Collin placed the two hand warmers in either of his winter jacket pockets but unknowingly dropped one as he fumbled with the zip of the pockets. After freeing his hands of the warmers, he raised both mittened hands and squinted his little eyes through them to look at the walls that now served as a cage and a barrier.
A 'cage' that separated him from the most important person and the person he loved the most in the world, his mother.
It was as if he wanted to take a picture of the scene in front and above him.
Despite the cold day, the sun was bright out, and the skies were clear as well. It would have been a beautiful day in all aspects, but the sadness on the boy's face and the loneliness in his heart were like the snow that had spread everywhere on the ground.
Jorge had watched the interaction between the two. His car was not parked far from them, so he had heard everything they had said as well. He again would have ignored the boy but, seeing the dropped hand warmer. He alighted from his car and made his way to the boy. With his long legs, it only took a few strides.
He stood right behind him and then stooped to his level. With each stride towards the boy, Jorge berated himself, "why can't I just this be? Why do I have to get myself involved?"
It was like fighting with one's inner self.
"You dropped this…" he picked up the hand warmer and placed it in the boy's pocket and zipped it securely.
"What is your name?"
The boy looked at him with keen interest for a while and then said in his childish voice, "Mummy and Aunt Flora said that I should not talk to strangers."
"Hahahahaha…." Jorge's rich laughter flew out all around then.
"Well, your mummy and your Aunt Flora are wise women. How about I introduce myself first? Then I will not be a stranger anymore?" studying the boy for a bit, he continued, "I am Jorge Trimshaw, and I am pleased to meet you, young man,"
Jorge extended out his hands in front of him. It took a few seconds before the boy responded, "I am Collin Tony Thebes," and then he took the hand stretched out and shook in his small ones.
Jorge smiled in response.
"So, what is Mr Collin Thebes doing outside here?" Jorge probed and, as if Collin found comfort in him, replied, "I want to see mummy,"
It was a little unusual for Collin to speak with strangers, but Collin had never had a father figure in his life, and no man had spoken to him in such a gentle voice before. That may have been the trigger for him to open up to Jorge.
"Let's get out of the cold a bit,"
Jorge said, took him to his car and opened the warmer on full blast as he saw Collin shake a little from the chills of the cold day. And opened up, the boy did; Collin talked to Jorge as if he was his long-time friend about everything about his mother and his aunt. The fondness in his eyes was unmistakable.
Jorge patiently listened to every word of the boy but still kept a lookout for the guardian lest she worried when she found an empty spot where she had left the boy.
With the smile still intact on his face, Jorge teased the boy, trying to lighten the mood, "I thought that you did not want to talk to strangers?"
Collin looked him dead in the face and said, "But you're my friend now? Aren't you?" the smile died off his face, and he responded,
"Well, I am honoured to be considered your friend Mr Collin Tony Thebes," If Ryan or any of Jorge's acquaintances and friends had been around that day, they would have thought that it was someone who looked like him that was interacting with the boy because Jorge had zero patience when it came to children.
He always preferred to stay away from them. For some reason, Jorge himself did not understand his actions that day.
"To commemorate our friendship, I will help you with one thing that you want. So, you can ask me anything!" Jorge thought a boy of his age would ask for candy, ice cream, or even a play toy, but Collin asked, "I want mummy. I want to see mummy,"
"Don't you want anything else apart from this, like toys or …?" Jorge probed.
Collin shook his head and asked, "I thought you were my friend." That statement took Jorge by surprise as it showed him just how eager the boy wanted to see his mum and how mature he was for his age.
"Well, that might take some time, Mr Collin Thebes; a promise is a promise, and I will get that done for you. Also, I am indeed your friend!" After he said this to Collin, he thought to himself, 'our thoughts align, so I guess that was the last sign that I was looking for,'
Jorge gave Collin his name card as a 'token' of his promise. Just then, Jorge saw Flora, the guardian, exit the main building, and a panicked expression crossed her eyes. She had taken longer than she expected. He opened the door and stepped out of the car with Collin in his arms, then whispered in his ears, "This is our little secret, so do not tell your aunt or anybody about it, okay?" Collin nodded and ran towards Flora when he saw her.
Flora, upon seeing him, released a sigh but continued to gaze at the man who had let him off. She sent a nod of gratitude towards him but only received a stoic expression in return.
She knew that she had erred and stayed in there a little longer than she had intended. But Collin was not in danger as he was still in the confines of the facility. She scooped him in her arms and started out. She had tried everything she could, and her visiting request had just been denied again, unsurprisingly.
She was starting to suspect foul play and knew just who would be despicable enough to do this. Hasn't her friend suffered enough at their hands?
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