London was a foreign and baffling place.
People were so busy to get to their destinations! They hustled and bustled, hurried along their ways as if life were streaking right past them and would leave them behind if they didn't keep up. People in the marketplace were a blur of motion as they darted from stall to stall; consumers called out their needs and were met with speedy precision.
Alphonse Heiderich marveled at the pace of this city. Oh, he'd been to cities before, he wasn't a complete country bumpkin. But London seemed to teem with people. There wasn't enough space on the street, not enough room for people to pass through the street without getting pushed or bumped into.
This is how he met her.
He remembered catching sight of her a few times at the market. She'd run up to the same grocer, get an apple, dart away and get a pastry, streak by again, and buy a flower. Then, flushed and a little disheveled, she'd look around and dart into an alley.
At first, he'd been horrified and being the gentleman that he was, he'd followed her, just to make sure she wouldn't get herself robbed, or worse. The alley was dark and dingy, stank of stale urine and garbage, but he could make out her figure hurrying forward in the poor lighting.
She stopped suddenly and looked around nervously. He took that as his cue and made as if to move forward, when a figure unfolded from the shadows. He felt something tight coil in his chest, and before he knew it, he was running forward.
He skidded to a halt when an old woman and a little girl with a kitten looked up at him with wide, horrified eyes. The girl leapt out in front of them and flung her arms out, "stay away from them!" she hissed, her green eyes shooting fire, the lenses of her glasses flashing in the dim light.
Flabbergasted, Alphonse simply stared at them.
The little girl carrying the kitten whimpered. It was then that Alphonse realized that she couldn't see. Her eyes, a dull brown, were coated with a grey film and gave her the look of a blind dog trying to find its way through the street. She made strange little noises in the back of her throat and tightened her hold around the kitten that mewled weakly in protest.
The sight was so heart wrenchingly pathetic, Alphonse wanted nothing more than to disappear then and there. He began to back away slowly and caught the loathing expression the green-eyed girl sent at him.
She lowered herself and kneeled in front of the girl to touch the dirty cheeks and press a kiss to the grimy skin tenderly. Her knees were getting dirty but she paid it no mind. She reached into her bag and took the apple and piece of pastry then handed them to the little girl who grabbed at them ravenously.
The lady lowered herself back to the floor where she smiled gratefully and took a piece of the apple her daughter handed to her opting to devour the sweet concoction she'd been given.
He stood there, feeling like a great big ogre for intruding upon the misery of these two females. Unable to stand it, he darted away, emptied his pockets and demanded a jug of milk, a loaf of bread, and a hunk of cheese.
Edward was going to kill him. Slowly and with great enthusiasm.
Hurrying back into the alley, he hesitated and made his way cautiously towards the females. The green-eyed girl pushed her glasses up and shot him a suspicious glance, then caught sight of the bag.
She blinked.
He tried a small smile, "I'm sorry but I couldn't…I…" he couldn't voice what it was that was twisting in his gut, that squeezed at his heart and made him want to help this poor woman and her child. Countless unfortunate people were living in dark alleys, feeding off the waste of those with more money, more education, more bloody luck, than them. But here he was, looking down at a worn and battered woman, at a child that used the filthy alleyways of a big city as her playground and had nothing more than a kitten and a feeble kitten as her companion.
He wanted, needed to ease the irrational and burning guilt in his chest.
He stood there awkwardly for what seemed like an eternity. The blind girl mewled, making Alphonse wonder if she smelled the cheese and milk through the stench of the alley. The kitten had gotten free and was now winding its way through his legs with a purr like a motor.
Undone, he crouched down and steadied the little girl as she staggered towards him. "Hello there little one." he said quietly. His other hand was already stroking the kitten. The girl fumbled and began pressing her grimy, sticky hands towards his face. He flinched but the girl's awkward inspection continued, undeterred. She made a soft moaning sound and flailed her arm out, almost smacking his face.
He snapped his head back, startled, and watched as the little girl lost her balance and fell like a crumpled doll.
Horrified, he dropped the bag and reached out with shaking hands to touch the fallen child. She stirred and began groping her way towards her mother.
Silence reigned.
Fighting back unexpected tears, Alphonse looked back at the green eyed be-speckled girl who stared at him with an unreadable expression. She turned to give the woman a single, pristine, pink rose. The woman smiled up at her, "go on sister, you've done enough for me. I thank you." she rasped out. She reached out and took hold of the wandering child that had found her kitten and was pressing its fur to her face making a series of soft, incoherent moans and mewls.
The girl bent forward and pressed a kiss to the other woman's cheek. "Until tomorrow, my dear sister." she said softly and ran her hand down the filthy mass of the woman's tangled hair.
Unsure of his position, Alphonse bit his lip and took hold of the bag to place it in a closer proximity to the woman and her charge. Wordlessly, he bobbed his head to her and as an afterthought, reached down to pet the girl's hair. She was like the kitten in her arms, and turned her head towards the warmth of his hand with a small sound of pleasure.
He turned and began walking next to the girl. Only the sound of their footsteps permeated the hollow silence as they made their way out of the alley. Once out in the crowd, she gave him a stiff nod and turned on her heel.
He should've left it at that.
He reached out and caught her arm in a firm but gentle hold. She turned, and her wide green eyes looked up at him sadly, tears swimming in their depths. He let her go, "can I get you some tea?" he offered impulsively.
She turned her head away and wiped her eyes hurriedly, "You've done enough" she managed, her voice thick with tears.
He really should've left it at that.
He reached out and touched her arm lightly, "you look like you need a little break" he offered kindly.
She sighed and looked at him furtively, "I suppose…" she relented and found herself being led down the street, the faintest hint of a touch on her elbow.
They walked in silence until he motioned for her to ender a small and homey looking establishment. Once seated, he ordered a cup of coffee and smiled at her encouragingly. She ordered a cup of Chamomile Tea.
When the silence began to make her uncomfortable, she began fiddling with the spoon. Alphonse took pity on her, "I'm sorry I intruded upon your private affairs" he began. He watched uneasily as her head bowed.
"I appreciate your consideration." it alarmed him that her voice was devoid of all emotion.
"So she was…" he swallowed, "…your sister?" the head only lowered fractionally, "she left her husband when my niece was a year old. He beat her when he realized the child would be blind and mute for life. He blamed my sister." her voice was pitched low and he had to strain his ears to catch what she was saying.
When the tea and coffee arrived, moved his cup away and peered at her thoughtfully as she held the cup in her hands, as if warming herself and stared into their depths. He cleared his throat, "My name is Alphonse Heiderich." he introduced himself.
She blinked and looked up at him, curiosity replacing her earlier thoughts, "the young rocket engineer?" she asked.
He felt color rise in his cheeks; "I didn't realize my work was being followed" he managed. She smiled a little, "I read all sorts of papers and articles, I haven't been following your research, but I've come across it" she clarified.
Someone who knew his work, he tamped down the sudden burst of nerves and nodded, "…I wonder, might I have your name now?" he asked a bit sheepishly.
She started and looked back at him in surprise, "Schieska" she blurted out. His eyebrows winged up, "German?" he inquired. She smiled faintly, "my mother was German" she supplied.
It was all the opening they needed to start a very different topic in conversation. They told tales of their childhood. He gave his opinions on a few articles, and she remarked with comments of her own. It was a very nice surprise to realize he'd found someone other than Edward who he could talk to about almost anything.
Before they knew it, an hour had passed.
When he looked down at his watch he jumped from his seat, "I'm terribly sorry Miss Scheiszka, I was supposed to be at a lecture. I…hope I can talk to you again sometime" he said hopefully.
She chuckled and nodded, "I've seen you at the market, perhaps we'll do this again." she said and waved at him when he smiled and bowed.
Maybe tomorrow.