Rebuilt

Chapter 25

Oscar and I stayed seated where we were until all of the boys had cleared out of Newsie Square.  Group by group they all took off running, Mike and Ike towards Brooklyn like a fresh fired bullet.  Crutchie was the last to leave, hobbling his way back down to the lodging house.  Jack shouted one last thing to him, something about telling Kathryn about everything that just happened. 
Jack sauntered up to Oscar and I.  Oscar stood to meet his stare, though Oscar was three or four inches taller than Jack.  Their hands met and held a firm shake.  "Keep her safe Delancey.  You'se on our side now," Jack stared at me.  "Don't fuck up. There ain't no room for that no more."
Oscar released Jack's hand.  Nodding firmly, he watched Jack walk off with Romeo.  Romeo clapped Jack on the back and they didn't look back.
I looked at my shoes, my dirty brown leather, stained, ripped up shoes.  Elmer's shoes.  I looked up to see Oscar staring at me, his hat in one hand, and another hand in the pocket of his dark pants.  I looked at his shoes, his shoes weren't dirty and bloodied.  They had a scratch or two on them, yes, but they were in mint condition compared to mine.  "What about Elmer?"
A warm hand pressed onto my shoulder, "he will be okay."
"How do you'se know that though Delancey?  What if he doesn't co-"
He gripped my shoulder firmly, in reassurance.  "Trust, doll."
So I trusted him.
I trusted Oscar as he led me through the back alleys of the city, past the Diner, past the main square, past the park.  He led me into a part of the city I've never been to before.  This part felt cleaner, the air crisper, the ground was even brighter as compared to the permanently dusted bricks back deeper in the city.  Men and women passed by in small groups, no one had a paper.  There wasn't a single Newsie in sight, and this wasn't even our selling territory. Jack's plan was working.  Rustling skirts and scuffing of cuffed pants and business shoes filled the air as everyone rushed to their morning duties.  We were approaching the Main Street where horses clopped by on the brick path carrying the rich who didn't dare walk on the ever so filthy streets.  
Oscar veered a sharp right, it felt like we were walking for so long until he unlocked the fire escape in the back alley of a seemingly wealthy area.  "What the hell are we doin' here, Delancey?  Where the hell am I?"
"Calm ya self Blades, this is me motha's place," he held open the fire escape gate and helped me up the metal stairs.  We clanged our way up until we climbed all the way to the highest floor the the building.  Oscar heaved open the small window and shoved aside the floral curtains.
I climbed in after him and shut the window to the cooling New York air.  The apartment smelled of watered down roses and brown sugar, we climbed into a lavish bedroom, and queen sized bed with multiple pillows and a fuzzy throw.  It looked like the coziest thing in the entire world.  Inside the bedroom was a dresser and atop of it was a single shaded lamp.  An arm chair in the corner had another fuzzy blanket, small enough to fit the chair, and a pillow for decoration.  A bookshelf full of dusty books sat in the darkest corner of the room, seemingly untouched for a long time.
Oscar opened the door that led into the rest of the apartment, it was a small hallway with a dead end at one side and a larger room at the end.  It held three more doors.  Upon closer examination it was another bedroom, seemingly the same as the first except it was mainly just a lavish canopy bed with breezy cloth handing off the top.  There was also a bathroom, a glass enclosed shower with a double vanity with a basic toilet.  The finally door was a closet, it was home to three down jackets and a blue embroidered scarf.
The kitchen was dashingly similar to the one at Oscar's other home, it looked extraordinary to me, but to Oscar it was probably generic. I opened the cabinet and it seemed to be full of food.  None of it seemed to be expired past it's date.  "When was the last time you'se been here Delancey?"
He wiped a critical finger of the dusty cupboards, "a couple of years at least."
"When's the last time ya mothas' been here?"
He shrugged, "she's in and out, last time I heard she was traveling abroad to sell some of her fancy shmancey lady stuff.  She'll be back in a year or so."
Being able to travel abroad explained the two homes, "why do you live with Weisel then? If ya motha lives here?"
"Some bullshit about custody and legal stuff," he grabbed a drink from the sink, "bunch of fooey, I can take care of myself."  He chugged it all and refilled the cup again.
"Why did you bring me here?"  I take a cup from the same place Oscar got one and filled one up for myself too, my hands were steady.  My mind and body calm.
"It's safe, no one will find you here."
I grimaced, "what about Morris?  That's your brother, won't he know about this place, know that I'm here?" I set the cup down and braced both hands against the counter top.  I gazed at Oscar as he finished his second glass of water.
"Morris is my half brother.  You see, we have the same fatha, but he has a different mom.  So he doesn't know about this place."  Taking my empty cup I fumble it between my hands.
"That's confusing," I huffed a laugh.
He chuckled, "don't worry about it.  It don't matter."
"What do matter though, is this, uh, situation."  I felt ashamed, I feel like I dragged Oscar into this.
"Oh I'se got a plan, remember what Jackie said?  I'se gotta keep you safe, and I know just what to do." His smile was brighter than the sun.
"Oh boy," I cringed as he grabbed a pair of scissors and led me towards the bathroom.  2