Narrator: With Ryan on his way to the front gate to meet the college staff it can be said Ryan's story is just beginning to unfold. However back at the tent, the conversation continued with the Marry family. The fact that Ryan was unaware of who he had just met pulled more on the staff than himself.
As soon as the young lady had pushed Ryan out of the tent a dark entity or rather the scent of death could be felt in waves emulating from the back of the tent. The older woman looking to be in her twenties or late teens was radiating anger "great-grand-mother this was not the deal that we made" the voice was filled with just as much twisted anger, the air around her seemingly unable to contain it.
The young lady smiled but even she could tell that this type of anger would have to be dealt with in a calm manner "I am sorry May, but I am not going to be just a figurehead in the tent while all these people need help"
Even in her frustrations the young May sighed "As the head of the Marry family you are not to be seen in public, the deal was as long as you did not interact with anyone you could work at this tent whether it be pulling out the items or putting out the signs."
The leader of the Marry family is more so just a position rather than a name. Even as time has moved from war to peace, the Marry head has never once stepped down. Even among the Great families, the very mention of the name carries weight more so than the stories that are told. However, upon meeting the woman behind the legend it's hard to believe that someone with a legacy of hers looks the equivalent to a middle schooler.
The lady sighed "I do not like being confined as just the head of the family, I miss taking care of people that are in need of some help May." Her voice had changed it was warm and soft, fresh for a tent that had seen so many come and go.
For just a brief moment May was taken back "that may be how you feel grandmother but we both know you do not have the same luxuries you once did nor do you need to, that's what the family is for."
The grandmother smiled at her young May "I can remember when I opened the very first tent May. I can remember every face that has passed in and out for only once or many times, I do not want to stop seeing the people and I do not want to stop helping them." her tone slowed down " it only takes one second to save someone just as it takes only one not to just as easily."
May in all her wisdom chose her next words rather poorly considering what it had been proceeded by. "These people don't deserve a minute or a fraction of even a single ounce of our time let alone yours. They walk and talk so arrogantly as if the world owes them but then they come back humbly asking for our help only when they need us, their arrogance shriveled into a useless husk."
The anger in May's voice was something that everyone in the Marry family would come know to at one time. In the time it took for May to finish her long rant on the state of the people that visited the tents her grandmother had walked from the very front of the tent to where May had been standing now in front of her rather talkative granddaughter. In less than the span that it took to take a breath, a quick slap was planted on May's face with such force not only to leave a deep red impression but a blistering red handprint followed in tow by a grandmother left in tears on the side but fury on the surface.
In her rage the grandmother pulled her hand in frustration "May that is what all this was for, to begin with, it was for the people that had no one left, for people that had lost everything. I have been at times when I had no one" in-between every breath it got harder for her to talk choking on her own words "you have never been so alone to where that is all you can see nor have you seen how dark humanity really can be."
The last of her grandmother's words was something that not even May could overlook not with her riptide of emotions. Mays face not only bright red from the slap but temper reaching its upper limits "I have watch for years as people leave these tents saying they will be something great saying that they will come back to tell their story I have seen hundreds of them come and go, three that is it only three out of all the people I have seen walk through those flaps have come back to say thank you."
The passion in their words held each other at unyielding breath as neither would give their pride for the other until May's grandmother sighed. Her rage was gone washed away like waves against the sand "May you are still young you will lose friends and family there will be a time in your life where you may not ever see someone ever again. That is why this place exists so we can see them again whether at their best or their worst the Marry family will always help others in need.". In May's ears, the words rang, not another word was spoken from May on the topic of why they help others.
May's grandmother smiled "I understand how you feel May I have lost more friends than years I have lived but you cannot let that hold you back after all next year you will be taking the exam in spring or next fall so take this advice from your grandma live life and be grand because it is short."
Then with those final words that discussion was truly over. The rest of the time both May and her grandmother walked around the tent pulling and tugging at the random pieces of armor that littered the cold cement ground. After the random bits of clothing had been put back into its pile one by one the pieces of armor and clothing were thrown into a large wood crate by May with a little bit of help from her grandmother. On the front of the crate was large black letter scrolled across reading storage with the final piece of clothing entering the crate it was sealed by May then carried away by the front two guards. The long silence was finally broken by May "I am sorry grandma…..I said too much" her words were nothing but sad in tone. As with many times before her grandmother walked over to her granddaughter putting both arms around her in a little squeeze then spoke "I know May".