Mon Ange

Chapter 1

She loves the peace that emanated from the whistling sounds of wind, the nostalgic smell of summer, the radiant of blue and clear sky, the harmonic chirping of birds, the cold but comfy mattress of grass beneath her, the noises from parents playing with their children, or teenagers catching Frisbee with their dogs. The park has become her only familiar, sadly for her whole life (approximately 16 years old and 2 hours). Hyde Park had become her playground since she was five, and had become her home since she was 11 years old.
She was named Hermione. Her last name? She didn’t own any. But she loved to call herself the Granger. Granger was her second foster family, among foster homes she lived with, which were a lot. She couldn’t remember them well, their voices, or their faces, words they have said, moments with them, how old she was when they adopted her, mostly were just a haze to her. But there were two things that she knew for sure why she loved the Granger. First, Granger was the one who brought her to Hyde Park for the first time, and since then she liked it being there. And second, which was the thing she craved from every foster parents she had, the safe feeling the Granger gave her every second.
But things are not permanent. That was for sure, she used to that, and effortlessly lived with that principle. She used to play with a lot of toys, dressed like a princess, ate like a royal. Her life was even better when the Granger came, but then in a blinked of an eye, her life changed drastically when both of the Granger died in an accident. She was six, and that’s meant she understood a lot of things back then. She knew her parent wouldn’t come back, and tucked her in bed and read her a story (or stories most of the time), or her dad secretly indulged her with extra of her favorite butter cookies. Or when her mom scolded her for being careless and injured herself, but then cleaned her wounds with so much gentle that she barely felt the sting from the rubbing alcohol.
She knew her parent had left her with everything in their will. And she also knew that Madam Burbridges (her Aunt Dolly, but she detested to consider that snake to be one) had transferred all the properties to Burbridges, and she knew she couldn’t do anything to stop that. She was merely six years old lost girl, and it was normal children at her age didn’t know anything about right and laws. Apparently, after months of seclusion and muted, she was a liability and thus the family couldn’t keep her and decided to send her to foster system. Then, her life started being much insignificant as she was sent back and forth from the system to any foster homes.
She ran from the system when she was eleven, brought Roger, her brown teddy bear (fur just as brown as her hair, and just as bushy as her hair), nothing more. First place she thought was here, the Hyde Park. She lived here. She started her days here, and ended her so eventful days on one of the thick branches (she felt more secure sleeping on higher places). She vigilantly avoided any authorities, as she didn’t wish to be back to the system, or worse they could send her to juvenile centre. Clad with her only tattered shirt and jeans, and her worn out second-handed Nike shoes, she laid back on the ground without so much care about her surroundings. Thinking back about her past always makes her sick, and she didn’t want to waste her lunch. After all, she knew that, that one piece of club sandwiches might be her only food for the day, or normally for few days, before she could earn some amount of money.
Money, for her was so scarce. At beginning of her so called pedestrian life (which sound better than homeless), she starved herself for week until one day she found herself in the company of other homeless (which were much much more older than her) and gratefully accepting foods given by them. Unfortunately, it was a luxury only for that one time. She is a smart young girl, yes. That was the reason why she could escape from the system without much trouble at the first place. Thus, she was smart to observe and learn how other made money by collecting metal scraps, or cans, or plastic bottles and then sell them to earn money. So, she started doing that. Her first ‘salary’, was only two pounds which she spent on her bubblegum (as she could only afford this).
Days without foods, showered in public washroom, slept on the trees had becoming her norms throughout the years, and she grateful she could adapt and survive. As she getting older, she started doing some jobs. Delivering newspapers, washing dishes, etc etc. She was able to earn quite amount of money at one time, and that was how she afford to buy new clothes and a backpack. Her backpack contains her other set of clothes, an army knife, a small notebook, a pencil and her loyal friend, Roger. As a group of students settled themselves for their school picnic, few meters opposite of her, she frowned.
She frowned not because of the noises that their made, but because of how she envy them for being able to go to school. School, for her was wonderful. She remembered that she loved every lesson, every book, or any homework that given to her. Knowledge never stopped to amaze her. Leaning something new was mind-blowing to her, and she could felt her blood crave for it. Despite her current circumstances, she was not willing to give up on her passion in study. School, she couldn’t afford. But library, yes she could afford that.
She spent most of her time in the library, reading and studying the context of any books existed there. She spent so much of her time in the library until there was no more to read and learn. So, she kept on finding any library, and her brain hungrily absorbing the contents like a sponge. Until one day, she found this secluded library in one of the alley nearby her park while on her way collecting some scraps. From outside, no one would have thought that the building was a library as it looked like some pawn shop. That was the reason why she could missed such library even though it was very close to Hyde Park. In fact, she could see it from the tree that she normally slept on. But, then perhaps there was something magical about the library that kept it hidden from outside world. De’ Teleios regardless of the mysterious exterior, it gave remarkable vibes on the interior. Something attracted her to step inside the building.