High & Low | Crystal Rain

Ep. 6 | Meeting Smoky

"You?" The boy she and her brother had seen three weeks early now stood before her looking much more grubby than the last time they'd laid eyes on him.

He had new rips in his jacket, the soles of his shoes were falling off, his face and hands were covered in soot and even though she had only seen his face briefly, his figure looked thinner.

Her expression changed from accusation to curiosity, "You, you're new here aren't you?" Her face lite up. She didn't give him a chance to respond, "You are, I know every kid here and definitely haven't seen you around here before, well accept for when you first arrived. You were with another girl, haven't seen her before either, is she with you?"

In her excitement she realized she was rambling and the boy was just staring at her with a dumbfounded look. "I'm sorry, where are my manners, welcome to the Nameless Street!" It had been a long time since she had smiled so sincerely.

The boy looked down at his tattered old sneakers, confused he finally spoke, "Yo-you're not mad at me?" He was sure that he was going to get another beating after he had tried to steal a can of beans from a man only a couple of days earlier.

"Some people maybe, but I think you need it more than me." She looked once again at his condition and tossed him the apple, the boy caught off guard just managed to catch it.

"You're not going to eat it?" The boy looked up at her, "No, my sister hasn't eaten yet." Something about his look struck Rain and her memories of her own family's conversations of family bonds played in her head. "Where are you staying? Why don't you come over for dinner? Bring you sister," she offered him another friendly smile.

"We live just on the other side of the large water tower over there," the boy shielded his eyes from the sun as he tried to point to the tower he was indicating. One small nod from her understanding and the boy turned to leave, "Wait, whats your name?" With almost a hint of embarrassment in his tone he shyly responded, "I don't have one" and disappeared behind a cloud of steam coming from a near by broken pipe line, as if he had vanished into thin air.

"I guess he doesn't talk much?" Although she didn't really give him that many chances to speak. She shrugged, it was getting late and she saw no need to run after him again. Instead she made her way back to collect her lunch and head home.

That evening went by and no sign of the boy. "What are doing out here?" She jumped, "Don't  sneak up on me like that," she pushed her brother playfully on the shoulder. "I didn't, you were so lost in thought you didn't even realize I've been standing here for a while now. If he hasn't shown by now he isn't going to. Mom says come back inside before you catch a cold." With one last glance down the street, she followed her brother indoors.

A few nights passed and still no sign of the boy who vanished into the smoke. When she had told P about her encounter, she had first referred to the boy as Smoky and the name had just stuck.

It was Wednesday evening and Rain was washing dishes in their small basin just outside the door to their little shack when she heard the faint trampling of feet. Looking up from her spoons she saw a boy running frantically down the street banging on already loose doors and being turned away each time he made his plea to those inside.

"Smoky!" The boy turned, more in acknowledgment of her exclamation than the name. She waved him over, "What's the matter?" "My sister, somethings wrong with her." Without hesitating Rain ran into the house and came back dragging her mother behind her, P just behind them.

Her mother leaned down to meet the boy at eye level. "Hello dear, can I help you?" "Please, my sister, somethings wrong with her." "Where is she?" Smoky didn't say another word but took off back down the street, the trio following close behind.

They soon arrived at one of the larger buildings at the other end of the Street overlooking the bay. Once used for the factory offices, it was now a place where many of the shadier characters of the Nameless Street conducted their businesses.

The quartet made their way all the way up to the top floor where the ceiling had large holes in it turning it into a sun roof more than anything else.

Smoky ran over to a dark corner where a small girl was trembling on the floor. Rain's mother slowly approached the girl, reaching out a hand to touch her forehead, "Hello sweetie, what's wrong?" The girl opened her eyes and looked up at the angelic face surrounded by the sun beaming in from the rooftop.

"Mommy? You came back, where's daddy?" Not wanting to upset the girl anymore, Rain's mother played along with the girls delusions and did not deny her assumptions. "Tell me where it hurts," the little girl clutched her stomach, "My tummy," small tears fell from her eyes.

"How long has she been like this?" "A week maybe," Smoky responded his eyes never leaving his sister. Now Rain's mother was no nurse but she had seen her fair share of colds and infections on and off the Nameless Street.

"She has a very high fever, when was the last time she had any clean water or food?" Smoky didn't say anything but his look told her mother that it had been awhile. "We had some old fish from the dumpster a few nights ago," his voice just above a whisper. "There's no need to feel ashamed," she offered the boy a warm smile. "P, go home and boil some water," no questions asked, P took off back down the stairs.

Dehydration was one of the most common alignments on the Nameless Street along with infections from old expired food and poor hygiene. Besides penicillin or other antibiotics, the only thing they could do was make sure the girl could drink plenty of clean fluids, a hard thing to do on the Nameless Street.

The floor she was on was dark and damp so they brought her back and placed her on Rain's make shift bed, a ripped brown couch with missing back cushions.

They were fortunate that the slightly cleaner food and warm slightly healthier environment was enough to start bringing the little girl's health back up. Smoky never left her side and while he never really said much, he was thankful for the kindness that Rain's family had shown them.

Rain also never left the two other than to run errands for her mother or when they ate. Smoky never seemed to take notice she was there until the third night once his sister fell asleep. He turned to her, "Thank you," she almost didn't hear him, "Your welcome" "Why Smoky?" "What?" "Why do you call me Smoky?"

"I don't know, maybe because the first time I really met you you were covered in soot and disappeared into thin air...like smoke," She gave a large grin at how creative she had been with the name, "Why? you don't like it?" A long silence passed, "No, I like it," a sliver of a reassuring smile crossed his lips.

"What's her name?" Rain pointed, Smoky looked at his sisters sleeping figure. "We haven't needed to use names, you'll have to ask her when she wakes up." "You mean you don't know your own sisters name?" "We're not blood related." "Oh?" Before Rain could go further she heard her mother calling from the other side of the room.

"Rain, Smoky, dinners up come over here and grab a bowl. Leave your sister to rest in Lala land." "Lala land?" The two asked together as they made their way over. "Dreamland," her mother went on to explain, "to be in a state of bliss away from the harsh realities that will face you when you wake."

She looked down at the sleeping girl, placed a small kiss on her forehead and brought the blanket up over her delicate shoulders before joining the others on the ground around a car's brake drum that acted as their fire pit.