Moments after he smiled and I felt whole again, the pain of all the memories returning at once hit me full force and I let out an almost inaudible sound of pain.
Instantly he pulled me to him, in an attempt to sooth my pain though he didn't know what it was.
Memory-
I was eight, and running through the woods. It was a warm summer evening and I had no intention of going home any time soon, I was enjoying myself. Something I didn't get to do very often, and I loved it. Running and climbing, having adventures was truly one of my favorite things to do.
"Hey, what are you doing all the way out here?" I hear a boys voice ask me and I turn to look down from the tree I'd decided to climb into. He looked to be about 10 or so.
"Why, I'm climbing. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, and I nodded. "Sure, I could use some company." With difficulty he pulled himself up next to me and we climbed around the tree, and I jumped from one to the next with the boy close behind. And after we got out of the trees we ran around everywhere our feet could carry us, and even swam in the river. It was a hard to find place, and I don't know if I'd be able to find it again but I sure hoped so.
Eventually it was starting to get darker, and looked to be around dusk.
"I should get you home." He said all of the sudden, surprising me, "But why?" I ask, " I can get home fine by myself." I don't like being bossed around and told that I couldn't do anything that my brothers could do.
"Because my mother says to always make sure to walk a girl home. To walk her all the way to her door, that it's the respectable thing to do. I believe you could, but I don't want to disappoint my mama. Would you mind my company for too much longer?"
"Why, when you put it that way, how can I say no. Let's go." I shrug and stand up.
Side by side we begin to walk towards the village and seem to make it there within minutes.
"So, which way to your home?" he asks, and I point towards the gypsy area. Gypsies weren't treated well here, and my mother was treated as a servant of sorts. My father wasn't however, it was only gypsy women. My father wasn't a gypsy anyways, most men weren't here, it was mostly women who were.
"Oh." he says, "Well, I'm still gonna walk you to your door. I gave you and my mama my word."
Without another word he walks with me over towards the small, rickety huts and I direct him towards the smalls, shabbiest one. At first I'm almost embarrassed, but then he smiles at me, "It's nice."
"I know it's not, it's okay though. Thank you for walking me home." I turn to go inside, but he stops me.
"Hey, can we maybe do this again tomorrow? It was a lot of fun."
I look at his face, trying to see if there was any kind of joking manner in his face but only saw sincerity and hopefulness.
"Sure. I would like that." I tell him before I turn back around and go into my families small hut with a small smile gracing my face.
This was the start of a long lasting friendship.