Henry’s POV
Life treats us unfairly as we walked to the Bowen village to find a job, something for money, something for food and strength. We lost our hope, and all we drink for days was tears.
“We can’t just sit there waiting for something good to happen,” Alice said, “We should accept everything as if we chose it.”
I prevented tears from dropping, but I failed. And I say, “Where? how are we going to get a job?”
“There’s a big restaurant in the village, we might be lucky to find a job there,” she said, “It’s better than begging for Alms.”
“Everything would be fine,” I mumbled those words like a prayer.
“Don’t let anyone know your identity yet,” she said.
And I noded.
We walked through the morning light, we walked past villagers rushing to the market. Horses hoof, carts speed off and bicycles cycling by. We walked through the flying birds, and Alice coughed.
“Sorry,” I said
“I have looked at every face,” she said, “there’s no face that looks like my mother’s.”
“I saw a face that looks like hers,” I said and she looked at me. “Yes, the face is gazing at me right now.”
She smiled and says, “Thank you.”
I was happy as she smiled, I know her mother died for my sake, it’s all my fault that she cries, but now, I want to make her happy for the rest of my life. But what if she wants to marry me, what would I do? Would I break up with Sophia?, I thought. I direct my attention to a wall of a house near us, to avoid those difficult questions in form of thoughts. Looking at the wall, I saw the picture of the King’s daughter. “What does that mean?”
Alice looked at it too. “We should check.”
We walked near the paper and I read the words imprinted on it. “The king’s daughter would do birthday tomorrow. And Reuben would fight Roderigo and Santiago.! One person would fight two people.”
“Does that surprised you?” Alice asked, “It’s nothing to me.”
“Really?”
“Yea,” she said, “Reuben was a great fighter.”
“You mean he can win?”
“Yea, he’s the King’s favorite fighter. Back then, I always watch his fight before my mom relocates to the next village.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want you to see too much blood as a girl.”
“No, she relocated after my dad lost his life in the battle.”
“Omg, your father is a warrior?”
“Yes, he’s Reuben’s friend, but I don’t think Reuben can recognize my face again.”
“Tell me more please,” I said
She wore happy, as am eager to let her speak with an opening ear “Well, where should I start? I will start with his bird, Titanic.”
“Titanic?”
“Yes, my mom named the bird Titanic, because she tells the secret of the enemies.”
“Wow!”
“Does that surprised you?”
“Yes, yes, tell me more please,” I begged.
“My mom told me Santiago shoot Titanic on the battlefield,” she said, “Santiago betrayed my dad in the war, he killed my dad and put the crime on Rueben. The King was so furious that he ordered thousands of soldiers to kill Reuben, but he flees, but since then I haven’t heard anything about him. or about Titanic.”
“Omg”
“I missed my Dad and my Titanic when living with my mom, but now, I missed my mom when living with you.”
“It’s so painful,” I said, “Take heart dear.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. And I don’t need to take heart, because I don’t have a heart anymore,” she said and tears darted from her winsome eyes. “But am glad to see Reuben once again.”
“Santiago was wicked, Reuben must revenge.”
“Let’s forget about that for now,” she said, “we would go to see the fight in the palace tomorrow.”
“It’s going to be interesting,” I said.
“Sure,” she said as she walked into a house and I followed.
We stepped into a room filled with the aroma of stew, and I saw people sitting and eating.
“You must behave well,” she said, ” don’t forget who you are if you don’t want to die. Police always eat here.”
“I will,” I said
The chef comes near us and says “What do you want to buy?”
“We don’t buy anything, ” Alice said, “We are here to meet the boss.”
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Okay, ” she said, “Go over there.” She pointed to a corner.
“Thank you,” Alice said, looking at me, “Follow me.”
When we get there the woman looks old, and says, “what are you looking for here?”
“We want to speak to you madam,” Alice said
“Speak to me?”
“Yes,” she said
“What is the matter?”
“We want to to be working here,” she said
“Our parents had died, please help us,” I added, shedding tears.
*Oh I see,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “Can you two girls cooks?”
*Yes,” Alice said
“Can you wash plates well?”
“Yes,” we chorused
“Okay then,” she said, “before I accept you here, you guys have to learn some lessons.”
We exchanged glances.
“Will you do it?
We hesitate, and say, “Yes.”
“Okay then,” she said, “Follow me to the kitchen.”
We walked through a tining door and saw many chefs cooking, and the woman announced, “We have a newcomer here, and I would like to teach them some lessons which every one of you learned before I accepted you guys here.”
I breathe out, in anxiety because all of them are girls, and Alice looked at me, and by that, I knew what she meant, “Don’t mess up. Hide your identity.”
“What your name?” the woman asked
“I’m Alice.”
“I’m…” I said, trying to remember my fake name.
“Anabelle,” Alice bailed me out.
“Oh I see,” the woman said, adjusting her glasses, “I will start with Anabelle.”
One chef came to and bring a plate of pepper and hand it to me.
“Go and pour it into that boiling oil,” the woman commanded me
“Okay,” I said, walking there, I don’t know how to cook, and I am always afraid of boiling oil. When I reached there, I hesitate and then poured small pepper into the oil and I was scared of how much it sound, I was so scared that took two steps backward and everyone laughed except Alice, looking at me in pity.
“Anabelle failed,” the woman said, “I don’t need to waste time with both of you. You guys would be giving people food and be washing plates. Is that okay?”
“Okay,” Alice said
“So now, the work begins,” the woman said
We were given a white apron and a cap to wear, they taught us how to ask people what to eat, how to greet them with a smile. And not long after, we start doing the work.
The plates of food fell from my hands and the woman screamed, “You are going to pay this with your salary.”
“I’m sorry ma”
“You don’t need to tell that, you have a lot of opportunities to break many plates here, and at the end of the day, you will pay with your salary.”
After the day work, the woman gives us food to eat, and after eating, Alice says, “Can we sleep here?”
“You don’t have a house?”
“Yes, since our parents die.”
“That’s too painful,” the woman said, “You can sleep here. Between, my name is Dorcas. Bye,” the woman said and closed the door.
And here, we laid down on long benches.
“Don’t forget that we would go to the palace tomorrow,” I said.
“Why should I forget?”
“Thank You.”
“Welcome”
I tried to sleep but I can’t, I keep remembering Sophia, And I wondered if Erica died. I feel like going back home, but I can’t do that now. I don’t want to be arrested. I remembered the shooter and asked myself why did he shoot her in the first place? Who is he? Is he Benjamin? Benjamin can’t kill the love of his life
Alice says, “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“I know you are thinking of something,” ah said, “If we keep thinking, we would just waste time on what has already happened. And then thinking cannot change anything. It can only make it worse than before.”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t want to see your eyes open, ” she commanded.
I laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked, “If I slapped your face”
I smiled and say nothing.
“Sleep now”
I closed my eyes because I don’t want her to get angry or be thinking something bad. And not long after, night charmed my eyes and I was eroding into a different town of a dream.