Cora Cartmell and New York City

Chapter 5~ A new friend

The next morning, Cora woke up and got dressed at once.
Rose put three bowls Potatoes on the table for Cora, Jack, and Rose's breakfast.
After they had eaten, Jack left to his job at the railroad, and Cora stayed back with Rose.
"Cora, it's quite a nice day out." Rose said. "Would you like to go out to play?".
"Yes, please." Cora replied.
She grabbed her dolly, and trotted down the Creaky stairs.
As Cora opened the door of her building, she saw many other children with their playthings out on the ground.
Suddenly, Cora felt strangely shy. She didn't know anyone yet, and it seemed as if all the children had a friend, but her.
Cora went to sit on the ground right in front of her building, when she noticed a little girl playing jacks by herself. Cora walked over to her, and sat next to her.
"Hi, I'm Cora. What's your name?" She asked the little girl.
The little girl looked at Cora and smiled.
"I'm Bridget." She said. "How old are you?"
"Eight."Cora smiled.
The little girl smiled too. "I'm Eight too! Do you go to school?"
"I'm starting on Monday." Cora said, biting her lip.
"What grade?" Bridget asked.
"Third grade." Cora replied.
Bridget smiled. "I'm in Third grade too!" She said.
Cora smiled and showed Bridget her doll.
Bridget gasped. "She's beautiful! What's her name?"
"Ella." Cora said. "She's named after my Mama." She said, close to tears, missing her Mama.
Bridget smiled, and stroked her dolls hair.
"Where do you live? I live in the Tenement right there." Bridget asked Cora, pointing to the building they were sitting in front.
"I live over there with my Aunt Rose and Uncle Jack." Cora said, pointing to her building.
"What happened to your parents?" Bridget asked.
Cora looked down. "Um... They drowned, in the sinking of the Titanic." She finally said, quietly.
Bridget looked sad, and took Cora's hand.
"My mama told me about that. She cried when she heard." Bridget finally said.
Cora looked at Bridget and smiled a little.
"Would you like to play jacks?" Bridget said, changing the subject.
Cora nodded her head, and grabbed the tiny ball.
They played for a while, until Bridget said;
"I have to go eat dinner now. Would you like to play afterwards?"
"Yes, please." Cora said.
She got up, with her doll, and waved to Bridget, as she walked back up the creaky stairs, back to her tenement.
Rose was putting two plates of meat on the table.
"Did you have fun?" She asked Cora, eagerly.
Cora smiled, and nodded her head. "I met a girl named Bridget. We're friends now."
Rose smiled, and handed Cora a glass of Milk.
After dinner, she went back outside, with her dolly.
Bridget was standing outside her door.
"My mama said if it's okay with your Aunt that I can play in your Tenement!" She said.
Cora nodded her head, and took Bridget's hand.
The two girls walked up the stairs, and opened the door.
"Aunt Rose, is it alright if my friend Bridget plays here for a while. It's fine with her Mama." Cora said to Rose.
Rose nodded and smiled. "Of course it is." She said.
They played with Bridget's jacks for a while, and then Bridget said she had to leave.
"Thank you for playing." Cora told her.
Bridget smiled.
"May I walk her home?" Cora asked Rose.
Rose nodded her head, and Cora placed her dolly on her bed.
She took Bridget's hand, and they walked out.

In the distance, right outside Bridget's building, Cora noticed Jack coming back from his job, carrying a small metal pail.
Cora smiled, left Bridget with a slight wave, and ran to Jack.
He noticed Cora running towards him and laughed.
"Hi, Cora!" He laughed, picking her up.
"How was your day?" He asked.
"Great!" Cora said. "I made a new friend today. Her name is Bridget."
Jack smiled. "Is Rose in the house?" He asked.
Cora nodded. He carried Cora up the creaky stairs, and opened the door, and set her down.
He kissed Rose, and then began washing his hands.
Cora snuck behind Jack and Rose's bed, and grabbed Jack's sketchbook. She sat at the table, and began drawing a picture of Rose and Jack together, as quick as she could.
When Rose turned around to put the bowl of potatoes on the table, Cora put the drawing in front of her. Rose smiled and laughed, and called Jack over to look at it. He took the sketchbook and said;
"Your quite the little artist, Cora."
Cora smiled, and took a warm, buttery, bite of her potatoes.