Cross My Heart

Dinner(16)

Jack's POV
When Melody's telegram arrived Ise cried. Wese all did.
Melody is alive, or at least as of two weeks ago she was. To all of us, dat's all that matters.
Since Melody left Crutchie's been a wreck. Da poor kid can't stop weeping. He blames himself for not turning her in, blames himself for everything.
Race constantly mutters to himself, about that he "never ever smether shoulda left her behind." He's on da brink.
Me, Ise not to far from insanity either, my own demons coming back to pay visits. Every time Ise shut my eyes Ise can see her shivering in a corner, beggin for food....
Ise can't sleep, so I stop trying. Diddo with eating. Ise spend most nights in my penthouse, wondering where she is, if she's okay, what the hell she did to deserve this.
Dat's why when Kath rapped on da fire-escape ladder I shook in my boots.
"Come on up." I say, motioning for her to join me. "What's up Ace?"
Da corners of her lips turn upward at the nickname. I am da best at nicknames.
"We were invited to Sunday dinner by my parents."
"Wait a minute, we as in da 'royal we'?"
She shakes her head. Damn.
"If youse think I'm gonna sit at a dinner table with da man who threatened to throw everyone Ise love in the Refuge, youse crazy."
"Look," She begins obviously having predicted my reaction. "You need a new problem."
"Youse tryna say Ise should just give up on Melody?"
"Don't you even say that!" She yells suddenly, as if I'd punched her.
"Oh Ace" I say pulling her to my chest. "Ise didn't mean it. Ise didn't mean it."
Ise repeat those words til Ise fall into a nightmare filled sleep.
***
Ise  woulda thought dat would be da last time shese talked about Sunday dinner with her folks, but it wasn't.
So now Ise here, in da fanciest room Ise ever seen, Joe and da Mrs. staring at me like I'm a animal.
Kath awkwardly cleared her throat.
"So father, how has the World been since the strike has settled?"
"Fine, as long as those lousy newsboys get to work instead of letting us eat their losses." Joe had da nerve ta say dat to my face. My fist pounded against da table. Kath and da Mrs. jumped.
After dat the silence was deafening. Ise swirled my fork round my plate, me and Joe never breaking eye contact. I looked round at the food on da table, enough food to feed my newsies for a week. Well, Ise guess Ise could say newsboys now since-
No. Ise can't be thinking like dat. Melody's alive, and someday she's a coming back. If only dat could be da truth for every other case.
Time continues ta tick by, second by second.
All da while da tension grows til youse could cut it with a pair of scissors.
Finally, at about seven, Ise take Kath by da hand, wish Joe and da Mrs. a goodnight (though Ise don't mean it) , and wese leave without another word.
Once outside Ise kiss Kath like Ise gonna lose her too.
But hopefully da third time's da charm.