24. A child in the night.

"This is the last one I will try" he said to himself, as he walked up to the only house he had found after walkeing for a while.

The house was larger than any other he had seen, and looked well maintained, with flowers out in the front yard.

He walked past the porch up to the front door, "what difference would it make, you have already been rejected several times" he said to himself, mustering up the courage to knock on the door.

A lady answered the door on the third knock, her husband behind her with a pitchfork in his hand. "how may I help you" she asked, the door opened partially. "Mother, what of the mashed peas" a male voice shouted from within. She turned her head quickly and replied " I am coming my dear" and turned back to face him. She looked at him unhappily, irritated that he had disturbed her family time. "I need a room to rent for the night, and some food"

"we don't have any food or room to spare" her husband said shutting the door in his face. The child began wailing with its full might, disrupting the peacefulness of the night, and struggling as though someone had snatched something precious to it.

He tried to coax it as he had seen the mother in the carriage coax her child, but the baby resisted."shh, shh" he said juggling the baby up and down as he walked back and sat on the porch stairs.

He did not hear the door open, and was startled when the lady spoke to him from over his shoulders "you have a child? It lungs are quite powerful."

She said staring at the little bundle with admiration. He turned around quickly, too startled to realize that he almost dropped the child that had been snatched up by the woman. "I am Jora" she said her eyes solely on the child walking into her house. she made funny faces and funny sounds at the child's face, causing it to gurgle happily.

He stood in shock watching as she took the child into the house and shut the door carefully. He scoffed, disbelief written clearly on his face as he sunk to the floor in despair. The door opened once again, an apologetic look on the woman's face "I didn't mean to seem rude or snatch your child from you. Please come in." He stood up from the floor quickly and followed her into the house, the warmth from the house embracing him, and chasing the cold away.

She turned to him, grudgingly handing out the child to him at the signal of her husband.