Nostalgia ~ TYTHAN

Prologue ~ Street Child

Heavy clouds are moving across the sky. Disastrous, black clouds that converge to a dense weather front. By now you should rather be at home.
A storm will come.
There is no sun all day long, and the wind is blowing strongly from the north. It rips the last, gnarled leaves from the trees, which are now falling to the ground and form a colorful carpet there. But this is also pretty much the only good thing at this time of the year. Autumn is coming to an end and it is getting cold. The leaves still look beautiful and you can watch the color play of nature every day again, as the landscapes change every day a bit more. It won't be long until the first snow falls.
No one will go on the streets the next weeks until the first winter markets open and the end of the year soon approaches. Because then, the beautiful white snow will fall and not this muddy, gray snow, which will fall on Earth in the next days. It becomes unpleasant at this time of year, so no one dares to go outside the door.
At least you should think so.

Today is one of the bad days when you should sit at home in front of the fireplace and enjoy a cup of tea, perhaps even a book and cuddling in a blanket. Every normal human being would do that... not Ethan.
Ethan has neither a fireplace, nor a tea, or even a cup. No blanket and no fire on which he could warm himself. He can not go home like other people when he is cold. Because he doesn't have a home.
He owns an old jacket, which he takes every day with him. Apart from his clothes he has nothing. But these fragments can no longer be designated by the word 'clothes'. He wears a thin lined sweater, with long sleeves, but they do not warm him much, as they get more and more open at the end. Torn, soiled trousers snuggles against his legs. And he has his jacket. But he has no more. Neither a scarf that could keep him warm or a cap for his cold ears and certainly not shoes. He did not even remember when he had shoes on the last time.

Yes, life is cruel. But that's the way it is. He is even lucky.
He has no problems coming through the day. People do not stare at him grumbling or scornful, they already know him. He is the only one with bright blue hair all over the city. You can't not see him, but he can not expect help either.
He used to ask himself regularly how people can be so cruel. He has watched the many men with an attache case, who seem to be hurrying from one place to the other. They could help him if they would want. But in their eyes, he is not worth anything. An unwanted child. A problem boy. Nothing.
But he does not care what other people think about him. He is old enough to know that the opinion of his fellow men is not the most important thing.
But... It is still a pity.

Everyone who runs past him has more than he does. A home and this ... this is the most important thing. If you have someone who is waiting for you at home and with whom you can spend the day...
He looks into the sky.
He wants that too. A home. A friend ... at least something more than now. It does not have to be much, he always came out with little.
His heart aches. It longs for what he might have had if it hadn't happened, as it has happened. If he did not have to look for a new place to sleep every night... if he would have a bed in which he could spend the night and start the next morning freshly into the day. If he did not have to fight for survival every day.
But yes... he's a fighter. Giving up ... that's a foreign word for him. He strikes through life. Whether if he is hungry, freezing or has not slept for days.
He unconsciously shakes his head.
He shouldn't constantly think about this 'what if'. It hurts him way too much. And right now... other thoughts should go through his head.
He's waiting for someone.