The bird of Manhatten

Chapter 6 - in which Christmas is celebrated with a snowball fight

24. December 1894 (Christmas Eve)
At many places in Manhattan, New York City
Magpies P.O.V. (Finally)

In da whole Lodge House ya can feel da excitement.
Da Newsies is runnin' da stairs up an' down. Da whole house seems ta move.
I's sittin' on my bed, watchin' da others searchin' foa their winter clothes, smilin'.

Today's Christmas Eve. Da day da Newsies of Manhattan an' Brooklyn have a big snowball fight in Central Park. Sometimes guys from Bronx or Staten Island also come over, but dat barely ever happens.
After a while everyone has found somethin' warm an' we follow Jack outside an' ta da park. We'se a bit early, but so's Brooklyn. Our leaders, Jack an' a small boy called Spot, greet each other with da "Spit-Shake", like it's standard amongst Newsies.
Both spit in their right hand an' shake. Then we walk ta our side of da battlefield.
Race, next ta me is already bettin' with Specs, Elmer an' Albert about who's gonna win. Then we wait. Crutchie, Buttons, Blink an' Mush build a snow wall, so we can hide behind it.
Finally, da church bell rings seven o'clock pm an' da fight begins.
Quickly da air's filled with snowballs an' happy laughter.

We "fight" until it's too dark for us ta see our own hands, which is around half past nine.
Da battle's over. And Manhattan won. A narrow victory, but... a victory is a victory, ain't it?
Tired, but happy, we hug each other. Then we wish Brooklyn a merry Christmas an' make our way home.

This night da boys sleep like da dead. I listen ta their snorin' and sleep talkin', layin' awake. I's got a headache. It's not dat bad but annoyin' all along.
I stand up, quietly dress myself warmly an' leave da bunk room.
I step outside into da cold, snowy winter night an' pull my jacket tighter around me. I can see my breath in da frozen air an' begin ta walk through da sleepin' city.
Manhattan's quiet, which it ain't often. No cart is rollin' trough da streets, no soul's wanderin' tonight. There's jus' me an' da snow an' da stars.
I hear da church bell. Eleven o'clock.
It begins ta snow again. Soon I's surrounded by da big, white flakes. I stick out my tongue, tryin' ta catch one, an' close my eyes.
I like da winter, although it's freakin' freezin' outside. I like its magic, its silence an' its peace.

I don't know, how long I's been standin' there, but now I's gettin' very cold, so I make my way back.
Da snow's whirlin' around me an' makes da night a little lighter.

By da time I reach da big, dark buildin' I call my home, it's already Christmas mornin'.
Carefully, I sneak up da stairs an' into da bunk room, being greeted by da boys' snorin'. Quietly I walk past da beds ta my own in da back, undress me an' lay down. I snuggle up in my blankets an' look up ta da ceilin'. I listen ta da noises of da night an' a few seconds later I's asleep.