- Nowhere to Go -
The sound of Poppy’s footsteps clattered on the planks. Where were those two boys—Fingers and Patrick—who’d taunted Justin? She hoped she wouldn’t run into them again.
The satchel she carried swung from her arm, and she suddenly remembered the new dress she wore, the one Justin’s sister had given her.
Why was Claire so nice to me? She don’t even know me. Yet here she gave me this pretty dress and brushed my hair—as if I were part of their family or someone like them—and she never said a bad word to me. And when I cried and told how I wasn’t a real good girl, she said she loved me. She showed me that rock—the one with the green crystal. What was it she said? “You’re like this stone, Poppy—deep inside, there’s a sparkling crystal of goodness.”
Poppy felt warm whenever she thought of Claire and the things she had said. Even the rest of the family had been nice to her, too. Mrs. Butterworth had given her soup and had said she was charming.
Her heart raced and she was breathless as she ran toward the Willow. Across the street was the empty lot where she had hidden her five dollars. Suddenly she stopped, remembering the wax impression of the key to the Butterworths’ jewelry store. She had planned to have a key made so she could steal something from the shop and run away.
How would Claire and her mother and Justin feel if they knew Poppy had robbed their store?
What should she do? She needed to think about it. But first she’d hide the key impression—for now, anyway.
It was hard to find the gray rock in the wall where she’d hidden her money. All the stones—even her sparkly one—looked alike in this light, so she tried jiggling several until she came upon one that almost fell into her hand as she wiggled it. Reaching into the cavity, she pulled out the can where she had secreted the money.
She tipped the can upside down and the bills fell out into her palm. The money was still there, just as she had left it! She reached into the satchel, where she had placed her old clothes. The small matchbox was still tucked inside the pocket of her pinafore. She removed the box carefully—if it bent, it would ruin the impression of the key. Then she inserted the box into the can, put back the bills, slipped the can into the hole, and replaced the stone.
I don’t have to do anything yet, she decided. I’ll make up my mind later what I’ll do with the key.
It was darker now, and she stumbled over rocks and junk until she got onto the street again. Lantern lights glistened in the windows of the Willow just ahead. The girls were probably home by now, and Ma might be mad that Poppy was returning empty-handed. And how would she explain the dress? Poppy would say she had stolen it out of a shop and had put it on after. Sure. They’d believe that, wouldn’t they?
As Poppy approached the Willow, she could hear boisterous singing from various parts of the resort and yelping and barking from the pits where gamblers brought dogs to fight. She headed down the dark stairway to the cellar hole where she lived. She thought of Justin’s goat and her little shed and how Justin tended her. He’d never let anyone hurt that goat, she thought. But Justin came from a different world.
The door to Ma’s room burst open before Poppy had a chance to open it herself.
“Where have you been, lady?” Ma grabbed Poppy by the hair and pulled her into the room. “You’ve been gone all day, and you’d better hand over money to me. I’m not puttin’ up with you if you don’t come through.” She was about to clout Poppy once she had her inside the room, but she stopped, her arm in midair. Ma’s expression changed in the lantern light as she looked at Poppy’s dress. “Well, lookey here! Girls!” she called to the others, who were standing by the beds. “See how fancy our little Poppy is in her new getup. Where did you get that new dress?”
“I was sick of wearin’ the same old dirty dress and apron. So I stole this. It’s mine and I got it for myself.” She tossed the satchel onto the bed next to Renee. “Here, you can have my old clothes. I’m wearin’ this from now on.”
Ma’s eyes narrowed. “I know what you did, you little sneak. You picked a few pockets—that’s what you did. And then you went into a store and bought that dress—with money you should have brought home to me. That money was rightly mine! And you used it on yourself!”
The four girls gasped and huddled together.
For an instant Poppy wanted to say, None of the money you get is rightly yours! It’s all stolen! Instead she said, “I didn’t spend any money for this dress. I told you, I stole it!”
The palm of Ma Brennan’s hand came across Poppy’s cheek like a knife. “You ungrateful little liar! After all I’ve done for you—givin’ you a home and food on the table.”
She pushed Poppy onto the floor. “Take that dress off. You’re givin’ it to little Renee here. You put on your other clothes, missy. The ones you feel aren’t clean enough or nice enough.” She gave Poppy a kick. “Do it now!”
Poppy held back the tears she felt coming. She knew how Ma felt about tears—Poppy would get more slaps if she cried. So she took a deep breath and said, “This dress is the nicest thing I’ve ever had. Why should I give it away? It’s mine!”
“And the money you used to buy it was mine!” Ma yelled. “Take it off before I hit you again.”
Poppy tried to unbutton the back of the dress but couldn’t reach.
“See? She had to have bought that outfit. She had someone help her into it!” In the lamplight, Ma’s face was wrinkled with rage.
“I’ll help you unbutton it,” Julia said as she knelt on the floor next to Poppy.
Poppy let Julia undo the buttons and pull the garment over her head. The green ribbon that Claire had used to tie Poppy’s hair back came tumbling off and fell to the floor.
“There!” Ma said. “The dress is yours, Renee. You’re about the same size as Poppy, maybe a little smaller. Now, Poppy, you get into bed. I’ll deal with you more tomorrow. Everyone else had supper. You’ll go without. Maybe gettin’ a little hungry will give you some appreciation for all I’ve done for you.”
Dressed only in her underwear, Poppy climbed into the bed she now shared with Julia and Renee. Her face smarted and her knees bled where Ma had pushed her to the floor. But she held back the tears and the angry words she wanted to scream.
I’m getting out of here tonight, she thought, as soon as everyone falls asleep.
But where would she go? There was no one to take her in. No one she could trust or turn to.
I’ll find a place. And I’ll hide there until I know what to do. I’ll never live here with Ma Brennan again. She remembered Ticktock’s clean little shed and the bright quilt hanging on the wall. That’s where I’ll go, she decided.