February, 1891. Ray = 22, Jack = 14, Louis = 12 1/2, Mush = 12, Crutchy = 11. Only two days ago I was writing about the four kids being under the age of 10. They do grow up fast. Dang my story has only been up for two days? Anyway. Here we are, moving forward, I hope I have some sort of plan. I got myself so psyched for future chapters that I kinda am less motivated to get through this one haha. But I need to finish this one before I move on. I think this is the first chapter with any real Antonio acting out. Gotta put that in sooner than later I guess. Anyway. Enjoy! :)
"Do you think Antonio is old enough to become a newsie?"
"I mean, Crutchy was a newsie at what, age five."
"But is Antonio ready for it?"
Ray really needs to think about this. He understands that the others are just curious, and they are rightfully so. Antonio's been living with them close to six years now, and hasn't carried the banner once, which is also understandable. They weren't going to make someone who could barely talk go sell newspapers. But he's older now. Aside from some of his oddities, he's growing up like a normal kid. But to Ray, he's still just a little kid. True, Jack, Louis, Mush, and Crutchy had all been selling newspapers when they were Antonio's current age, but he's not like them. His mind...it works differently. They still don't know how it works, but he's still just a little bit behind. Ray wants to wait a year, see what he's like then. When he's 8, he'll probably be ready.
"I'm gonna give him some more time," Ray decides aloud. "I think that now's not the best time. Before next year ends, though, he'll be a newsie. That's what I know."
The others nod, satisfied with that answer.
"Speaking of Antonio, where is he?" Henry asks.
They look around, and once they find him, they go back to just talking.
Across the room, Sheeny sets down a set of cards on the table in front of young Antonio. "Anyone ever showed you how to play with cards yet?"
Antonio shakes his head, not taking his eyes off the cards.
Sheeny picks them back up. "Well, there are many ways you can play with cards," he explains. "But no matter what, you still have to shuffle them real good." And so he demonstrates.
With wide eyes, Antonio watches the cards practically fly through Sheeny's hand. And the sounds those cards make ... it's amazing. He can tell that Sheeny has had some practice. His fingers are so dexterous and graceful. No one could make cards shuffle that smoothly if they didn't have at least some idea of what they were doing. Antonio can't wait until he can shuffle cards like that.
"Can I try?" Antonio asks Sheeny. He really just wants an excuse to hold the cards.
"Of course. Here." Sheeny gives him half the deck. "This should make it a little easier." And then he begins to talk and demonstrate. "What you wanna do is split the cards in half--don't have to be even, just around the same. Yeah. Just like that. And you create an arch like this--" Antonio is following pretty well, but then others come over and start their own conversation with Sheeny, throwing Antonio out of concentration, causing him to get mildly annoyed. They had something going here!
"Remember yesterday?" Snoddy asks Sheeny.
"Yeah. Who wouldn't?"
What happened yesterday? Nothing that Antonio can remember. But everyone else is saying things too.
"Do you think he knows?" Buttons adds.
Sheeny and Snoddy shrug.
Are they talking about me?
YOU ARE READING
I'll Always Look Out For You
Fanfiction15 years before the legendary newsies strike of 1899, a child was born. When he is 18 months old, he is brought to the Manhattan Newsies Lodging House. In time, he would be known as Racetrack Higgins. This is his story. This is the story of the news...
