Departed

Chapter 26: Keys to the Past

Morro's POV

     Nom was not as gruesome as I remembered it. In fact, it actually resembled a pleasant place to live.

     In my haunting memories, the orphanage towered high above all the other poorly assembled buildings. Its frequent deterioration caused for many leaky pipes or flaking paint. Most of the time the mistress of the orphanage made all the people who lived inside deal with these problems so she could save money. The whole town had the whole image as a rundown one, because the inmates at the orphanage were always scattered, painting, cleaning, and repairing anything that might need fixing. Because someone always fixed their problems for them at a little cost, most of the citizens of Nom didn't take care of their things, making the jobs for the unfortunate triple.

     I remember so much gloom inside where I used to stay. It was one of the reasons I thought I'd be better off fending for myself. Miss Hadley was strict, demanding, and put every idle man to work. At only seven years old I ran away, hoping to never see the horrid place again. Now, with Nom once again in front of me, I initially thought we had come to the wrong place.

     It was like modern technology had come in and swept over every resident. Here was a town that was well organized, polished with a proper look, and supporting a pleasing aesthetic. I nearly went slack-jawed just looking at it.

     "I didn't know your orphanage was in Nom." Cole's brows furrowed at the sight.

     "You know this place?"

     "Seliel lives here." Cole's stature did not change at the mention of her name. She seemed to have a connection with the ninja group, but apparently it wasn't because of anything romantic. "Her father is the mayor, which might be helpful for us. This town used to be a big nindroid sight before we cleaned them out. It's nice to see they've taken all that stuff down."

     "Speaking of history, 'my orphanage' wasn't just an orphanage." I said as we walked down the main paved road into town. "Miss Hadley welcomed all homeless people. She'd give them a roof over their heads, a bed to sleep on, and food three times a day. All she wanted in return was labor. She would hand out jobs around town to the different occupants and use the money they made to buy more food, supplies, et. cetera."

     As we strode through the town, I was still in awe of the different state of it. The roads weren't full of cracks. There were real streetlights and electronic signs. It looked normal, compared to the sights of Ninjago City, but I hadn't been to this town in over forty years. I rubbed my arms, looking at the citizens. They looked hygienic and happy. Everything was so different.

     "Seems fair." Cole led me down a set of roads, taking so many turns it felt akin to traveling through a maze.

     "It wasn't fair." I puffed as I attempted to catch up. "She made kids that could barely read work instead of go to school. Every bit of learning we had was shoved into the evening, right before we had to go to bed. It was all rushed, the food was terrible, and we never got a day off. It might have been a decent life for someone who was out of school and trying to find somewhere to stay while they were looking for a job, but for children? It wasn't fair at all. There's a reason I ran away."

     Cole didn't so much as glance my way after I was done ranting, but a few of the townspeople did. "When we you dropped off at the House for Homeless Hordes?"

     "When I was a baby."

     "If your orphanage is still standing, there might be records of your biological parent's names."

     "Yes." I understood why Cole was seen as a leader figure among the Ninja. He was as still as the earth, unmoving and focused. He didn't seem at all concerned with my past feelings and experiences; he only wanted to find the correct information and leave.