Kloppman keeps photos in his office. They might be of his kids or grandkids, but imagine that they're photos of his boys. Maybe some of those boys who grew out of the lodging house but still send him letters and stop by during Christmas time. Maybe there's a picture or two of his current lodgers.
I can imagine some of the newsies putting a few coins aside and going out in their best clothes to get a picture taken for Kloppman's birthday because they know how much those photographs mean to the old man. Then the strike happens and they get their picture in the pape, and the boys can't help but smile each time they pass the framed copy of the sun in a place of pride behind Kloppman's desk on their way down the stairs every morning.
I think that once the fervor of the strike settles down, a couple of the boys get the idea that they don't really need to save pennies anymore now that they've got our man Denton and his camera... Photos slowly pile up, lining the shelves and papering the walls, until Kloppman has more photographs than ever before. And he treasures every single one of them.
This is the prologue to a series inspired by @newsiesiswhyimhere. I quite like it. No trigger warnings so go get some water and read as much as you would like!
——
“Fine. But you will never work for me again.” Pulitzer huffs, his face wrinkled in disgust as he snaps his wrist towards Hannah in a command. The girl, barely 20 looks in confusion towards her employer. “The circus,” she nods and looks towards one of the many filing cabinets and opens a drawer.
It wasn't a very big circus, even in its prime. But why would he want the deed now? All the actors had left in the past year. To be honest, only the main tent, costumes, and a couple of stands remained. And even then, just about everything would need to be replaced due to rot and decay.
So why would Pulitzer want it now? That question passed the girl's face as she set the circus’ file on the desk in front of the man in question before returning to her spot behind his chair, gazing towards the man with salt and pepper hair.
The man was maybe in his 50’s and even for a man more than twice her age, Hannah could tell his eyes were kind behind the silver glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. A slightly receding hairline was revealed as the man held his hat in his hands in front of his employers.
Kloppmann opened his mouth before Pulitzer sneered at him “You will never speak of this incident and in exchange you will take this wonderful circus. Because of this, you will never associate with The World again, regardless of how business goes.” The man said, turning the deed towards the man in front of him. “Just sign here and you'll be on your way.”
And he did.
Kloppmann left his now ex employers office without a job but the hope of owning his own circus. That excitement lasted as he used his last two coins for a bus ticket to his new property. A young boy got on with him, having a bit of difficulty getting up the stairs with his crutch. The older man patted the spot next to him as the boy looked for a place to sit.
“All by yourself? You got somewhere to go?” Kloppmann asked the little boy next to him.
“Yeah, me and a few friends are staying in the park.” The little blond headed boy beamed at him, clearly proud that someone would listen.
“Well, do you and your friends have any way to make money?” He asked, gaining concern at no mention of parents.
Kloppmann wasn't rich by any means but he had always had some sort of roof over his head. If this little boy had no parents and was living in the park then he had to do something, right?
“You seem like a very nice young boy, how about you and your friends come and work for me? At my circus.”
The boy's eyes lit up even more (if that was even possible) and looked in awe “You have a circus!”
“Yep I-” He paused, remembering Pulitzer's works, “I just bought it, going to check it out now if you'd like to join me.”
“It's a deal.” The little boy grinned, showing the spot where a missing tooth would be as he stuck his hand out. “Im Crutchie”
“Kloppmann”
-----
The 53 year old and the 7 year old stepped off the bus blocks away from the original destination. Instead they decided that that would gather the group of boys that Crutchie called a family to go towards the circus together.
A little boy stood next to the entrance of the park. He had ginger hair with a ratty old baseball cap on backwards. He looked about a year or two older than the boy at Kloppmann’s side but still quickly moved to shield the boy from him.
“Crutch, Who’s this?” The little ginger asked, trying to intimidate the man but failing majorly.
“Albert, this is Mr. Kloppmann. He's gonna give us a job at his circus.” The little blond smiled, putting his hands on Albert’s arm.
“You don't have to if you don't want to.” Kloppmann responded, kneeling in front of the little ginger, wanting him to feel as comfortable as possible with him.
“Would we be paid?” Albert asked, still skeptical but letting his guard down partially.
“As much as I would be able to. And you would be able to live at the circus full time if you'd like.”
“Fine, I’ll do it. But you take all of us or none of us.”
“I will take everyone that would like to.”
“You need to talk to Jack then.” The ginger said, gesturing for him to follow.
The weirdest looking trio made their way into the park. It wasn't a very large park but it made Kloppmann bittersweet. It was identical to the park that he had played at with his son some 20 years ago.
He remembered the little boy missing his two front teeth, scared to go on the monkey bars but refused to admit it as he held onto his fathers leg.
Kloppmann looked away from the playground, trying not to remember his boy as he followed the two past the playground further into the park towards one of the thick collections of trees. On further inspection, there were two trees that grew towards each other, creating a short semicircle not much more than 5 feet tall.
But it was the perfect height for two small children. Although it took Kloppmann much more effort to hunch down to move through the entrance.
Inside the ring of trees could only be explained in two words.
Headache inducing.
Some 10 boys were running around and getting into trouble whilst also having an almost choreographed nature. Crutchie looked around the clearing before approaching a brunette haired boy that was hunched over on a stump, sucking on his finger with a sewing needle next to him.
“Poke yourself again?” The little blond boy grinned, moving the needle before resting his legs next to the brunette.
“Mhm. But hey, it was only for the second time today. Have fun on your walk?”
“Yeah, I got all the way past main street before I got tired.” The little blond grins slightly bouncing up and down as he looked around the grove “Where’s Jack?”
“I think he’s hanging out with Racer. Maybe getting some planning done down at the creek. Why?”
“Well my dear Buttons, I got a job.”
“Really? To do what?” The Sewist laughed.
“To work at his circus. And he's willing to hire all of us.”
Buttons looked at him, skeptical of that but shrugged at letting the three go on their way as he picked his needle back up.
---
A brunette, maybe 10, and a blond, about 9, sat on a log together over a river. Their shoes were left on the bank, allowing their feet to hang in the stream, surrounded by trees as they talked about something unintelligible by Kloppmann, Crutchie, and Albert about 20 feet away.
“Jack! I need to talk to you!” Crutchie yelled to get one of the boys' attention.
The two grinned, being pulled away from their conversations as the Brunette stood and grabbed his shoes off the bank of the river, making his way towards the odd trio with the blond following shortly after.
“Who’s this?” The brunette that Kloppmann assumed was Jack asked, his face hardening at the sight of him.
“Kloppmann, it's nice to meet you, Jack?” The older man extended his hand towards Jack who nodded and shook.
“Id like to offer you and your group a job. At my circus.”
“Paid?”
“Yes, you would be paid as much as possible as well as having the ability to live at the circus if needed.”
Jack thought it over before grabbing the blond that Kloppmann assumed was Racetrack and pulling him towards the treeline. The two spoke for quite a while before nodding.
“Alright, but only if we are fully paid and you take all of us.”
Kloppmann nodded.
---
After a meeting with the entire group, about all of the boys agreed to work at the circus. In theory it was perfect. A job, a home, and an income that would keep all of them together was exactly what the group had wanted.
That dream almost immediately shattered as the actual circus came into view. Or what should be a circus. In reality it was a couple of old, sun bleached buildings with chipped paint and trash. There were about 10 of these buildings, all built in a ring around a very depressing big top.
The fabric of the tent was so sun bleached that it was almost completely white, multiple holes littered the fabric and at least a fifth of the poles holding it up had collapsed.
As the mismatched group explored the property, many other things were found including a bunk room in the very back corner.
Kloppmann approached Jack as he was looking over one of the booths.
“I understand if you would like to back out. It wasn't what I thought it would be.”
“No. We agreed, we can make it work.” The boy said, looking up at the man with determination.
“I won't be able to pay you for quite a while.”
“You delivered on half the deal already. We have a job and a place to sleep, that's more than we had before.”
Kloppmann's smile turned bitter sweet as he ruffled the boy's hair and went to look at the bunk house.
In the first room there were three rows of bunk beds, totaling to about 15 sets of bunks in total. The second room had an office with a small bed and a desk. The third room was a communal washroom with sinks, toilets, and showers that all surprisingly worked but lacked hot water. Lukewarm at best.
---
“Alright everyone, go claim a bunk and then we’ll start working.” Kloppmann said after making sure that each bunk had a blanket.
The group of boys all went towards the building, claiming each bed with care and great consideration, like it was the first thing that was just theirs. And for a lot of them, it was.
Over the years Kloppmann would learn that majority of the boys had been abandoned or orphaned at a young age with only a few exceptions. To his surprise however, Crutchie was not on that list.
As time went on, the circus became much more put together. The buildings were sanded and repainted, the tent sewn up. Though it took at least 6 months, they were able to open to a medium sized crowd thanks to Crutchie’s advertising on the streets.
End of the prologue
concept
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Sometimes i feel bad for Kloppman because what do you mean he has to put up with the newsies all the time, he must be so tired. Just going up the stairs to check on them and he finds them sprinkling shreds of paper on a dead rat!? Or worried because Jack has been gone for days and it's raining pretty bad, only to find out he got freaking arrested!? Finding Snyder going through his freaking register one day, and looking for Jack for some reason!? The newsies really didn't appreciate how much Kloppman put up with.
There being a lodging house cat that sits on Kloppmans desk and is really good for when the younger newsies are going through stuff, Kloppman just dropping the cat on their bunk and it knows to cuddle up to whichever newsie needs her most in that moment. She's absolutely spoilt and when she's not helping out younger newsies or resting in Kloppmans seat, she's usually camped out wherever Crutchy is cause he gives the best scritches!
