Old Home on the Old Hill

On the Streets

That day, the market was bustling with people. Everyone seemed so busy that day. As if, no one would notice one small kid taking some food for her and her friends. The merchant seemed distracted with a potential customer.

"Eden!" I remember nudging Eden to go for the bread despite not having received the signal from Blake who was crouched on the other side of the stand, hiding in the sea of people. My greed had gotten the best of me---perhaps it was my hunger, my greed to survive.

Almost as soon as Eden had his hands on, the merchant's hand shot over and grabbed Eden.

"Oi! You little shit! What do you think you're doing, eh?!" The merchant interrogated Eden, Eden was thin so he was essentially hanging in the air by his arm. "You think you little insignificant, worst-off-than-rats ass bastards can steal from me?!" The man's other hand reached for his blunt cleaver. I knew exactly what was going to happen but I did not protest. I was frozen in fear. Eden could not get any words out, anything he could get out was a mumble, stifled in this bustling environment. 

"Sir! What do you think you're doing there?!" A young lady interjected. She was well-dressed, like she was a part of the bourgeoisie, not quite nobility, yet not quite poor to be on common footing with the average commoner. 

"You stay out of this, lady! I'm just teaching this vermin' a little lesson, and giving an example to all those other little bastards a lesson!" He pointed his cleaver at the lady as he screamed and turned red.

"Well, do you think anyone would want their bread from a stand that has committed something so gruesome? To eat bread with someone else's blood? Much less a little vermin bastard as you put it?" The man faltered slightly at the lady's questions. "I myself, wouldn't want my good to be sullied by the blood of immoral children, much less have my bread sliced with the same contaminated knife."

"I-I...suppose..."

"How about you let the child go, and I'll pay for the bread that the child has touched."

"That is...acceptable." The man released Eden from his grasp. Eden stumbled as he walked towards me, he knocked me out of my trance and we quickly made off back to our little nook in the allies.

It was the same familiar streets we were accustomed to, people lying on the floor. Flies pestering about the ill, many of whom weakly coughing. They were all just waiting for the inevitable, slowly and painfully. A couple of whores were about as usual but they never paid much attention to anything. Unlike the prostitutes nobles ordered, these women weren't cultured, they weren't hygienic in any way. Most of them were scarred with most of their front teeth missing and much of their hair cut off.

Taking the many twists and turns, we were finally back in our little corner. This was what most of the alleyway folks called the "orphan" corner. Most abandoned orphans die in this corner of the alleys, but for the few that do make it, they either end up whoring themselves out or becoming a petty thief with a short life.

We had come back empty-handed. We had four mouths to feed. It was myself, Blake, Eden, and the young and sick Arie. 

"What...was...that..." Eden's voice was low and raspy. He was conserving his energy but his rage still seeped through. 

"...I...I..."

Eden dropped to the ground to be next to Arie. She was quite young so we all knew she probably wouldn't make it. We were all steeling ourselves for the inevitable.

"Haa.... Are you children alright?"

Eden extended his arms to block Arie and Blake stood in front of me. It was the lady from the market. The lady took quick notice of Arie.

"Children, I might be of some service here. I know I might seem strange to you, but I can help her." The lady said with a gentle tone. She lowered herself to the ground to be on eye level with Eden as she spoke. "I have a house, just outside the village. You can all come, I can help her and you guys can stay there for a while."

Eden glanced over at Blake, and Blake nodded. 

We followed the lady home and she stayed true to her word. Her name was Kasey. She not only took care of Arie but she clothed, fed, and gave us a place to stay. Two weeks had passed and Arie was back to normal. She was back to her energetic self, running and playing around the front of the house. 

"Thank you, umm...Mrs.Kasey, for all that you've done for us." Eden bowed to her.

"It's what I should do for you children as an adult."

"Mama, it's been great playing with ya for the last few weeks!"

"Arie, Leni, Blake, you should all thank Mrs.Kasey for all that she has done for us for the pass two weeks." Eden urged. He gathered us and had us bow in gratitude for her.

"You know, you don't have to leave. You can stay here for as long as you need, all that I ask is that you help me around the house."

"Re-Really?" I was surprised at such an offer. No one would ever offer up their home to alleyway orphaned children.

"Yes, stay here for as long as you need."

Kasey ended up taking all four of us into her home. We played, we studied, and we watched and learned about basic medicinal herbs from her. She was not just a random lady, she was family, she was our mother. We went from being four orphaned children with a tenuous relationship to becoming a family.