When he reached the place where he had left the baby, he went into the grass and took her in his arms. She was still breathing, but she was motionless. She looked like a little porcelain doll.
The worm man put his jacket back on and hid the baby in his chest. Without wasting any time, he headed for the circus. When he arrived, he carefully slipped into his little tent. He could not allow his other companions to see him. Some might keep the secret. However, others would not hesitate to tell Lucifer.
He needed to keep the little girl warm, so he decided to bring a couple of lit pieces of wood that were on the stove in the kitchen area. He put them on an iron surface and created a small heat source. He quickly placed the baby next to the fireplace he had made himself.
Little by little, the heat was surrounding the little girl's body. Her previously whitish cheeks became pinkish. The baby began to move his extremities and soon began to cry in desperation. The worm man did not know what to do, he tried to calm her crying, but nothing worked. If she continued to cry like that, they would soon be discovered.
"Why are you crying, baby? Brrr, brrr, brrr." The worm man funnily asked the baby. He wanted to make her laugh. Even though he was making a superhuman effort to be pleasant, this made the baby cry even more.
'Damn it. I shouldn't have brought her here. If she doesn't stop crying, I'm going to get caught.' Thought the worm man.
'I know! She must be hungry.' This thought came like lightning to his mind. He quickly hid the baby as best he could and went out in search of milk.
He returned a few minutes later with a jug of milk. He took the baby and gave it directly from the jar, Big mistake. He tipped the jug so far that it almost drowned the baby, who started coughing uncontrollably.
"No, no, no. Don't die. He said as he patted her on the back. When she finally stopped coughing, he looked for another way to feed her. He put a finger in the milk and then put it on the baby's lips. That way, she could eat without choking.
When she was satisfied, the little girl fell asleep in his arms. He stared at her as if no one else existed. It was not fair, that little being deserved a good life. A life that he was not able to give her. Thinking about this, he decided to rely on Jonah and Evangeline to help him make the most sensible decision.
"That's why you had no clothes and came back to town a long time ago. You came back for her," said Jonah thoughtfully, as the worm man told him and Evangeline everything that was happening.
"I need you to help me save her. I don't know-how. Please."
"While I lived in my adoptive parents' house, I heard babies being left at night on the doorsteps of people who could not have children." He was quick to say Jonah.
"I think that's a great idea. We don't have a show tonight. So, we can do it today. The sooner, the better. I don't want to keep her here too long," said the worm man.
"I'm sorry, guys, but I won't be able to join you. I'm not feeling well," said Evangeline, who had been silent since she arrived. After saying these words, she left.
We must go and talk to her."
"No, Jonah. Soon it will be dark. We have almost no time left. We'll talk to her later."
"You are right. We must come up with a plan."
"We'll leave now and hide on the outskirts of town until nightfall. Once we are there, we will decide what to do. Which family to give this baby to."
Jonah and the worm man carefully left the circus and headed into town. When they were close, they hid behind some bushes.
"I'm surprised you decided to help this baby. I would have expected it from anyone but you." Jonah whispered.
"I'm surprised, too. My conscience wouldn't let me abandon her. I thought humanity disappears with death.
"This only proves that you can be good. That you must stop tormenting yourself with memories that you don't even know are real."
"Maybe you are right, but doing something like this takes time. It's many years of judging myself."
"You'll make it, I'm sure."
They talked for a long time until it finally got dark. At night things were a little more difficult for them. Because of the appearance, they could not be seen by anyone.
Jonah held the baby while the worm man crawled on the ground. Carefully they began to look out the windows that were lit up. They wanted to find a house where they would look sad and desolate.
In the first house, they went to everyone, was happy and laughing as they ate dinner. Everything seemed perfect. If they left the child there, they would surely take her to an orphanage. Jonah didn't like this idea at all because it was in an orphanage that his horrible adoptive parents found him.
The second house was the opposite of the previous one. The atmosphere was tense, as everyone was arguing with each other. The wife complained to her husband about being a good-for-nothing, unable to bring enough money into the house. She said she felt ashamed of having to dress her children in such rags.
That night they looked out the windows of many houses. However, no family could convince them. Some were too perfect, while others were lacking in love, full of despair and misery.
Already tired, they decided to look out the window of one of the last houses in the village. In the kitchen, a woman in her forties was preparing dinner with her husband. Both seemed to be happy. They served dinner and went to the dining room to taste what they had prepared.
Jonah and the worm man were waiting for their children to arrive to join them for dinner, but they never showed up. Although both seemed to be happy in each other's company, the glimmer of loneliness shone in their eyes.
They looked into each other's eyes and realized that this was the right family. They were sure that the presence of a baby would bring much joy to the life of that marriage. They put the baby on the door and knocked hard. Hearing footsteps approaching the entrance, they quickly walked away. Soon they could hear the sound of the married couple's laughter. At that moment, they realized they had done the right thing.