FIFTY-EIGHT: Little starving boy

The first time she saw James was outside her window. She followed him urged by me via Octavius to follow him. She paid for his Amazingly Large Jawbreakers.  The second time she saw him was at the Temple.  She saw him again at the corner store and she went home to meet his sister, Mori who was dying of the wasting disease.

            But the important thing is that, because of them she met Mijin.  Mijin was destined, along with Edlawit and Arous, to be one of the three.

She was in Burton’s Corner store staring at the shelves.  She didn’t pick out anything and decided to leave. Before she could turn around, she almost fell over backwards.  The boy was staring up at her with his big, gray eyes standing so close she could feel his breath warm her thigh. He looked at her and said nothing.  She didn’t recognize him at first.

“How long were you standing behind me?”

“Not very long, Arous.”

Then in hit her.

“You’re the boy with the amazingly strong jaws. And from the -.”

“Yes.” He said. “That and a little more. Why don’t you ever recognize me.”

He was thin, much thinner than Arous remembered him being when he escorted her from the Temple.  His eyes looked bigger, maybe even sunken. He was dirty and looked like he wore the same clothes that he wore the 1^st time she saw him. He tried to smile at her but all he could manage was a grimace.  His thin, little boy lips quivered.  His stomach growled.

“You hungry?”

“That’s not what I followed you about.”

“You followed me?”

“Yes. Can you reach in there and get that jar of milk off the top up there?  I can’t quite reach it.”

“It’s almost bigger than you.”

“I’m stronger than I look.”

“And, you talk like an adult,” she said.

“You’ve said that before.”

“I remember,” but she didn’t. “You have a good memory.”

Arous reached into the cooler and grabbed a gallon jug off the top shelf.

“Here you go,” said Arous.

She handed the heavy glass jug to the boy and almost immediately heard it clink to the floor.

“You want me to carry it for you?”

“It’s just that I’m hungry, is all.”

“Let’s get some bread and a few things to take home with you.”

“Thank you. My sister’s not well -,” said James.

“So, your mom sent you to the store to get a jug of milk.”

“No.  Nobody sent me.  I came on my own,” said James.

“Oh. Why don‘t you just go wait outside and I‘ll get these things for you, okay?”

“Thank you,” he said; his face a little brighter.

Arous wasn’t quite following the conversation.  She picked a couple of food essentials for the boy and his sister and took them to the counter. The boy waited outside. Arous could see him through the glass window looking in at her as if he didn’t quite trust her.  He did everything but press his button nose and little hands to the window.

The bell clanged and the boy jumped.

“How far do you live from here?” Arous asked.

“Several blocks. Close to the wall.”

“Walking distance?”

“I walked,” he said.

“Well, you lead the way I guess.”

They walked for some time.

 “Where are all the hoveh-hyocs?” she asked.

James laughed but didn’t answer. Arous began to wonder if the boy had forgotten her question.  Then he exhaled long, like an old man.

“After a certain time, the hoveh-hyocs and horse carts won’t run down here.  After quitting time, about an hour after, they won’t bring people in anymore. And the hoveh-hyocs, once they do their last corner pick-up, they’re not coming back in to get you. They’re big but not dumb. If you’re late, you have to walk.”

It had gotten darker while they walked; the sun had just dipped below the City wall and the long shadows had begun to merge with one another to form their dark blanket.  Arous stopped and the boy ran up the steps into a rundown old building.  To Arous it looked vacant but she could see a soft glow of light coming through the widows.  The street smelled strange: musty, wet, oily. Papers passed her as the wind picked up a bit.

“Hurry.  It’s about to be dark.  We shouldn’t stand out here,” said James who stood at the top of the steps.

As he pushed open the old creaking doors two boys dressed in dark clothing pushed passed him.  The flickering light of a gas lamp spilled on the landing.

“Boy, get out of the way,” one of them said.

“You don’t even belong here,” said the other.

“He won’t last long.”

“Not as somebody’s supper.”

They tripped down the steps and into the dark street without noticing Arous.  The stopped at a hole in the street and jumped down, laughing.

“Underlings,” said James.

“What?” asked Arous.

“Underlings,” he said. “Most of their existence is under the City.  The only time that Underlings come topside is here.  They don’t care too much for City Citizens.”

“Aren’t they Citiizens?”

James guffawed, “No. The MOTAS consider them vermin, here anyway.  In other Pantaganents Underlings are contributing members of society at large but not here.  Ricci would just a soon they were exterminated.”

“Exterminated?”

“He takes it upon himself to gas the UnderCity every so often.”

“You’re so matter-of-fact,” said Arous. It made her uneasy.

“It’s so the-way-it-is,” said James almost mocking her.

A neon sign on top of the building bloomed into neon-pink life.