First Encounters

Capítulo 1 sem título

Eleazar left Miriam a note, in case she returned home before him. She'd gone to retrieve some books for her research, leaving him to his own devices that day.

He left for the market, to get some fresh food for the day. It was a small market with only a handful of vendors, but it was enough to supply that London neighbourhood.

As he arrived, he noticed some boys unloading a cart. One of them stumbled while carrying a heavy sack of potatoes, and Eleazar rushed to help.

"Do you need help carrying it?" Eleazar asked, holding out a hand to reach the sack.

"You shouldn't help me, sir. First, because you're a customer, and your clothes would get stained with soil."

He looked at the boy, who didn't look older than twelve. His hair was blond and almost shoulder length, covered by a flat cap. He wore a blue stained shirt and dark trousers. He could see the boy's sad eyes through his soiled glasses.

"What is your name?" Eleazar asked the boy, who had set the sack on the ground and was wiping his glasses.

"My name is Philip, sir."

"I'm Eleazar." the older man said with a smile.

"I need to hurry, or the boss will come and punish me for slacking." Philip said, picking up the sack and holding it over his shoulder. "I hope I see you again."

Eleazar said goodbye to Philip, then ran his errands. He couldn't stop thinking about the boy.

Miriam and he had never had children, but he had liked Philip. By the way the boy had spoken, and by the fact that he was working at the market, he didn't seem to have a family.

He wanted to introduce Miriam to him, she had the power to win over almost anyone. And Philip needed someone who cared about him. It seemed like a good idea.