"Gwen, may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
" What kind of dress shop operating at a place like this?!" Bertha who had been ranting all the way from the previous shop began to question Gwen's ability to memorized location of the said shop.
"Hmmm...A unique one" Gwen quipped from the other side.
"Gwen, are you sure this particular shop carries the latest fabrics that other shops do not have?" Lily who was quite throughout their entire walk also appeared to be skeptic about the dress shop.
"Of course ! Don't you guys believe in me?" Gwen retaliated with half disgruntled voice.
They had been walking further and further away from the Orchard Lane. If the Orchard Lane can be considered as shady alleyway littered with people of questionable characters, this place was straight out a rundown slum.
The place were gloomy and desolate. There was not much trading activities going around to began with. People of all ages were lying every nooks and cronies on the streets and street kids can be seen running around in tattered clothes. All of them had almost similar facial expression on them.
It was the face of people who lived a hard and difficult life. Every single one of them appeared gaunt-looking and haggard. They may have - indeed- seen hell on earth in this place.
"I am a tailor , I knew where dress maker got their fabrics from. This place is the located near the factory that produced the fabrics. This shop we're going to, have direct supply from the factory. They procured all the new fabrics faster and cheaper than anybody else. Not much people know about this!"
"It's alright Gwen. We know that we you are a reliable friend. don't get too upset" Charlotte tried to simmer down Gwen's anger.
"Look, why don't we go and get some fo…..Ouch!" Charlotte's sentence was cut off when her body was strongly pushed from her right side. She turned around to see the person who bumped into her just now. Charlotte was ready to face a gruff looking man who might wanted to rob money from her. In this kind of place, you'll never know what's waiting for them.
However, her face immediately changed after realizing that it was a trembling little girl who had bumped into her just. The girl was a petite little girl who was too afraid to lift her face as she may also expecting Charlotte's wrath.
Charlotte's felt terrible for suspecting that she was some kind of street thug just now.
"Ouhh…are you alright my dear?" Charlotte bent down and began to inspect every inch of the girl's body to see whether their little accident had caused any injury on her little body.
"I'm sorry Miss. I didn't see you cuz I was in hurry"
"It's alright my dear. I'm good" she tried to assure the little girl that all is well. She patted the girl on her head to appear less intimidating in front of her.
The girl mustered her courage and lifted her head. Charlotte was surprised to see a pair of beautiful green eyes were looking at her with such a innocent look.
The girl was probably around eight years old. She had a rambunctious brown , curly hair that she tried to styled into two neat pig tails. However, some of them stuck out of the braid making her looks much more unruly.
'What a beautiful child'. So does Charlotte thought.
"You are not anywhere right?"
The girl shook her head slowly.
"Now, go along. You were in hurry right?"
The little girl bid her goodbye and disappeared right after turned into the corner.
"Charlotte, you are too trustful" Gwen scolded her friend right after the girl was no longer within their sight.
"Yes. You might check your pocket to see whether you still have your money or not" Lily suggested.
" There's no way innocent looking little girl like her would pickpocket me. She was so...so ….adorable I-" Charlotte did not get to finish her sentence when she realized that her money was gone while she was patting her dress' pocket.
"My money!!"
Without even looking back at her friends, Charlotte sprinted toward the direction where the little girl taken earlier.
From her position, she could see the little girl's back and proceed to shout at her to return her money. Realizing that she was followed by Charlotte, the little girl began to scamper away.
Charlotte was -however- a fast runner and recognized as the fastest girl in her village. In a blink of an eye, she managed to caught the little girl who was now fleeting in her clutched.
"Let me go" the girl barked aggressively at Charlotte.
'Ahhh…so this is her real colour"
"Give me back my money" Not one to back down easily, Charlotte sternly demanded for her money. She worked hard on those money!
The girl tried to wiggle like a worm to get away from Charlotte's strong grip but to no avail.
"Stop struggling, you are going to twist your own wrist. It's better that you surrender and give my money back"
The girl stopped moving and sullenly threw Charlotte's money sack on the ground.
"Hey…that's not nice" Charlotte bent down to retrieved the sack without even letting go of her grip onto the girl's wrist.
"Let me go. I already gave you the money"
"No . I'm not going to. Now , listen and tried to be honest to me. Why did you steal my money?"
"Because I need them" she mumbled the words under her breath.
"Why do you need to steal. Where are your parents"
"I do not have one" The girl's face turned red and Charlotte realized that she had touched a very sensitive topic.
"Do you really need the money?
"Of course I am! We haven't got a decent meal in few weeks and my friend is sick" the little girl shouted the words right at Charlotte's face.
Looking at how desperate the girl was, Charlotte decided to trust her. She released the girl's wrist and took out several coins out of her money sack.
"Take this" she offered the coins to the little girl.
"Huh? Why are you giving me your money?" the girl's aggressive behaviour began to mellow down when she saw the coins.
"Take this and used it to buy food and medicine for your friends"
"Really?! You are giving this money to me?" the girl's eyes shone brightly as they darted back and forth between Charlotte's face and the coins.
"Yes. Of course. But, only if you promised me that you are going to spend them on necessities only"
"Of course I would!" the little girl exclaimed happily. She immediately took the coins from Charlotte's hand and counted them in front of her.
"What's your name?"
"Hyacinth"
"My name is Charlotte"
"Thank you Charlotte. With this money, I would be able to eat tonight" Hyacinth said excitedly while still looking down at the coins in her hands.
Charlotte could not help but to smile seeing genuine happiness radiated from the little girl's face. If only she have more money to help the girl and her friends…..wait! She can actually do that!
"Hyacinth, how much food do you need a day?"
"Huh?"
"Now, this may sound sudden, but if you and your friend are in need of food. I can help send you a few breads you know"
"Really?"
"Yes. Of course!"
" When can you send the food?"
"Hmm..tomorrow"
"Alright then, let's meet again at this place tomorrow. Don't forget to bring a lot of food for us" she stretched out her hand trying to do pinky promise with Charlotte in which she happily reciprocated
'So…Cute!!!!'