1 In One Summer

It was summer. The temperature was getting hotter as the sun rose above everyone's head. Moreover, this year summer was hotter compared to the past few years. Some news even reported this summer was the hottest in this decade.

In an intersection bustling with white collar workers who were going for lunch, umbrellas were above their heads, preventing themselves from the scorching sunlight. Sometimes they waved the other hand as if it was a fan, hoping that it would cool them down.

Not far from the intersection, a row of restaurants and shops that had opened since morning were ready to welcome the customers that would peak in number at this hour. The chefs in the kitchen were busy preparing the ordered menu while the waitresses smiled genially to every customer that came in to the restaurants.

In a small alley among the restaurant, right beside a french restaurant, two children were sitting while hugging their knees, side by side. Sometimes, one of the children would put her head down in dejection. The other one, on the other hand, would squeeze her tiny hands whenever he saw the little girl expression – trying to cheer her up.

They wore oversized tattered clothes that full of patches. The fabric was already thinned out and the color was dull.

Their bodies were dirty because of the dust that

They had been sitting in that small alley almost half a day. The little girl grumbled from time to time as she was hungry. Her stomach would growl from time to time. The little boy could only coax her that it wouldn't be too long for her to eat and gave her the water from a mineral water bottle that had been used for several times, hoping that it would delay her hunger.

The girl incessantly murmuring about what she would eat to divert her attention while the little boy could only smile helplessly. To her, for not being hungry, she had to talk more and imagined what she really wanted to eat. They kept waiting, side by side, until the lunchtime was over.

The lunch time was finally over. The workers returned to their respective workplaces. The kitchen staffs and stewards began cleaning the table, utensils and the kitchenware. One of the staff brought a plastic of garbage with one hand while the other hold a plastic container filled with leftover food. He opened the backdoor and saw the children who usually waited for him had already been there.

The little girl's eyes lit up when she saw the man. She excitedly jumped up from the ground followed by the little boy. She walked towards the man and asked in excitement. "Big brother, what are we going to eat?" She eyed at the plastic container hold by his right hand with greed.

The man shook his head helplessly. He gave the container to the girl as he said, "Be careful. There's onion soup in it. It's still hot. I also put some pieces of bread in it. Eat with your brother." He looked at the little boy who was standing behind the little girl.

The little boy looked back at the man - straight eyes to eyes. The little boy said flatly, "Thank you big brother." His current expression was far different when he was just with his sister. He didn't speak and maintained an indifferent expression but the man knew that behind that expression, the little boy was grateful sincerely.

It would create misunderstanding for strangers to see the little boy acted that way - People might labelled him as an ungrateful brat but the man would not. Well, it wasn't that he wouldn't misunderstand him as he had already did when he saw the little boy from the very first time.

At that time, he fond of the little boy cuteness but the little boy only stared at him flatly. There was no expression. His thin lips were in straight line. At first, he found it funny when he saw a stern looking little guy. He thought the little guy was just guarded himself but after sometimes, he didn't find it amusing anymore. He was vexed by the little guy's indifferent expression.

Fortunately the little girl salvaged the situation. The little girl told him that her brother didn't like to speak. She also told him that her brother always kept that face from time to time.

The man knew that the little girl was lying. As an adult, he could see a tinge of hostility in the little guy's eyes towards him.

"Brother, We'll go. Thank you for the food." The little girl bowed her little body as she grabbed her brother's hand and waved her hands to say goodbye to the kind big brother. Then, she turned looking at her brother while walking to their home. "Brother, do you hate that big brother?" The kind big brother always gave them delicious food, at least thrice in a week. He was also kind to them that he would gave them money although it was only some cents. He never treated them rudely, unlike those adults who would mock them once they saw their unkempt, dirty appereance. To her, that big brother was kind, an angel sent by the heaven to them. He also had a genial, warm smile that she couldn't help but to side with that big brother the moment his smile flashed past her mind.

The little guy only replied, "Don't be so close to him."

The little girl blinked her eyes in confusion. "Why?" That big brother was the kindest person she met. Why did her big brother said that?

The little guy patted her her head with his other hand. He sternly said to her but concern couldn't be concealed from his eyes. "It's for your own good. Just for this time, please listen to brother." The little guy, after living in poverty since he could remembered things, had developed a habit, no, it would be precise to say that his instinct had developed. People whom he ever encountered was different in nature. But they had common things.

Although the little girl was still curious, she obeyed her brother. She would ask about it later. "Ok."

The little guy lips lifted up. "Good."