Carol and the Slum Children II

Carolyn and Derrick went to the church with Lety sleeping peacefully on Carolyn's back. The children at the church didn't show any reaction to their arrival, so they entered and were able to find a space to lay Lety. Benedict had left extra sheets, so Derrick took one of them and spread it on the floor for Lety to lie on. Carolyn was worried that she would run into Benedict, but he happened to be away from the church.

"Is there anything you need from your house? I'll go get it for you."

Carolyn could tell that Derrick didn't fully trust the other children, so she offered to head back to their shack to pick out anything useful while he stayed with Lety. Derrick looked reluctant when he heard the proposal, so she thought he would reject her offer, but instead he changed the terms.

"No, a lot of the stuff there is hidden, so it'll be faster if I go. Stay with Lety while I'm gone."

After saying this, Derrick immediately stood up and took a step towards the exit. Carolyn almost couldn't believe what she heard, so she had to double check.

"Wait. Are you sure?"

"What? Are you in a rush to leave or something?"

"Well, no."

"Then there's no problem."

Before she could get another word in, Derrick quickened his pace towards the door. Carolyn was still a little confused, but she remembered to say one more thing before he left.

"Derrick, be careful."

With a wave to show that he heard her, Derrick left the church. Lety was still asleep, but there seemed to be a smile on her face.

The children that saw the interaction between Derrick and Carolyn, stared at her with interest. Derrick was well-known for being cynical and over-protective of his sister, so besides the Priest there had been no one else who he would entrust her to. While Carolyn looked like a stereotypical 'good' person, children like them were most wary of those who approached them with kind intentions, so they were surprised that Derrick found this one reliable.

"Auntie, are you friends with Derri?"

One of the younger children approached Carolyn and asked this innocent question.

"Au, auntie...?"

Some of the other children quietly signaled the small child to move away from Carolyn, but the little girl stayed in place. Though she was even younger than Lety, she had still managed to survive in the slums, so she knew to doubt and to be critical of everything and everyone, but that was exactly why she had to ask this question.

"Auntie, is something wrong?"

"And she said it again. Um, you can call me Carol."

"Okay, Auntie Carol."

"...Why are you calling me an auntie?"

"Hmm? There something else I should call you?"

"You can just use my name."

"That's what I did, Auntie Carol."

"...Never mind. What's your name?"

"It's Ann."

"Okay Ann. By Derri, do you mean Derrick?"

"Mhmm."

"I'm not sure what he thinks, but I do want to be his friend."

"Why? You don't live round these parts, do you, Auntie?"

"You're right. I've actually only been in this city for a week and I met Derrick on the first day that I arrived."

"Oh, I know! That was the day you chased after him because he stole something from you."

A different child shouted the details that Carolyn was about to glide over. Other children had been around the church on that day, so even if Derrick kept quiet, it wasn't odd that they guessed what happened or overheard the conversation inside the church.

"Yes, that did happen."

"If he stole from you, then why do you want to be his friend?"

"I know it might sound weird, and if he was an adult without remorse, then I probably wouldn't want to be his friend. But I can tell that he's not really bad at heart and I want to support him and his sister, so I decided to try my best to be his friend."

"If you're not lying, you must be really silly, Auntie. If you're so trusting, you'll get hurt one day."

"Maybe so, but at the very least, I don't think I'll regret trusting him."

"Hmm."

Whenever she was talking with someone, Carolyn always tried to keep looking at their eyes. Through their eyes, she could see their intentions and find the words hidden in what they said or didn't say. Ann acted like an innocent little girl, but her eyes were jaded. Even if she believed Carolyn, she didn't think anything good would come of her trusting and being friends with Derrick. Carolyn knew she had probably been forced to become like this, but that didn't mean she was okay with ignoring it.

"It's the same for you too, Ann."

"Huh?"

"What I mean to say is that it's the same for all of you. I know you may not trust me, but I want to help you all too. If you ask me why, I simply don't want to see children like you with such sad expressions."

"Hmm. Maybe you should stop sticking your nose into everything, Auntie."

After realizing that her true thoughts had leaked out, Ann clicked her tongue and turned around, but Carolyn was still smiling.

"I know I'm a busybody, and I probably would be better off if I minded my own business. But I can't help it. If it's to put a genuine smile on your faces then, I'm perfectly fine being nosy."

Even Ann, with her back to Carolyn's angelic smile, felt a stirring in her heart, but she refused to indulge it. Even if Carolyn wasn't lying, she knew talk was cheaper than food. She wouldn't believe in empty promises.

After Ann moved off, no one else tried to approach Carolyn, but they would still glance at her intermittently. As she watched them, Carolyn believed that she found her resolve. The way ahead was still blurry, but that wouldn't hinder her steps.

"Lety, can you talk?"

"...When did you find out I was awake?"

"I noticed you moving while I was talking with Ann. I guess you heard what I said."

"...Yes."

Since she had personally experienced Carolyn's kindness, Lety was more affected by Carolyn's words than the other children. A part of her believed in her promise, but her rational side coldly suppressed it. As long as Carolyn assisted with her plans, she had no other requests.

"When you asked for my help, you said that your plan would benefit all of the children here. Were you serious when you said that?"

"Well..."

"Just in case you misunderstand, I'm not trying to modify the terms of my promise. Even if your answer is no, I'll still provide my help."

"Hmm, well, yes. I didn't plan it with them in mind, but I'll need their involvement once it's time to bring my idea into reality."

"Okay, that's enough for now. Sorry for making you speak while you're sick."

"It's fine. I'm used to feeling like this."

Battling against the struggles caused by her weak body was the norm for her, so Lety had no issue with sharing a couple words with Carolyn, especially when it involved the future of her and her brother. Carolyn knew Lety wasn't putting up a tough front, but she still wished she could do more for her. While thinking of what she could do, an idea came to her mind. She then gently pat Lety's head and sang.

"Far above the ground, the stars shine on high. Their light ever gentle, they serve as a guide..."

It was a lullaby so common that even these children who barely remembered their parents had heard it before, but Carolyn's voice made it sound like an entirely different song. As her voice reached outside the church, the children that heard her song were mesmerized and inched closer to the church to hear her better. Even though no one entered within ten feet of her and Lety, all of their eyes and ears were focused in her direction.

During her impromptu performance, Benedict quietly returned to the church. He remained behind the children, piously listening to her song from outside the church, so no one noticed him.

"What a multi-talented bloodline. It really makes you wonder if it's really natural."

With some training, Benedict could see Carolyn serving as an excellent figurehead, but the Chief expected more than that. Benedict hoped that the Chief's eyes weren't blinded by nostalgia and loyalty, but he couldn't see this girl carrying their heavy aspirations. She was certainly gifted, but what she lacked was clear, and Carolyn knew it too. His strict words to her hadn't just been a test. If she couldn't find an answer to push her forward, then her road would end there.

"Ms. Carol, I look forward to seeing what path you choose."