Chapter Three

Fivteen Years Ago, A 5 years old girl was trolling around the street looking for what to eat when she saw a big mansion which got her attention. She stopped, take a good look at the Mansion and walked round the compound. She saw a fruit trees with ripe fruit, she looked around her curiously searching for anyone but she didn't see anything. She smiled happily, she search for anything to get her inside the garden without anyone noticing her. She luckily saw a little gate in a corner, she moved closer, opened it and luckily it wasn't locked. She entered gently and saw enormous ripped fruits on the floor. She quickly packed it together and sat down calmly as she eat to her satisfaction. She laid down a little to rest as tears poured out slowly from her eyes. She quickly wipe it away and pack some with her as she left the garden happily.

Coming to the garden has been her regular routine and she thank her maker for the owner of the garden.

Young Ryan noticed a little change in his garden, there's no longer plenty fruits again like before and he wondered what happened. He called out the gateman to confirm before his mother knows about it

"Mr Carlos!!.. Do you have any idea about anybody taking fruits from my garden?" he asked curiously

"No master, I have any idea" he replied softly

"Okay. thank you Mr Carlos" he said, the gate man nod in response and left.

Ryan took it upon himself to catch the person red-handed and he won't spare the person.

This young girl came as usual to her favourite place but noticed a slight change about the gate. Today for the first time, the gate is wide open so she wondered if she got to close the gate yesterday. she entered quick and closed it. As usual, she sat down and ate the little she can and was about packing her night food when she saw a figure standing in front of her. She widen her eyes and gently looked up to see the person. She was a boy a little taller than her. She swallowed gently her Saliva in shock and looked at him innocently.

"So you are the thief? You come constantly to my garden to steal my fruits without telling anyone? Why are stealing at your young age little girl? He asked slowly

"Don't call me little, I'm 5 years old and you can't be that older than me right?.. I'm not a thief, I was just hungry and there's so many fruits here for anyone to go hungry... pls spare me, I was just hungry" She pleaded and raise her hands towards her face to cover herself from his anger

"So you made this place your food maker?.. To correct you, I'm two years older than you so you need to respect me and beside is your parent aware of this?" He asked, slightly scolding her as well

"I don't have one" She replied, looking down at her feet

"What? you mean, you are orphan?" He asked curiously with his mouth opened in awe

"Yes I don't have a parent, I actually escaped from the orphanage home five days ago and on my way to no destination I saw this garden" She explained gently

"You have been coming here since five days ago? Where are you staying?" He asked curiously

"I don't want to talk to you" She said hesitantly

.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to help and be your friend" He replied softly

"I don't want a friend" She said, raising her voice a little louder than before and looked away as Ryan raise his hands in surrender

"Okay but you can still come here everyday to eat. you are always welcome." He said, he removed an extra key from him and gave her. she gently collected it and left without packing her food.

Ryan looked at her as she left the garden and shake his head. He promised to help her and take care of her with the little he can afford.

The following day, The girl came back and confidently opened the gate to the garden. She saw the fruits already packed for her in a corner, she smiled widely and sat down to eat when he saw the little boy standing with a tray with him. She stood up quickly

"I swear I will not come here again" She said, closed her eyes in fear. she remembered a memory of one if the sister taking care of them who brought the same tray to her and brought out knife. She used the knife to markes her back as she screamed in pain.

Ryan saw her panicked and quickly dropped the tray with him. He moved closer to her, squeeze her shoulder and she freaked out a little but he hold her a little tighter before she calmed herself down and looked at him. He nod at her and smiled

"I brought this tray with me because there is food there. I promised is nothing to harm you, but just for you to eat a good food rather than fruits daily" he explained slowly and passed the tray towards her.

She looked at it curiously and start eating. She loves the food and finished eating the food without looking at the person that brought it. She looked at him and smiled widely

"Thank you for everything" She said, smiled shyly

"You're welcome. Please can I know your name and more about you?" He asked shyly

"Tell me yours first" She suggested calmly

"Okay, my name is Ryan Collins and I am the owner of this garden. am seven years old too" He said slowly

"But you are too young Ryan to have this big garden? Who gave it to you?" She asked curiously

"Yes am too young to have this big garden but I love fruits so my dad gave me this part of the house to begin my garden. I didn't plant all this myself if you must ask but I own it." He said awkwardly

"Okay.. like I said before, I don't know or even have a parent. I grew up in an orphanage home and so our mother there gave us all a name. She gave me Emily and I love the name " She said, smiling slowly

"Nice name Emily. nice meeting " he said, stretched out his hand to shake her but she denied and looked away. He took his hands to himself and smiled awkwardly. She packed her fruits and gently left the garden where she stayed.

Ryan followed her gently without her noticing, She stopped at a corner near the road and dropped her fruits in a broken bowl and covered it with a paper. She gently lay down and slept. Ryan could not control himself as he felt a drop of water poured from his cheeks before he start falling like a rain until it fell down. He quickly turned his back at her, wiped his tears and left to his House. He head straight to his room, he observe his room before sitting gently on the floor and wipe for her. imagining what is feeling even with the cold.