6 years later
Crutchie is starting to get up when he hears the voice of Jack Kelly, which is practically his brother, groan "Hey, the mornin bell ain't rung yet. Go back to sleep." By this time Rose was awake and listening to the conversation going on. Crutchie responded "Ise want to beat the other fellas to the streets. I don't want anyone to notice but I ain't... uh Ise ain't been walkin so good. At this point Rose was up and starting go get up. "Oh quit gripin" Rose adds "you know how many guys fake a limp for symphony. That bum leg of yours is a goldmine."
Crutchie answers "Someone gets the idea that Ise can't make it own my own they'll lock me up in the refuge for good. Now be pals and help me down. Woah." He loses his footing and is hanging by his arm wrapped around the railing of the roof. Rose and Jack run and grab Crutchie and pulls him up. He can now be touched and enjoyed physical contact. "You want to bust your other leg too" Jack says upset for Crutch almost falling. "No I wanna go down" he replies in an Smart Alec innocent way. "You'll be down there soon enough" Jack says "take a moment, drink in my penthouse. High above the stinkin streets of New York." Rose and Crutchie says "You're crazy" in unison. They look at each other and smile. Jack replies "Why, cause I like a breath of fresh air? Cause I like seein' the sky and the stars."Rose in a sarcastic way "Yeah, you're seein' stars alright." Then Jack starts on one of his rants "Them streets down there, they sucked the life right outta my old man. Years a' rotten jobs, stomped on by bosses, and when they found him broken, they tossed him to the curb, just like yesterday's paper, well they ain't doin that to me!" Crutch buts in "But everyone wants to come here."Then Jack keeps going "New York's fine, for those who got a big, strong door to lock it up. But I tell you. There's a whole 'nother way out there. So you keep your small life in the big city. Give me a big life, in a small town." Jack keeps going on about Santa Fe. Then Crutchie adds himself to his rant.
"You got folks there"
"Got no folks nowhere. You?"
"Nah, Ise don't need folks. Got friends." He lightly shoves them with his shoulder.
"Hey how about youse two come with me? Crutch no one cares about no gimp leg is Santa Fe! Youse hop a palomino! You'll be ridin in style." He says while faking riding a horse.
"Yea picture me ridin in style."
"Hey I bet a few months of clean air and youse can toss the crutch for good."
Finally Rose and Crutchie give in and join Jack "Santa Fe, you can bet that you won't let them bastards beat us. We won't beg no one to treat us fair and square. There's a life that's worth the livin and I'm gonna to my share"
Jack says alone "Work the land, chase the sun,"
As the others join in "Swim the whole Rio Grande just for fun."
Than Crutchie sung alone happily"Watch me stand, watch me run." Then all of the sudden he gets really sad and walks to the other side of the roof Rose and Jack go to him and put their arms around him "Hey, Hey" Jack says "don't you know that we's a family? Would I let you down, no way? No way. Just hold on, kid, till that train makes Santa Fe." Then the bell rings. The first one to speak is Jack "Time for dreamin done." Then Jack yells down to the lodging house. "Hey! Specs, Racer, Henry, Albert, Elmer, get a move on! Them papes don't sell themselves."
Hope you like this second chapter. I have enjoyed writing it even though it's only the second chapter.
-Broadway_Nerd