" What's this?"

An old man with a rugged face said looking at what seemed like a Baby?

He moved closer to it, with curiosity written all over his face. but still cautious with every movement he made.

"Hmm... It's- no... he's still alive"

He went down on his knees and picked up the baby, and for some reason. He was silent.

Not the kind of silence a baby makes when he or she is asleep. No, it was different. As if the baby was having trouble breathing.

How long has he been left here to die? But more importantly, how long has it been since he had something to eat or drink?

The old man's thoughts were a mass of what he should do. He has never had a child nor does he know what to do with one.

I should take him back to town, Marjorie might know what to do.

Without much thought, he picked up his stuff and left for town, the journey  was a 40 minute walk from where he was.

Fearing what might happen to the young boy  if he didn't eat something soon. He took a quick stop, putting him on the ground. Covering him with his blanket.

He then sat down next to him, taking out what looked to be a bottle of water from his bag and made the child drink it.

At first, he didn't want it. But after testing it.  And feeling the familiarity, he began drinking on his own.

Seeing this, the old man could only sigh. Wondering what would have happened to him if he didn't decide to go for a long walk?

A beast might have found him. A slave trader might have sold him off. A wild animal might have found him first and made waste to his flesh.

There was still Daylight left for him to make it to town, before nightfall.

I have to get going, this boy's life might end here if I don't.

Recovering his strength , the old man got up, put his items in his bag, and made his way to town with the baby boy in his arm.

.

.

.

40 minutes away from where the old man and the boy.

It was a  lively town, the children filled the streets with laughter and joy. The elderly were talking amongst themselves, the market place was filled with people looking for something to buy or sell. The atmosphere was that of pure Bliss.

Unbeknownst to them, chaos has yet to come.

As Chaos.

Has never walked into your home through the front door.

It will enter through the windows like a thief in the midnight light...

.

.

.

.

The old man finally arrived at the town, still holding the baby in his arms, running frantically through the town. looking for someone. They didn't have much care for the old man himself, but rather what he was holding in his arms. The child, without name, without family nor identity for itself.

The very child, that may or may not change their lives forever.

She must be at her  house, at this hour.

He thought about what she might say about all this. Him coming out of nowhere, with a child no less.

" Marjorie! Are you there!? Open the door please! I-l need your help..."

The old man, knocked and knocked.

But nobody answered.

The silence that came after every knock was dreadful.

The thought that she might not be home yet...

That the child might meet his end right there... Waiting.

Waiting for a response.

.

..

...

10 minutes had passed while he waited for her return. He's legs had become tired from standing by the door step.

He felt as if he was wasting the boy's precious time by just standing there.

As he got ready to leave, to look for someone else who might be willing to help...

"Old man? What has managed to bring you here "

The old man, with the little hope he had left, turned around. Only to see Marjorie. A middle aged woman, with light blue coloured eyes, long tamed brown hair, with a scar on her right eye

"And what do you have there..."

Marjorie didn't seem like the type to play around. And the old man understood that 

" Marjorie... I need your help-"

" I'll stop you right there kasumi, I don't want to get involved  with your problems! And you already know that don't you "

"Yes... But this is different, I'm not here to start a fight again. I need your help with this child"

Marjorie who didn't seem amused in the slightest, walked forward towards him. Ignoring the old man, taking the child from him.

"Where did you find him? Answer me"

"I found him while I was taking my walk. He was placed under a tree, in the middle of the forest"

The old man, who was known just as kasumi, slowly sat down on the ground. Finally getting some rest.

His body was too old.  His eyes grow heavier by the second. It was as if he would black out any minute.

"... you did good for once, Kasumi"

Marjorie, praised him. Feeling that he needed that much.

Hmm, he's face reminds of someone. But who? Does he belong to someone I know?

Marjorie thought about the possibilities of him belonging to a friend. But it also didn't seem that he did.

I wonder what happened...

" Old man, I'll take care of this child. I only need you to look around and see if someone goes to the place where you found him okay? "

Marjorie was clear on what he should do. And the old man didn't need to be told twice.

" Okay then, I'll be off to look around more."

Without wasting much time, he left leaving the child with Marjorie.

Now then, let's get you inside

Taking out her keys, she opened the door to her house. It wasn't that big of a house. Just enough for 4 people to live comfortably.

She walked into the living room and put the child on the table.

She then, walked back outside and only returned a few minutes later with firewood in her arms.

The night had settled in, with temperatures dropping from the lack of sunlight.

With the firewood that she had. She put some in the fireplace and let it up. A few moments later, the house had warmed up high enough for her to change the baby's clothes.

"Come now, little one. It's time I changed your dirty clothes."

She didn't have any male clothes for his age. Just female clothes, the ones her daughter used to wear only a few years ago.

Let's hope she doesn't get all angry at us for using her old clothes

She then would change the baby's clothes, and begin breastfeeding him.

"From the looks of it, you haven't eaten since yesterday ... I wonder what your parents were thinking when they left you... Taking a deep breath I hope you don't hate them when you grow up. For everything has a reason"

She continued to breastfeed him for the next 10 minutes or so. Until.

"Mother!! Alice made- wait.. what!?"

Like the winds in autumn a young girl busts into the house, almost waking up the boy. She looked to be 5-6 years of age.

She had light black hair, a Gray left eye along with a green right eye. She wear gowns (one piece garments covering the whole body) with long sleeves and long skirts.

With a face that looked more dainty than beautiful, but beautiful enough for boys on the street to look twice when seeing her.

"Yes dear? what did Alice do this time huh?"

"Who's that"

She ignored Marjorie's question and asked her own. One that was more important to her at that moment.

"Well, that's the thing. I don't know myself"

" What do you mean you don't know!? I just got back home only to find you breastfeeding some kid!, I don't even know of!? "

She was clearly frustrated about the lack of answers that Marjorie provided.

How should I answer her?

"Okay, look. I know that this is out of the blue, but I want to talk to you about it right now"

" ...fine"

She had paused for a moment before answering with a low voice

"Good, now come sit down next to me. It won't take long, I promise"

And for the next 10 minutes, she explained to her how she got ahold of the boy. And that the old man that likes to visit their home was the one who found and brought the boy.

"So what are you going to do now? "

" Do you mean about the boy?"

"Yes, it still  feels weird... and a bit awkward"

"Well, I have already decided what I'm going to do with him"

"And that is?"

"I'm going to adopt him of course, what did you think?"

"Nothing,I- I just wasn't expecting that. I thought you would leave him off at the orphanage"

" At first I thought I would do just that. But I have a feeling it'd be best, if he stayed with us "

" I... I guess that's fine, having a younger brother! But what's his name?"

The little girl with curiosity in her eyes, asked her mother while playing with the baby's arms

"Well, I'm not good at naming. So I have decided to give you the right to name him"

With a small almost visible smile, the little girl said:

"What about... Arthur.. Arthur Vilakazi"