The Black Bag (Part 1 of 2)

Milder Consequence ~ 03

Late 2006, Age 9

When she had returned, she was late for supper. Again. However, she had learnt to not be surprised by it, much to the strict Nurse Josephine's chagrin.

There were still some children left in the dining hall, it seems. Few were seated at the table, lapping their plates clean and snatching whatever leftovers there. Others overcrowded the small kitchen, taking turns with the washing up while the cook watched on.

She could feel their eyes digging into her body as she strode past, questioning wordlessly where in the world had she been and how she could have left for so long that even the adults hadn't noticed until now. But if they wanted her to respond to them, she wasn't going to satisfy them. 

Her room was the only single one and the farthest one in the girl's dormitory. It was also the most plain with its empty walls and pallid furniture, unlike the other girls who would stick doodles or chuck cloth toys here and there. The best part was that her room had the built-in shower, and she did not have to share it.

After the usual icy bath, tooth-brushing and a long drink from the tap, she undressed and crawled under the covers. The lock clicks before she could drop off, and in walks Nicholas Sinclair with a trio of steel tins. He takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Went to visit Henry again, have you?"

She answered him 'Yes' even though he knew that she didn't need to. He should have known that this was going to be the new routine after the old carpenter was taken by cancer last month. He arranged the tins carefully on the spread, patted her knee twice and left the room.

Warm steam puffed into her face as she pulled off the lids from two of the tins. The plastic rustled noisily as she tore it open, snapped the wooden chopsticks by the ends.

"Thank you for the food."