Among the mass of faces, the one I noticed most was the little kid attached to a slightly plump lady's hips, her arms glued around his small frame. The child had a knuckle in his mouth, sparkling brown eyes staring at me in curiosity. His mop of brown hair was messy and short, sticking in all directions. What might have caught my attention the most was the egg shaped birth mark on his right cheek that was only slightly darker than the rest of his tanned skin.
The lady holding him was noticeably two shades lighter. Her long tresses of dusty brown was pulled into a braid that laid over he left shoulder blade. She had a single dark brown freckle on the nape of her neck, a sharp contrast to her pale complexion. A ring was on the fourth finger of he left hand, gems sparkling when light hit it just right.
"That's m' boy Johnny," Ralph informed when he saw my gaze on the paid. "And his momma, Marg. Love o' my life," he added pleasantly. I nodded in understanding.
"Y'all married? She's got a ring." I was curious, naturally. I always did find myself dying of curiosity no matter what it was about or who it was directed to. It was just part of my nature.
Ralph let out a boisterous laugh, booming in the quiet chatter from the others. "Nah, girl. We ain't married, but we was planning on it."
I nodded again. The more I knew of everyone, the less of an outsider I'd feel.
I saw Johnny whisper into his mothers ear, just before Marg set him on the ground. He shuffled in our direction, wringing the navy blue t-shirt he was wearing.
"Daddy," he was so quiet, I had to strain my ears just to hear what was said. "I'm hungry." I glanced at Ralph, who gave a sheepish grin.
"It's been a few days. Gotta feed everyone, ya know." He reasoned before he brought his attention back to his son.
"We gotta ration it, bud." I felt bad. I hadn't gone a single day without some sort of food since the very beginning; my house was always well stocked with non-perishables since my parents weren't always there to cook. It was rare for them to actually be home, really. Both my mom and my step-dad worked long shifts at a nursing home; my mom as a nurse, and my step-dad as a janitor.
I patted my pocket; surely I had something to hold the boy over for a little while. With a small noise, I produced a granola bar from my pocket. It wasn't the best choice, but it'd have to do for now, I supposed.
"You can have this," I offered, stretching the food out toward him. He hesitantly took it after looking at Ralph, who had nodded in an encouraging way. The smile that lit up Johnny's small face and showed the adult teeth poking out of places on his gums would be enough to melt even the coldest of hearts, really. Or maybe it was just me. I always did like little kids. Something about how they saw things made me appreciate them, before they're tainted by the real world and reality.
"Thank you!" Even if his voice was but a murmur, I could hear it just fine at that moment. His eyes practically sparkled when he looked up at me, and I just knew that I'd make sure this kid stayed alive through all this.
"You're welcome," I replied just as he turned and ran excitedly back to his mother, who was watching the exchange with a smile. She nodded at me. I nodded back. Later that night, she thanked me for giving her son some food. I didn't tell her that that's all I had that day. My stomach was twisting for a while, and I was pretty sure there was a possibility that I'd throw up. I told her it was no problem, didn't mention the fact that I had no other food with me. That kid was the groups ray of sunshine in the dark. There was no way I'd see that go away.
Which got me to thinking. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad, after all.