Because he loved him..

17. Pain

*How do you like Ray as a character? We are going to see more of him in this chapter.*

*Amay's point of view*

Ray visited us again last week. When I denied his proposal to live in the mansion, he left muttering about stupid twinks.

I smiled. Some things just never change. Though Ray had changed a lot. The fact that he cared about us enough to check up on us, every week was proof enough.

I sighed. I couldn't let Arlo go back into that dangerous world again. I even offered Ray to leave it all and start living with us but he just glared at me and left.

I think it is his defence mechanism. When things get too much for him, he sneer and scowls.

Dad leaving us was a surprise. He had become very fond of Arlo but every once in a while, he would stare at me and burst out into apologises, begging me to forgive him.

Three months ago, Dad went to sleep one night and didn't wake up the next morning. I cried and begged dad to wake up but he didn't.

A crowd of people gathered for his funeral. After he was buried, Mrs. Clay told them that I was a sinner of the worst sort and that I didn't deserve to live in the hallowed ground.

They threw me out and locked the cottage before I could even protest.I wasn't even allowed to pack my stuff.

I wanted to take a last walk up the hills, see my dad's room once again, pick up my mother's picture but I just nodded and walked out amidst shoves towards the gate of the church.

Arlo was clutching my hand painfully tightly during the whole ordeal but nobody paid him any attention. I was too numb to even cry by that time.

Mr. Rutherford found us walking near the school and offered us to live with him but I didn't want to ostracise him in the village.

Eventually we decided that we could stay at the school. We started living at the outhouse in the school compound. It was filled with construction paraphernalia but it provided us with shelter.

Arlo went to school and I tried to make the place more liveable. Then, on Mr. Rutherford's insistence, I resumed the responsibilities of the school's chairman.

Karim had established a foundation which paid for the school's expenses and Mr. Rutherford had been getting investments from his friends and socially responsible firms.

A month passed. With my salary, I added some renovations in the outhouse too and added another ceiling fan, a set of curtains and some furniture.

We bought some seeds of wildflowers and planted them around the outhouse. Sometimes, the children from the school would help as well.

Bees, butterflies and a myriad of winged insects would hover around. It looked beautiful. Our own little heaven.

The rabbits would run all around the compound and sometimes the children would chase them.

On the occasions, I would be late in feeding the ducks, they would strut over to the house demanding noisily that I feed them.

On cool evenings. I would sit with the ducks and the rabbits at the steps to the house, stroking their feathers and furs, gazing at the stars.