On a sunday morning where people lay on house relaxing for a break which is a peaceful day for everybody, a boy whose age is around 20 to 21 was running like no days to come. He looked like a beggar on a street seeing his tattered shirt and pants that colored brown but looking closely it is colored white.
His face was handsome. Sharp brown eyes with a hint of red, one would look twice if they saw those sparkling lively eyes. His nose, mouth looked perfect as though they were sculpted by Gods. Everyone who saw him would feel jealous even with the girls thinking such fair skin. His long silver blue hair matched his face.
There was a hint of maturity and a little mischievous if one would look closer enough.
However, none of those feature would be regarded because the current him was like a child whose playing with mud or a guy that has been cutting trees using chainsaw.
He was sweating profusely and looked nervous. His hair looked disheveled contrary to his handsome looks.
Darting his eyes left and right every now and then fearing that somebody would notice him. Fortunately, there was nobody around since it is around five in the morning and people at this hour will start waking up to do their chores or duties.
He carried a plastic bag that contains some bread. He was moving very fast in a certain direction.
A few minutes later he arrived at his destination where the environment was bad. Every houses were linked to one another and the streets were full of litters of garbage. Some clothes were hanging on a cable wire that used for electricity.
This place is the slum where James lived.
Every morning, he goes to look for food to feed himself. Picking garbage to use or sell in order to buy food to calm his rumbling stomach. He can't look for a decent job since the society disdained him for not graduating any school. They don't accept those who are not educated and especially people who lived in the slums.
So in order to vie for extras, he used any means to get some money. He would part time in those who need some help and earn some extra change.
James was an orphan. He didn't have parents to rely on his youthful days.
He did not know where his parents and what their names are. He only knows that he was about a year old was left at the door of the orphange on a stormy night according to the head of the orphanage.
Life was so hard for him after he was kicked out from the orphanage at the age of 16. These last few years of experience taught him how to be thrifty and even used crafty means in order to lessen his burden to expend some money. Barely eating a meal once a day, but to him that was good enough.
James now lived on a room which he built near a bridge.
He was now walking to a narrow end of the road where less and less houses where built.
Upon arriving at his destination, he was greeted by a young kid around 5 to 6.
"Good morning Big bro!" said the happy young girl whose face was full of snot.
James glanced at the young girl and wiped her snot and told her caringly " Good morning Agnes, wheres your brothers and sisters?"
After James said those words, around 4 kids that ages varying 5 to 7 hurriedly run to his side and greeted him.
"Good morning Big bro!"
James smiled and also greeted them warmly then gave them the food on his plastic bag to them.
"Kevin you are the eldest, share these breads to your brothers and sisters." James look at the tallest kid.
Kevin nodded then take the plastic bag and distributed the breads evenly to his brothers and sisters.
Seeing them started eating happily, James smiled and then hurriedly walk inside the room. This room was James house or so to say. With a space around 5 meters in diameter. All the kids and himself were living in this house.
Upon walking inside, there laying a kid around 7 years old whose complexion was pale. The kids name was Bob, he was having a severe cold. James took a medicine for Bob to take.
After taking care of the kid, James let out a sigh of relief. He was quite worried since evening about the kid's cold that getting worse every time. The time was around 1 in the morning and the cold getting worse. After thinking about the solution, James decided to head out at 3 oclock in the morning to buy the specific medicine for the kid. It took all of his money in order to afford the medicine.
On his way to the drugstore, he was bumped by a middle aged man who was quite well off seeing his clothes. However, James knew this man as the famed thief at the slums. The guy's name was Vecter, this guy was stealing things from poor to rich. Even panties, he would not let it slide and steal it.
The man then let out a cry and pointed at James "Don't you have eyes?! I know you. You are that brat lived on a bridge! Argh! forget it. You can't even compensate me. Get out of my sight! If I see you again, I kill you! You hear that?! Go! Go!"
(A/N: Achmed 'I kill you')
James then got up and got away. However, one could see that his eyes were shining as if he has something on his mind. The time was around 4 and a half.
After buying the medicine, he headed towards the bakery store to buy some bread for the kids.
James was walking quite hurried when he went home when he suddenly heard someone cursed " F*ck, wheres the money I have on my pocket?!"
"It must be that guy Vecter, I got to hurry before he sees me" James muttered and run as fast as he could avoiding the vision of Vecter who was still cursing and rummaging his clothes.
(A/N : My name is not Gru :) )
Chap 2
James was taking a nap in his house and everything is peaceful.
He only take a sleep at 8 since he needed to monitor the condition of Bob. The kid's condition was getting fine every hour so he now had the time to rest.
After taking his nap, he check the time and it is 10 in the morning so he decided to get up and clean his body. He need not worry about the kids around fearing they would go far at the house since they were very obedient to him.
James were now sitting on a bench outside his house in a daze thinking of what just happened few hours ago. Subconciously, he reached out on his pocket and found a few notes of money. He grinned and sigh "That man must have collected a few on his modus of stealing. I've got a few extras enough to feed the kids and I for a month."
He was happy since he had tricked Vecter upon bumping onto him and snatched his rewards for the day and also feels regretful upon knowing those money was from someone else. However thinking about his kids, James decided to be selfish and strengthen his resolve that all those he had done are for the needs of those kids. He only prayed that those who got victimized by vile means of Vecter was from those rich people as to lessen his conscience by snatching his bounties.
James then glanced at the kids that has been playing and the other were reading books. They have either happy expressions while playing and the other was serious upon reading books. He then let out another sigh "Haa, this kids were so pitiful. I remembered picking them at the dump site where trashes were thrown."
He wondered why kids were about 3 to 5 years old were either sleeping or dazing at the garbage bags without any adult or guardian nearby. Some people only glanced at them and do their daily jobs as if those kids were like air in their eyes ignoring them.
James then gritted his teeth and decided to adopt them hearing the reasons why they were abandoned. Kevin, whose the oldest and matured enough contrary of his age of them even though he was just a kid told him their situation. He told him their names by their age respectively were Kevin the eldest, Margarette, Stan, Eden, Bob and Agnes as the youngest.
They were also orphans as far as they know since they were begging for alms ordered by those big men around them. James thought that the kids must be kidnapped by their parents by those scums in order to make some money. Taking closer look at the kids, James still find it fortunate since there not any sign of stitches on their bodies fearing those basterds were selling these kids organs. Maybe they found those kids pretty much young and their organs were not sellable.
All of the kids were either have bruises or injured maybe some bones were damaged on their arms and legs. James were seething in anger thinking what kind of inhumane things those demons have done to the kids. This triggered his sense of familiarity as James was also an orphan.
Even though James was an orphan, he was fortunate because he was from the orphanage in his younger days.
He then brought the kids to his home postponing his plan on picking garbage of the day.
Kevin was at first vigilant as though James might do something bad to them like those few big bad guys, but upon constant persuasion and promises to them adding with James' clear eyes as though he was sincere on his words. Kevin was a bit faltered and hesitant at first but then decided to gamble and follow this Big brother in front of him.
James noticed this and found it funny upon seeing kevin thinking like an adult person but recalling those experience theyve been through, he found it was a natural instinct. He even praised him for beeing smart and not acting rashly by immediately following him.
James then treat their injuries and cleaned them. Fortunately, their wounds and bruises were not that serious same with those broken bones as he somehow knows to treat light injuries.
He did not send them to the clinic nor send them to the orphange as things might complicate. He doesn't have any money only good enough for him in everyday meals. As for the orphanage, he knows that place was not as simple as it looks. Some business were happening in the dark and James knows what was happening inside. If not for his cleverness and being sly, his life might end up worse than the kids in front of him.
He promised the kids that he would take good care of them and maybe find their parents if he has some time.
Back at his dazing moments outside in his house were the kids were playing. James made up a plan in his mind about the future of the kids. He needed to enroll then at school for their future. He knew that there will be a new school will be about to finish in a month and the school was a charity in order to help those children at the slums. The school was not that far in their area.
Somehow, James felt like he has some accomplishments having taking care of the kids for the past 2 years and he also treat them like his younger siblings even though he didn't have a real one.
.....
Meanwhile, a few streets away from his house. There was a house the same as any other houses in terms of being ordinary and plain as it looks. However inside the house, there was some clattering noises as if someone was throwing bottles and even some appliances were not spared and thrown around the wall.
Few neighbors in that house were looking worriedly thinking the man in the house might do something and they or their house might be implicated. Some was hesitating on how to calm down the person inside asking why was he so mad. Others were hiding and decided not to intervene.
In the end, they dare not approach the house as they know who was the person or rather terror that person brings to them.
"The Stealer was quite in a bad mood"
"Someone must have duped him"
"You don't say?! Look those appliances were flying everywhere. That TV must have been mine. Sigh"
"Yeah, those things were not his. So he just do whatever to those things"
"What can we do about it? His Father was the Leader of this slum so we cannot touch him."
"After this, I might buy few padlocks in order to guard my house"
"Still, it's quite amusing seeing him like that"
"Shush! Lower your voices. If he hears you, your house might be on his Stealing lists."
Few people were gossiping and murmuring to one another. Pointing their fingers at the house.
"What are you guys looking at?! You wanna fight?! Come! I will entertain you!" Said the furious man and seems like he was drunk. Seeing some people outside his house, he flung the door open.
This guy was Vecter. He was so frustrated upon arriving his house this morning about his lost money.
Upon hearing those provocative words, everyone was startled and fled at the scene. Not even 2 seconds and the street were empty.
Seeing these people scurrying away like a frightened rabbits, Vecter felt smug however thinking about his loss again, fury replaced on his face.
He was planning to use his money to go in a brothel and the money would last him for 3 days. However that money was gone in the wind.
"It must be that brat from earlier! It must be him!" Vecter muttered loudly in his mind. After muttering something, he closed the door with a loud bang and continued smashing things with some curses.