The Refuge

Home at Long Last

Crutchie sat in the living room looking down at the newspaper. Jack was busy working on yet another of his cartoons. The apartment was quiet aside from the occasional gust of wind stirring the curtains and causing the windows to creek. Crutchie glanced over at Jack and smiled, he was so happy, so content, everything had turned out. That's all he wanted. And Jack was fine and he was fine and the world seemed to be no longer against them. Crutchie and Jack would visit the boys every Saturday, to horse around and make sure they were all okay. Romeo and Race would joke about how much things had changed, Davey would laugh about how all of the boys had grown. Davey had always looked toward Jack affectionately, but he had realized that Jack loved Crutchie. He wasn't mad at him for it, of course, he wasn't, he could never be mad at him. They went on being friends, they'd laugh and tell jokes. It all went on normally. Jack helped Davey and his family out a lot, giving Davey extra money when he would manage. Davey would help them out from time to time, they played cards a lot. Everything was nice, everything had fallen back into place. Crutchie looked up from his newspaper. "Jack." He called quietly. After a bit, he walked into the living room.
"What's up Crutchie?" He asks smiling a bit. Crutchie looked at him smiling as well.
"Nothing I was just wondering where you were." He says simply causing Jack to laugh. Crutchie got up slowly with more difficulty than usual grabbing his crutch for support. He slowly made his way over to the table and looked down at the drawing.
"I like this comic." He said smiling still. It was of Governor Roosevelt. "I'm sure he'll be happy with how you's drew him." Jack looks over at it.
"I hope he will." He adds with a laugh. They talked over the wooden table about possible new ideas. Crutchie would get news from the boys and in turn, give them to Jack. Slowly the months of working on comics turned into years. Jack's dark brown hair grew the occasional silver strand and Crutchie started to move slower. They weren't that old no but time had passed. Crutchie looked over at Jack who was sketching him in his notebook. They had moved from the small New York apartment to a house just outside of the city. The house had a few rooms and was very nice. Race and Romeo moved in with them after they grew too old to keep selling papes. They took in kids from time to time, Romeo would cook them a hot meal and allow them to stay until they were able to find work, slowly less and less kids had to work, they rarely saw homeless kids. Which made Crutchie very happy, a small skinny boy from the Bronx come to stay with them. They all treated him like a son and made sure he got better. Everything was getting better, the boy was the first of three children who called the house their home. Jack and Crutchie made sure they were happy and had a real childhood. Jack told the most amazing stories from his youth and Crutchie as well as the kids would listen, Crutchie would then add in the occasional comment about how that didn't actually happen. Then for the first time in years, Crutchie and Jack had their pictures taken again, this time with their new family. Romeo and Race left a few years after, Romeo starting his own restaurant with Race. The children loved Crutchie and Crutchie tried his best to keep up with them. Crutchie bought a camera and took pictures of everything, he didn't want to forget a second of his new life. As the years went on the small boy left to go away to school. He came back when Crutchie got sick, the years taking a toll on his fragile body. Jack spent almost a year by his side when Crutchie passed. The children helped Jack deal with the void that was left over and time eventually smoothed away the pain.

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I opened up the cardboard box that had been residing in the corner of my room. It was filled with sketches and cartoons none of which caught my eye as I pulled them out except one. At the bottom of the box rested an old portrait that made my heart shutter. Crutchie looked at me, his bright eyes seeming to sparkle from beyond the paper, his smile spreading wide a hint of a laugh escaping his lips. I smiled upon looking at it my eyes welling with tears, resting next to it was an old newspaper clipping, it was of the boys and I, on the day of our strike. Most of the boys in the picture with who I shared my youth were long gone. Davey had died a year or so back, Cathrien after him, Romeo, Race, Specs. All gone. I help the picture to my chest and looked back in the box. Another picture rested there, one of the children, myself and Crutchie, all smiling, all happy. I stood up taking the box back to its proper place, leaving the contents scattered on the table. Just then he saw a book, a small black book that had been under the box. He hadn't noticed it before. He opened the cover to reveal a small not. I made this book for you so you can remember our lives, as I'm writing this I know I don't have long left. I want you to never forget our life, and never forget how much I love you, Jack. I'll see you when I see you, love Crutchie. I turned the page quickly, it revealed the letter Crutchie wrote me from the refuge, next was a note from Race, then Romeo, Specs, Davey, Cathrien. All of them wrote notes about their lives with me. My cheeks were damp now as tears spilled out of my eyes, I wiped them aside not wanting them to blur my vision and interrupt my reading. The next page was photos from in the house, some of me, Romeo, Race, the kids. I turned page after page of photos, there was a whole page of photos of Crutchie, smiling, laughing. I was sobbing as I looked them over, I was sobbing like a child. "Thank you." I said quietly as I flipped more of the pages. Eventually, I reached the end, on the last page rested a large photo of Crutchie and me. Memories of my life flooded back to me and I smiled again. "This is the best gift you could have ever given me." I said finally shutting the book. I went to bed that night my head filled with the most wonderful memories.
"Jack." someone called causing me to stir. "Jack." I opened my eyes and sat up. Crutchie was sitting on the bed. "Oh, Jack it is you. It is you." He says with a smile tears flowing down his cheeks.
"Crutchie?" I look at him shocked. He looks younger so much younger like when we first met. I stood up with no difficulty and took my hands.
"It's me Jack, it's me." I pull him into a tight hug expecting him to disappear. "Come on everyone's waiting Jack." He kisses my cheek and leads me from the bed.
"Crutchie, I missed you so much." I was crying again and he pulled me into another hug.
"I missed you too, I'm so sorry I left you so soon. I'm so sorry." He was sobbing into my chest and I kissed his forehead. Slowly he calmed down I wiped his eyes.
"Come on now, let's go the boys have been waiting for you." We walk hand in hand to my front door. He opens it and I look out a gasp escaping my throat. And then I'm home, were all home together, at long last.