Standing at a distance from the door, Yanz scanned his surroundings. The house before him looked simple, but far cleaner than any other in the village. He broke the silence.
-"This is a nice house. It looks a lot cleaner than the others around here."
Yanz complimented Ceph, genuinely impressed.
Ceph smiled faintly, though there was a touch of sadness in his expression.
-"Thanks. My mother used to keep it spotless before she got sick,"
he replied, his voice low.
Yanz's curiosity sparked at the mention of Ceph's mother.
-"What happened to your mother?"
Ceph hesitated.
-"I'll tell you later,"
he said, evading the topic. He quickly changed direction, his face turning somber.
-"But first, Yanz, could you... would you share some of your meat with her? It's been days since she's eaten properly."
Yanz narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to understand Ceph's motive. So that's why he invited me to live here, he thought.
Ceph, sensing his hesitation, quickly added,
-"Look, don't get me wrong. I'm not asking for me. The grains the chief gave us are almost gone, and I have no way of getting more food. You don't owe me anything... I just want my mother to eat."
His voice cracked with emotion, and tears welled up in his eyes. It was raw, genuine. Yanz found himself softening.
-"No problem"
Yanz replied.
-"You're letting me stay here, so I can't just live for free, can I?"
Ceph's shoulders sagged with relief. He wiped his teary eyes with the sleeve of his worn shirt.
-"Thank you. Let's go in, I'll introduce you to my mother."
Ceph opened the door, and it creaked as it swung slowly.
-"Ceph... you're back?"
An old, weary voice drifted from inside. Yanz stepped forward and saw a frail woman lying on a bed that sat directly on the floor, its legs broken or missing. A thin blanket barely covered her as she shivered under its weight.
-"Yes, mother. I brought someone with me,"
Ceph said gently as he walked to her side. Yanz followed closely behind.
Ceph gestured toward him.
-"This is Yanz. He's not from this village, and his parents recently passed away. He had nowhere to stay, so I brought him here."
Yanz stepped forward, offering a respectful nod.
-"Nice to meet you, ma'am. My name is Yanz."
The woman smiled weakly, her eyes filled with warmth and pride.
-"Look at you, Ceph,"
she said, her voice thin with age. -"Helping others, just like your father. I hope Ceph hasn't caused you any trouble, Yanz."
-"No, no," Yanz reassured her. "He's been nothing but kind to me."
-"Mother, Yanz has some food, and he said he'd share it with us," Ceph added.
The old woman frowned.
-"You don't have to do that, son. You should keep your food for yourself. Getting food around here is nearly impossible these days."
Yanz smiled gently.
-"It's alright. You don't have to worry about me."
As they spoke, Hazel, the squirrel, scurried onto Yanz's shoulder, her tiny eyes curiously observing the surroundings.
-"Mother, meet this little one. Her name's Hazel, and she's a squirrel," Ceph said excitedly, trying to lift his mother's spirits. Yanz couldn't help but feel warmth spreading in his chest. Despite the harsh conditions, there was still genuine care and love in this small, broken house.
-"A squirrel?" Ceph's mother said, a flicker of curiosity crossing her face.
-"I've never heard of such a creature."
-"Neither had I, but she's Yanz's companion," Ceph replied.
-"Squik!"
Hazel chirped happily, making everyone smile.
-"Anyway,"
Ceph said,
-"it's getting dark outside. I'll show Yanz his bed."
Yanz finally took a moment to examine the inside of the house. It was clean, but sparse. The house consisted of one large room. The floorboards creaked with every step, and there were two beds—one where Ceph's mother lay, and another on the opposite side of the room. Between the beds stood a small wooden table. A ladder led to a loft where a third bed sat, slightly elevated. That was the entirety of the house. Simple, but well-kept.
Ceph walked over to the ladder and pointed upward.
-"Here you go. You can use the bed up there."
-"Thank you,"
Yanz said, appreciative.
-"Don't mention it,"
Ceph replied with a nod. Yanz paused, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the last of his dried meat.
-"Here, take this,"
Yanz said, offering all the jerky to Ceph.
-"Make sure you and your mother eat."
Ceph's eyes widened in surprise.
-"No, I can't take it all. I just asked for a little for my mother. You need it too."
-"Don't worry about me," Yanz insisted. "I'll find more somehow."
Ceph tried to refuse again, but Yanz gently pushed the jerky into his hands.
"I'll never forget this,
-" Ceph said, his voice breaking again. "I swear, I'll repay you one day."
Yanz smiled.
-"Sure thing."
Turning away, Yanz climbed up the ladder to his bed.
-"Goodnight,"
Yanz called from above.
-"Goodnight... and thank you," Ceph replied.
Once Yanz had settled on the platform, he heard Ceph quietly approach his mother.
-"Mother, here—eat this. It's meat," Ceph whispered. His mother gasped.
-"Meat? How did you get this?!"
she asked, shocked.
-"Yanz gave it to us. I don't know how he got it, but he's a great guy. I tried to trade him a little space in our house for his food, but he gave me all of it without a second thought."
From his bed, Yanz overheard the conversation and chuckled bitterly to himself.
-"You think I'm that good of a person?" he thought to himself
"I'm only doing this for my own survival. If I can buy your loyalty now, it'll make life easier for me later. It's not kindness"
Letting the weight of the day pull him into a deep and much-needed sleep, his body finally surrendering to exhaustion.