Years of toil and burden had aged this woman, barely in her early fifties, well beyond her actual years. Her hands especially looked like withered trees, full of wrinkles.
"I dream about them often too," Ian said as he followed behind Ms. Helena, dragging what appeared to be the lightest but was actually the heaviest, and quite dangerous, small suitcase.
Compared to before he left for Hogwarts, the Orphanage's Head of House seemed even thinner and more worn. As a devout nun raised by a church family, she had dedicated her life to orphan after orphan. But her faith had done little to slow the passing years etched into her body.
"After you left for school, I lost your help. Those mischievous little ones drove me crazy more than once. Without you to keep them in check, a few of those troublemakers were always running wild and getting into mischief."
"Thankfully, I managed to get them all placed out. Mischievous little ones always seem to be favored by adoptive families. I think it definitely has something to do with that book you left behind for them."
Ms. Helena casually spoke of daily matters, and one passing glance made Ian lower his head in guilt.
Before leaving for Hogwarts, he had indeed left a book titled How to Choose Parents, which detailed how to identify a loving home and how to win over adults. His goal, of course, was to help his younger siblings find good homes.
Staying in the Orphanage rarely offered a future, being adopted into a good family was the best path for most orphans. Those qualified to adopt were usually middle-class couples.
"It was mostly their own good luck, nothing really to do with me…" Ian tried to talk his way out of it, but Ms. Helena clearly didn't buy it.
"No matter what you say, that book you left behind really helped the kids. At least they learned how to get along with adults. I think you're the smartest little one we've ever had at the Orphanage."
Ms. Helena patted Ian's head as they walked toward the Orphanage. She didn't own a car, the one she used to pick up Ian earlier belonged to a kind old neighbor.
Ian had always suspected that the old neighbor had a crush on their Head of House, but he never had any evidence or the opportunity to prove it, so he'd never been able to play matchmaker in that potential late-life romance.
Though nuns often devote their lives entirely to God, after witnessing so much suffering in the world, Ms. Helena's faith in God had long since worn thin.
If it weren't for the need to keep receiving church aid funding, Ian felt that Ms. Helena would've already "left the order" a long time ago. Ms. Helena had always leaned towards pragmatism in her thinking.
"The smartest child... I've heard you say something similar about Catherine and Mia, oh, and also Daniel. When he tried to 'treat' everyone by collecting maggots from the outhouse, you praised him too. But behind his back, you told me to make sure all those maggots crawled into the mud patch in the backyard."
Ian began listing all the kids Ms. Helena had ever praised as the "smartest," rattling off name after name, practically covering every child in the orphanage.
"Hahaha~"
Being exposed didn't make Ms. Helena the least bit embarrassed. On the contrary, she burst out laughing. The two of them, chatting and laughing, finally returned to the somewhat dilapidated old house.
The Orphanage.
The exterior of the orphanage was still worn and mottled, the gray-white walls streaked with stains left by years of rain. Time had etched an unerasable mark onto this long-standing institution.
"Welcome home, child."
Ms. Helena stepped forward and pushed open the door. The iron gate was already rusted, and the hinges emitted a harsh creaking sound due to years of neglect. There had once been a carved symbol of good fortune above the door, but it was now faded and barely visible, leaving behind only a patchwork of shallow and deep scratches , the traces of curious little hands over the years.
The soft, yellow glow of the gas lamp blurred in the curtain of rain, as if signaling an early nightfall.
As the heavy door creaked open, a faintly desolate courtyard revealed itself, quiet and peaceful. A familiar mix of the aroma of food and the scent of disinfectant wafted out , it was a smell Ian knew all too well. It felt like an invisible thread connecting every corner of this small world to him.
"It really is cabbage and radish stew with meat!"
Ian dashed off toward the kitchen. There were quite a few kids already waiting there for dinner. As soon as they saw Ian walk in, they erupted in cheers.
"It's him! It's him! The man who brought the cabbage stew! Our king!"
"Ian, I missed you so much! No one kicked my butt while you were gone!"
"Oh! Heavens! Ian, you've grown so tall! Tomorrow when you threaten me by saying I have to crawl under your legs if I misbehave, I don't think your legs will feel narrow anymore!"
"I want a hug! Ian! I want a hug! Mia, get out of the way!"
...
The children chattered noisily all at once.
They crowded around him, talking over each other, asking about interesting stories from his trip, and some couldn't wait to know what kind of treasures Ian had in his little suitcase.
"This is all dangerous stuff!" Ian quickly stopped a few curious kids.
"Welcome home, Ian." The auntie in charge of cooking in the kitchen looked absolutely thrilled. She had really missed having Ian around to help , this little guy always managed to find ways to bring in some meat from all sorts of places.
"Aunt Marilyn, let me see if your cooking's gotten rusty!" Ian said as he reached for the pot with an iron ladle , only to be smacked on the hand with a spoon by Aunt Marilyn, just as expected. The familiar sting made Ian wince, but he was smiling as well.
"Have some manners, little rascal. Take the younger ones out to wash their hands for dinner, and make sure they wash them three times." Aunt Marilyn gave Ian a clear command.
"Got it." Ian nodded obediently.
However...
Before leaving the kitchen with the others, he walked up to Aunt Marilyn and stuffed the wad of cash, which Ms. Helena had refused earlier, into her apron pocket.
"This is money Ms. Helena told me to give you. She said you should use it to buy more milk for the kids." Leaving behind that cheeky lie, Ian dashed out the door.
"Wait for me, Ian! You haven't hugged me yet!"
"Onnie said you might not come back. You need to help us smack her mouth!"
"Ian! Ian! I'll give you all my meat tonight! Can you tell us some stories about the outside world?" A group of kids immediately chased after Ian.
Ian led them straight to Ms. Helena. Only then did the little ones quiet down a bit , a scene that made Ms. Helena struggle to keep a straight face, her lips twitching with amusement.
"Hand out your gifts after dinner," she said as she returned Ian's suitcase to him. "Don't let them spoil their appetite by stuffing themselves with snacks first."
She had probably already guessed what Ian was planning.
"If I don't give it to them now, they'll be too excited to eat anything later." Ian understood kids far too well. He opened up the big suitcase and pulled out a large school bag.
All the children stared at him with glowing eyes.
And then...
Under the worshipful and ecstatic gazes of the children, Ian looked just like a magician in their eyes who could do anything. He shook out a whole pile of snacks right onto the stone slabs beneath the eaves.
All sorts of colorful treats poured out like a rainbow, dazzling and vibrant, instantly drawing the attention of every child.
(To Be Continued…)
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