Trail, To the Past

Chapter Seven: A sleepless night (Part 2)

Harry entered the kitchen and lighted up the stove. The heat quickly covered the whole small space as the boy closed all the windows and doors. He also found an old, rusty blanket below shacks of potatoes, but it didn't seem to make Harry mind at all.

He laid down, soon found his heavy eyes closed.

Jo crept through the hall alone in the darkness. Darkness had always been her friend, and she slightly went through it, just to find the kitchen was lighted up.

Could it be her mother? No, she shook her head, but out of both curiousity and scare, she peeked in, enough to see a figure sleeping soundly. The warmth she was waiting for came through the hole, and Jo just couldn't stop herself but entered the small space. There was her Harry, laying next to the stove with his eyes shut.

- Harry? - She called out. Her stomach suddenly grumbled, and that woke her friend.

Harry chuckled quietly, covering his grin with his left hand. His black eyes sparkled with sparkles like stars on the deep sky above their head, and Jo patted him silently.

- Why are you here?- She asked as her stomach grumbled pretty loud. - Did you hear Mrs. Galaxie yelling moments ago? She was not happy at all, let me warn you.

- Why don't you just call her Mother like other children do?

- Oh dear, I can't. I'm not like others out there, with happy parents and not crazy enough to hit their children for spilling water! - She sighed, almost yawning. There came a sudden scowl as she lied down. - I am hungry because my servants starved me!

- Poor girl, calm down. You got your mother...

- Once in forever!

- ... and spent time with your family. Do I have one? Appreciate what you are having!

- I am trying.

- No, Jo, you aren't. I am an orphan. You aren't. Life is bright. There is a future waiting for you before your eyes. - Harry said calmly.

Jo knew what she had just done.

Yes, he wasn't wrong a letter at all. She used to have something that he hadn't tasted yet. So why was she complaining? Although it was once for a while, even forever, but she tasted it. She wasn't an orphan.

- I am sorry...

- Oh stop. You are just too hungry. Come on, you wanna eat something?

- Yep! But Nancy the crooked cook won't leave me a piece or something! She just hates me, and how come I know why?

- Calm down! - Harry laughed. Playing with this impatient girl made him an advisor somehow unexpectedly. As he stood up, he gave Jo a small loaf of bread. - Eat this. Gotta fill your stomach before anything got in! 

- Aren't you saving this for breakfast? Nancy isn't that kind to leave you with roasted turkey, boy!

- It's you stomach that you have to take care of, Jo, not mine. I still got some money back for myself; I can buy bread for myself if I want to! Let me see, there are pots by the stove, might have porridge... or, let hope so...