Cora Cartmell: The first year

Chapter 6~ Nellie and her sisters

It was now Saturday. Tomorrow, Rose and Cora were going back home, to New York City. She missed Jack and her siblings terribly, but she was also having a lot of fun with Nellie. During the day, they would do chores together, and at night, they would share a bed, and talk and giggle late into the night. If Cora went back before Nellie, she would miss her terribly. Nellie was Cora's new best friend.

As they were folding the rest of the laundry, Nellie told Cora that she was going back to New York City too.
"Great!" Cora exclaimed. "Maybe we can even be in the same class. I'm so excited for the new school year. That would be-"
"I'm not going to school." Nellie interrupted.
Cora was confused. "What do you mean? I thought you lived in an orphanage."
Nellie looked down at her feet. "Well it's complicated. I mostly live with my Uncle though." She said.
Cora smiled. "What's wrong with that?"
"Well... He's never home, and leaves us alone in his run-down apartment with my sisters, and I have to work. You see, it's not easy to support my sisters, if he takes all of our money and sells it for drinks. So sometimes, my sisters and I sneak into the orphanage, where we'll get food for free, without worrying about getting in trouble for stealing." Nellie said quietly.
Cora felt sad for Nellie. "You work? How old are your sisters?"
"Yes. I work in a factory, a couple blocks from the Tenement. My sisters are 4 and 5, but I have to leave them alone in the apartment. That's where they are now."
Cora's eyes opened wide. "Your sisters were alone for this whole week?" She asked.
Nellie shook her head. "No. My uncle came home." She said, then adding "Occasionally. But I left them with enough food."
"Oh." Cora said quietly.
Nellie looked up at her, and Cora was shocked to see that Nellie had tears in her eyes.
"Please don't tell anyone." Nellie begged her.
Cora hugged her. "I won't."

______

"Uncle Jack!" Cora cried, hopping out of the cab. He was standing next to Josephine and William's stroller.
"There's my best girl!" Jack said, giving her a hug.
Rose walked over to him too, and hugged him.

Cora saw The cab driving down the road with Nellie's face at the window. They waved to each other. Cora hoped she and Nellie could play together, later.

After lunch, Cora hurried outside with her doll in hopes of running into Nellie. Cora glanced down the street and noticed Nellie carrying a straw basket full of sheets. She noticed Cora and waved. Cora waved back, and Nellie put her basket down, and walked over to Cora.
"I have to get my sisters upstairs, but I'll be back in a second." Nellie said.
Cora nodded, and Nellie hurried up the creaky stairs.

A few minutes later, two little girls with Nellie behind them came hurrying out the door, both of them holding worn-out rag dolls.
"Girls, this is Cora." Nellie told the little girls in a motherly way.
"Nice to meet you." The older one said.
"Cora." Nellie said. "The bigger one is Caroline but we call her Carrie." She said, placing her hand on her head. Then Nellie smiled and said "And this is Jenny." She said of the little girl.
"This is my doll Susan." Carrie said. Cora smiled, and then looked over at Jenny, expecting her to say something, but she never did. All she Did was smile at Cora with wide eyes.
As the girls crossed the street, Nellie whispered in her ear;
"Jenny doesn't speak much, ever since Ma died." She said.
______

The girls played outside for a while, until Nellie said she had to go back home.
"Do you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure it will be fine with my Uncle Jack. I can ask him." Cora said.
Nellie smiled. "I'd like that." She said.

The four girls walked up the stairs and to the door of Cora's Tenement.
"Uncle Jack?" Cora said when she walked through the door.
"Yes?" Jack said. "Who is this?" He said, smiling at Nellie and her sisters.
"My friend Nellie, and her sisters Carrie and Jenny. Could they stay for dinner?"
"I don't see why not." Jack smiled. "Is it okay with their parents?"
"We don't have parents, sir." Nellie said quietly.
Jack nodded Sympathetically. "It's fine to stay." He smiled.

Nellie and Carrie smiled, and sat on Jack's bed.

Jack opened his sketchbook and began sketching a park. Jenny watched from afar with her mouth hung open. Then she walked a little closer to Jack, amazed by the drawing.
Jack noticed her watching and laughed.
"Would you like to draw too?" He asked.
Jenny nodded and walked closer to him. Jack lifted her on his lap, and she gripped the pencil in her hands, and scribbled over the piece of paper.

______

"Dinners ready." Rose said, placing bowls of soup on the table.
There were not enough chairs, so Nellie and Cora would share one, and Jenny and Carrie would share another.
Carrie ran over to her chair and quickly sat down and began to eat with haste. Cora sat down by her bowl and began eating. Then Nellie walked over to where Jenny was sitting with Jack, and tried to lift her off.
"Jenny, come on." Nellie told her.
"No!" Jenny shouted, slapping Nellie's hand.
"Jenny!" Nellie shouted at her in a motherly way. "Listen to me now."
"No, no, no!" Jenny shouted again.
Jack smiled. "Do you want to stay with me, and eat?" He asked Jenny.
Jenny nodded and smiled, and Rose slid over her bowl, and Jenny dug into it, and so did Rose and Nellie.

After dinner, Nellie stood up and dusted her dress. She took Carrie's hand and smiled at Jenny.
"It's time to get going now." She said. "Thank you so much, Mr and Mrs. Dawson for the lonely meal."
Nellie went over to Jenny and tried lifting her off of Jack's lap.
"No!" Jenny screamed once more.
Nellie looked frustrated with her now. "Jenny O'Malley I'm at my wits end. We are going home right now." Nellie said, sounding just like Cora's mother when she was angry.
Jack smiled at Rose and Rose said;
"Nellie, if you aren't in a rush to go anywhere, it's fine if you and your sisters would like to sleep over. The Labor Day picnic is tomorrow anyways, so we'll see each other anyway." She said.
Nellie smiled. "Thank you, we appreciate it." Nellie said.
So Jenny, smiling, leaned back against Jack and closed her eyes.
"Oh my. I need to get their nightgowns." Nellie said, sounding worried.
Jack lifted Jenny off his lap, and said;
"I'll come with you." Taking her hand in his.
Nellie smiled, and they left the Tenement.

____

When they returned, Nellie undressed Carrie and Jenny and put their white, long-sleeve nightgowns on, and tucked them in on a blanket on the floor. When the little girl's were asleep, Nellie and Cora both undressed and climbed into Cora's bed. Jack and Rose hugged both of them goodnight, and they drifted off to sleep.

Authors Note: I'm sorry it took me two weeks to post this new chapter. I'm starting to loose interest in this book/series, but I do want to continue writing it because I know they're still are some people who do like the book and read it, and vote for it, which I appreciate a lot. It makes me want to keep going. So thank you. I'm sorry if the next chapter takes a while. I'm also starting to run out of ideas, but it will be posted soon, hopefully faster than this one.