HOME | DD

Description
Breaker Boys

“Youse a thief!” Massimo accused, his pug nose wrinkling in disgust. “Youse a thief, an’ don’t you dare deny it!”
“No, I ain’t!” Bo Novak whispered defiantly. He narrowed his eyes at Massimo’s nasty expression. “An’ don’t give me that ugly look, Massimo Vespucci, ‘cause it’s true!”
“Hey, shut up over there!” Mr. DeMann shouted. He stomped over to the boy and brandished his broom threatening, saying, “If I catch you two one more time—”
Mr. DeMann was unable to finish his threat, because two boys from Bo, Calvin Putter shrieked in agony. Every head in the breaker swiveled to Calvin’s location. Both of his feet were submerged in the chute, and what little area of his legs that were visible were splattered in blood. Calvin screamed in utmost pain, his screams sounding like that of a tortured animal. Into the chute he went, writhing and being mangled alive by the river of slate and coal. His journeyed ended when his skull slammed against a plank.
Mr. DeMann was up and over the boards in a speed astonishing for a man of his girth. He arrived at Calvin’s mangled torso and legs, pulled the boy out of the chute and laid him along the boards.
The damage was gruesome. Calvin’s legs were bent in awkward positions, both stripped of skin and muscle, and his coat was frayed and torn. Blood soaked his entire body. From Calvin’s temple, Bo saw a neat little crack in his skull. He blinked in horror, and turned his head from the scene.
Mr. DeMann pressed his fingers to Calvin’s neck. After a few moments, he stepped away. “He’s dead,” he said gruffly.
Bo, his feud with Massimo momentarily forgotten, shot his friend a look of pure horror. Massimo did the same, and together the two stared agape at Calvin’s body.
Behind them, tiny Kole Yaakov clasped a hand to his mouth and stifled a sob. Bo turned and patted his shoulder reassuringly, but the trauma in Kole’s eyes was something that couldn’t be moved easily.
The breaker was entirely silent for nearly a minute, what with the boys staring in grief at poor Calvin, and Mr. DeMann mulling over the solution to the sudden tragedy. Finally, with a rueful sigh and a choked tone, he waved his broom. “Off with yah buggers,” he muttered despondently. “It’s break time.”

Half an hour later, a horse-drawn ambulance and a paddy wagon arrived at the colliery. A man dressed in a derby and a perfectly ironed coat stepped out of the paddy wagon, and cast his eyes about the scene. His brow slightly furring, he crossed the yard to the entry of the Ewen Mines. A couple of drivers greeted him, and from there the three passed the mine to the breaker shed, where inside, Mr. DeMann was waiting with Calvin in a bag. From the ambulance, a man and a woman, stress and fatigue lining their faces, stepped outside and gazed around the colliery warily.
Bo watched the transition from a nearby pond. Behind him, the breaker boys swam in the dirty water, laughing and enjoying their break. Yet Bo was too shaken to join them.
How is it that these kids just saw their friend die, and be able to laugh ten minutes later? He mused. Their actions fazed him.
Kole approached Bo and placed his chin on Bo’s shoulder, staring at the couple with watery eyes. Bo mussed up the young boy’s hair, and sighed with defeat. “I know it’s rough, kid. Life’s rough.”
“Why does it gotta happen to us?” he choked.
Bo looked into the lines of Kole’s face. It was hard to remember he was only eight, yet Kole had the features of a man of eighty. He was only eight, but Kole had already seen the death of his brother share the same fate as Calvin. He was only eight, but Kole had toiled as a breaker for nearly a year—and he was the youngest boy in the Ewen mines. He was only eight, but Kole was destined for a short life.
Hot tears sprang in Bo’s eyes. He hurriedly wiped at his eyes, so that Kole wouldn’t see how his words affected him. Bo felt a small hand squeeze his arm, and heard Kole whisper courageously, “Don’t cry, Bo. It’ll get better. God gave yah a life so yah ken do somethin’ ‘portant widdit. We’ll get outta dese mines someday—an’ we’ll do somethin’ great.”
Bo tossed Kole a look of astonishment. It was a feat for any boy to write his name in the breaker, but it was a whole other accomplishment to say such strong words in this time of hardship.
“Where’d yah hear that?” he said, wowed.
Kole merely gave Bo a grin of admiration and chirped coarsely, “Who d’ya think, buddy? One the bestes an’ greatest of boys! We’se breaker boys’ got’sa stick together like glue, and only yah ken do it.”

Description
Breaker Boys

“Youse a thief!” Massimo accused, his pug nose wrinkling in disgust. “Youse a thief, an’ don’t you dare deny it!”
“No, I ain’t!” Bo Novak whispered defiantly. He narrowed his eyes at Massimo’s nasty expression. “An’ don’t give me that ugly look, Massimo Vespucci, ‘cause it’s true!”
“Hey, shut up over there!” Mr. DeMann shouted. He stomped over to the boy and brandished his broom threatening, saying, “If I catch you two one more time—”
Mr. DeMann was unable to finish his threat, because two boys from Bo, Calvin Putter shrieked in agony. Every head in the breaker swiveled to Calvin’s location. Both of his feet were submerged in the chute, and what little area of his legs that were visible were splattered in blood. Calvin screamed in utmost pain, his screams sounding like that of a tortured animal. Into the chute he went, writhing and being mangled alive by the river of slate and coal. His journeyed ended when his skull slammed against a plank.
Mr. DeMann was up and over the boards in a speed astonishing for a man of his girth. He arrived at Calvin’s mangled torso and legs, pulled the boy out of the chute and laid him along the boards.
The damage was gruesome. Calvin’s legs were bent in awkward positions, both stripped of skin and muscle, and his coat was frayed and torn. Blood soaked his entire body. From Calvin’s temple, Bo saw a neat little crack in his skull. He blinked in horror, and turned his head from the scene.
Mr. DeMann pressed his fingers to Calvin’s neck. After a few moments, he stepped away. “He’s dead,” he said gruffly.
Bo, his feud with Massimo momentarily forgotten, shot his friend a look of pure horror. Massimo did the same, and together the two stared agape at Calvin’s body.
Behind them, tiny Kole Yaakov clasped a hand to his mouth and stifled a sob. Bo turned and patted his shoulder reassuringly, but the trauma in Kole’s eyes was something that couldn’t be moved easily.
The breaker was entirely silent for nearly a minute, what with the boys staring in grief at poor Calvin, and Mr. DeMann mulling over the solution to the sudden tragedy. Finally, with a rueful sigh and a choked tone, he waved his broom. “Off with yah buggers,” he muttered despondently. “It’s break time.”

Half an hour later, a horse-drawn ambulance and a paddy wagon arrived at the colliery. A man dressed in a derby and a perfectly ironed coat stepped out of the paddy wagon, and cast his eyes about the scene. His brow slightly furring, he crossed the yard to the entry of the Ewen Mines. A couple of drivers greeted him, and from there the three passed the mine to the breaker shed, where inside, Mr. DeMann was waiting with Calvin in a bag. From the ambulance, a man and a woman, stress and fatigue lining their faces, stepped outside and gazed around the colliery warily.
Bo watched the transition from a nearby pond. Behind him, the breaker boys swam in the dirty water, laughing and enjoying their break. Yet Bo was too shaken to join them.
How is it that these kids just saw their friend die, and be able to laugh ten minutes later? He mused. Their actions fazed him.
Kole approached Bo and placed his chin on Bo’s shoulder, staring at the couple with watery eyes. Bo mussed up the young boy’s hair, and sighed with defeat. “I know it’s rough, kid. Life’s rough.”
“Why does it gotta happen to us?” he choked.
Bo looked into the lines of Kole’s face. It was hard to remember he was only eight, yet Kole had the features of a man of eighty. He was only eight, but Kole had already seen the death of his brother share the same fate as Calvin. He was only eight, but Kole had toiled as a breaker for nearly a year—and he was the youngest boy in the Ewen mines. He was only eight, but Kole was destined for a short life.
Hot tears sprang in Bo’s eyes. He hurriedly wiped at his eyes, so that Kole wouldn’t see how his words affected him. Bo felt a small hand squeeze his arm, and heard Kole whisper courageously, “Don’t cry, Bo. It’ll get better. God gave yah a life so yah ken do somethin’ ‘portant widdit. We’ll get outta dese mines someday—an’ we’ll do somethin’ great.”
Bo tossed Kole a look of astonishment. It was a feat for any boy to write his name in the breaker, but it was a whole other accomplishment to say such strong words in this time of hardship.
“Where’d yah hear that?” he said, wowed.
Kole merely gave Bo a grin of admiration and chirped coarsely, “Who d’ya think, buddy? One the bestes an’ greatest of boys! We’se breaker boys’ got’sa stick together like glue, and only yah ken do it.”