My Little Love Leti

Prologue

"Dear children, today we welcome another brother amongst us. He is named Brian Stein and he will live with us all from now. Please make him feel at home, children. Become his friend," announced sister, Ann.

A shivering young boy of barely four stood in the front next to the sister. His big round eyes were puffed as if he had cried recently. He kept looking down shyly as if he was scared of everyone. Occasionally he would look up furtively but if his eyes met someone they would be lowered immediately. He was like a frightened puppy. His tiny hands were clutching onto a threadbare teddy. It was clearly well used but well cared for going by the number of times it had been stitched. After the sister was done introducing him he walked down to sit on an empty seat next to another tiny girl his age. 

She had her black hair tied in pigtails and one of her teeth could be seen missing as she gave the boy a mischievously toothy smile. 

" Hello, My name is Leti, and what's yours?" 

"Dumb Leti didn't sister Ann just say his name is Brian?" interjected another young hellion.

"Shush jacky, the sisters told us to be his friend and they have taught us that to be friends with someone we have to tell each other our names and shake hands. So what is your name Brian?"

" Brian Stein," replied a flabbergasted Brian.

" And now we shake hands," Leti announced very solemnly.

The two kids shook their tiny hands together like it was a solemn promise. 

" And now we are friends forever. We must share our chocolates and sweets with each other forever," declared Leti.

"Hmph, more like you want him to give you extra sweets you piggy." snarked the boy called Jacky.

"Don't be mean Jacky."

"I'm not being mean."

" Calling someone names is mean. The sisters said so."

"I didn't call anyone names."

"Yes, you did. You called me a piggy."

"Because you are a piggy."

"Am not"

"You are. Little piggy Leti."

"Am not"

"You can have these sweets," Brian said quietly, "The sister gave them to me from the jar in her study."

"Were you crying? The sister only gives sweets from that jar when someone is upset," asked a concerned Letti.

"Of course he wasn't crying. He is a big boy and big boys don't cry." declared Jacky.

Brian's tiny ears turned red with embarrassment.

" Oh really then why did I hear you sniffling in your pillow on Saturday night when your Saturday ice cream treat fell down?" 

"I WAS NOT CRYING"

"YOU WERE"

"WAS NOT"

" How about you both share this treat and become friends again?" asked Brian quietly.

Distracted by the sweets the two kids stopped fighting.

"Are you sure you want to share it with us?" asked Letti with barely contained excitement.

Brian nodded quietly

" Oh Thank you, Thank you so much," an excited Letti hugged Brian.

Letti took the sweet and broke it into three tiny pieces and gave one to jacky and one to Brian and ate one herself.

" We are all friends now since we shared our candy with each other," announced Leti.

Jacky was about to say something when Sister Ann interrupted them, "Now now children no talking on the table, finish your dinner fast. Then bedtime for you young ones." 

After a rushed dinner and brushing teeth. The younger kids were hustled into their shared dormitory while the older kids stayed up a little longer in the common area. Brian had the empty bed below Letti's bunk bed. As the lights went out the kids settled down after hushed conversations and whispers and one by one they all fell asleep. But one tiny kid who had just lost his parents stayed awake as he sniffled into his pillow.

Leti was awoken by the sound of sniffling. Looking down she saw Brian shaking into his pillow as he clutched his teddy tightly. 

She climbed down quietly and climbed upon Brian's bed as he yelped with shock.

"Shush, it's me Leti. Why are you crying?"

Brian stayed silent

"Do you miss your mummy and papa?" asked Leti innocently.

After a moment's hesitation, Brian nodded.

"Don't worry we all miss mummy and daddy. Some of us don't even know who they are. But sister says that if we are good then we will get new mummies and daddies. But till you don't get a new mummy and daddy I will be your mummy."

Brian just looked at her quietly as she kept babbling on. 

" If you can't fall asleep I will tell you a story as mummies in my stories tell their babies. Once upon a time, there was a young girl called red riding hood ."

As Leti continued telling the story of red riding hood and the bad wolf Brian silently clutched her nightgown. Before long, both the children fell asleep Brian still clutching tightly onto Leti's nightgown.