A Beggar's Life

Renly and Susie took the baby straight to their place of residence. But it was not a house. After all, for beggars on the streets, what was a house if not just a distant dream?

Large, wide pipes lay stacked in rows—similar to the massive pipes used in well constructions. That was where Renly and his wife lived. These pipes belonged to the corporation. They had been brought there for some project and left abandoned. Many other beggars and street dwellers had also made such pipes their temporary homes. But none of this lasted long. They could stay only until the corporation decided to take the pipes away. Once that happened, they would have no choice but to set up makeshift tents with tattered cloths or search for other places—perhaps the ruins of old, abandoned buildings.

"Listen, what exactly is your plan? What are you going to do with this baby?"

Susie asked, still looking at her husband with suspicion.

"What else? We will raise him, that's all."

"Hmm… fine… then give him to me. I'll feed him some milk."

Saying this, she handed over their daughter to Renly and took the baby from his arms. Crawling into the pipe where they slept, she unfastened the hooks of her blouse and started feeding the baby. As soon as she did, the baby eagerly began to drink.

"He seems really hungry," Susie remarked, glancing at her husband.

"Of course. His mother died before she could even feed him. How could he not be starving?"

"Do you really think that when he grows up, he will take care of us? Can you be sure he won't just leave us behind?"

"I don't know that. But for now, we will raise him. Once he gets a little older, we'll introduce him to our line of work. Just look at his frail body—people will feel sympathy for him. And after all, he's a boy… we can teach him a bit of thieving as well."

"Don't expect me to care for him like I do for our daughter."

Susie said, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"Alright, alright… everything as my beloved wishes."

Renly replied with a smile, letting the matter rest.

"Shouldn't we give him a name?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking..."

"He was born in the fish market, right? How about we name him Finn or Marlin?"

Susie looked at her husband.

'No, Susie... A good name brings good fortune. We should give him a strong name."

"Then how about Leon?"

Hearing that, Renly's face lit up.

"Leon... Lion... And we can add Vale, my father's family name, to it. Grow strong like a lion, my boy..."

Saying this, Renly leaned close to the baby's ear as he lay in Susie's lap, drinking milk. He whispered three times into his tiny ear:

"Leon Vale... Leon Vale... Leon Vale..."

Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky from nowhere. A loud clap of thunder echoed through the daylight, and raindrops kissed the earth.

"Why this sudden rain?"

An old woman selling shells in the market turned to the woman in the next stall and asked. The woman only shrugged, as if she had no answer.

Leon Vale—

A new star had risen in Ashenhold.

*****

Years passed. Leon Vale was now five years old.

"Hey kid, not like that. If you walk straight like that, who will give you money? How else will you fill your stomach? Look at me. Like this."

Leon's foster father, Renly, was teaching the five-year-old boy how to beg.

Saying this, he walked with a limp, demonstrating. Then, patting his stomach lightly, he spoke in a pitiful voice,

"Brother... Sister... Please give me something... I am starving... I haven't eaten anything for two days... Please help me..."

Leon Vale carefully observed his every move.

"See? That's how it's done. Now try it."

Hearing this, Leon grabbed his left arm and held it against his left knee, limping forward

"Good boy, just like that..."

Renly clapped in encouragement as Leon's frail body swayed forward. He placed a hand on his stomach, mimicking Renly's movements, and pleaded,

"Sister... Brother... Uncle... Aunt... Please give me something... I am starving... I haven't eaten anything for two days... Please help me..."

"Haha... Good! You're learning well! With the money you bring tomorrow, I'll buy you some bread from Tobias' shop."

Renly grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, stained from tobacco.

"Why are you making the boy act like this, man? Why not just break his legs? Then he won't have to pretend to limp—he'll be truly crippled."

A little distance away, Susie had been watching the scene unfold. As she spoke, Renly's face darkened.

"Shut up, woman... Even if nothing else, you nursed him with your milk until he was three. Can't you at least show some kindness toward him?" Renly snapped at his wife.

"Oh, kindness, is it? He isn't our son, is he? Just some fisherwoman's unwanted mistake. I only fed him because you told me to. I made it clear back then—I won't show him any affection or love, so don't expect it from me now."

Susie muttered under her breath, lowering her voice. Though they spoke quietly, Leon and Renly had heard every word.

Sadness clouded Leon's face. Renly noticed. He reassured the boy,

"Forget it, my boy. She doesn't understand... And listen, when you beg, make sure you look at people with this kind of sadness in your eyes. That way, they'll give you more money."

He continued teaching Leon many more tricks. Tomorrow, Leon would beg on his own for the first time. Renly had been training him all evening for this.

"Hey! It's getting late. Aren't you coming to bed?"

Susie called out to Renly.

"Coming, woman!"

With that, he took a swig from his cheap liquor bottle, swayed slightly, and staggered toward Susie's tent.

The pipes that had once been Renly's family's home had been taken by the city corporation for their development projects. Now, they lived in a tent near the city's waste disposal site.

As Renly reached Susie's tent, a little girl stepped out. It was Reetha Vale—Renly and Susie's only daughter. She was only two months older than Leon.

As Reetha came outside, Leon followed her, and the two of them crawled into a small tent next to Susie and Renly's to sleep.

******

The Next Day

Leon was filled with excitement for his first experience begging. Renly had trained him on how to identify people who carried money. He stood in a noticeable spot near an alley branching off from the main street, where everyone could see him. At that moment, a woman approached. The joy of finding his first target spread across his face. Every sign Renly had taught him was evident on her face.

Just as Renly had instructed the night before, Leon pretended to limp and stretched out his hand in front of the woman. His sorrowful eyes and his thin, bony frame caught her attention. Feeling pity, she dropped a few coins into his hands. The glow of success from his first attempt reflected in his eyes.

By noon, he took the money he had collected and went to see Susie. She bought him a loaf of bread from Tobias's shop. Still hungry, he reached for another, but she glared at him and scared him away.

Leon continued begging until six in the evening. Afterward, he met Susie again at the usual spot and handed over all the money he had earned, just as she had instructed. Throughout this time, his eyes were searching for Renly. Among everyone, the only one who had even a little affection for him was the drunkard, but it was Renly whom Leon truly looked up to. Susie was always angry with him. Her daughter, Reetha, even though she slept beside him, never spoke to him with any respect. She never acted beyond what her mother instructed.

"Mother, where is Father?"

Leon knew he was just a foster child, but he had always called Susie and Renly as "Mother" and "Father."

"Who knows… he must have wandered off somewhere," Susie replied with mild irritation.

Leon wasn't searching for Renly for no reason. Renly had promised that he would buy him some bread from Tobias's shop with the money he earned. But despite looking everywhere, Leon couldn't find him.

As night fell, Susie, Reetha, and Leon headed back to their shelter. Since Renly wasn't with them, Leon assumed he must be out begging somewhere else or had gone to buy liquor. But even then, the thought of the bread from Tobias's shop lingered in Leon's mind.

During dinner, Susie completely ignored Leon. She fed Reetha well and only gave Leon a bit of watery porridge in a cracked cup. She had also bought some rotten fish at a bargain from a fish vendor, which she fried for dinner—but only for herself and her daughter. She even saved a portion for Renly. Leon was the only one left out. His stomach growled with hunger. When he reached for more food, Susie slapped his hand away.

It was quite late when Renly finally arrived. By then, both Leon and Reetha were lying down. Reetha was fast asleep, but Leon, kept awake by hunger, hadn't managed to fall asleep. Renly arrived, drunk and stumbling.

"Hey, Susie… where are the kids? I brought some bread from Tobias's shop for the boy. Call him over…" he slurred.

"The kids went to bed long ago. Just put it somewhere," Susie replied with annoyance, having waited up for him.

Leon wanted to tell Renly that he was still awake. But remembering how Susie would scold him, he stayed quiet.

"Alright… then make sure he gets it in the morning. I promised him," Renly muttered.

"Fine… I'll give it to him," Susie replied.

Renly lay down next to Susie, and within moments, he was snoring in deep sleep.

Then, Susie muttered to herself, "As if I'd give that begging brat this bread… He's had enough. This is for my daughter."

Leon, lying in the nearby tent, heard everything. His hunger gnawed at him. No matter how much he turned and tossed, he couldn't fall asleep. Slowly, he got up and stepped out of his tent.

He walked to Susie and Renly's tent. Seeing them both fast asleep, he began searching for the bread Renly had brought. After some effort, he found it. Without hesitation, he began to eat, his hunger making him desperate.

Just then, Susie stirred and opened her eyes. She spotted Leon secretly eating the bread in the tent.

"You little beggar! You've started stealing now?!" she screamed, jumping up.

Terrified, Leon's hands trembled, and the bread fell to the ground.

Susie grabbed him by the ear and dragged him outside. She picked up a stick from the ground and approached him. The cold night air made Leon shiver, but fear gripped him even more. Ignoring his trembling, Susie yanked down his shorts and began beating him with the stick, striking his thighs and buttocks.

Leon screamed in pain. His cries woke Reetha, but she didn't step outside to see what was happening. Renly, deep in his drunken slumber, was unaware of everything. Even in his pain, Leon wished Renly had woken up—he would have stopped Susie.

Susie beat him relentlessly until the stick in her hands broke. Only then did she walk away and lie down again.

Leon's face was streaked with tears. His thighs and back burned from the beating. Slowly, he pulled up his shorts and wiped his eyes. With tear-filled eyes, he looked toward the distant street.

It became clear to him—no matter how hard he worked, Susie would never feed him. There was only one way left for Leon to fill his stomach.

Stealing.

To be continued…