Wally - @Short Story

Wally - 1

Wally - 1

by sloanranger

The small boy's jacket was too thin for the weather and he kept his arms folded trying to warm himself as he walked up and down the sidewalk, shivering. Another kid joined him, panting and catching his breath as it fogged profusely from running in the cold. "Sorry about your Ma, Wally."

"Thanks," the other boy shrugged and turned away.

Levy was late today. Wally and Levy were nine years old, the smallest of the group. The two kept their place by coming early and warning potential interlopers away from the corner. It was mostly a bluff because the company didn't like fights. Occasionally, the newer kid was just too tough and could not be scared off, then there would be a fight anyway and the winner stayed.

Jobs were terrifyingly scarce in 1933. There were many who would like to winnow into this spot. It was a sub-prime drop of the morning and evening editions of Nashville City Newspaper.

A battered blue Ford truck came around the corner and slowed. A man aboard the truck bed began throwing bundles of papers off the vehicle and the larger of the boys ran in for the first loads. When the small boys got close for their turn the grizzled man standing in the truck bed stopped for a second and spoke.

"Tough luck, Sloan," he said, before he tossed the last bundle down.

"Yeah," Wally acknowledged as the papers hit him in the chest.

The truck began to pull away from the curb when the man standing hit the top of the truck cab a couple of times with his fist.

The truck stopped."Sloan," he called and the kid ran up to the truck bed again.

"Put this inside your jacket, kid. Flatten it out - keep you warm."

"But it's today's, Bill," he said.

"So sell it later after you warm up." His fist hit the roof of the truck cab again and the old Ford took off.

The small boys dragged their bundles to the nearest door alcove. Turning so only his back showed, Levy took the pliers from his pocket and cut the wires from his own bundle before he slipped them to Wally.

When Wally was done, he quietly returned them and Levy quickly put them back into his overalls. Anyone might knock you down for something that valuable.

After the papers were folded the older kids took off for corners closer to the center of town. Anywhere within two blocks of Main Street were generally held by men and even the older boys in their group stood no chance of muscling in on that territory.

But there were block corners nearer and they went for those. Levy and Wally took opposite ends each, of this block.

(To be continued).