70
Mark was amused to see the little maid running away. He was walking away after calling his Boss but realised a hem of a loth floating after being flown by the wind. He figured out someone must have followed him and saw everything. He couldn’t let any mistake happen so he was determined to dispose of that person. What he did expect was to come face to face with a little Maid.
He had noticed her the moment she entered the palace. That’s because he knew her from somewhere.
Flashback
Years ago he was a street child who lived on pickpocketing and begging on the streets. One day, he was so hungry that he was prompted to steal from a fruit vendor.
Unfortunately, his little action was seen through and the fruit vendor caught him in the act. He started beating Mark and the only thing he could do was curl himself and endure the beating. At that moment he was about to pass out from the beating plus the hunger, a girl dressed in tattered clothes but clean appeared and offered to pay for the apple he had stolen.
The vendor had accepted the money and after cursing Mark finally let him go. He was helped up by the little girl who seemed to be almost four Years younger than him. He felt embarrassed. The guy noted his discomfort and consoled him. ” It’s okay to be hungry, but you can’t steal from people. It’s bad behaviour.” The girl reprimanded him softly. She had already taken him to her house which was of course an abandoned warehouse with just an old mattress, a single bedsheet, a basin ànd a jerry can of water.
” What do you know? If I don’t steal, how am I supposed to survive?” He retorted. He was annoyed after getting lectured by a girl and that after she saved his ass.
” I don’t steal, but I survive. you can also do it.” The girl said softly. ” Look at you, you have many wounds and scars.” She said while cleaning marks bruises he earned from the vendors beating.
” I am a man , I can endure it. This is nothing.” He replied. Truth is he was ashamed of borrowing on the streets and just pickpocketing.
” As a man, you should work hard and be honest.” She retorted. After cleaning him, she served him what seemed like leftovers of rice and beans with carrots. He was so hungry that he didn’t bother whether the food was good or not. He bobbled it hungrily. The girl just watched him eating with a smile.
He was already done when he realised maybe he could have eaten everything leaving the girl with nothing. He looked at her awkwardly and started rubbing the back of his nape.
” I ate everything, I am sorry.” He said sheepishly.
” It’s okay, I already ate, I guess I don’t have breakfast anymore.” She said,
” I will go look for food.” Mark proposed.
” Forget it, you won’t find anything at this hour. Besides it’s dark, and the police are patrolling at this hour, you might end up getting caught and I heard they sell people nowadays.” The girl said worriedly. Recently, the police had been patrolling and gathering the Street children and taking them to children homes. She was afraid that the police would capture her.
” Okay, we will go looking for food tomorrow.” He said.
” Okay, I heard the radio say that today there might be a storm in the City, we should go to bed early.” The girl had said.
” Okay.”
” By the way, what is your name?” The girl asked him.
” Mark, my name is mark.” He replied.” What about you?” He asked.
” Me? I don’t have a name.” She replied shyly.
” You don’t have a name? How comes you don’t?” That was unheard of. Everybody got a name after they were born, how come she didn’t have one? He wondered.NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.
” Nobody gave me a name.” She replied avoiding looking into his eyes.
Mark smiled sweetly at her,” okay, then I shall give you a name.” He said and her eyes twinkled happily.
” From today onwards you will be called lily.” He said and she smiled ever so pleasantly at him. ” Lily..” she tested the name on her mouth and she found it likeable.
” Do you like it?” He asked.
” Yes, I like it. ” She liked it very much. Mark found her beautiful. He was already fifteen years old when boys and girls started experiencing adolescence. He found her lovable and wanted to take her for his wife when they grew up. But he did not voice that thought. She was after all very Young and wouldn’t understand the matters between men ànd women at her age, not that he himself understood anyways but he developed a strong attraction towards her.
The two had spent days together. They would wake up in the morning and go looking for food and money. They begged on the streets and did tasks in exchange for a few cents. That was how their Life progressed. They lived like husband and wife. Lily would follow him everywhere calling him elder brother.
During that one year, they raised enough money and enrolled in school. They would go to school in the morning and work in the evening. The routine progressed until one day Lily Left to hug groceries from the market and never came back. Mark searched for her everywhere and couldn’t find her. He asked around the streets and the neighbouring Streets but she was nowhere to be seen. Nobody saw her. It seemed that she had disappeared into thin air. It’s been thirteen years and he still hasn’t stopped looking for her. He never gave up looking for his little woman.
He would go back from time to time to the old abandoned warehouse to see if maybe she was back. Of Course the warehouse was no longer standing. It had been demolished and a company built there. He still hoped that one day she’ll remember her elder brother and uphold the promise they made to each other.
During the time they stayed together, he had finally revealed to her that he wanted to Marry her when they grew up. She had agreed and promised to wait for him to get big and secure a Job.
Flashbacks end.
” Now I am all grown up and have a Job. Do you still remember the promise we made to each other lily? Or only I am holding up to that childish promise?” He mumbled to himself. He was old enough to get married but he dared not get married to any other person apart from his promised bride. Now that he finally found her again, he was sure to make their promise come true. Now, he was capable of protecting and providing for her. All she needed to do was stay home and be a good wife and mother to their children.
Realising that he had strayed away from the matter at hand, Mark berated himself but smiled faintly. ” Wait for me, my little bride. I will take you home soon . After everything is settled, I will marry you and we will live happily together.” He said to himself, more like he promised himself before walking away to join the other soldiers to protect their country.