Chapter 1

Old Life and New Life.

 

By Julien Roy Edited By Julien Idea by Julien Made by Julien Had help with Marlowe Glass, Dan Raphael, Wyatt Wolfman and Hudson Kassen and Julien Roy.

 

It was hard making the change. But there is nothing there for me in… in Denmark. I lived in a city in Mauretania. It was beautiful there. But it was bringing back thoughts that I don’t need. The day my son died.

 

“Get back to work.” I hear down the hall as I’m sweeping the floor. A 49 year-old can hear a lot more than he thinks. I yell at them to keep it down in there. I am a Danish immigrant. Named Martin Garrick I’ve been living in New York for some time now, maybe three months.

 

I’m a landlord at 123 Mulberry St. I got it when I came here from my dad. He died the day I got here. I have a huge temper. Came here for pleasure and therapy. To forget the past. I keep hearing eerie screams of a tenant who is mad at a worker in a home sweatshop. Sweatshops. Horrible things they are. They are filled of diseases and have no safety. The workers are mostly immigrants. Komme herover dig fedt svinefedt. I say in Danish (means get over here you). A little fat kid wattles over to me he ask what do I want. I tell him that his father needs to, hold kæft (be quite). Again I say in danish.

 

“få mig tre øl nu,” (get me three beers now) I say in the pub. One of the tenants of my building serves me a cold one. As they say in the new world. I don’t know why I am drinking. I hate drinking. Booze is disgusting,  In a few years maybe in  twenty years there will be a prohibition on alcohol. I go to bed that night, it feels strange. Like the first night. The first night is always the hardest. No matter how tough you are you cry. It’s impossible not to cry. You always miss your village, your house and most of all your family. And you get a big painful ache.

 

Dagbog 25 Marts (Journal entry March 25) I take a break off work on saturday. They let me. I hate working and it never gets better. I work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, because I need to get money to make the “tenement” better.
The owners look like devils. It’s kind of gross. I wake up and go to my English class, I haven’t finished yet and it is very hard for me to pronounce some letters.

 

After class is done, it is lunch time I eat a Russian meal, for some reason I really like Russian food it has a taste that lingers in your mouth that I love. It is hard for me to communicate with people sometimes. I remember something my father told me by letter. He said that this man named Jacob Riis came in on his first night. He came up to the roof and took a picture of them. Then he said something to my father like “In the stifling July nights…, men and women lie restless, sweltering rows, panting for air and sleep.” That is what I think it was, and now I realize it’s true. It’s all true.

 

I take a walk near my factory around 4:30 because I have a break today. As I am walking I hear the fire alarm and fire trucks. Going to the factory I run as fast as I can. I see blood every where from the women and little girls who jump out the window. Everything slows down, I hear screams from everywhere. I see the fire escape fall off the building. Blood splats on my face. I see a little girl with a metal rod through her chest. I scream and scream. I wipe blood from my face. I start to cry, I knew that little girl. I don’t remember but I know her, maybe she lived in my home town.

 

26 marts (March 26) I wake up with the memory of the girl. She is stuck in my mind. I can’t go to work today. My work burned down. Right in front of me.

Chapter 2

Funerals, Friends and Strikes.

 

It was hard to convince me to go to the funeral. Gud bor sammen med os alle. (God live with all of us) It was from the funeral. I can’t get it out. For some reason I can’t get it out. It was hard not to cry, but I managed. 146 people died. I can’t believe it. It was scary that almost 10,000 people came.

 

I walk home and I hear something, it sounds like chanting. I walk over to where I hear it and it is a group of picketers. I see a little kid with a doll. He walks up to me. He says mit navn er Julien Roy (My name is Julien Roy) {danish}. He look up to me and says. Jeg skulle møde dig (I am supposed to meet you).

 

I take the kid in my tenement. I ask him if he wants to stay for a few nights. He says yes. In English. He asked me for a bath. I agreed he looked hideous. It was gross how much dirt he had on him. He took two baths. Then cleaned the bath. I told him he can sleep on the couch for two nights and then he will have to pay a rent and then he have to get a job.

 

I was walking down the street when this kid from Romania bumps into me and I feel a hand in my pocket, I ask him what his name is. He says it is Troy. I say if he ever tries to pick-pocket me again I will punch him. I walk down the block and I see a protest. Just what I wanted. I emerge the picket line. I swear, sweatshops you better be aware.

 

The cobbled streets. The endless monotonous rows of tenement building that shut out the sky… Dank hallways. Long flights of wooden stairs and the toilet in the hall. And the water, which to my mother was one of the great wonders of America-water with just a twist of a handle, and only a few paces from the kitchen. -Leonard Covello

 

I awoke that morning feeling that there was actual food in the tenement. I look up and Julien has made me a full breakfast. Asked him how I got here. He says he dragged me from t

 

he bar. He says it was hard. I took it as an insult. I woke up and he asked me if he can go protest with me. I say no. He might get arrested. I can’t do that to him.

 

I come back and I see the kid with a peddler cart and a bunch of money. I asked him how he got the pushcart to the third floor. He says he got people to help him. I asked him where he got the money. He says he sold his fruit and vegetables. I think he was lying. I asked him if he wanted to go out for dinner. He says yes, but he adds my treat. I give him a hug.

 

We go out for dinner at a Danish place. Julien says that he missed   Danish food. As we are walking home he hugs me and starts crying. I slowly pat him on the back. I ask him whats the matter. He says he misses his mamà. He calls me “papa.” He is a good boy, a good boy. When we get home. I put him to bed. I stroke his hair. Then I go to bed.

Chapter 3

New Arrivals,An Moma

 

I wake up and one of my tenants is in my face. He is telling me I should fix the water. All I hear is “wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk wonk, there is a  woman down stairs waiting for a kid.” The tenant said.

 

I wake Julien and tell him his mom is down stairs. He runs to the dark weary stairs. It was kind of scary how fast he ran. The mom looked nothing like him but the dad did. It looks like he has a older brother. His brother walks up and says “We are very thankful for what you have done for Julien.”

 

I go back upstairs and I say to the tenant. You can fix it your self just hit the handle. Then I hear “Get over her nu.” And the fat kid wattles over to the door. He says I ain’t doing anything for you right now. So stop honking your mouth. Just as I am opening my door Julien runs up and gives me a necklace that he was wearing while we were eating dinner. He says thanks and runs down the stairs.

 

Chapter 4

Gangs and bats.

 

I put the necklace in the drawer. It was where my wife’s wedding ring was. She died with our son. I take a step back and I bump into someone.  Then I remembered that the tenement inspectors were coming. They give me a sheet with a B. That’s better then I got last time. I got an F last time.

 

They said that none of the sinks work. I said you didn’t hit the sink before you turn it on. They said I didn’t tell people they can not have rag piles. I said I did it yesterday. They say there are rats. I said that you are as dumb as a rat and you were looking at your foot. Then they walked down stairs and left.

 

At least my tenement is better than 1879. Oh I saw pictures. It was terrible. I think I would die if I lived in one. Now we have toilets and no outhouses.

Chapter 5

The End.

 

I have a bad case of wasting disease. I cough blood every few seconds and I can’t see straight. I might have to stop journaling for a few years.

 

Chapter 6

40 Years Later.

 

Good bye world. Son I am on my way. I can’t wait to see you. It has been such a 6pleasure living in this world and I wish to stay no more. I will meet you. And I promise to bring you and Aia something. All I remember is taking the boat here.

 

Men wait. We are about to reach land come here and get the anchor ready.

 

It was hell for me. But after that I got to see my father. It was great. Now I will ask the doctor if he will put me down. I can’t wait to see you and. Huh Huh. And he breathed his last breath of air. And then died.

 

(Narrator/Julien) He was a hero to me. He took me in and saved me from starvation. He gave a necklace that he owned. He said it when I gave him a necklace. He has a place in my heart. Good bye Martin. Good bye.

 

The End!