Searching For A Home

Favor Por Favor

Sybil screamed as she dropped the basket of bread. Her hands were up to her chest as she stared down at a man lying on the side of the road.

"What is it, Sybil?" asked Countess Ella Hancock who stood behind her.

Sybil stepped aside so the Countess could see the man on the ground. The man got on one knee and brought out his cane to use as leverage and push himself up. The women both took a step back when they saw the shaggy man trying to balance himself.

"I'm sorry my Lady," said the man, who had a slight lisp as he spoke. "I didn't mean to startle you both."
"What were you doing on the ground?" asked Countess Ella.

The man had a slight smile on his face as he put a hand behind his head. "This is embarrassing. I seemed to have a moment of weakness and lost the energy to walk. I didn't believe there was anyone around so I took the opportunity to rest." He noticed the bread on the ground and tried to pick it up.

Sybil went forward and gathered the bread back into the basket.

"I'm sorry," said the man as he looked down at her.

"It's alright," said Sybil, standing up straight with her basket.

"May I ask, what happened to your leg?" asked Countess Ella.

The man put both hands on his cane to steady himself. "A parting gift from the Great War."

"You fought in the Great War?" said Sybil.

"I did. Terrible ordeal. I guess I should be happy to have come out of it alive. Many didn't."

"My husband also fought in the war," said Countess Ella. "He's told me many stories. Lost a lot of friends."

"We all did, my Lady," he said.

"Sybil, we should get going. Good luck on your travels, sir," she said with a nod of her head. She didn't wait for Sybil before turning around and walking away.

Sybil gave the man a look of pity but he only smiled at her. She pulled one loaf of bread and handed it to him. "Here you go."

The man was surprised as he took the bread. She smiled and began to walk away. He reached out to her. "Favor por favor," he said.

"Excuse me?" she said as she stopped to look back at him.

"Favor por favor," he repeated as he waved the bread at her. "A favour for a favour," he translated. "I'll pay you back for this one day. Thank you."

Sybil only gave him a smile before running off and catching up with her Countess.

***

It was the middle of the night when a knock on the door woke Sybil. She stayed in her bed stiff, not knowing what to do when she heard a familiar voice whisper her name. She got up, put a robe on, and went to open the door. It was James, the footman, who was standing at the other side. James was young, barely eighteen.

"I'm sorry for waking you so late, but I didn't know what to do," said James.

"What's wrong? Why are you even up this late?"

"I was out with the guys at the pub and we met this old war vet."

Sybil's mind quickly went to the man she saw earlier. "And?" she asked.

"Well, everyone else left, and me and the vet were the last ones out." He hesitated as he tried to come up with a way to tell the rest of the story. "I found out he had no place to stay and I offered he stay here."
"You did what?" said Sybil a little too loud.