𝚂𝙴𝙸𝚉𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈 - 𝙽𝚎𝚠𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚜

𝚁𝚊𝚒𝚗

Word Count: 1013

A girl about thirteen sat in front of the window, staring out at the pouring rain. This was her favourite weather, she liked how the people down below looked like little coloured circles from the third story flat, huddled underneath their umbrellas and hurrying quickly down the road to get out of the rain.

"Honey, you should put on a sweater. We can't put on the heat, the bill will cost too much." The mother of the girl called from the kitchen where she was chopping vegetables for the stew.

"Mother, it's already hot enough in here without wearin' a sweater," she complained, glaring down at the thick dark blue dress with hot, stuffy long sleeves her mother had forced her to wear.

"Fine, but if you get sick, all I'll say is 'I told you so.'" Her mom warned. "Now, go do something productive, and stop staring out the window at the rain."

"What do you want me to do?" The girl asked, flopping onto her back on the floor. "Sadie, you stop complaining and go buy me a newspaper." Her mother said cheerfully. She fished a quarter out of her apron pocket, which was an awful lot of money for a three-cent newspaper.

"I only need three cents, I doubt those newsie boys have any change," Sadie told her mother, getting up from the floor and walking across the tiny flat to the kitchen. "Any newsboy working out in the rain today needs the extra cents." Her mother said sympathetically, handing her daughter the quarter and walking over to the coat closet. She pulled a much too large grey sweater over Sadie's head and tugged a long black raincoat on over the sweater, rolling up the four sleeves until Sadie's small hands poked out.

"You need to stay warm out there, honey." She laughed at the scornful look on the girl's face, tucking another three quarters into her pocket. "Buy some bread as a snack at the bakery, and be back soon." Sadie's face lit up, she loved the warm, delicious bread the bakery made. She opened the door and raced down the stairs to the street.

"Don't forget to buy the newspaper!" She heard her mother's faint laugh from the doorway three stories up and smiled.

She ran to the street corner, unzipping the raincoat and pushing off the hood so the rain would patter down on her face.

She crossed the street to the bakery, opening the wooden door and letting the warm, bread-scented air wash over her. She walked over to a table laden with loaves of bread and picked out the warmest, most golden-brown loaf. She walked to the counter where her friend, elderly Ms. Mellark, stood. "Hiya Miss Mel!" Sadie said cheerily, setting the bread and a quarter down on the counter. "Hello, dearie." Ms. Mellark cooed, putting the bread into a white paper bag and handing a dime back to the girl. "Thanks for the bread! I can't wait to eat it, bye!" Sadie said in a sing-song voice, spinning around and skipping out the door, letting the bell on the door tinkle before it closed.

The rain was pouring down now, and Sadie was finally forced to pull up the hood or face certain drenching. She was half a block from her flat when she remembered "Crap, the newspaper!"

She turned around and walked back up Oxford St, past Irving Hall and finally spotted a newsie. She wound through the people carrying umbrellas until she was standing in front of the boy.

He was about her age with sandy blonde hair and a chocolate brown newsie cap pulled low over his face. A wooden crutch was tucked under his arm and he was leaning heavily on it.

He brandished a sodden newspaper shouting hoarsely at the people passing by "Break-in at the Davidson House! Read all about it in The World!" but nobody stopped to buy a paper, and the boy was getting more and more soaked by the minute. He shivered, coughing violently.

"Hello." Sadie said,holding out her quarter. "I'd like to buy a newspaper." The boy smiled warmly, then shook his head. "Sorry, Miss, I ain't got no change. Dem papes only cost three cents."

She shrugged, tipping the quarter into his palm. "Are you okay, um..." She remembered she didn't know the boy's name and trailed off mid-sentence.

"I's Crutchie, miss. It's my nickname, you sees, 'cause I's got a crutch." the boy said, then broke off into another fit of coughing. "I's fine.." He concluded, not very convincingly.

Sadie pulled off the raincoat and sweater then handed them to the boy. He shook his head, shivering more violently. "I's grateful, miss, but I's can't take you's coats."

"No, seriously, Crutchie, take the coats." He reluctantly pulled on the two coats and gradually stopped shivering. "Thank you. Most people's never even wants to look at a dumb crip like me." He gestured sadly to his twisted foot and his crutch. "You're not dumb. I think you're quite interesting." Sadie laughed, then pulled the remaining two quarters and the dime out of her dress pocket along with the loaf of bread. "Take these too, Crutchie. You need them way more than I do."

Crutchie's smile spread almost off his face when he took the bread and money. "You's has no idea how much this means to me." He said solemnly. She gave him a fleeting smile, then turned to walk away. "Miss, you's didn't tell me you's name," Crutchie called sheepishly. "I'm Sadie. Sadie Russell. I'll see you around, newsie."
"Thank you so much, Sadie Russel." Crutchie smiled, taking a bite of the bread. "I'll sees you around."
Sadie felt really happy as she walked back home, the rain soaking her hair and dress. She was glad she could make someone's day. After all, it was Christmas Eve, and that newsie needed cheering up. She had a strong, warm feeling that they'd see each other again sometime, and she was glad.