"Can you tell me again?"
A quiet voice, clear and pleading. A small hand that holds another which was opposite from it, the hand that reached was small and youthful, while the hand it held was thin, and veins can be seen bulging with blue and green of colors. The owner of the hand was an old lady, she clasped the small hand with both her withered hands, she was trembling as she does. She knew she could not live long now, and it might be the last she could tell the story, the young child's story.
"Five year's passed. You were so young and a lot smaller, covered in blue dress yet covered in blood.... You were crying, but it was too quiet for others to hear. I thought you were dying, but when I reached out to you, you held my pinky(she softly chuckles) it was so tight, like you were grabbing to life desperately, not wanting to let go. I could never leave you alone..... Because I knew the feeling of extreme desire to survive. I took you in(she laughed) even though I myself have no home. When I held you in my arms, you laughed and smiled, as though to say you were grateful. I used goat's milk to feed you(yet you grew beautifully: She thought)..... (She burst out laughing) That goat was stolen so I had to find a cow which I stole so it won't be stolen. All that just to feed you!(she smiled warmly. The child did too). So you must live.... Even when I am gone."
The old woman offered her palm to the child, and the child leaned her face to it. They were both lovely smiling. The old woman, as if shutting down, she closed her eyes and rests her hands to her sides. When the old woman breathed her last, the child leaned her face closer to to the old woman's and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Goodbye." The child said, rather than a bitter smile, it was a happy one. Just that, tears won't stop falling. She knew the old woman would be in better place so maybe it was tears of joy, she thought, trying to decieve herself from pain. She stood up and faced the moon, "She is yours. Thank you." She said to the air. Now both composed and eyes ahead as she walk away from the corpse that was left smiling. Without looking back, she had reached an abandoned house and made it her own.
"Thank you." She muttered as she finally sleep after a few sleepless nights. She was sleeping on the ground which she had only put one empty sack of, and for her, it was comfortable. Only three hours later and the chickens of her new neighbors started to make noises, although far from her, it was loud enough for her to hear.
She was tired, but she stood up and look outside to observe her now new surroundings. The place outside was bustling with busy people so early in the morning. Children wore their school uniforms and can now be seen walking to their schools. She wanted to know what do they do in the said 'school' as the old woman told her it was attended by children like her and more older for a better future for them. She was curious, so she followed. Yet at the entrance of a very good looking school that she had gone to, she was avoided, others covered their nose at even the sight of her.
"Young man, what are you doing here?" The guard asked the young child. She knew even despite the guard's monotone voice, that she is not being welcomed, she could tell from his hesitant face that he too is disgusted by her. "This school is for 12 years old to 18. This is no place for you." The guard said, seemingly kind, but he would not be too gentle if the CCTV camera aimed at them was not working, better if it was not there.
"Oh... Can I ask where the five years old go?" She asked, the guard could not hide his disgust when she opened her mouth. True she was emitting foul smell, but she could not help it, no clean water in the sea, river, or canal was there for her to clean herself. Moreover, the clean water cost her an arm and a leg. What can she do? She too was itching all over, but she endures it, her teeth too were aching, but she tells herself she was fine.
"You pitiful lad, there is a public school right at the end of that road, although called school, it only has five students." The guard said as she point at the road to her left which seemed to be a place back to where she came from, the slums.
"Thank you!" She was grateful, truly. She bowed. Then she started marching towards the place. While the guard wondered whether the child was truly a boy or a girl from the voice he has heard which she has uttered, but at the end he decided it was a boy.
She went in, and she understood why there are only five students. It was because this 'school' are for people that are different from the others.
"Oh my!" A lady in her 30s said in surprised as she smiles a welcoming smile. "Who might you be, would you like to learn too?" She asked at the young child.
"I.... want to go to school too." The child answered.
"Sure! I will enroll you right now. But do you have your certificate of birth in you right now?" The lady asked. "No... What's that?" The child answered, confused.
"Oh no..." The lady said, making up sad stories in her head. "Then I will create your own(this is illegal), would that be alright? Just so you can go to this school." The lady suggested willingly and started typing on her loptop and printing the document in a flash.
The child finally nodded.
"Come here!" The lady said and the child walked towards her and asked, "what's your name?"
"The old woman Joy called me blue." The child answered. "Oh! You have a guardian, can you come back here next time with her?" The lady said in relief, happy that the child was not neglected and still has a guardian to support the child.
"But she's dead" the child said. The lady was stunned.
"O-oh!! Sorry..? Sorry! I didn't know. Condolences!" The lady said as she panics and give the child a hug and pats on the back.
"Ah.... Well then, I will put Blue as you last name, what would you want to be called?" The lady asked.
"What do you want to call me?" The child smiled, returning the question.
"O-oh! Why don't we call you Shower? I-I mean, River. Later I'll let you have a shower." The lady was flustered and was a bit dizzy from the smell of the child because she hugged her.
The child nodded and smiled.
The teacher, without asking put M on sex and did not second guest, because the child was rather masculine rather than feminine in both her gesture, behavior, and way of speech. Though the truth is, the child was just stiff, and is not used to others, she was actually just on edge.
"When were you born?"
"I don't know. But the old woman said there were bunch of candles and flowers everywhere."
"...." The lady was left speechless.
'It was at the day of the the dead....'
"A-alright..... My house is right beside this school, here are the keys, take a bath, there are clothes for children at the closet of the comfort room, ah! The comfort room is the one with the blue green door." She said as she gave the keys and guide the child to the door of her house. The house was full of cameras anyway so she does not mind.
"...."
The child did as she was told without a word.