Granado Espada: Show Your Love Forum Contest
I made this entry for IAH's Show Your Love Contest. The winner gets to pick a child for IAH to adopt and to sponsor for a year (and a hundred ABS, of course. lol.). It's a really really nice contest, and I do hope I win. XD So wish me luck guys. ^_^
The streets of Auch were teeming with people; men, women, and children, all scurrying about in their elaborate dresses, no doubt doing some last minute shopping for Christmas Eve. It was nearing evening, and the dim light of dusk was refracted through the glass ceiling of the Grandice Arcade, giving the city an ethereal glow. It was a beautiful scene, one that Tiburon paid no heed to as he skirted the area surrounding the Arcade, choosing instead to pass through the back alley to the left.
Nobody went through that street; at least, nobody of good repute. The alley was a blight to the city’s pristine perfection, a stark and miserable contrast to the Grandice Arcade’s bustling activity. It was fraught with the city’s destitute members, the ones whose existence the government and those in the higher echelon of society chose to ignore, to dismiss as a bad dream. It was the place that Tiburon called home.
He kept to the walls, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Not that the thieves would mug their own kind, but one could never be entirely sure, especially during Christmas. He quickened his pace, shuddering as the chilly and slightly stale air of the alley swept through him. In his haste, he almost stumbled over an old man lying on the ground, covered in a few sheets of newspaper.
He was about to mutter a swift apology when the old man bared his yellow teeth and spoke.
“Tiburon, boy, ya have some food there with ya?”
He sighed in relief as he recognized the voice and let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Oh, it’s just you. No, no, I don’t have some food with me.”
“Eh? You lying to me, boy? Word has it, ya got a nice watch with ya there, worth something big, they say.”
“You know I’d never keep ‘nything from you, old man,” it was a lie, of course. He was never averse to keeping food from the others, especially when he could hardly scrape up enough for his family.
As if knowing this, the old man raised a singed brow at him and scowled.
“No, no, it’s true! Look,” he gestured at his face which was full of scratches and bruises, “I got beaten up by some punks, said the watch was their friend’s.”
That part, however, was completely true, much to his dismay. And he really would have gotten a nice price for that watch too. Looking back, though, he knew it was his own fault that he was going home empty handed. He should’ve never bragged about it to the neighborhood kids, bunch of traitors they turned out to be.
“Fine, ya can’t be lyin’ with all those bruises on ya. Now go away and leave me be.”
“Yeah, well, Merry Christmas to you too, old man.”
“Naww, ain’t no Christmas for people like us, boy. It’s only for-”
“Those fancy people in fancy dresses, yeah, yeah, I know.”
The old man started grumbling but Tiburon just turned and walked away, waving his hand in dismissal. The old man was nice, if only a bit jaded. And Tiburon enjoyed talking to him, although, he had to admit, he didn’t enjoy the man’s pessimism. He hoped that the old man’s view of the world was wrong, hoped that there was something more out there, something-
“Oi, Tiburon, I forgot to tell ‘ya, your mother was looking for you earlier, she looked pretty worried, Little Leticia’s probably having a nasty case of the Ague again. Ya better make a run for it.”
He didn’t need to be told; he was already running.
It was easy to find where his family was, even in the darkness of the alley. He only had to follow the sound of Leticia’s muffled coughing. And while worry plagued him with every step he took, it intensified tenfold when he saw that his mother found them a place near the fire - a spot most coveted by those in the alley. That the usual occupants of the spot conceded and let his family sit there probably meant that Letty’s condition was bad indeed.
“Mum,” he called, making sure that his face was hidden in the shadows so that she would not notice his bruises. He shouldn’t have bothered, though, because his mother always had a knack for knowing when he was hurt or injured.
“Tiburon,” she spoke, her tone weary and reproaching, “what happened to you? Did you get into a fight again?”
“No-Yes-It wasn’t my fault, mum,” he reasoned, knowing by the look on his mother’s face that he was not going to be believed.
“They started it,” he mumbled weakly.
“Don’t bother lying, your uncle already told me about that watch you stole-”
“But I didn’t steal it! It was lying around on the ground and-”
“I told you not to lie, young man.”
“I’m not lying! I’m not lying!”, he yelled, angry at not being allowed to even defend himself.
“Do not talk back, Tiburon!”, his mother whispered, her voice trembling, “I’ve had it up to here with you. How many times did I tell you not to steal anything.”
“I didn’t stea-”
“Who knows what could’ve happened to you. You could’ve been imprisoned! And to steal from that Lorch Furholden too, you know how powerful his family is. He could have you killed and nobody would bat an eyelash. And who do you think will-”
Tiburon was about to assert once again that he didn’t steal anything but he was interrupted when Leticia’s small frame was wracked with a fit of coughing. His mother turned her attention to the sick child and whispered words of comfort, hugging the girl tighter. But they both knew that it was of little help. What Leticia needed was a doctor. If things continued this way, little Leticia wouldn’t last until New Year.
Tiburon walked over to his sister and covered her with his jacket, overcome with pity for the small child. From what he gathered, her disease was curable, but they didn’t have any money. Perhaps, perhaps if he had sold that watch-but no, there was no use in worrying about it now, it was out of his hands. Tomorrow, tomorrow, he’d try to look for another solution, but tonight, tonight he would just hope, hope and pray.
He sat down beside his mother, and the three of them huddled together for warmth. He looked up at the night sky with its tapestry of stars, unhampered by the glass ceiling of the Grandice Arcade, and he searched it for a sign of hope. And when the minutes ticked by and the sky remained unchanged, he realized that none of the stars were going to fall, not for him, not tonight…
-------------
Sometimes, we’re too cooped up in our own little worlds, too preoccupied with our own petty troubles, that we fail to realize that there’s a whole world out there, one that needs our help.
There are children, just like us, who are unhappy, starving, dying, when they should be alongside us, playing, laughing, living - it’s a reality that we mostly choose to ignore, that we keep buried in the deepest recesses of our minds, thinking that there’s nothing we can do about it anyway.
We allow our hearts to gather dust, even as the light of hope dies in the hearts of children everywhere.
But there is something we can do.
Maybe we can’t all help those in Zimbabwe, in Istanbul, in Afghanistan - but really, we don’t have to look far to find people in need. Most of the time, they’re just around the corner.
So, this holiday season, may we open our hearts up for those who need our help and be that falling star, that ray of hope that some people are so desperately waiting for.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to everyone.
^_^
The streets of Auch were teeming with people; men, women, and children, all scurrying about in their elaborate dresses, no doubt doing some last minute shopping for Christmas Eve. It was nearing evening, and the dim light of dusk was refracted through the glass ceiling of the Grandice Arcade, giving the city an ethereal glow. It was a beautiful scene, one that Tiburon paid no heed to as he skirted the area surrounding the Arcade, choosing instead to pass through the back alley to the left.
Nobody went through that street; at least, nobody of good repute. The alley was a blight to the city’s pristine perfection, a stark and miserable contrast to the Grandice Arcade’s bustling activity. It was fraught with the city’s destitute members, the ones whose existence the government and those in the higher echelon of society chose to ignore, to dismiss as a bad dream. It was the place that Tiburon called home.
He kept to the walls, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Not that the thieves would mug their own kind, but one could never be entirely sure, especially during Christmas. He quickened his pace, shuddering as the chilly and slightly stale air of the alley swept through him. In his haste, he almost stumbled over an old man lying on the ground, covered in a few sheets of newspaper.
He was about to mutter a swift apology when the old man bared his yellow teeth and spoke.
“Tiburon, boy, ya have some food there with ya?”
He sighed in relief as he recognized the voice and let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Oh, it’s just you. No, no, I don’t have some food with me.”
“Eh? You lying to me, boy? Word has it, ya got a nice watch with ya there, worth something big, they say.”
“You know I’d never keep ‘nything from you, old man,” it was a lie, of course. He was never averse to keeping food from the others, especially when he could hardly scrape up enough for his family.
As if knowing this, the old man raised a singed brow at him and scowled.
“No, no, it’s true! Look,” he gestured at his face which was full of scratches and bruises, “I got beaten up by some punks, said the watch was their friend’s.”
That part, however, was completely true, much to his dismay. And he really would have gotten a nice price for that watch too. Looking back, though, he knew it was his own fault that he was going home empty handed. He should’ve never bragged about it to the neighborhood kids, bunch of traitors they turned out to be.
“Fine, ya can’t be lyin’ with all those bruises on ya. Now go away and leave me be.”
“Yeah, well, Merry Christmas to you too, old man.”
“Naww, ain’t no Christmas for people like us, boy. It’s only for-”
“Those fancy people in fancy dresses, yeah, yeah, I know.”
The old man started grumbling but Tiburon just turned and walked away, waving his hand in dismissal. The old man was nice, if only a bit jaded. And Tiburon enjoyed talking to him, although, he had to admit, he didn’t enjoy the man’s pessimism. He hoped that the old man’s view of the world was wrong, hoped that there was something more out there, something-
“Oi, Tiburon, I forgot to tell ‘ya, your mother was looking for you earlier, she looked pretty worried, Little Leticia’s probably having a nasty case of the Ague again. Ya better make a run for it.”
He didn’t need to be told; he was already running.
It was easy to find where his family was, even in the darkness of the alley. He only had to follow the sound of Leticia’s muffled coughing. And while worry plagued him with every step he took, it intensified tenfold when he saw that his mother found them a place near the fire - a spot most coveted by those in the alley. That the usual occupants of the spot conceded and let his family sit there probably meant that Letty’s condition was bad indeed.
“Mum,” he called, making sure that his face was hidden in the shadows so that she would not notice his bruises. He shouldn’t have bothered, though, because his mother always had a knack for knowing when he was hurt or injured.
“Tiburon,” she spoke, her tone weary and reproaching, “what happened to you? Did you get into a fight again?”
“No-Yes-It wasn’t my fault, mum,” he reasoned, knowing by the look on his mother’s face that he was not going to be believed.
“They started it,” he mumbled weakly.
“Don’t bother lying, your uncle already told me about that watch you stole-”
“But I didn’t steal it! It was lying around on the ground and-”
“I told you not to lie, young man.”
“I’m not lying! I’m not lying!”, he yelled, angry at not being allowed to even defend himself.
“Do not talk back, Tiburon!”, his mother whispered, her voice trembling, “I’ve had it up to here with you. How many times did I tell you not to steal anything.”
“I didn’t stea-”
“Who knows what could’ve happened to you. You could’ve been imprisoned! And to steal from that Lorch Furholden too, you know how powerful his family is. He could have you killed and nobody would bat an eyelash. And who do you think will-”
Tiburon was about to assert once again that he didn’t steal anything but he was interrupted when Leticia’s small frame was wracked with a fit of coughing. His mother turned her attention to the sick child and whispered words of comfort, hugging the girl tighter. But they both knew that it was of little help. What Leticia needed was a doctor. If things continued this way, little Leticia wouldn’t last until New Year.
Tiburon walked over to his sister and covered her with his jacket, overcome with pity for the small child. From what he gathered, her disease was curable, but they didn’t have any money. Perhaps, perhaps if he had sold that watch-but no, there was no use in worrying about it now, it was out of his hands. Tomorrow, tomorrow, he’d try to look for another solution, but tonight, tonight he would just hope, hope and pray.
He sat down beside his mother, and the three of them huddled together for warmth. He looked up at the night sky with its tapestry of stars, unhampered by the glass ceiling of the Grandice Arcade, and he searched it for a sign of hope. And when the minutes ticked by and the sky remained unchanged, he realized that none of the stars were going to fall, not for him, not tonight…
-------------
Sometimes, we’re too cooped up in our own little worlds, too preoccupied with our own petty troubles, that we fail to realize that there’s a whole world out there, one that needs our help.
There are children, just like us, who are unhappy, starving, dying, when they should be alongside us, playing, laughing, living - it’s a reality that we mostly choose to ignore, that we keep buried in the deepest recesses of our minds, thinking that there’s nothing we can do about it anyway.
We allow our hearts to gather dust, even as the light of hope dies in the hearts of children everywhere.
But there is something we can do.
Maybe we can’t all help those in Zimbabwe, in Istanbul, in Afghanistan - but really, we don’t have to look far to find people in need. Most of the time, they’re just around the corner.
So, this holiday season, may we open our hearts up for those who need our help and be that falling star, that ray of hope that some people are so desperately waiting for.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to everyone.
^_^