The memories of Adaline (Jacob Frye x OC)

Chapter 7; Ash and amber

Ash and amber
April 1862

It has been almost six months since my last visit to Italia. I missed Matteo, and I also missed Firenze. It's true, I had company in London, mainly Eleanor, yet I still felt that something was missing. Missing from my home, to be exact.

Every morning when I wake up in my bed, my eyes often wander to my armchair near the window. I usually sat there when I read for hours. However, in recent months I often felt that something was missing from there. And no, that something was not Matteo. Sometimes I left a blanket there, in the armchair, to see if the strange feeling would go away, but in vain. So, I tried not to pay attention...

April was coming to its end, when I visited my mother at the graveyard. I was about to leave when the rain started. The sky over London had been grey since early morning, but I didn't really expect anything more than cool wind. I didn't see a horse-drawn carriage nearby, and anyway I was sure that the rain would stop within minutes, so I took cover. I found shelter in an abandoned store.

Minutes passed and I was waiting with patience. I was thinking about exploring the store, which was a bakery when I was a child, but before I could touch anything I heard a strange noise. Glancing to the side, my gaze wandered to an empty, rusty tin can that was rolling out from behind a wooden barrel, followed by a skinny kitten. He sniffed the can that might once have contained minced pork or tomatoes, but as soon as he noticed that someone is watching him he ran back into his hideout.

"Don't run away, I will not hurt you!" I told him, not caring that he didn't understand my words, because I thought it was enough for him to feel some kindness in my voice. The little cat did not come out, and he chose a hiding place that was not easy to approach. A large pile consisting of pieces of furniture thrown on top of each other, mainly chairs and shelves. Once he poked his head out on the other side of the pile, and then when I went there, I saw his tail on the top of a sideboard with its broken door, but later I didn't see him again.

In the meantime, the rain stopped and I left the abandoned bakery, but as soon as I got home I came back and not empty-handed. I arrived with the wicker basket with which I usually visited the poor families of the streets in Whitechapel. At those hours, my basket always contained clean water, fresh milk, crispy bread and some ham. It was the same now, with the difference that I brought only a little of everything. I brought water, milk and ham for the kitten, so that I could lure him out of its hiding place, while I brought the bread for myself, because I knew that maybe hours would pass before I succeed. And I was right...

I had been sitting on one of the rickety chairs next to a dust covered table for almost two hours when the skinny kitten finally came out. He was very afraid, it was obvious. Even the blind could see that he was starving and yet, it took him almost two hours to follow the delicious smell of the smoked ham.

"That ham is from Mr Millbrook's butcher shop, so I would appreciate if it did not go to waste." I nodded towards the ham on the old newspaper, then the little one licked his mouth. I put the water in a plate and the milk in a bowl for him, because those were the only ones I found in the abandoned bakery. The kitten was still afraid of me, but he was very hungry, so finally he came closer and started to drink the milk. He was so lost in the delicious taste that at first he didn't even notice that I was approaching him from behind. With slow, silent steps, but before I could catch the little fur ball, he ran away. "Look! I can't come here every day, these streets are dangerous for a young lady like me. What's more! I can't steal for you smoked ham every day, because if Aunt Martha finds out, then..." while the kitten was hiding from me under the pile, I decided not to finish my complaint, because I did not see the point of explaining myself. Minutes passed before I saw him again. This time, he started eating the ham, I let him eat it all and caught him only at the last second. Carefully, but firmly. And of course, he did not like it. He tried to get out of my hands, hissed at me with anger and even bit my finger once. "OUCH! Stop it! Or I will leave you here and I guarantee that you will starve to death." I warned him as I stroked his ash grey fur. It was as soft as if I was caressing the clouds. It took some time, but eventually the kitten calmed down. He understood that I am harmless, I wanted to help him. I let him drink the rest of the milk from the bowl, and then put him into my basket, which I covered with a tea towel to hide him from curious eyes. I brushed the dust off my dress, left the abandoned bakery, and then hired a carriage at the end of the street.