The Adventures of Peter Gray chapter 7: A Stroll in Central Park
Chapter 7 A Stroll in Central Park I was dreaming again, this time of being back at the orphanage. Me life there was good, almost perfect. I was sitting cross-legged among other kits, listening to a nun named Sister Susan. She was an elderly wolf, but seemed young for her age, and fur as black as her personality. She was stern to me and the kits, but she was a calmer version of the Presser Lesser. Ya see, instead of putting on a fit of rage and shouting, she had me stand in front of a cold window for the day whenever me voice defied her. And if I didn't follow the correct order of things, Sister Susan gave me hindquarters the beating of a lifetime with a yardstick. But the strangest thing of all was that her 'smile' never stopped smiling. And just as the yardstick hit me tail, I woke up. I opened me eyes and sighed of relief. "Thank the Lord in Heaven me dreams aren't forever..." I mumbled to meself. I sat up from the milky grass and shook me muzzle until I could see more around. I was resting under a stone bridge, and the river greeted me by damping me footpaws in the mud. I groaned at meself and wiped them on the grass as I smiled at the light of Central Park. Central Park. I coulda been richer than a king, Joseph Kinnick coulda given me a pawful of bread or even cleared me debt like a dirty plate and traded it for a new one. Or heck, New York could freeze over like Alaska, but nothing coulda been traded for a night in the walkways of Central Park. Lancie and James' mothers wouldn't even let them near the place, claiming it was considered 'too far' and was a 'dangerous place full of hooligans worse than that Peter boy you play with'. So, I decided to do something new and travel to the place, maybe even sleep the night there. I did when I got there at sunset. And after spending the night under a bridge by the lake and listening to nature sleep in our city, I wished Lance and James came. Cause the moment I emerged from the empty archway, me breath was taken away like an angel's hug on a sinner. It...It was beautiful. As I strolled down a nearby walkway, a dozen smells filled me muzzle and washed over me bristling fur in the wind. The trees were pink and green as the ground under me footpaws, and the birds chirping. The cobblestone paths were both fine and smooth on me pads, not to mention the smells of nearby food vendors that made me belly growl like a lion.
"Hey young boy! You there! Care for some spectacles for those eyes of yers? I bet ya they'll fits ya perfectly!" The Park was notorious for having some shady sellers and vendor ready to make a quick coin and dollar. Some were raccoons from Five Points, mice with food stored in crates by the flowers, immigrants playing instruments in a different language from across ocean, and even rich canines with enough in their pockets to not use their own coat to store their selling products. For me own sake of not becoming the thinnest wolf in New York, I bought some bread and a cup of water for only twenty-three cents from an opposom who spoke only French. And once I bit into the bread, the bread bit back with its dang staleness and decay. When me paws grabbed the cup of water, I drank it to realize it wasn't clean water! As the French opossum giggled wryly in the background, I ran and dunked me muzzle into the nearest fountain I saw. And while submerged in it, all I could think was, What. A. Rip-off. Maybe I should try a scam like that sometime in the future? I pulled me head outta the water, shook me fur, and walked away after reaching into the fountain to grab some coins for me money back. A while later into the day, I came across a clearing nearby, where fursons walked along the paths with wonder and pride. Foreign gents played instruments that made me wanna dance to their tune, delicate ladies watched their young ones giggle and run in Sheep Meadow nearby, and the richer ones just smiled at the excitement or walked by with their snooty muzzles in the air like their pedigrees were gold. From here, me eyes could spot a tall building across the blue lake, one that jutted out more than a thorn on a rose bush. I believe it was called either the 'Dakota' or 'Nevada', but I whistled to meself at how big it looked from here. Looking like a castle for kings, the towering thing looked quite a place to live and die in, whether me coins came from work, rummaging, or even music. I could see meself resting in the beds right now, and ordering food like a crowd praying to a soup kitchen. Me daze was shaken away from a small commotion near me. A human male walked nearby, and I saw the rich gents slightly sneer outta sight. Others turned their clean backs as the human, a man in his twenties and wore a pair of very muddy pants and a worn vest, shyly turned down another walk. The canines in fancy pants weren't too keen with me appearance as well, some not knowing I dressed better than a foul drunk by the Hudson. "Oh Lord in heaven, does he need to have that bushy of a tail?" some feline in a dressed commented to her husband. She didn't even try to whisper. "Georgie, come over here, please." As I passed a couple 'o feet by some cubs, they came to her in a ruckus and I groaned. Hmmm I wonder if she's got a dime to spare, I considered the idea in me head. Or maybe her whole purse? I shook off the idea since I promised meself to not steal for revenge. And the last thing I needed was some coppers on me arse again. I went down a nearby drive that brought me to the 'Mall' of Central Park, a connection of paths and drives underneath the blue and golden sun. I marveled like a newborn cub at the sights, the bronze statue kits played on, and felt the breath of spring wash over me muzzle in a cool breeze. That is until me ears caught wind of some shouting a couple of stone's throws away. I turned to see two young fursons in a courtyard, yelling their heads off about the latest news. "Extra! Extra! Read de news! Extra!" Newsies. One was a German Shepherd under then and the other was a mixed breed, shouting to buy newspapers on top of wooden boxes, with their caps barely staying atop their headfur. And one of them was no other eight year-old cub than... "Peter? Is that you?" A grin formed across me muzzle. "Bromley!" I laugh while strolling up to the young German Shepherd. He wore his newsie clothes, and looked as exhausted as any newsie could be. "So how are ya doing, lad? Selling that many papers?" The young cub nodded giddily, then widened his eyes a second. "Oh yeah. Peter, it is my pleasure for you to meet...'Louis' is it?" Bromley turned his muzzle to the mixed one. The newsie that turned around to me definitely wasn't a wee lad. He was a mixed breed of raccoon and fox, maybe some wolfish blood. He was older than me, maybe a couple of years or so. The fur on his arms were tan and black, with white patches on his paws. But most of all, the mixed breed wore a pirate's patch on his left eye, and his right looked to he brightly with his grin. "Louis Ballatt," the boy's accent was thick Brooklyn. He extended a paw to be after setting down a paper beside his ankles. "But me friens call me 'Kid Blink' in de neighborhood." I wanted to laugh until the moon fell, but I kept a smile on me face and shook his paw eagerly. "Nice to meet ya, Mr. Blink," I greeted with a grin. "Me name's Peter Gray." Me eyes saw he wore the standard newsie's brown cap, and wore a blue necktie and a tan vest over his white shirt, the smell of sweat clearly present under his arms. "So ya working hard or hardy working?" "Blink!" someone shouted. Before he could answer, another newsie as old as Blink ran past me and to the mixed breed. "I gots me some coin!" I saw the teen was a raccoon similar to that of Lance, but had whiter fur and a stockier build. "One dollar and thirty cents fer sixty papers!" Kid Blink's laughed and flicked his shaggy while stepping closer to the fellow newsie. "Well it pleases me ta sees ya-" he suddenly stepped back and gave a foul cough. "Jesus, Marty, whats yer tail been sleeping in? Now Joisey?" The teen shook his muzzle and coughed out a pant, his voice crackling and piping more deeply and high. "Congradts on yer money, but...please goes and gits us some more!" The white raccoon tipped his cap and bolted giddily, then Blink turned to me. I blinked meself and chuckled, a little nervous to ask the hybrid about something particular. "So uh...what's with the..." I pointed to me left muzzle. "...the eye? Ya lose it in Brooklyn?" I chuckled, and to me surprise, Blink and Bromley joined in the laughter. "How's ya knows I'm frem Brooklyn, Peter?" he asked, raising his only eyebrow. "Is id 'cause of me accent?" He gave a wry smile and picked up a newspaper while Bromley got back to work. I chuckled nervously while leaning meself against a nearby railing. "Well, I've been to Brooklyn a couple o' times, and me ears have spotted your name across town," I whispered wryly back, "and it is cause of your accent, to be honest." Blink laughed shortly. "Bromley's teld me about yerself too kid," after he quickly sold a paper to a passing gentlewolf, he dramatically stepped onto the crate of newspapers like an announcer at a boxing match on Cross Street. "Peter Gray: the Street Urchin of Five Points! De most sly and wickedly witty wolf boy all 'round!" The one-eyed hybrid giggled and shook me paw again, but with more firmness. "It's great ta meets yer face-ta-face, Peter Gray." In between Bromley and Blink selling papers and taking coins and money, (with Bromley making sure me paws were where they were. That's rude.) me and Blink compared our lives and each other's interests like bread and butter. Blink was named Louis after his father, and tragically lost them a while back from illness. Not long after, the raccoon/fox newsie became one at age eight. He knew how to work the machines that made the papers, where the best selling spots were, and knew the city more than me, which stunned me more than seeing me human friend James for the first time all those months ago. As his accent dictated, Blink was from Brooklyn, but near the bridge and in the Newsie's Boarding House next door. He got the eye patch when a machine accident cut his left eye open. Blink kept telling me to never listen to mechanics when they was 'busy to a bottle' the night before. I didn't get it at first, but laughed with the newsie. "Still, id does nut hurt dat much..." he spoke proudly with perked ears. "In facts, me eyes is de best now den it'z ever been." For some reason, me eyes were glued to the boy's mannerisms. He seemed so confident, telling me about life in the Boarding House, how everyone shared a bathroom, and the ridiculous selling they had to do. Comparing me life to that was pretty hard, but Blink was eager to know all about me as well. I told him about me life after the orphanage. "So lemme git dis straight: ya once got Miss Lesser ta chasing ya 'round the school..." Blink tried to keep himself from looking dumbstruck, but it wasn't working. "and youse didn't stop until she did?" The hybrid shook his muzzle and gave me a playful sneer from his box-stand. I shrugged. "We call her the 'Presser Lesser', and she isn't exactly an athletic woman, but she can be a wolf when she wants to be," I sighed with contempt in me dry voice. "In fact, she once-" Blink suddenly stopped me and held his paw up. "Hey Peter, can youse do me a faver, ands send dis," His paw reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, maybe a folded letter, "and give it ta me friens on de odder side of da Park? Just by de Art Museum, 'kay?" He held it out to me. I widened me eyes and chuckled with folded ears. "Sorry, but am I a messenger boy?" I shook me muzzle and leaned further on the bush fence next to me. "If ya want me to break me bone for nothing, then you're more crazy than a-" The hybrid suddenly pulled out a pouch and shook it, the music of coins ringing in me ears. "-a fine gent with a fine deal indeed. On it!" I swiped the letter and ran like a hyena in Africa, past the lavish gents and fine-furred ladies. I pounded me footpaws at the cobblestone and ran to me destination. As the cool breeze ran through me fur and I clutched the letter, I searched for the direction toward the Museum. Central Park was now more alive and living with more people, ranging from canines to feline, all of them either dressed too well to even walk or decent enough to be near and not stink. When a carriage came through the bridge ahead of me, I jumped down and under it with ease. Though I may have startled the horse pulling it. Still, nothing in me way was gonna keep me paws offa that pouch of money! At last, I spotted the Museum beyond the bright trees, and it was an intimidating creation; almost as old as the city itself and as gray as the ground under me tail. I saw gents and regular fursons walking in and out. "Mommy! I wanna go play!" one fox younger than me pleaded to his lavish mother. I spotted the vixen holding his paw and whispering, "Jacob, calm yourself, or we won't go to the Meadow at all young man!" They went with her husband down the steps while I passed. Another was a young wolf girl giggling and being piggybacked on an older gentlewolf, maybe her father or uncle. Cubs played with rolling hoops on the ground and chasing them like they were rats. I couldn't stop smiling, but I smiled more when I heard the familiar voices not far. "Extra! Extra!" A grin formed widely. Jackpot! I jogged around the left entrance to see two newsies standing in front of a stack of newspapers. I stepped closer and past the line of buyers to see them being a cute little black cat no older than probably James' sister, and that raccoon from before. "Excuse me?" lifted the note up to the raccoon named Marty. "Kid Blink said to give this to ya?" The newsie looked at me and quickly smiled before grabbing the note. I turned, mumbling, "'Thank ya for the note, kid'. 'Oh no problem; take care of yerself.'" Oh well, I still had the strength to get back and get me money. By the time I got back to Bromley and Blink, they were halfway through selling their own papers, and I proudly strode up to Blink with an open paw. The hybrid sighed. "Fine, 'ere ya go..." he grabbed the pouch and tossed it to me with a grin. And by the time I opened it, expecting to see pennies and nickels, I left me ears lower at what I saw. Nothing but soda pop bottle caps. All of it. Bromley and Kid Blink chuckled while I frowned at the newsies. "W-What?" Kid asked, giggling like a loon with his tail wagging. "You said yerself dat ya wanted dis? Little tip, Peter Gray: nedder let yer eyes be youse emeny!" The fox/raccoon howled with laughter while he slapped his knee and took the bag from me. I wanted to be angry at them, but I couldn't help but giggle as well. He got me good. But all of a sudden, me eyes stopped to see some white and black figures walking behind the two. With them was a wooden cart of smells that rumbled me stomach a second time that morning. I widened me eyes when I realized they were nuns, a couple of them canines and the other two a raccoon and a smaller mouse about me height, and they were walking over to us when one of them smiled at me. Blink and the German Shepherd spotted them too, and our tails wagged at the smell of bread and water that came from their carts. As I was about to ask, Blink smiled and whispered, "Shhhhh." To be honest, I was terrified of them. All nuns, whether young or old, reminded me of the ones at the orphanage I grew up in. They were all mean, always scowled at you like a criminal, and I could still remember the pain in me fingers from their rulers and slaps. Their voices saying we weren't worthy of God or Heaven. The thought of being back there made me wanna bury meself in the Park. That all changed the night I ran away, the night I went with Hansel and Edward across the Hudson and into the shores of Manhattan. That was the night me life changed for better. From the group of nuns, a she-wolf walked over to us and beamed a smile across her muzzle. For a second, I saw Sister Susan's eyes in her, but the nun's smile mad me theory crumble. "Children, the Lord is your Shepherd," her voice was so soft. "And as a reward for your generosity and an amazing job, the Lord gives you thanks." She turned to the cart and we saw the nuns handing out some food to others. Me eyes even spotted the human from before being offered a roll of vegetables and water. "You look depraved, both spiritually and physically, but His Grace love you." Me tail uncurled from anxiety and I stared dumbfounded. One second, me eyes met Blink's and Bromley's, the next, we ran over and thanked the nuns like they saved our lives from the pits of Hell. They handed us the food like flowers. "Mmmmm," I moaned from the taste of actual food in me mouth. "This is the life, Bromley," I saw the young dog was too busy drinking a pitcher of water while the nun that handed it to him smiled, "Blink?" "Yer voice said it," Kid Blink giggled while licking his lips and being handed a glass of water. "I wouldn't trade dis life for anudder." He turned his muzzle to the she-wolf and nodded. "Thank youse, so much, Sisters." "No problem," her eyes shined with her personality, and I couldn't help but smile back. "It is the Lord's will and His Son's Grace that gives you the strength." I spotted her tail wagging under her dress and she gave us a cross on her chest. "May God be with you three." I blinked and handed out a paw, which she shook. "Thank you..." I said, me tongue panting happily while she strode off with her friends. Soon as they turned a corner with their cart, I looked back to Blink and Bromley as they resumed their newsie tirade. "Extra! Extra! Read all about dit!" Kid Blink shouted while smiling to me and to the people starting to gather. "Spanish-American War Continues! Read all about dit! Extra! Extra!" I tipped me cap to Bromley and waved to Blink, then strolled off as the food in me stomach rested like a sleeping giant. "Hey, Peter!" I turned to see something being tossed to me from Blink. I caught it in me paw, and was amazed to see it being a silvery quarter, one with Washington's smug muzzle shining in the cloudy sunlight. "Dis is one time, ya hear?" I looked in shock at the one-eyed hybrid and a grin formed on his muzzle as he got back to work selling papers. As I walked merrily down a walk that led to the filthy and crowding streets of the city, me nose smelled the nature that circled me senses. I was definitely gonna miss me time in Central Park, and me thoughts turned to what I was gonna do with the quarter.