2 Stitching

The skies are dark, twinkling spots can be seen scattered everywhere in the dark, calm vault of heaven. Alongside the empty buildings, a person whose body is covered by a gray thick coat. She is perambulating on the narrow pathway while her hands are carrying an object covered by clothing.

She halts in front of a structure, and a fluid falls from the corner of her eyes while gazing at what she's carrying. Furthermore, she bends her knees as she's lowering the body down to the stairs in front of the closed, tall doors of the structure.

"I…" she pulls her hands gently from the body covered by clothing, "be well."

Hence, she arises from the ground and takes one stare at what she carried. Hence, she turns around and sprints away from the scene. A loud cry resonates from the body covered by clothing whilst the person, sprinting away, brushes the fluids from her eyes.

The tall wooden doors begin to move forward, and a middle-aged man steps out from it. He moves his eyes everywhere, not until he saw an infant laying on the white stairs while crying.

He kneels in front of the infant, and the corners of his lip curve upward as his eyes are mimicking a smile. Moreover, he lifts the infant and stands up while his eyes remain shifting everywhere. 

"Who could do this to such a thing?" he turned around.

The middle-aged man walks inward to the structure, and the doors close by themselves.

Multiple benches can be seen inside the structure; placed from the left and right side of the lengthy red carpet, and a huge wooden cross can be seen hanging on the wall behind the desk in the center.

"What have you brought in our chapel, Santos?" a pair of footsteps echoes everywhere, "is it a pest or another misfortune?"

Santos ceases his movement and moves his eyes towards the one who spoke. He utters a soft laugh. "A 'pest' is such a strong word, respectful, kind father?"

A priest is standing a certain distance from Santos, while his eyes are gazing upon the middle-aged man carrying an infant whose cries are loud. The priest looks at him from head to toe, and he clicks his tongue.

"I better not hear that creature causing an emotional pang in this village, Santos." The priest ambled from Santos' sight. 

The sun begins to ascend; its bright light shines upon the world. A boy is standing in front of a window attached to a wall. His clothing has many holes, and dark spots can be seen on his face down to his toes.

"It's hot today," he mumbled.

He turns around and looks at the sky only for his eyes to be pierced by the bright light. He turns to the other side and a balloon hits his face and it bursts; releasing water on his face.

He hears a group of laughter causing his eyes to look at where it came from, and he witnesses a boy wearing formal attire.

His eyes are staring at the filthy boy whose distance is far from him.

The boy wearing formal attire speaks, "Such a poor sight to see, a boy cleaning a window at such a young age."

He raises his hand to his lip as his eyes are copying a smile. "Oh, I remember, you were abandoned in front of the church."

"That's enough, Ferian!" A girl came out of nowhere.

Ferian turns his eyes to her and his eyes are broadening. "W-Who are you? H-How did you know my name!"

The girl walks toward Afitera whose eyes are staring at the ground. She holds his forehead and he looks at her.

"Are you okay, Afitera?" she smiles slightly, "I just can't stand that you are here cleaning those filthy windows."

Ferian's eyebrows are knitting as his eyes are narrowing at the sight between Afitera and the girl.

He yells, "NO ONE DARES TO LEAVE ME HANGING FOR ANSWERS!"

Her fingers stop caressing Afitera's dirty cheeks, then she turns around and her eyes stare directly into his eyes.

"I will… return!" the boy wearing formal attire turns around and runs away, "remember this day!"

The girl stares at Ferian as he disappears from their sight. She turns around and sees Afitera staring at the ground.

She smiles slightly. "Say, Afitera, would you like a sandwich?"

Afitera looks up and witnesses her calm beautiful smile. He nods and speaks, "Are you sure? I don't want… want to waste your time."

"Don't worry, I won't treat you like how you are being treated by people like Ferian," she told him.

Afterward, in the middle of a forest, inside a carriage, a boy is feasting upon a sandwich while a girl is staring at the window beside her.

Her eyes turn toward him. "Tell me, Afitera, how did you end up in that kind of situation?"

Afitera looks at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… you're a kid and you are supposed to be showered with love," she rubs her chin while staring at him from head to toe, "even the kids back in my town are living a normal life."

Afitera puts down the half-bitten sandwich on his thigh, and he replies, "I think you don't understand… not every child can live in a mansion like you nor have a good life like what you have.

"Some kids like me, need to work to attain our needs even if it's against our will. Just be thankful that you have a warm home and a favorable life. Unlike me, everyone looks at me with different hateful opinions."

She holds his hand and he looks at her hand.

"My name's Lumina," she tells him, "I am your friend from now on."

Afitera's eyes widen and he swings his other hand, hitting her hand away from his hand.

Lumina stares into his eyes whilst Afitera looks down at the ground. He looks at her and the ground once again. 

"I know that your intention towards me is pure, yet I don't want you to be neglected by your loved ones," he arises from his seat and tears fall from his eyes, "you just knew me weeks ago… if your loved ones or anyone you know will see us together, they might despise you for interacting with such a low life like me!"

She rises and extends her hand towards him, but he runs toward the door and pushes it; running away from the carriage.

She remains standing while gazing at him while he disappears from her sight.

Afitera stops running, and he is looking down while regaining his breath. He moves his eyes upward just to feel a foot hit his face, and he falls to the ground.

"Don't you dare interact with my cousin!" a boy speaks in front of Afitera, "we don't accept rats in our family. Your filthy hands won't even touch her even a bit of her fingers."

Afitera rubs his thumb on his lip, he looks at his thumb and sees blood on it. He remains sitting on the ground while the boy in front of him turns around and walks away.

Afterward, Afitera enters the structure or also known as a chapel. He looks everywhere and sees empty benches and the wooden cross at the center of the big religious room.

A masculine voice echoes throughout the whole room. "WHAT IS THIS THAT I HEARD?!"

Afitera looks at where the voice came from, hence he witnesses a mad priest marching his way toward him.

The priest halts in front of him, and he stares at Afitera from head to toe. "Isn't it enough to live in this cathedral for free?! Now, we are at risk of losing one of the town's wealthiest investors!"

"But… it isn't my fault," Afitera spoke.

The priest swings his hand and it strikes Afitera's cheek. The boy's eyes widen while touching his cheek, and he moves his eyes to the ground.

The priest points his finger at Afitera. "Don't you dare answer me! Didn't I tell you that you are only a rat in this cathedral?!"

Afitera remained standing while his hand stayed on his cheek, thereupon, the boy is looking down as the priest is walking away.

The boy didn't speak any words or utter a sound, he just remained in his position while looking down at the ground.

Afitera is now ambling on an empty hallway with doors on each side, then he halts in front of a wooden door; it has cracks and looks old.

He touches the rusty door knob, rotates it as he moves it forward only to witness a room with cobwebs on the ceiling; a few removed wooden planks, and a glass window with cracks, and one dusty bed.

"I'm home." he closed the door. 

Outside the chapel, in front of a stall with a huge cardboard embedded on its wall. A lady reaches a red plastic bag towards a middle-aged man. 

He slides his hand inward the pocket of his pants. "How much for the bread?" 

The lady shakes the plastic bag she's carrying and he looks into the lady's eyes. 

"Take it, it's for free," she told him with a gentle smile on her lip. 

The middle-aged man's eyes are broadening while staring at her eyes. "Well… I don't want to get taken into custody so–!" 

Her eyes stared directly into his eyes. "Take care of him." 

"What did you say, miss?" he raised his eyebrows at her. 

"You'll understand soon, once you witness that day," she told him. 

He blinks as he shakes his head, hence his eyes widen. "Am I going blind? Where is she?" 

He turns around and rubs his eyes. "Kids these days. Beyond doubt, they're driving me insane." 

He begins to walk away from the stall. The clouds continue moving, and sooner or later, the sun begins to drift from the horizon. 

Inside a mansion near the chapel, inside one of its largest rooms, a young man is standing in front of a handsome, muscular man whose eyes are narrowing at the ground. 

"IS THAT TRUE?!" he pushes himself from his seat, "THAT BRAT FROM THE CHAPEL!" 

"If that slovenly creature continues to talk to your daughter," he smiles slyly for a bit and pouts, "he might cause delusions to her or he might use her to have money or the worst is he might molest her." 

The muscular handsome man lifts his hand and slaps his thigh, his eyes narrowing as his brows are knitting. 

He looks directly at Bene. "Ready some huge sums of money, Bene." 

Bene smirks. "Fine, I will call our finest assassins." 

The doors of the chapel move forward and Afitera walks out from the chapel, he gently shuts the doors. 

Afitera walks down the stairs and witnesses a young woman who steps out from the thick shade of shadows. 

"Afitera, right?" she walks toward him, "don't be afraid, please."

Afitera begins to step backward bit by bit while he's breathing faster as his eyes are widening at the young woman. 

Afitera shouts, "Please! I don't want to! Please go away!" 

He stumbles over a part of the stair causing him to fall to the ground. She stops moving after getting close to his distance. 

"I am not afraid of any words that they will throw at me for interacting with you!" she extends her hand towards Afitera, "I will be more anxious to lose this opportunity to know you."

"So please, let's be friends," she told him. 

The wind blows over them and the clouds are being moved by the breath of wind. Multiple people everywhere on the streets of the village are walking straight to their own homes.

On the roof of the chapel, Afitera and Lumina are sitting on the roof while the light that the moon is radiating is shining upon them. 

"You know, I am deeply sorry for what I acted earlier," Lumina spoke. 

Afitera swings his feet. "You know, my father said that: we human beings show our affection towards a person by sometimes embracing them or holding their hands." 

Lumina begins to move her eyes toward Afitera. "Remember the moment that our eyes meet?" 

Afitera looks at her whilst she smiles while staring at the clouds. 

"It was during the night that a crowd of people was chasing you," she tells him, "they're holding torches and machetes. During that time, where is your father?" 

"During that moment they chase me with a worthy exchange," Afitera holds a piece of his long hair strand which is covering his ears, "It is because of this."

Lumina's eyes are widening as her eyebrows are arising, and her eyes behold the missing ear of Afitera. 

"Y-Your ear, it's missing!" she yelled. 

Afitera let go of his long hair strand, and he looks away from her. "My father said that one of my ears was missing when he found me outside the chapel; laying on the cold ground while being wrapped by a cloth."

Lumina inhales deeply and moves her eyes downward. "I am so sorry… you shouldn't have experienced that kind of life. If I just found you then I would have just taken you home!"

Tears fall from her eyes while looking down and she rubs her eyes whilst Afitera is just staring at her with calm eyes. 

Afitera raises his hand and extends it toward Lumina yet he stops mid-way. He turns his eyes from her and looks upward at the dark calm sky. 

He says, "That's how life is… we won't get what we want; we either end up being a poor or a wealthy individual."

Lumina rubs her eyes, and she opens her eyes only to see Afitera lending her a piece of cloth. 

Lumina takes the cloth and wipes the tears from her eyes. After wiping, she looks directly at his eyes which are focused on the sky.

"If only I could stitch the holes in your life, then maybe you might experience the life that I have?" she asked herself.