I sighed as I stretched out on the sofa in the living room next to the freshly decorated Christmas tree, listening to the hail hit the little windows. Every so often a flash of lightning would shoot through the white rose drapes and thunder shake my house. I had the heater turned up high to keep away the cold and, despite it being nine thirty had just put my eight year old daughter, Porrim, to bed and was settling down for a nice late night movie when I heard a small barking noise followed by a knocking on my door.
'Now who can that be?' I thought as I stood. 'I'm not expecting anyone.'
Nothing could of prepared me for what I saw.
Standing on my front porch was a little boy, not much older than six or seven, with pure white hair and piercing red eyes. He wore an old red t-shirt that had holes torn through and ripped black shorts, a tattered cloak whipped around him in the wind. In his arms there was a little baby husky puppy. I was about to speak but the child's soft voice beat me to it.
"My name is Kankri," He said sweetly, "and this here is my puppy dog, its name is little Andy." I couldn't help the upward twitch of my lips at the rhyming names.
"Hello, Kankri. I'm Dolorosa. Would you like to come in?" 'I wonder where he came from...' "Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
Like most children trapped in a storm Kankri didn't need to be asked twice. He walked right into the house and looked around. Before I could tell the little albino what I had he was speaking again.
"Ain't ya got no ginger bread?"
"I'm sorry Kankri, I don't." I found a sweater Porrim had been making for her friend laying on a table and pick it up. A couple more stitches and it would be ready to give. I looked the sweater over and then Kankri and nodded. 'We're in luck. It looks like it would fit.'
"Ain't ya got no candy?"
I finished the last of the stitches before I looked at him. "Let's get you in dry clothes okay? Then we can talk about food."
"Alright." Kankri set little Andy down and took the sweater as I offered it to him along with a pair of Porrim's sweat pants. I pointed him to the bathroom and he went to change, his puppy at his heels.
When he came back out I gave him a taco left over from dinner and some extra meat for little Andy. Kankri thanked me for both of them and bowed his head saying grace, little Andy mimicking the motion. At the end of the blessing, Andy barked and dug in, Kankri eating a little slower. When he was done I offered him the candy bowl and told him to help himself.
"Ain't ya got an extra bed for me and little Andy?" His bright red eyes shined with hope and fear as he sucked on a candy cane.
"Won't your parents be worried?"
"Nope. Patty cake and baker's man my mommy ran away again and we was all alone and didn't know what to do. I wonder if you'll let us stay with you?"
"Kankri what about your father?"
"Gitty up trotty horse going to the mill can we stay all night?" Now he looked sad.
"Kankri your father is probably waiting for you at home."
He shook his head wildly, feathery white hair flopping around. "If you don't love us no one will. We promise we won't cry. London bridge is fallin down my daddy's drunk again in town and we was all alone and didn't know what else to do. I wonder if you'll let us stay with you?"
I looked out the window at the storm and back to Kankri and little Andy and nodded. "Alright. Let's get your teeth brushed and tuck you in." I ruffled his hair and went to get a spare tooth brush.
That night I watched the boy kneel beside the bed in the guest room and say a prayer, Andy at his side, and tucked him in. Andy lay at Kankri's side and the child cuddled with him.
The next morning I made pancakes with chocolate chips in the batter. I made three plates and put some pork on another for Andy. Porrim was the first to come to the kitchen, smell of my cooking filling the house and waking her up. I waited a few minutes before going to get Kankri.
"Hey Kankri? Are you awake?" I knocked gently on the door. When I got no reply from boy or dog I walked in. What I saw made me scream and fall to my knees.
Kankri was already pale white when I met him but the little bit of color that was in his face had left and his lips were blue. I stood and touched his cheek, knowing he had died but not wanting to belive it. It was cold as ice. I looked at little Andy. He was still cuddled with Kankri and just as dead. It was probably better that way though. They were all the other had. Andy would of been lonely with Kankri gone and Kankri would feel alone without his puppy dog.