Bitter broth sat cold in Jed's bowl. He tried to convince himself to take another drink, but his empty stomach turned at the thought. He had only been the prisoner of Valparaiso for a few days, and he already hated everything about the grim orphanage. Any chance he got, Jed would complain to his cousin about their misfortune. Hannibal would just nod. "We'll get out of here. I promise."
Jed believed him. Hannibal had a way of getting things done like no one else he had ever met. When Jed was four, he fell through an old well. Covered in mud, he began to believe he would die in that pit until he heard Hannibal calling his name. Jed has never forgotten the fear in his cousin's eyes as he hauled him from the darkness. Jed hoped with everything within him that Hannibal could pull them from this abyss as well.
Glancing up from his thoughts, Jed noticed a boy, around his own age, holding the bowl of broth close to his chest. The boy's eyes were wide beneath his shaggy blonde curls. He kept glancing over his shoulder, like a mouse who smells a cat nearby. Jed realized a little to late that the boy was headed right toward the headmaster. Jed called out, but the boy bumped the stocky headmaster growled as the sticky broth spilled all over his white shirt.
"You insolent child!" He roared, striking the boy across the face. The boy made a low whimpering noise and flailed his arms franticly. The headmaster kicked him in the side, "Will you not even apologize? You ungrateful-" The boy rubbed his fist across his chest, along with other gestures, as he tried to scoot away from the fuming teacher.
Hannibal was watching with an unreadable expression. He stood suddenly, flapping his hand in the air. The boy looked at him, confusion and pain in his blue eyes. Hannibal tried clapping one of his hands beside his face, then wiggling his fingers in front of his mouth. "Speak." He breathed. "Say you're sorry."
The boy suddenly looked to the schoolmaster. "Sorry! I sorry!" He begged.
Jed was surprised by the boy's voice. It was as if the boy was talking with his mouth full of water. And why did he not apologize from the start?
The headmaster seemed pacified. "Miserable whelp." He grabbed the boy by his fluffy hair and drug him to his feet. "Sit down!" He demanded, pointing to the table where Hannibal and Jed sat. The boy nodded, quickly shuffling beside Jed. When the furious schoolmaster was out of eyesight, the boy finally looked up from the table. He gave Hannibal an appreciative smile. Hannibal nodded, returning with a grin.
Jed felt like the only one left out of a joke. He looked from the boy to his cousin and back, "Why didn't you just say you were sorry?" He shrugged. "He wouldn't have hit you as much." The boy stared at him, chewing his lip. "What's a matter with you? Don't you speak English?" The boy furrowed his brow and looked at Hannibal.
Hannibal pointed to the boy, then put his hand to his ear, as if listening for a far-off train whistle. The boy shook his head solemnly. Nodding, Hannibal looked at Jed, "He's deaf."
"Deaf?" Jed looked at the boy again. "But he's not old enough to be deaf."
"Deaf isn't just for old people." He rolled his eyes. "Some people just are deaf. Like they're born that way."
While they talked, the boy looked back and forth between them, seeming uncomfortable. His blue eyes finally settled on Jed's broth, Jed noticed and pointed to the bowl. "You want it?" The boy blinked at him. Jed scooted the cold soup to him. "You can have it."
Smiling again, the boy ate the broth like it was the best soup he's ever had.
"So, what's your name?" Jed asked the boy as he finished the bowl, but he did not look up. Jed gave a confused glance at his cousin. "Hannibal," he whined. "How do we talk to him? I mean, we can't even ask his name."
Hannibal thought for a moment. Tapping on the table, he gained the boy's attention. With a quick look around, making sure no one was watching, Hannibal pulled a wrinkled scrap of paper and gnarled pencil from his pocket. Scribbling on the paper, he passed it to the boy.
What is your name?
The boy grinned, writing right underneath.
Henry
Hannibal and Jed read it and smiled. Henry waved his hand and the two looked at him. He took two fingers and swiped them over his heart in an X.
Jed cocked his head. "What's he doing?"
"I think that's how he says his name." Hannibal pointed at Henry, then crossed his heart in the same way.
Henry nodded excitedly. Hannibal took back the paper.
Hannibal Jedidiah
He pointed each name to each boy, and Henry smiled. He signed something that Hannibal could only guess as
Pleasure to meet you.