Lightning in a Bottle

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(Several hours earlier)

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(Several hours earlier)

"Come on in," Kit held the back of the hesitating child

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"Come on in," Kit held the back of the hesitating child. "Don't be shy."

"Sir," he said with nervous eyes, fixed towards the gleaming door of the restaurant. "I don't want to embarrass you."

"Huh?" Kit suddenly got confused. "How?"

"People will talk about you for being with a filthy child." Dash lowered down his face.

Kit just looked at the tormented young child with pity. The thing that Ynan said that he is not eating lunch during school days is so heart wrenching. How can God let someone, let alone an innocent child, suffer such fate? How can someone live an extremely deprived life? A life of misery, pain, hunger, and intense labor. That is exactly the reason why Kit became a Pediatrician, specializing in Juvenile Oncology, to help children going through a far worse battle --- cancer. With so many pains he saw in the eyes of his young patients, and the thought that sometimes he has no power to lift them out of that curse despite of him being the one capable to, helping by as simple as giving food should come naturally for him.

"Dash," Ynan called his attention with a smile. Then, he held out his hand, offering it to his friend. "Come. We have a lot of food."

Dash looked at Ynan's hand for a couple of seconds, pondering what he should do with it. His young mind wondered how can his seatmate, who he never talked to nor paid much attention to, offer the food in his table and friendship. Then he looked at Ynan in the eye, searching of any signs of mischief or naughtiness he usually sees in children who only wants to bully him, like how rich kids usually are. But none, all he sees is a pair of eyes motivated by sincerity. Can a rich and a poor kid really be friends? Dash's innocent brain struggled to answer his question. This defies all the laws of nature for him, he had always been looked down by both people and children who consider themselves above him, as if he's less of a human being. He's in so much dilemma that he just shove it all aside. So instead, he wobbly reached out for the hand offered by Ynan and clutched it. All of a sudden, as soon as their palms connected, he felt like a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders --- a wall crashed down. A wall he kept himself surrounded with.

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