Shadow of the Orphan

The Start of an Unpredictable Destiny

[The white diary is all penned in French according to the story. But as I myself am not French neither are my readers, hence, the book here is written in English for better understanding.]

That day was different from others. I again, took a chance to say hello to him after nearly two weeks. Too small I was to even step out of my house without my parents' permission, but yet then, I dared to do so. Lucius was cleaning the yard as always, with head low and dry eyes. He had no aims, no clue of life and above all, no one to speak to.

"Bonjour Lucius! What's up?" I said jumping cutely in an off-white frock. He turned towards me without any expressions and continued doing his work making me feel unimportant and really stupid. I again went in front of him to distract him from his work and mistakenly stepped on the dried leaves which he collected nearly after two hours of hard work. My jumping over the heap scattered it around. My lips were clinched tightly and eyes wide open, giving an expression of innocence. Whereas his one hand was on his hip and he stood by the support of the broom. He frowned at me and just indicated me to leave. And so, I went and sat on a garden seat beneath a huge Cherry tree with ripen big patches of lustful cherries inside the yard itself.

I have often seen his anger while fighting with Jason, his only so-called friend; but he never ever speaks loudly to me. He and Jason, both were English but no one knows how they ended up in a French Orphanage, 'La joie Orphelinat'. They both were brought up by an English warden, Ms. Laura Hemsworth. Lucius was really close to her and even did not had a Sr. Name and hence he got her last name which perfectly suits him 'Lucius Hemsworth'. Sadly, Ms. Laura died when he was 11; because of which he never learned French.

Lucius was a very lonely personality. Of course, a little boy, nearly of 16 years of age, left in a trash bin as a baby, who never saw his parents, can't really have anyone special to his heart. I always admired his contentment in the solitary hours in the afternoons. Sitting on the little stone steps outside the door of the orphanage, he just looked high in the sky and gazed the black crows flying with freedom. After some time, his warden came and slapped him tight, snatched him inside holding his dirty collar. It was like a daily routine. I always felt sad for him but could not really feel it as I have parents who loved me so much so, that I even take that for granted sometimes.

"Go home, Hazel." He said after finishing his scattered work again.

"Why? Can't I sit here for some more time? Sil' vous plait (please)." I requested in a baby voice with puppy eyes and he just gave an expression of boredom.

"Lucius! Veins, nettoyer le hall (come, clean the lobby)." That was Mrs. Edison. The strictest lady in that shelter. She had special grudges against Lucius because he tried to escape the walls twice in last four years.

"I said you must leave now. She doesn't like outsiders to stroll around." He said pushing me out and so, I ran outside the small broken gate where Adrien, the care taker, always sat there having peanuts. He was the one who always allowed me to step in.

Inside the little black gate, I saw Lucius arguing again with Mrs. Edison for he didn't wanted to clean the lobby after the whole yard, nearly, twice! She held his brown thick hair and pushed him in. He was struggling to release his hair but then I lost his sight as he went inside. I don't know why but my heart is so soft that I always get my eyes wet whenever I see such rude behaviour with him. I sniffed and wiped them off.

"Why do you ponder so much about that little rat? Ces gamins sanglants (these bloody kiddos), born on our heads bringing so much burden with them, deserves that kind of treatment. These little drops from your eyes are much worthy than wasting them on a stupid orphelin (orphan)." Adrien went on speaking all nonsense but nothing worked on me. He usually tried to explain me to ignore the orphans and live my own life but that really never changed me because I was always keen to call troubles since the day, we shifted from Dijon to Orléans.