makinglies | There are no cats in America

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There are no cats in America

Moving to a new country is difficult but if you're a child it seems impossible. True, things had been terrifying with the bombings and soldiers and the news of that their government had been doing behind the country's back. Thirteen years old, but Albert still reads the news, still listens to the radio. Soon after they're on a boat, crammed in with other emigrants chattering in a cacophony of languages, pushing and shoving. There were other children, but mostly Albert opted to keep to himself, helping his mother but otherwise holed up in their tiny shared cabin and waited to see the spines of Lady Liberty's crown welcoming them to what his mother calls "a land of new opportunities". Albert, always a practical child, just hoped it would be a land of fresher air.

It's been a few months since then. They'd arrived at the start of summer with New York City sweltering. With his mother working two jobs and a little saved up, they'd managed to get a small fan and some other things for the little apartment, but despite the hardships they'd managed to make a nice little life for themselves in this new country. Their community on the lower east side is friendly and breathes of home in Dresden, or so Albert feels. He even made friends with the old man who runs the bookshop on the corner, his son having been claimed by the war on the side of the Allies. He'd also been named Albert, and the man would often reminisce in German and sometimes share the haribo candies he'd always have around. He may be the only friend Albert had made, but he was content with that.

Even so, as the weather turned colder and fall set in, Albert's mother enrolled him in school. Albert had always liked school back home, strict as it was, but here in America it seemed all the other boys were so loud and tall and frightening. He'd mostly stayed away from other children since arriving, but now he's been thrown in the front of a class and as the teacher pushes him to introduce himself to the room every eye is on him and he can't help but fidgit and look anywhere except at all the unfamiliar faces.

"Ha-hallo, I-I am Albert Heinrich..." He trails off, brutally self conscious at his accent and flushing a red which he knows reaches his ears. The teacher - Miss Jones - waits for an interminable moment to see if he'll say something else, then simply shoos him to an empty desk with some annoyance and begins to write the day's lesson on the blackboard. Safe for the moment, Albert sinks as low as he can in his seat and pulls his oversized newsy cap down around his ears in an attempt to hide the fact that they're still pink.

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Jet had been slow in heading for the schoolyard when it came time for recess, so the only part of the conversation he caught as he headed for the corner was a familiar voice calling someone else 'Kraut' and the tell-tale signs of that particular group of boys doing the only thing they were good at.

He rushed around the corner to try and get involved, but by the time he got to their latest victim, they were already gone. Jet knelt by who he soon recognized as the new boy from their class and offered a hand to the kid to help him out, the other one reaching out to grab the fallen hat and offer that as well.

"Hey. You alright? Those guys are a bunch of cazzos." He was no stranger to their brand of bullying since they'd been in the same grade most of his life, but they'd laid off of him once he'd started to fight back and they found easier targets. Like new kids.

Pushing to his hands and knees, Albert looks up through his mess of silver hair to see the burnished copper of the other boy's fringe and stops short for a moment, not sure if this is also deceptive kindness disguising more bullying or actual help. Unsure, he reaches for the hat carefully and then snatches it quickly as if hes certain the other boy will pull it away at the last second. When he doesn't, Albert relaxes a little, fitting the hat back on his head.

"I am okay." He stands on his own, brushing off his shorts and knees and readjusting his suspenders before gathering up his books. "Umm... why are you helping me?"

The question is posed slowly and with very careful precision, Albert trying very hard to pronounce each word the way he's heard on the radio instead of in his somewhat thick accent.

Jet stood as well and shrugged , not really bothered by the other boy's actions. "Because you looked like you needed it. Besides, they're jerks and you're not the first person they've picked on, you're just the newest."

Despite what Albert might think, Jet wasn't really bothered by his accent, he hadn't heard German accents very much and it wasn't like his own family wasn't heavy with them, although Italian accents instead. No, it wasn't the other boy's accent that had his attention, it was his eyes, Jet had never seen eyes like that before. "I'm Jet."

There's a small tug in Albert that he should have some pride, that he should tell this Jet thanks but he didn't need his help, that he's doing just fine... but it's only a small tug and he'd much rather believe that Jet is actually being nice instead of trying to get something else out of him like those other boys. even if he's pretty sure Jet isn't a real name.

"I'm Albert." He holds the stack of books to his chest, the largest already starting to slip. "Why do they do that? Don't the teachers get mad?"

"You're gonna lose those." Jet pointed at the slipping books. Why did anyone bring their books to recess anyway? Wouldn't they just get lost or something? Jet didn't really care enough to ask.

Albert's question earns an eye roll from the other boy. "Nah, unless fists start flying they don't 'notice' anything. That's why you gotta either avoid 'me or stand up to 'em. Though, in your case, I'm gonna guess avoiding isn't your bast option."

They'd succeeded once and if they took offense to the fact Albert was German then they weren't likely to let up anytime soon. But Jet had a thought. "Hey, they're cowards right? They're not likely to bother you if you hang around with others, you should probably find a buddy to have your back, then they might leave you alone."

"Ah!" He scrambles to get the books under control again, one tumbling out and clonking him right on the foot. "Ow..."

Today is really not a good day. He bends down to try and reconfigure the texts in such a way that he can hold them without the whole pile going tumbling.

"Mutter says I should just keep my head down and stay out of trouble." She's right, too. He's not stupid, they're not just picking on him because he's weaker, but also because of his weaker station. Even the teachers seem uneasy about having a German boy in their midst. "Unless you're offering, I don't know anyone like that."

He's usually alone, and generally that suits him. Even back in his home country he was quiet and unassuming, always in the back of the class with his books. He enjoyed playing outdoors too, and with all the organized sports he wasn't lacking in exercise, but if left to his own devices Albert generally just liked to read.

Jet watched Albert messing with his books and finally couldn't keep the question to himself. "Why do you need all those anyway ? Wouldn't it be better if you left 'me in the room?" At least then they wouldn't keep being dropped.

"But yeah, I mean, sure. It 'a just me and this friend of mine, Natalie, but you're welcome to hang with us. At least maybe then they won't bother you anymore." At least for the rest of the day, Jet didn't really think they'd stay away forever. But maybe He'd actually be able to do something about it next time they tried something.

"So, how about it?"

"I was going to read." He just hadn't decided which yet, gosh Jet. Though at this point, he's not sure how much time is left at break.

"Um... They won't pick on you for being friends with me?" Are they friends? Will Natalie be nice too or also have hangups about hanging out with a 'Kraut'? There's a tug in his chest that he shouldn't have to worry about this, that this is probably the same way his few Jewish classmates or the children of Socialist families felt before they'd left school back home during the war. If that's so, would Albert be forced to leave too? His mother says America isn't like that, but it's still a very real fear.

He looks down at his shoes, face falling considerably after the glimmer of hope that he could possibly make a friend. "I-I don't want to get you or your friend into trouble."

Jet shook his head and even scoffed a bit but slung an arm around Albert's shoulders to lead him outside; there wasn't a whole lot of time left, but there was enough to at least let Natalie know he hadn't blown her off and introduce their new friend.

"Naw, man, don't worry about it. Sorry to tell you this, but we're not much better than you on the social ladder, you know? Besides, Frankie, his friends and I have already had a few words, they're opinion of me's not going to get any better if I don't associate with you, so fu- forget them." Right. Still at school, the last thing he needed was for some teacher to get bent out of shape about it and call his Pa.

Once they were outside, he led them to a little grouping of tables where a girl with long dark, almost black, hair sat in a bright sundress and leggings. As soon as she spotted them, her look of annoyance faded to a smile and she waved. "Jet! I thought you weren't ever going to show! It's not nice to leave a lady waiting, you know." The look on her face said that she'd just realized the red head wasn't alone and she looked the new boy up and down curiously. "Who's your friend?"

It's an unconscious thing, but Albert approaches from half behind Jet, as if the taller boy is a shield against the unknown. He may still be hesitant to use the word friend but at least he has a small measure of Jet. This Natalie he has no idea about.

Still, he was brought up to be polite and even though he's half hiding behind the redhead, he nods to Natalie and at the very least makes eye contact for maybe half a minute before looking back down at his shoes. "G-gutt morning fra- I mean... Miss Natalie. My name is Albert Heinrich."

Jet lightly pushed Albert closer to the table before sitting across from the girl himself. "He's shy. Hey, maybe you two bookworms can read together and compare notes."

He smirked as she shot him a half-hearted glare. "Like you don't read all the time too." There was a mumbled 'Not at recess' from the younger boy, but Natalie ignored him in favor of the shy boy. "Hi, Albert, I'm Natalie. Take a seat, I promise I only bite Jet." She smiled kindly at Albert and patted the spot next to her. "You're German, aren't you? Oh, does that mean you're new?"

"Yes. I moved here in June with my mu-" he cuts himself off, making a concerted effort to try and pronounce the English words in an American way. He ends up with some strangely elongated vowels and harsh consonants as his mouth tries to manipulate the unfamiliar way of speaking. "Mother."

Albert blinks between the two of them then sits where Natalie indicated, placing his books on the table top and hoping neither of them comment on how red he knows his face is burning. Meeting new people is so difficult! But their exchange about books has his interest and he shyly looks up at the both of them from under his fringe. "You both like to read too?"

Jet gave a non-committal shrug in response to Albert's question and put his chin in his hands. Yes, he did, but he didn't really talk about it, he didn't want to accidentally say the wrong thing. Besides, Albert's attpts at sounding American were painful at best.

"You don't have to try and not have an accent, lots of people have them, doesn't bother us any, right?"

He looked to Natalie who shook her head and smiled. "What kind if books do you like, Albert?"

"All kinds!" He warms up a bit, posture less closed off as he leans in. "I like history the best, but philosophy too! And poetry. Anything where they write about how people think is interesting to me."

He looks from Natalie to Jet. "What kinds do you like?"

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There are no cats in America

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