now that the holiday season is starting here’s a reminder
the jacobs, the delanceys, wiesel, katherine, pulitzer, and i think jack are all jewish
please don’t draw/write them celebrating christmas
thank you
Yes, this, but please if you’re doing any fic rooted in historical canon, while Katherine/Pulitzer are Jewish, Katherine by patrilineal line, Pulitzer made a super big deal about renouncing any connection he had to being Jewish So he celebrated Christmas, kept a Christian calendar, it’s all because the antisemitism he would’ve faced was worse than not celebrating his holidays if that makes sense? Religion was seen differently, and there even were lots of records of immigrated Jews celebrating Christmas once they arrived in the states because it was just considered the American thing to do, and assimilation was better than preserving a pure culture
A ticket to a movie would have cost anywhere from a Nickle to a dime for a viewing. Films would be running 5 to 8 minutes long; and they were called “one reelers” earlier in the period. A short list of films released in 1899 with their run times. Keep in mind each viewing would be a Nickle.
Mr. Jacobs Job: $12.00 Weekly Mrs. Jacobs Laundry: $3.50 Weekly Sarah’s Lace Making: $0.50 Weekly Davey Attending School Les Attending School
Yearly family budget: ~$800 a year
Rent would be about $10-$13 a month => $120-$156 a year Yearly cost for food about $320 Davey Schooling if private school $75 a semester (most likely helped with philanthropic efforts) $150 a year [I found lists of private secondary schools and averaged the lower price ones together]
Between Food, Housing, and Davey’s schooling alone, the Jacobs after a year would have to spend a minimum of $600 on necessities I have not included other necessities like fuel such as coal, or oil for lighting. That would leave $16 a month for anything that was not a bare necessity, any new clothes, possible healthcare needs, donations for their shul or other charitable organizations, extra sugar for a baked treat, money enough to take a trolley rather than walking, etc.
The Bureau of Labor listed a yearly budget of $718 in 1908 for a family of five that were mill workers as having a “fair” Living condition. NYC even back in the late 1800s had higher prices for almost everything, so I would equate the Jacobs’ living situation to be fair.
It is also understandable why the Jacobs were so panicked when Mr. Jacobs was unable to work. His rather large economic contribution to the family kept them in a comfortable position.
I hope this provided some good and useful information! And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
It’s February and I’ve got GOALS baby! I’m gonna try to do a chapter a week to get caught up on all my old shit, including my old multi chapter that was started in 2018 (yikes!). But for now, here’s 859 words for @klaineharmony‘s 300x3 challenge! Enjoy!
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“So lemme get this straight- This guy says he’s willing to tutor you, for as long as you like, with absolutely no strings attached?” Jack gave David an incredulous look as he dodged a thick patch of snow that had congealed onto the pavement. He swung his bag over one shoulder and leaned slightly backwards so Crutchie could grip onto the other. There was some slight maneuvering, then they were all in the clear. Until the next patch, at least.
“Well, not exactly.” David kept several paces behind them, cautiously keeping his left boot away from the snow mound. “He says he wants The World for free. Which, you know, is pretty easy for me to do. And it’s only until I can get back to school full time. I just don’t know when that would be right now.”
“You sure you can trust him?” Crutchie had let go of Jack, and was now warming his free hand on the side of his neck.
David looked up from the sidewalk. ”Trust him? I mean, shouldn’t I? He’s Kath’s friend, right? And he helped with the strike.”
Crutchie gave a deep sigh. David noticed he had been doing that frequently since the beginning of winter. “All I’m saying is that sometimes people are nice for the right reasons, and sometimes they’re nice the wrong ones.”
“The wrong ones? What are the wrong-?”
“Excuse me young man.”
A middle aged woman stood in front of them, blocking their way to the other side of the street. She was primly dressed all in black, with a wide brimmed, billowy bonnet framing her face. Clutched tightly in her hand was a small pocket bible. It took David a moment to realise she was staring intently at Crutchie.
“Excuse me, young man. I was wondering if I could pray for you.” This was more of a statement than a question.
Crutchie’s eyes widened, and his jaw slacked a bit. “What? Why of course you can pray for me, ma’m. Gee, it would be an honor.”
David shot Jack a nervous look. Jack met his gaze and and mouthed ‘wait for it’.
Crutchie’s face had taken a sickly, saccharine look to it as the woman put a silk gloved hand on his shoulder and started speaking in trembling, off-kilter voice. Her face seized up as she closed her eyes and soon a small crowd began to form around them, in no small part to the fact that they were blocking others from going past them. David could feel his cheeks go hot from the embarrassment of it all.
When the woman had finished, her face recoiled and her tense mouth turned into a beam. “Well, that was just lovely. Thank you so much young man. You’ve truly helped me bring in the right mindset this Christmas season. I hope Christ finds you and finds it in His heart to heal you.”
David felt like he was about to blow a gasket. But Crutchie remained calm. “Wow. Thanks ma'am, that’s really something. I’ll be sure to take that to heart.” He made a motion to go forward, then paused. “Gee, I’d love to go back and tell the other fellas at the boarding house all about what happened today, but it’s so awfully hard to get there, with me lugging around these papes an’ all.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Crutchie nodded earnestly. “Oh yes ma’m. Especially with the weather an’ all. It can be so hard, trying to balance it all on this ice. And well, with my crutch…”
Crutchie made a big display of looking forlornly down at his crutch. He gave one last dramatic sigh. “I guess that’s the way things go sometimes. Well, I better be on my way ma’m. I’ll never forget this.”
“Wait!” The woman was now fishing around in her coin purse. “How much for the whole stack?”
The edges on Crutchie’s lips turned upwards. “A dollar ten.”
Jack gave a barking laugh. The woman looked over and he tried to turn it into a cough.
“A dollar ten, really? Isn’t that a bit too-”
“Inflation.” Crutchie nodded solemnly. “A real big issue, especially this time of year. But I understand if you can’t help-”
“No, wait!” The woman shoved a two single bills into his chapped hand. “I’ll take the whole stack!”
“Well gee, thanks.” Crutchie swiftly took his diminishing stack from his bag and abruptly handed it to her. He started away as quickly as he could, with David and Jack at his heels. He called over his shoulder. “And Merry Christmas to you too!”
David looked back at the well dressed woman, who was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, forlornly clutching the stack of newspapers next to her bible. Crutchie pausd and watched with him.
“You see Davey? Sometimes people are nice for the wrong reasons. And when that happens, the best thing you can do is take what you need and go. Any man who stays for a minute longer is just a sucker.”
He held out the two dollars in front of his friends. “Now, who wants lunch?”
Assuming Race is able to push 150 papes in the morning and 100 in the evening, he would sell 1600 papes a week. This means he’d make $16 dollars a week give or take. But, he’d need to spend $9.60 just to *buy* those papers. He’d make $6.40 in profit a week
It was a day like any other. They started early, meeting in the Square for distribution before going out to sell together, as they often did… but something was different. There were dark circles under Davey’s eyes and her looked so tired. Something was wrong, and she was certain of it… She wanted to make him talk about it, to tell her what it was, or to send him home or to the lodging house to rest, but she knew he wouldn’t accept that. She hoped he wouldn’t notice her being quieter than usual as she worried, but he wasn’t talking as much as he, the Talking Mouth, usually did either… After a moment, though, she gave into her concern and turned to him with a frown, even taking a moment to reach out and gently grab ahold of his arm. “Davey, are ya sure ya alright?” Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him, clearly worried and not saying half of the things she wanted to say to him.
Money was growing tight again. Even between the earnings that all three Jacobs siblings scrounged up during the days and nights of working, that couldn’t stop the fact that prices were going up–especially medicine, which was expensive enough as is. Davey’s already had to cut down on how much he used of his own when Mayer was out of commission, but he completely had to cut it off after the pharmacy said, “That’s no longer enough, son’. There was no way he’d let his father cut down on his own medications, so if Davey had to deal with the consequences in his stead–so be it.
He couldn’t deny that it was getting in the way of work, though, along with any other activities. It was even harder to fall asleep now, with no position being comfortable for long enough, and with it came a smaller appetite. It was a blessing in disguise, in a grotesque sort of way, but Davey’s body always was that: grotesque. Pains came with feeling ill, even though he knowshe’s not ill, and pseudo illness came with a lack of motivation, and a lack of motivation came with not wanting to work, and not wanting to work came with no money made–
Stop, he tells himself. I don’t have time for this shit.
And it was the truth.
New York is quiet with the buzzing sounds of people whispering to one another on the streets, and Davey revels in it. He doesn’t break the silence, fearing that he’d completely drain himself if he did. Hawking papes was already a toll on him as is, he didn’t need small talk or his usual snide remarks using up his energy. But when Crutchie breaks the silence for him, gently grabbing hold of his arm–why did it feel firm and prickly?–he knows he can’t stay in his silent, yet oh so loud, mind.
“I’m fine, zeeskeit,” he slowly says, lifting his head up properly to look at her. A tired smile hesitated to follow suit. “I… think I might need to sit down, though. Do you mind?” His hand lazily motions towards a nearby area–he doesn’t even know if it was a proper place or the streets–and he feels his limbs becoming lead. “Sorry. I know we haven’t even finished sellin’ yet; I’ll make it up to you one of these days.”
She continues to watch him with worried eyes, even as the pet name brought a smile to her eyes as she mirrored his hesitant smile. “Y-yeah, yeah, of course… w-wait, no, I mean I d-don’t mind… Ya kn-know what I mean…” She looked aroumd as he gestured about, trying to find a good spot where he could safely sit. She finally managed to find a milk crate that she quickly turned over for him. “D'ya need somethin’ ta drink or eat, d'ya reckon?” She gently reached out to feel his forehead, having had the sudden worrying thought that he might have a fever, but it didn’t seem like it, thank goodness. Her worried expression softened until she was looking at him with pure love and affection. “Davey, ya don’t gotta make nothin’ up ta me… I jus’ wanna make sure ya ok. Tha’s all that mattahs ta me.” Ya all that mattahs to me… but she didn’t say that last bit out loud. Her cheeks blushed, though, even though she refused to look away from making eye contact with him. She gently moved the hand that had been on his arm to take his hand instead. “Ya know I care aboutcha, right? B-because I do. I care s-so much.” Her blush darkened as she gently tugged him over to the overturned milk crate.
It was a day like any other. They started early, meeting in the Square for distribution before going out to sell together, as they often did… but something was different. There were dark circles under Davey’s eyes and her looked so tired. Something was wrong, and she was certain of it… She wanted to make him talk about it, to tell her what it was, or to send him home or to the lodging house to rest, but she knew he wouldn’t accept that. She hoped he wouldn’t notice her being quieter than usual as she worried, but he wasn’t talking as much as he, the Talking Mouth, usually did either… After a moment, though, she gave into her concern and turned to him with a frown, even taking a moment to reach out and gently grab ahold of his arm. “Davey, are ya sure ya alright?” Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him, clearly worried and not saying half of the things she wanted to say to him.
Andrew Garfield was asked recently what his favorite movie musicals were, and there was someone in the comments in the tweet about it dragging him for not including Newsies “like he wouldn’t have been a perfect Davey” and, like, the Daveys we had were pretty perfect but if we have these photos from Doctor Who to go by, the person who tweeted that comment was not wrong.
Summary: Once Davey finds out about your new kink, he decides to explore it.
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You were pinned against the now locked door, Davey’s lips centimeters away from your ear, his body flush against yours. The next words that came out of his mouth sent shivers down your spine.
“Do you need daddy to take care of you sweetheart?” Davey cooed in your ear. You nodded shyly, looking up at Davey with a blush growing on your face. “Are you going to be a good girl for your daddy?” He asked, grabbing your chin making you let out a whimper and give him a small nod. “Use your words baby girl.” Davey teased, caressing your cheek making you melt.
“Y-yes daddy.” You whispered, a gasp leaving you when Davey’s lips were on yours. You would’ve ran your fingers through his hair, but he pinned your hands above your head, deepening the kiss making your knees go weak and you leaned back against the wall for support. You let a whine when he pulled away, leaning forward trying to catch his lips for another kiss, but his finger stopped you.
“Now now, behave.” Davey smirked down at you. “Come.” He instructed, running his finger against the bottom of your chin before he started making his way to your room. You followed behind him silently, the ache between your legs causing your legs to tremble on the way. You hadn’t expected to feel this excited when you finally told Davey about your kink, but you brushed it off thinking it was because it happened by surprise.
“Dav-” You started but caught yourself clearing your throat. “Daddy?” You asked shyly, making Davey turn toward you and hum in response sitting on the bed. “I, um… h-how do you want me?” You asked softly, looking down at your feet.
“How about you strip for daddy sweetheart?” Davey asked, making you blush and nod your head rapidly.
“Yes daddy.” You smiled at him sweetly, starting to pull your clothes off slowly. You couldn’t help but blush at the way Davey was watching you, his eyes looking at every inch of you. You couldn’t help but squeeze your legs together when you felt the wetness starting to pool in your panties.
“You’re such a naughty girl aren’t you?” Davey tsked, standing up and walking over to you, nudging your legs apart with his foot. “Daddy never gave you permission.” He explained, bending down slightly so he was eye to eye with you. “I think someone deserves to be punished. Don’t you?” He asked, caressing your cheek making your eyes flutter closed.
“Please.” You begged before you could stop yourself, a deep blush seeming to permanently stay on your cheeks. “I mean, yes daddy.” You corrected yourself shyly.
You watched in awe when Davey started to pull your clothes off of you, leaving kisses all over you, making sure to not miss one single inch. You squirmed slightly when his tongue grazed your nipples, a small breathy moan leaving you. He stood up once all your clothes were flung across the room, pulling you to the bed with him, sitting down before pulling you down to bend over his lap.
“You’re getting five. Count for daddy.” He explained before his hand came down in a somewhat hard spank making you jolt forward with a wine.
“One.” You whimpered out, and you continued to whimper out numbers, by the end Davey had you moaning from the slight sting that you felt. You gasped when Davey started to rubbing your butt soothingly, making you shiver, your eyes fluttering closed at the feeling.
“Are you ready for daddy to fuck you?” Davey asked, his finger running up your dripping slit making you moan. “I’d say so hmm?” Davey cooed, rubbing your back slowly. You were glad that you weren’t facing him, knowing he’d see just how red your face had become.
“Yes daddy.” You explained quietly, knowing he heard you when you heard him hum.
Davey picked you up as though you were a rag doll, throwing you on to the bed eliciting a giggle from you when he climbed on top of you and started to kiss all over your face. Davey kicked off his pants and underwear off, not bothering to take off his shirt, unable to ignore the throbbing in his pants anymore. Davey was showering you with kisses when you slowly pushed in, making your back arch, a moan leaving your mouth.
“You feel so good around daddy.” Davey moaned against your lips, his thrusts starting at an agonizingly slow pace. You wrapped your arms around his neck, your fingers tangling in his hair as whimpers left your mouth.
“Oh, daddy.” You moaned, pulling Davey closer to you. “Harder, please.” You begged, your legs wrapping around his waist. You let out a cry when Davey started moving faster and harder, the sound of the headboard hitting the wall filling your ears. Your walls clenched around Davey, your legs starting to shake, the knot in your stomach aching to come loose.
“Look at you, already gonna cum for me huh?” Davey smirked, pounding into you harder. “Cum for daddy.” Davey cooed, caressing your cheek. You couldn’t help but listen to him, your entire body shaking under him as your orgasm hit you full force. Nothing but moans and whimpers came from you, words getting caught and trapped in your throat, pushed back by your moans.
“Oh my god.” You breathed out once you finally caught your breath, shuddering when you felt Davey’s warm cum painting your walls. Davey let out a small groan, his face nuzzled in your neck, his warm breath fanning your neck. Davey pulled out of you slowly, making you shiver when you felt the cool air hit you.
“Let me go get something to clean you up.” Davey explained kissing you softly, walking out off the room, leaving you on the bed in a daze.
This is just here so I can have it linked and ready for next time, so if you guys already want to save it or whatever you do with masterlists then be my guest.
Updated: 5/2/20
Fandoms on this list: Newsies, Supernatural, Falsettos
A/N: the amount of times I almost accidentally write who Red actually is, is very frustrating haha
Summary: Davey never understood why he wouldn’t come out to his friends. Half of them were just like him, yet he was still scared to admit it outloud. That’s where Red came in, he was scared too.
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Davey and Oscar stood in the secluded part of the library, both of them arguing back and forth for the majority of the morning. Davey couldn’t believe he was in this situation. A few weeks ago he’d never even talked to Oscar, and now they were both arguing over his secret identity that no one else knew about except for Red.
“Maybe if you were a nicer guy she’d say yes.” Davey explained, earning a glare from Oscar. A gasp left Davey’s mouth when his back hit one of the bookshelves, Oscar’s face only inches away from his.
“You have two days Jacobs. Two days, or everyone will know.” Oscar spat in his face before shoving him back against the shelf, leaving Davey standing there in shock.
There was no way Davey would be able to convince Sarah to go out with Oscar in two days. Davey pushed himself off the shelves, grabbing his backpack off the floor and he started to make his way to class with his thoughts spinning around in his head. He didn’t have to think much longer, a commotion in the hall drawing his attention away from his class when he saw a group of kids gathered around with some cheering.
Davey pushed his way to the front, freezing in place when he saw what was happening. There his friend laid limp on the floor as a few guys were kicking the life out of him, a pool of blood already on the floor. Davey stared in shock and horror, the fight only being ended when the school’s security came to pull everyone apart, Davey’s friend being rolled out in a stretcher. The whole rest of his day Davey was stuck with the image in his head, and he was filling with fear with each passing second.
It hadn’t been until dinner that Davey actually started acting normal, feeling safer, but not fully safe, in his own home. He picked at his food, not paying attention to any of the conversations. No one noticed he was quiet, usually he’d stay that way during dinner, only wanting to listen to everyone’s day, but once Sarah started talking about that morning, he couldn’t help but give his full attention.
“A fight happened at school today.” She explained making everyone look at her. “Some guys were beating on Race for being gay, he had to be carried out of the school.” She continued and Davey’s dad shook his head.
“That Anthony never learns. His parents have talked to him about the clothes he wears. He brought it upon himself.” Mr. Jacobs explained making Davey’s blood boil. “If a boy is going to go around dressing in girls clothes, then he should expect it to turn a few heads.” He continued, pushing Davey over the edge.
“Just because Race likes to wear girls clothes doesn’t give anybody the right to touch him, and you have no right to judge him if you weren’t there!” Davey exclaimed.
“David.” Mrs. Jacobs warned but Davey shook his head.
“He’s my friend! He didn’t deserve to be treated that way no matter what he was wearing. If no one came to get him they would have killed him. You didn’t see how he looked, but I did, there was nothing okay with that. He doesn’t deserve to die because you think people who dress like him deserve to be treated like crap.” Davey explained, his voice shaking as he stood up, leaving his untouched food on the table and his chair left pushed out while he made his way to his room, ignoring his father’s calls after him.
A few days had passed and Davey still couldn’t get the picture of Race out of his head. There was a school assembly on what had happened, and Davey couldn’t help but think of it. Half way through the assembly it hit Davey that he hadn’t been messaging Red, and he pulled out his phone, quickly typing a message.
Hey, Red I have to apologize for not talking in the past few days. Did you see what happened Monday morning? I hope you didn’t, I think it’s the worst thing I’ve seen in my entire life. To make things worse my dad heard about it and actually blamed it on what the guy was wearing. I really don’t think I’m coming out to them now. - SomebodyNobody
Davey shuddered at the memory, placing his phone back on his lap until it buzzed again.
I heard about it, but I can’t imagine even seeing it, I hope it wasn’t as bad as everyone made it out to be. I hope you’re feeling better, Nobody. - Red
Before Davey could get a response his attention was pulled back to the stage, his eyes bugging out at what was on the screen. He’d been too busy with his own things he forgot the two days were up the day before, his worst nightmare staring him in the face.
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Tag List: Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in this series :)
Requested: If you remember when you written the imagine when the reader found out that davey had a mommy kink? Could you write one where the roles are reversed, like davey finds out the reader has a daddy kink?
Summary: Davey finds out about your kink, but not in a way you’d like
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It all happened so fast that Davey almost missed it. The drink passed your lips and burned your throat making your nose scrunch up like it normally would. He would have missed it if he didn’t see it with his own eyes, your shot glass already filled up for the next round. What surprised Davey was why you had taken the shot.
You had all been sitting around in a circle, playing never have I ever. You didn’t know why you’d let Race talk you into playing with everyone, knowing you weren’t much of a drinker. It had been going fine for you, mostly everyone was targeting Race since the game was his idea, but it had seemed that the entire game Race had been targeting you since his turn was the only time you’d ever actually take a drink.
“Never have I ever had a daddy kink.” Race smirked in your direction making your eyes pop out of your head.
Your eyes darted around the room, watching as a few of the boys took shots, noticing that your own boyfriend was just sitting by you, not moving to take a shot like the others. You tried to do it quickly, hoping that no one would see or bring attention to it. You had even successfully refilled your shot glass without anyone seeing, or so you’d thought.
“Really?” Davey’s voice filled your ears making you freeze. Everyone’s attention was pulled to you, and you felt like you were presenting a project for the first time. You couldn’t find the words to say, just giving your boyfriend a small smile and shrug.
“I never thought you were the type to have a daddy kink Y/N.” Spot laughed, making your cheeks heat up even more than they had been.
“Come on guys, don’t act like you don’t like weirder stuff.” Katherine chirped in making you give her a silent thank you with a smile.
“Daddy issues huh?” Albert joked making you glare at him.
“You’re one to talk.” You fired back, making him hold up his hands in defense.
“Okay, let’s just move on. Never have I ever got fired for sleeping on the job.” Katherine explained making Race groan and take a shot.
The game had gone back to everyone trying to get Race drunk, but you couldn’t really think straight, giving Davey quick glances. You weren’t sure how he felt about you having a daddy kink, wondering what was going through his head since he hadn’t said more than one word to you after he found out.
The ride back to your apartment was silent, you were sure Davey was probably going to tell you to pack your things and go the second you got into your apartment. Your hands were sweaty and shaky, and you were constantly wiping them on your pants on the way up the elevator. You both walked silently, Davey opening the door for you so you’d walk in front of him.
With each passing second you were getting even more worried. That had been until you felt Davey’s hands on you that you just couldn’t think anymore. You were pinned against the now locked door, Davey’s lips centimeters away from your ear, his body flush against yours. The next words that came out of his mouth sent shivers down your spine.
“Do you need daddy to take care of you sweetheart?” Davey cooed in your ear.
The grass crumpled beneath his boots. His shadow left a broad dent in the shade
(his body was still a marvel- when had Jack Kelly become so strong? When did Jack Kelly grow into his wimpy shoulders and snivelling ankles? When did Jack Kelly ditch his dreams of a boy to become a man?)
that towered over a lean man who was casually basking in the weak October daylight. He frowned at the sudden loss of warmth, but his eyes danced with mirth as he gazed over his former selling partner, current best friend, and long-time confidant. “Why, Jack Kelly. I thought you stood me up.”
“I’d neva, Dave,” Jack bent down in the mellow grass next to David. “They caugh’ me onna big shipment just as I was ‘bout to leave for lunch. Tell Esther that the market’ll have a good deal on trout tomorrow.”
Their heads nearly touched at the temple, and if Jack had the nerve or the gall, he could move a miniscule inch and connect their homely skin. It would only take a second- and what is a second, honestly? A moment in time? In the everlasting universe? And Jack Kelly wasn’t a very smart man, but he knew that humans only took up a small part of the whole existence of the world and a single second of humanity could manage to be wasted on the shifting of a cold, lonely wrist to lay on the freckled arm of another-
David rolled onto his side, more interested in a patch of dandelions than the market predictions for the next day. “Besides,” scrunching his nose, as if that would clear his irreverent musings on the universe, “not all o’ us are fancy medical men with all the break time they could ask fa’. I’m the big man pullin’ the weight ‘round here.”
(And it was true, to some aspects. Jack brought home honest-to-goodness bakery bread on Fridays so they could practice Shabbat without travelling, as Mayer so liked to do. He gave Les nickels to spend at the fair and bought Sarah hair ribbons for no particular reason. There was the gas bill he had paid one particularly difficult December, and the endless hours of doing various handiwork around the house when David was studying and Mayer’s old aches came to haunt him. The Jacobs’ home was also Jack’s, not because he needed it, but because they needed him.)
(He needed it too, he supposed.)
A yellow dandelion hovered over his nose, gently twirling with the teasing hum of David leaning in so close. Jack’s teeth snapped at it.
“You can drink the milk of these, I read,” David mused.
Jack wrinkled his nose. “Dandelion salad‘s only good tha first five times. Plus, it’d turn Crutchie’s tongue yellow.”
Dropping the little flower altogether, David rolled flat on his back and turned to gently nudge Jack on his shoulder with his premature wrinkling forehead. “Jackie,” he whispered.
(“I love you,” he would go on, later in Jack’s dreams. “I’ve loved you since I met you, I love you like a wildfire, I love you so much I cannot bear it, I love you like every character in all of my books, I love you.”)
“I’ve met a girl.” There was a hint of mischief in David’s tone- and Jack didn’t recognize it. There was suddenly a gated city wrapped around David’s heart and Jack was frantically scrambling for the key; For the first time, he was locked out of David’s life. He was an onlookerupon territory he had memorized by touch, by heart, by memory.
“Yeah?” If David had been paying attention, the word would have pinged around his Tin Man heart- hollow, empty, overused. “The Walking Mouth finally has someone to use it on?”
He relished in the feel of David’s uncalloused palms shoving playfully at his tanned, muscled arm. “Don’t be crass,” the boy chided. “Her name is April.”
(Jack was born on a misty-eyed April morning, with the clouds swabbed over the sun and an ominous wind blowing throughout the emptied streets. His mother had called it a bad omen. His father couldn’t fathom why.)
The crook of Jack’s elbow was full of David’s lingering fingertips; A question he didn’t dare ask left a sour taste on his tongue. He smiled at David’s far away face, his gaze belonging to a girl,
(agirl,a rotten girl,a girl that wasn’t even Katherine because that would have hurt much less, understandable even. She was an unimportant girl and she would never be enough for Davey, hisDavey)
(A girl.)
and his smile was full of thorns.
—
“I can’t believe-” the words were practically ripped from his throat. “We’s goin’ so fast!”
David couldn’t drive in the technical sense, but he was captaining a true automobile as the Earth did spin. Jack sat in the passenger seat to crow at any poor little commoners that walked along the beaten path, none of them good enough to ride in the electrical engine Mr. Ford had handcrafted himself.
It had been a graduation present from a fellow doctorate student (one with a wealthy father and ill-meaning connections), a spin in his brand-new electric carriage for his reliable old pal, David Jacobs. Jack’s eyes widened to the size of half-dollars as the man passed over the keys to David- David, who had once put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot and walked around crooked all day, too proud to admit he had made a mistake- and they tried to conceal their excitement as the engine turned over for the first time.
He was going to do it. Right here, right now, in this strange man’s car, with clunky work boots on his feet and David’s spectacles sliding down the bridge of his nose.
“I love you!” Jack roared over the engine.
“I’m going to ask April to marry me!” David practically sang into the wind.
Jack’s throat closed up, his skin was set on fire, and he suddenly wanted to see what happened when you jumped from a gadget that was moving so fast.
“Wait, what? Did you hear me?” David’s hair was beginning to grow long enough that it was wild in the gust of the automobile. “I’m going to ask her to marry me!”
(When he was seven, another newsboy- only a handful of months older than him- had asked him if his momma had ever taught him about love. No,Jack had replied, both sour about being outsmarted by a kid who picked his nose and not ever having a momma in the first place. “It’s this great big tree that grows on the inside of our tummies,” the boy went on. “And one day, someone ‘s gonna come along and pick all ‘f th’ fruit on our branches, one by one, until all you have are pretty green leaves. That’slove.”)
(That same boy would kiss him in a dirty alleyway seven years later, and Jack would crack a joke about all of his apples still being intact. The boy would stare back with blank, unrecognizable eyes.)
Jack couldn’t even be angry- he wasn’t strong enough to be furious anymore, not when his days were long and the nights were spent clutching at empty bedsheets. He couldn’t be angry at his good, unselfish Davey, the boy who rubbed at his mother’s aching feet when she spent too long at the factory lines and clumsily darned socks when his sister couldn’t feel her slender fingers. There was no resentment for the beautiful, dark-haired girl who had accidentally collided with David at the grocer’s market when they reached for the same can of something-or-other. She had been nothing but kind to the gentle giant who lurked in the shadows of David’s life, telling inappropriate jokes and interrupting their dates. April always made a place for him at their table.
“That’s the best idea you’ve had all year,” Jack called out, and watched his words dance away in the wind.
—
Katherine had struck him, hard, when he asked her to marry him.
He cradled his jaw with a shock that reverberated around his skull. “Kathy, what did I-”
“You are the most selfish, careless man I know, Jack Kelly.” Her skirts whirled around her ankles- the candy-pink cotton matching other bridesmaids’ dresses to contrast the delicate white lace of April’s wedding dress. David Jacobs was now a married man, and Jack Kelly a desperate one. “We all see how you look at him. There’s not a single person who hasn’t noticed. Get it through your thick, unfeeling skull.”
(“They say,” David’s vows were memorized. His voice never wavered. “That only someone in love would truly understand the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice: a man walks through the Underworld to save his begotten bride, to only turn around and lose her at the very last second. I’ve spent years pouring over that story, wondering why Orpheus would be such a fool, such an irresponsible, lovesick fool, if he truly loved her. But now, standing before my own darling little bride, I understand. I’d turn around for one last look at you. I’d turn every. Single. Time. I’m your fool, April. And I’d choose our fate a million times over.”)
“He doesn’t love you,”Katherine’s voice was heavy with disgust. “And I’m beginning to understand why.”
—
The train ticket was heavy in his palm. “I just don’t see why you have to go,” David whispered. “Who is my son going to learn his bad habits from? Who’s going to teach him how to hawk a headline for extra change? How to poke fun at his papa?”
“He has Les.” Jack’s voice was a barely audible rumble, rusty with misuse. He didn’t talk much these days, Jack Kelly now preferred to linger in the background of conversations, the memory of a bright young man he used to be. Those days had come and gone without much complaint, even if Jack secretly yearned to be so terribly free that he believed in a future for a gangly, fresh-faced boy and a hardened boy with the silver-tongued lies.
(There were rumors, you know. About horrible men and horrible things, about broken ribs and jail time even the Mayor would disapprove of. Jack didn’t do much to dispel the irrational stories people told about him.)
(To prove a lie is false, you must present the truth.)
(Jack didn’t have a truthful bone left in his body.)
A carefully measured silence stretched between them. “Is this about…” David’s hand instinctively reached for Jack’s rough palm- a second of contact, the flash in the pan, their moment in the universe.
He withdrew from his gentle touch, and taking a bullet to his leg
(Jack was twenty-three and alarmingly brave. David was twenty-two and studying to become a doctor. They both cried as David’s unsure hand stitched an unclean wound back together- David, tears of worry; Jack, hopelessly lovesick and falling apart at the seams.)
had been less painful. “It’s about Santa Fe, Dave. Kiss Esther goodbye for me, won’t you?”
The platform to the train was busy, flowing with New Yorkers that had somewhere to be, a place to go, or a person to meet. Jack was the lone soul that took his time to feel the cobblestone under his worn-down boots, the ragged laces dragging against the streets that raised him as their own. His suitcase, a single-handled brown leather
(the only item inside was a bundle of letters, all addressed to David Jacobs)
thing, had never seen a polish rag or repairman’s case, and he felt as if he had the weight of the world to carry with him all the way to New Mexico, where the cattle roam free and Jack Kelly wouldn’t have a broken heart to board up behind slats of wood. The train whistle blew, sharp and piercing, and Jack couldn’t resist his own dreadful hubris; He turned.
And David Jacobs had already disappeared into the swarm of faceless people with their endless inventory of needs to be met, so Jack Kelly got on a train to Santa Fe.
