Out of Town: A Spot Conlon Story

XXXI

Waking up without Spot next to me is weird. I know he is out selling papers but usually I have to get him up when we cuddle. In general the upstairs of the lodging house is still. My outfit is still where I left on the floor. I slowly start to put on yesterdays clothes, it feels wrong. Usually I would deem it dirty and wash it on Sunday, but this is different. I'm probably going to have to where this dress until I go back home. I have my on silk slit dress here but I cannot where that out and about. If I was thinking I would of brought a skirt shirt combo so I could at least switch up the look. Should I cut the dress into a skirt shirt combo? If I'm not carful I will have to scrap the top completely though because of its corset. Even if I do cut it right the top would be too short and I wouldn't be able to where it with a different skirt. However if I don't I only have one outfit I can wear out of Spot's room. The boys are not home yet so I go downstairs in Spot's shirt to cut the skirt away from the dress in the back. Edith keeps me company as I establish the new hems. When I finish the skirt I slip it on, tucking the shirt Spot loaned me into it. However I did mess up the ribbing in the while I was cutting them apart. So when I where the top part of it stabs me, but I can always use the material.
Now that I am in a nice outfit I walk down the alley to the Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard. Court houses line the street, each holding different trials for different things, I decide to go into the criminal division. Court is about to begin so I quickly look over the cases for each of the processing and decide on a double homicide in East Wing court. It is the first day of hearings and witnesses, but the prosecution got ripped apart in their opening statements. This case is unusual and it has barely begun. The defense attorney is breaking common court room courtesy, causing a complete backlash by the judge. All of the case is erased off the court records, if it happened before the recess. Even then the judge permitted an extension on the case until tomorrow. I feel bad for the jury on this trial, not only do they have the pressure of deciding a verdict in a criminal case, but it is going to be long one too. That's only if they do not need to call in for a new jury.
After it is anounced that the case is given an extension I head back to the lodging house. Edith is making some spaghetti noodles in her kitchen. Nothing compares to freshly made pasta in my opinion. My grandfather learned how to make pasta, but he did not teach my mom or her siblings. So I never got to learn, Olivia taught be how to make gnocchi but regular pasta is more complicated, at least that is what Olivia told me. When Edith turns around she immediately pulls me into the kitchen. Showing me how to use the machine to make the small cylindrical noodles. While I am grinding the dough she is making more. I am so into using the machine I fail to notice Spot walking coming back. It is only when I realize that I am getting double the amount of dough as usual I look up. Spot is there next to Edith making the dough, he did tell me he likes to cook. I wonder if Edith taught him? Edith probably has embarrassing stories of Spot! Later on I am going to ask Edith about that.
We finish making the spaghetti and Spot and I join the boys in the common space. As soon as I sit down Zoom and Toes were immediately sitting beside me. These two boys make me want a child of my own. Except I can't have one of my own. Zoom and Toes are the closest thing to kids I will have. I ask them how their selling went but they were hardly interested in that, they wanted to learn. Both of them have a basic understanding of literacy but it is extremely basic. Instead of expanding their vocabulary immediately, I decide to make the most of what they have already. As I am teaching them figurative speech I cannot help but feel stares. The Brooklyn newsies have gotten to know me as "Spot's Girl" so they tend to steer clear of me. But something about me helping the little ones must of switched something in their heads. I could tell that most of the guys didn't have an education, a good one at least. After the English lesson was over I could tell that most of the Brooklyn boys have gained respect for me. It felt good, I know why Spot appreciates it so much.
It is beginning to get late, but it appears like all the boys have just started to unwind. Spot says that the older boys on Friday tend to play games, like Poker and Blackjack, and drink. But I am the self-deemed mom, I try to make sure everything stays under control. In the beginning, I hang out with the little boys teaching them simpler games such as gofish, and old maid. It keeps them busy until they become tired. Zoom and Toes fall asleep on my lap while the other little newsies fall asleep in their beds. I pick up both of the children and tuck them in. Returning to the common area I can see all the mistakes that are happening. The first mistake I see is Spot pouring himself his third shot of whiskey.
"What do you think you're doing" I say, holding his wrist stopping him from pouring the shot. The poker game quiets as all of their attention is on Spot and me.
Spot breathes heavily, I can smell the alcohol on his breath. "I'se don't like bein' told what ta do". He isn't as drunk as he was at the theater almost three weeks ago, but he is definitely on his way. We exchange glares until he finally puts the bottle down. At this point I begin to go downstairs to grab the remaining boys some water when I here one of the boys say that Spot has gone soft, and that he is whipped. But before I can reach the bottom of the stairs I hear a fist fight begin to happen. Now I am running up the stairs to see ruthlessly beating Elmer over on the table. I am frozen, I cannot do anything. Now the other boys are pulling Spot off of Elmer. His face has seen better days, but they end up spit shaking.
Are they fine now? Do people just get beat up all the time here?
But the poker chips have been shifted messing up the game completely. They start diving out new chips when a confidence washes over me. "Deal me in". All of the boys look up at me in utter shock. To be fair I wasn't even expecting it. My mom is an active gambler so she taught me how to play at a very young age. I pull up a chair between Spot and Hotshot getting ready to play. This is going to be a long night but it will hopefully be a fun one too.