It Started With a Carriage

Chapter 14- "Uncle Tony said he'll come back to haunt us..."

It was 1909, the Conlon's were living a decent life in Brooklyn, Patrick Jr and Sean Matthew had just recently turned 7 and all the mischief you could think of they got into, they weren't even embarrassed to take their mischief into their classroom at school. Their teacher has already been by the Conlon's apartment twice for being overly disruptive during class. Spot and Clarice were livid.

They had thought that they were horrible parents for letting their children act like such fools but couldn't help laughing when the two explained how stuffy it was at school and that they were just trying to help with that. Patrick Jr's response had been the greatest by saying that if Sean Matthew had just listened to him, they wouldn't have even been caught. How could parents stay mad with such innocent little boys?

The chaos only expanded as they welcomed a newborn baby, a girl named Clara Fracesca, their hands were very full, happy, but full. Trying to get their twins to behave more rationally, especially at school Spot and Clarice tried every discipline in the book, spankings, time outs and they even went as far to put a bar of soap in their kids mouths. Nothing worked it seemed, their boys were just naturals in the mischief business!

"What are we gonna do with these kids, Pat?" Clarice had asked her husband who had just come home from work, early.

"I think we ought to go to Mass more and pray harder. These boys are going to be the death of us." He retorted setting his head in his hands feeling exhausted from the long day. If they had been anyone else's kids, he'd have been amused and perhaps even given them high fives for being so clever. But nope, they were his and he needed them to behave so they didn't get themselves into REAL trouble.

"What else can we do?" Clarice was exasperated, they hadn't been getting as much sleep as they needed and that wasn't helping. "I wish Tony was still around. He would be so good with them. Hell they prolly would've listened to him." Clarice shook her head feeling restless from her newborn, the lass was too adorable for her own good. She was born with her father's crystal blue eyes but with dirty-blonde hair. She was definitely a chip off the old block.

The twins were about to get ready for bed against their will, Patrick and Clarice had changed their bedtime at 8:30 instead of 9:30 as punishment for their unruly behavior. "Boys, time for bed." Clarice instructed.

"But mom, we were just finishing up our homework..." Sean Mathew whined.

"You mean the homework you never do..." Patrick addressed sternly, giving his son a dark look. The poor boy stopped dead in his tracks, speechless and feeling the fear that his father would be disappointed in him, not so much that he'd be punished for it. Spot and Clarice weren't strict parents by the time's standards, probably a little too lenient with Spot not wanting to accidentally cross the line as his own father had. But they wanted the best for their kids, they didn't want them to end up working their childhood away like they did and wanted them to have the education both of them coveted.

"You two better go to bed before you get into any more trouble." The man said firmly glancing at his two sons. The boys dashed for their bedroom as fast as they could. Clarice was about to fall asleep at the kitchen table. The poor girl had a habit of falling asleep in unusual places, it was a new habit of hers, well at last since they had welcomed their new addition.

"Lass, you better go to bed too." Patrick suggested placing a hand on her shoulder and a kiss on her cheek, his Irish accent, trying to tease his wife. She always thought his accent was, well, sexy.

As if nothing could possibly become any more stressful, their infant daughter had started wailing. Clarice put her head down letting out a heavy sigh. "God, help me." She mumbled. She could never be mad at her daughter though, she couldn't help it.

"Clar, go to bed I got this." Patrick assured his wife as he got up to handle his daughter, she was already starting to become a Daddy's girl. Once her father had taken her in his arms she would stop crying or some nights he would softly hum Nearer, My God, To Thee. A song his mother had sung to him when he was a small boy.

Clarice collected herself together as she sleepily made her way to their bedroom preparing for the long day ahead of her. Clarice just graduated College, Yes! She took David's advice all those years ago and enrolled herself in a school near Manhattan. Of course it was night school, but she managed and earned a degree in Psychotherapy.

She was still working as a seamstress but only twice a week if needed. She was still in touch with few of the newsies and their own families. They still occasionally get together, in fact the twins and Amelia Ballatt, who was a couple months older than the twins were good friends keeping the two families closely connected.

Amelia was well behaved, she hardly got into any mischief. Which should set a good example on Patrick Jr and Sean Matthew. . . Hopefully.

Clarice woke up in the morning feeling restful and energetic. Her husband was already up getting ready for work while the twins were in the kitchen eating what looked like cereal. "Momma?" Patrick Jr. noted trying to get his mother's attention.

"What's the matter Tesoro?" She asked, saying Sweetheart in Italian. "I had the strangest dream last night." He reluctantly compiled as sipping the milk from his bowl. "What was it this time?" She asked her son as she was putting butter on a slice of bread.

"Well, I don't remember much, but Uncle Tony showed up in my dreams and said that if me and Sean don't stop being so mischievous he'll come back to haunt us..."

Clarice dropped the glass plate that was in her hand as it shattered into a million pieces on the kitchen floor. She was speechless that her brother had shown up in her kid's dream, was this a miracle? It was certain that Racetrack had visited them and the young boys even had a guardian angel; but this was different.

"What's wrong Momma?" Patrick Jr. asked, trying to help his mother with the broken plate. "Nothing, that's great that he showed up in your dreams. You'd do good to listen to him, now go get ready for school." The two boys went to their rooms to collect the things they needed for school and out the door they went. Clarice went to go grab Clara from her crib as she held her protectively. Rocking her as she sat in the rocking chair.

"Has Uncle Tony visited you yet, my darling?" She whispered smiling knowing her infant wasn't vocal yet but she had a feeling Race visited Clara too. Clara creeped a smile once her mother had mentioned Tony. It made her happy yet a bit sad that he wasn't here in person only in spirit.

But nothing to fret about her kids were protected for sure.