A Kind Favour

Seven days since Crest had last lied to his mother, the food in his house was on the verge of being finished again. One theft had given him the scare of his lifetime, to think about another one sent shivers up his spine.

"Just how do these guys make it?" Felna said in a blissful tone with her face the happiest Crest had seen in days, she had always been fond of the thin sauce.

Crest sat down to eat, Amatha put the rice in a bowl and served it to him.

Before she could pour the sauce Crest was already speaking "Mother, sauce."

"I am pouring it." she said.

As soon as the first spoon touched his tongue his lips curved into a smile, he took another spoon and another spoon and another spoon, within seconds the entire bowl was devoured.

"Add some more." Crest put forward the bowl, smacking his lips to lick off some of the sauce.

The food was delicious, but ever since he had to steal he could not help but feel he was sustaining life every time he put a bite in.

Amatha filled it up again and added the sauce, "Here you go."

Felna too was eating it with pace, both the siblings were enamored of the thin sauce.

Crest washed his mouth after the meal and walked towards the kitchen while wiping his mouth with his green towel.

"Brother are you still not going to tell me how you brought all of the food?" Felna asked.

Crest pulled her chicks softly, and said "I told you Felna, the food found its way to me."

"But you have told mom, why can't you tell me?"

"Some things are better left untold, now go sleep, it is already late."

"You never tell me anything." She grunted squeakily and went upstairs to sleep.

Whenever she spoke in that way Crest always thought his sister looked cuter.

When he was certain she was out of hearing range, he turned towards his mother.

"How long will the food last?"

"Not more than two days." Amatha said, her expressions were grim, she did not want to speak anything.

The place where she cooked was not far from the land lamp, she put some more stones in it. The room lit up more clearly, it was powerful than the light of the moon.

Crest closed the window, the room suddenly became warm. He dropped his shoulders into a more comfortable position, he did not need to prevent the cold now.

"Let's sell the stones." Amatha suggested.

"We can, but I do not want to, let's not do that." Crest said.

"But then you would have to labor again." Crest felt the genuine care and concern in her voice. The way she said that, Crest thought about the lie he told her."

He felt totally strangled in the situation, he could not just tell his mom he stole, but he also could not see his mother being worried for a false cause.

He felt guilty, that his mother was worried for a pain he had never felt.

"These feelings do not keep me from dying, nor anyone. Anyway what physical harm is there if she is worried, I should not think about it, the actual problem is money not emotions."

Crest kept the words to himself.

"Mother do not worry, there is no harm in doing labor. I just feel tired, it does not hurt too much putting water on crops for a day." This time he said it aloud.

"Son, you are working so hard for us, you-." Her voice wavered and broke into a sob.

"You have to labor for us at such an age." Her voice was jumbled and not clearly audible between the tears.

Crest did not try to stop her, he let her cry.

Amatha's sobs gradually decreased.

"I am going to bed, good night." Crest went upstairs, Felna was already fast asleep. His mother's bed was just beside his. He went towards the window, Fefarem glowed in the night. Countless candles, land lamps and towering lights. The night sky cast a blue color above, the only light in his room was of the moon. From his dark room, Crest gazed on the streets that were still busy.

He slammed himself on the bed and tugged the blanket. He closed his eyes and turned on his back.

He was just starting to think some thoughts.

"Crest." He heard his sister's voice.

He immediately took off his blanket and sat up on his bed.

"What happened Felna?"

"There is blood on my bed."

A fleeting wave of nervousness arrived and went off, "Move aside".

When she did, the sheets were red, as if someone had slit somebody and spilled the blood.

"Mother, Felna is having her period."

Amatha rushed upstairs.

She saw Felna with her head on her knees, on the corner of the bed. The blood was still flowing from her body.

"Felna, do not worry my dear." When she put Felna's head up, she was crying.

"Crest, get an absorbing cloth. Quick." Amatha's voice and expressions were dire and nervous.

"Where is it?" Crest replied instantaneously.

"Mine won't fit her, get them from the store nearby."

Crest flung himself down stairs.

He did not have money, he took a bowl of rice and rushed to the store.

"Give me an absorbing cloth, please do it quick." he said to the familiar shopkeeper.

"Alright, you look like in real hurry." said Twell, the shopkeeper, as he gave him the metallic brown colored cloth.

"Twell, want to save dinner for a day." Crest spoke the words very quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"I do not have money right now, accept this bowl of rice." Crest blasted out the words with extreme pace

"Sure man, I can do that much for you. You can take the cloth."

Crest zoomed past blisteringly across the street to his home and jumped upstairs. He did not wait to see anybody's reactions. He threw the cloth towards his mother and jumped down.

After a while, his mother called him. "Crest, lock the door and come upstairs."

He locked the door and went up.

His sister was facing the wall while sleeping, she was still awake.

"How did you buy the cloth, did Twell give it to you on credit?"

"No, I gave him the bowl of rice for it."

"Oh!"

Crest went to his bed, he knew he had to steal again.

He thought of plans before he fell asleep.

When he woke up the next day, Felna had already woken up. He sat up on his bed, he knew what he would do again.

Felna was sitting with her legs crossed, eating tailed fish put between bread.

She looked as though she had just stopped crying.

Crest did not say anything.

He finished his breakfast exceedingly quickly.

He went out immediately after that. The street was busy.

Crest took a different direction this time, he did not search for a desolate shop this time. The previous day's incident had made him restless.

He went to a shop that did not have anyone on the counter, it was a busy street. Crest wanted to get it over with and get back. The shop was similar to the one he has last stolen from, it was a food store.

This time it was a lady. When she handed him the bag and was expecting a normal payment, Crest ran off.

"Thief, he stole food from my shop." Her voice was shill through the air and it caught all the attention.

Crest knew he had all eyes on him, "Damn I am screwed" he thought angrily to his fate.

It could not have gotten worse, but a few darn people were chasing after him. "What do these people have to do with it?" Crest thought resentfully and continued his run.

If it were not for those stupid people chasing him, it would not have attracted the captors of the Blue Justice.

Now if caught, they would take him to the Blue Justice and sentence him. Crest covered his face with his shirt, exposing his stomach.

People were still after him, chasing like he had a prize tag. Crest was panting, he had been running for minutes. His heart was pounding at a greater speed than his pace, his hurting legs were begging him to stop, but he couldn't.

A mansion that surely was one of the biggest in Fefarem came to his sight, that place, of course had guards. Crest knew he needed to get in, but how?

The bag of food was still in his hand. He took out an apple and shot it with power towards one of the two guards at the door of the mansion, the guard got stunned and held his throbbing face with both his hands.

His spear got dropped, the other guard charged him.

Now he was definitely caught, but he still had apples, he shot another apple towards the guard. The people behind him were closing in.

The guard dodged the apple and was getting near, just inches away.

Crest stopped abruptly and put a leg on the way of the chasers. One fell, and many tripped over his body and fell down, some got confused and fell. The falling people knocked out the guard with them, as he too fell on the ground with a thud.

The guard who Crest had attacked with the apple at the beginning had gathered himself and plunged towards Crest.

One of the chasers hadn't fallen. The chaser tried to grab him, but Crest with cat like reflexes went behind man and pushed him towards the guard. The guard shoved the man away but that had given Crest time to put his leg on the way again and trip the second guard as well.

Before anyone got up, Crest rushed inside the mansion, not knowing what to do.

The guards inside heard the noise and went out to see. They left the mansion totally unguarded. Crest ran off to the top floor where he would be safe.

The room there was massive, almost as big as his entire house. It was all white, the bed looked fluffy. There were large window panes that gave a stunning view of the city. It even had a tap for water, and two doors that led to more rooms.

Crest was severely tired from running all through the town, he got seated. He was panting and his breaths were too quick.

It took him a fair amount of time to get his breathing under control. He now needed to figure out how to get away before anyone came in.

He was walking when the blanket flew in the air, Crest got startled and took steps back.

A girl had woken up, in a red silk dress, with deep red lips. Eyes of diamonds, a thin body. Long black hair that reached her waists. Hands that were carved out by delicacy.

She had a look Crest would define as cute. She gazed at Crest.

"No, please do not call the guards I beg you. I had to steal this food else I, my mother and my sister would have died of hunger. Please let me go."

Crest was horror struck at the sight of a person, he did not even realize he could probably overpower this girl.

It happened out of the blue, Crest did not have time to comprehend anything. He was shocked and scared out of his wits.

The girl took two steps back put both of her hands forwards, "No, no do not worry. I won't call any guards. I want to help you."

Crest knew he had to feel relieved there, but he was more astounded.

The girl opened a drawer and took out a pack of stater coins. It probably contained thirty.

"Here take it."

Crest was dumb founded. He did not know what to do in this situation.

But he gathered himself up and went forward.

"Thank you, so much, for doing this. I will truly never forget your kindness, Thanks again."

The girl saw eyes of Crest that were full of love, his voice was as sweet as sugar.

"It is fine, I like to help people. You will be in trouble if anyone recognizes you. There is a ladder in the other room, use it to get away from behind. Probably no one has got there till now. If anyone saw you enter, guards might be coming. Go, quick."

Crest stepped forward with composure, even in this situation.

"What is your name?"

"Meda."

"I will truly never forget you Meda, thanks for helping me. Thank you so very much."

Then he went to the other room, a ladder beneath the window was sleeping in the big room. Crest arranged it, the large windows could be completely opened.

Carefully he stepped down, luckily no one was there. With the food and money, Crest ran towards home.