his arms when you’re not even sure about this.”
“But I am!”
“And you can’t say it right out plainly. You take it slowly, and don’t make any brash decisions. Give it time. And if he does love you…then I’m glad.”
“You are?”
“I know I’ve missed out from not having a husband. And though I still don’t approve of everything that boy is, if you love each other, I hope you’ll be happy.”
* * *
The pain had gradually increased over the past few days. Joseph was now in constant pain, unable to work at all. His chest and head ached so much, his arm felt stiff, and he was having difficulty breathing. However, he mentioned to Pie Eater that it was only a minor cold so not to worry him or Kay of his condition.
He had slept late; it was mid-morning when he awakened. It was rather painful for him to drag himself from his bed due to all the pain, and the raspy breathing he endured. For some reason, it took so much of his strength just to breathe. His forehead was perspiring, as were his palms. Something wasn’t right.
Knowing he could not endure this charade any longer, he knew he needed to confront his son with his illness. It was imperative that he finally see a doctor. He headed down the stairs, still in his nightclothes and looking abnormally unwell.
When he reached the kitchen, he found Bumlets munching on a plate of pancakes with Pie Eater baking some more. The baby was in his crib, chewing on his fingers. Bumlets acknowledged him quickly with a nod, then jerked his sight back to him, stunned at how sickly he looked. Pie Eater was next in noticing his condition.
“Pa?”
“I’m seeing a doctor, don’t worry.” He coughed raggedly. “I just need to get some food in my system first.”
He helped himself to two pancakes, but his hands kept trembling. He noticed both boys staring oddly at him, and decided to change the subject in order to calm their senses.
“So, Bumlets, how’s your job hunt coming?”
“I think I might got one.” He replied, swallowing his food. “There’s a lumber yard that needs workers. They pay six bucks a week.”
“When will you know?” he coughed again.
“T’day. I’ll head there t’night. So t’day I’m gonna go lookin’ for a place t’ live.”
“An’ when’re you gonna go get Seven?” Pie Eater wondered.
“I been ‘ere for four days already. I got three more days, then I’ll go see ‘er.”
A crashing was heard, and both boys’ attention shot to Joseph. He had dropped the tiny glass pitcher of maple syrup, shattering it and spilling the thick, dark amber liquid all over the table and floor. Little David began to cry at the crash.
Bumlets was the first to react and rushed to Joseph’s side while Pie Eater went to the baby and picked him up in attempt to shush him. When he turned, he found that Joseph had slumped to the floor, his entire body trembling in violent coughs. Bumlets was doing everything he could to steady him, but having no avail.
“Bumlets, what-”
“I…I think ‘e’s havin’ a heart attack!”
Kay came rushing down the stairs. “What’s going on here?”
Pie Eater said nothing but was at his father’s side instantly. When Bumlets left to call a cab, Kay went to Joseph as well to assess the situation. Joseph’s coughing suddenly began to clear up, and he fell unconscious.
“Oh God.” He muttered. “Karen, see if Bumlets got that cab! We gotta get ‘im to the hospital!”
Without asking questions, she fled. Pie Eater set Little David on the ground, knowing he couldn’t move at all, and did everything he could to revive his father. Before long, Kay came charging in with Bumlets behind her.
“We’ve got one ready.” Kay reported.
“Bumlets, help me!” Pie Eater demanded, shifting his father’s weight.
Bumlets rushed over and aided in lifting Joseph from the ground and taking him outside to the cab. Kay followed behind, prepared to help if it was needed. They reached the carriage and set Joseph inside carefully, and Kay scrambled in. Before the driver snapped the reigns, she gasped loudly.
“The baby!” she shrieked.
“You guys go.” Bumlets said, exiting the cab. “I’ll stay with th’ kid.”
“Are you-”
“Go on! Everythin’ll be okay!”
The driver snapped the reigns, and sped around the corner toward the nearest hospital. Bumlets watched till it disappeared, then went inside to tend to the baby. He found him where Pie Eater had left him, in the middle of the kitchen floor.
He stooped down to lift the sobbing baby off the floor and jiggled him softly to calm him. He shushed him and hummed a little, then put him back in the crib.
“Everythin’s gonna be okay, liddle guy.” He assured. “It’s jus’ gonna be you ‘n’ me.”
* * *
