Brooklyn's Queen: A Spot Conlon Love Story

Chapter 15: High Times, Hard Times

Jack, David, Spot, and I stood on the stage. We held the rally here at Medda's theater. She was kind enough to let us use it for the newsie rally. Medda stood to the side of the stage. She was with us on this. I turned and smiled to her. She gave me a thumbs up.

"Okay, settle down!" Jack yelled over all of the boys. There were a lot of them. Every seat was filled with news boys. 

Once they quieted down, Jack then threw up his arms and screamed, "Carryin' the banner!"

The boy erupted with chants and stood up in their seats. I laughed, not that it was funny, but that everyone was so intent on every word Jack said. I looked at Spot and he was smiling too. 

"So, we've come a long way!" Jack began his speech. "But we ain't there yet, 'nd maybe it's only gonna get tougher from now on, but that's fine, we'll just get tougher wit it!"

The crowd cheered again.

But also, also, we's gotta get smart and start listenin' to my pal David, who says, stop soakin' the scabs."

"What are we supposed to do to the bums, kiss 'em?" Race said. The boys around him laughed. 

Then Spot spoke up, "Hey, any scab I see, I soak 'em! Period!" 

The boys all screamed "yeah!" and stood up in their seats again. 

"No no thats what they want us to do!" David yelled out. "If we get violent, it's just playing into their hands!" 

"Hey look their goin' to be playin' with my hands, alright?" Spot walked up to David and got in his face. "It ain't what they say, it's what we say. They ain't gonna listen to us unless we make 'em."

Some boys in the crowd started to argue with each other.

"You got no brains!" Jack screamed. "When we start fightin' each other it's jus what the big shots wanna see! That we're street rats, street rats! No respect for notin, includin' ourselves!"

Jack was trying to get everyone under control and listen to him. I agreed with him and David, we had to stop the fighting. 

"So here's how it is, if we don't act together, then we're nothin'. And if we can't even trust each other, then we're notin'!"

"Tell 'em Jack!" A boy from his seats shouted.

"So what's it gonna be?" Jack yelled.

"We're wit you Jack." Race pointed up at him, and he looked over and smiled at me. I smiled back.

Jack then walked over and stood in front of Spot. "So, what you say Spot?"

Spot looked around to the crowd, then looked over at me. I mouthed the words, "please" to him, and Spot looked back at Jack.

"I say, that what you say," Spot smiled. "Is what I say." 

Jack and him spit shook and the crowd cheered and clapped. Us four then grabbed each others hands and threw them up in the air. Just then the spot light lit up and Miss Medda appeared behind us on the stage. The boys lept up out of their seats and swung their hats around for Medda. I laughed and stepped off the stage. 

Medda then started to sing,

"HIGH TIMES, HARD TIMES, SOMETIMES THE LIVIN' IS SWEET

AND SOMETIMES THERE'S NOTHIN' TO EAT

BUT I ALWAYS LANDS ON MY FEET

SO WHEN THERE'S DRY TIMES

I WAIT FOR HIGH TIMES AND THEN I PUTS ON MY BEST

AND I STICKS OUT MY CHEST AND I'M OFF TO THE RACES AGAIN!"