Spot Conlon: A New Adventure [2]

Chapter 9

Wese all raced ova to Tibby's considerin' dat wese were 'bout five minutes late. Ise was da foist one through da door. Luckily, wese where da foist ones there, but not foi long. Brooklyn came, which means Spot came. Ise sighed. 

Youse gotta be kiddin' me! Ise thought, makin' shore he didn't see me. No such luck. Yay me.

"What do youse want?" Ise ask as he walks up to me.

"Ise jus' comin' ova ta say hi, unless youse don't want me too." He says. Ise can see somethin' in his eyes, but Ise can't tell what it is. 

"No, dat's fine. Jus' don't want youse thinkin' youse can out do me." Ise say. 

"Oh, is dat how wese gonna play, goil?" He says, laughin' and smirkin' at da same time. 

"Oh, dat's how wese gonna play, Conlon. Oh, by da way... youse smirked again." Ise tell him, walkin away. Ise can hear him chuckle behind me. Ise walk ova ta Race who hands me a root beer. 

"Why do youse call him Conlon instead of Spot?" He asks me. Ise shrug, but he keeps lookin' at me. 

"Fine. Ise want him ta know dat he may be dat king of Brooklyn, but he ain't da king of all of New York, and especially not me." Ise take a long sip of root beer. Ise orda some food wit some left ova money, but da man who takes our orda says dat Denton repayed and ordered. Jus' den, several cooks come out carryin' plattas of food. Wese all take a plate and begin to eat, me last. Ise look around foi a seat next ta Race or Jack, but da only free seat is next ta Spot. Ise sigh and sit down. 

"What's wrong, Jazzer? Youse don't like sittin' next to da King of Brooklyn?" Spot asks. 

"Don't worry youse pretty little head 'bout it, Conlon. Ise jus' as good as youse in anythin' maybe better. Not dat Ise wanna be da queen of anythin'. Ise don't care 'bout bein' famous. Ise got different dreams." Ise say 'fore Ise can stop me-self. 

Yea, way ta go, Jazzer. Ise groan inside.

"What are youse dreams?" Spot asks. 

Ise stay silent, thinkin' bout it. Den Ise tell him. "Ise want me bois ta be happy and have plenty of money and food witout havin' ta be all fancy wit propa gramma or bein' office bois. Ise want Crutchie ta be able ta see a docta. And Ise want all da goils and bois in those refuges ta be free. Foieva." Ise finish, takin' a bite of food. 

"No dreams foi youse-self?" Spot asks. Ise know he's surprised. 

"No. Ise got all Ise need: me brodda, friends, a roof ova me head, food. Ise seen goils killed 'cause they were beat, Spot. Ise jus' thankful Ise got outta dat place alive. 

Spot looked at me. He looked sympathetic. 

"Youse know," Ise say, smilin' up at him. "Youse may not be all bad. So, what are your dreams?" Ise ask. 

"Well, Ise want da same things as you, Ise guess - foi me bois Ise mean. There are some young ones - ya know, like six and seven. Ise want dem ta have homes, safe homes, where they's gonna be loved." 

"Nutin' foi youse-self?" Ise ask. 

"Nope. Ise good." Spot said, lookin' me in da eye. He leaned back his his chair. Jus' then, Denton came through da door, holdin' a pape. 

"Hey hey, bigtime." He says, placin' da paper in front of Jack. Spot and Ise get up, and lean ova Jack's shoulda. 

"Where's me pitcha, where's me pitcha?" He asks, scannin' da page. Ise laugh softly. Ise giggle, Ise guess.

"Hey, look atchya, Jack!" Mush says, rubbin' his finga on Jack's face on da page. "Youse look like a general there!" 

"Will ya please get youse finga off me face?" Jack says, brishin' imaginary crumbs off da pitcha.