Newsies Oneshots

In The Refuge

Its been awhile, hasn't it? Heh (cue awkward laughing). About that.... I've just been busy. I know you all understand. Let's just get on with the one shot, yeah?
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Albert DaSilva didn't know how he'd gotten here. The boy had just been minding his own business when the awful 'Snyder' man grabbed his arm and dragged him to this horrid place. The man had said he was 'loitering', but Albert didn't even know what that was! His lip had quivered, eyes watering as Snyder ignored his pleas. He'd never gotten in trouble before!

He still insisted that he hadn't bothered the vendors at their carts. All he had done was sit at the edge of the street, hoping one of the men or women would offer him even an old, burned crust of bread. Still, he hadn't bothered anyone. He'd made sure not to stare wide-eyed and pouting like some of the street kids had told him. He knew it wasn't right to bother ladies with his begging.

And so Albert had sat, stomach aching with hunger. He hadn't had a single thing to eat in four days. Four long days where the boy refused to beg. Some of the boys he'd met had offered to show him how to steal, but he refused. Stealing was wrong. It was right there in the old family Bible, 'thou shalt not steal', right under that little bit about adultery, whatever that was.

Now, however, Albert thought that maybe the family Bible wasn't so important. After all, he'd been thrown out of the house nearly two weeks ago. His mother was nearly six months along with her eighth child and Mr. DaSilva was quickly realizing that he already couldn't afford to care for all of his children, let alone another baby.

He'd planned on leaving a few of the younger children at a church or orphanage, but his wife had wailed and begged him not to do away with the 'babies'. She reminded him that as they got older they could go to work and help pay their way. This appeased him, but Mr. DaSilva was left with a problem. Who to get rid of?

Their oldest, Abraham, wasn't even considered. He was working in a glass blowing shop and was bringing in almost a dollar a day. It was decided that Alfred and Albert, twelve and ten respectively, would be the ones to go. Alfred had gotten his hand crushed in a machine three months before and could no longer move it. He was unable to find work anywhere, making him of no use to his parents.

Albert on the other hand, well, he was just himself. Albert had always been a sickly child and this had caused his mother to baby him quite a bit. It also prevented him from getting work outside of the home. Though he remained weak as he got older he also grew into an extremely tender-hearted child. This, along with Albert's unfortunate proneness to tears, did not sit well with Mr. DaSilva.

One of his favorite statements was, "Albert, I've already got me three daughters, I don't need you making a fourth." His other favorite, usually directly following the previous phrase, and normally a consequence of the crying that was sure to follow was, "Stop crying boy, else I'll give ya something to cry about!"

And so Mr. DaSilva was pleased with the arrangement and his wife was as satisfied as she could be given the situation. Mr. DaSilva gave each of his boys a half dollar and sent them on their way.

They hadn't believed him to be serious at first, but as the sun went down and the door remained locked, they realized that they were on their own.

Poor Albert didn't know what to do with the beautiful red flower he'd spent two pennies on. When he realized they really were being thrown out he left it outside the door, hoping it would find its was to his mother and sisters.

It had taken three days for Alfred to decide that he was better off on his own. The nights outside had left Albert with a fever and Alfred didn't want to be held back by his younger brother. Albert had woken up one morning only to find that his brother was gone. He'd waited patiently in the same spot for two days before he even entertained the idea that his brother had left for good. It took two more days before he believed it.