Sohail?s parents left her at the orphanage?s gates at the age of three. She was old enough to remember the touch of a mother?s loving hands and the soothing baritone voice of a father but too young to remember the faces associated with them. She spent the next ten years searching the faces of each adult- looking for a face that would strike a familiar chord in her memory. Ten years worth of failure hardened her battered spirit and she no longer looked at the faces of every adult she passed by.
Standing outside the gate in the dirty street, her plain hazel eyes blinking owlishly as she was at a loss without anyone to tell her what to do. Finally, the headmistress with far too many children to take care of ushered her inside. She was left in a large room with rows of beds- never enough for the myriad of children who lived in that house of horrors- and dozens of dirty faces staring back at her.
She cried herself to sleep that first night, sharing a bed with a set of twins- one who was known to wet the bed. There was no wake up call in the morning; laziness was not frowned upon at the orphanage since there was no one to do the frowning. However, those who desired to eat didn?t waste too many hours dreaming of golden ships laden with beautiful gifts for them while sleeping under thread-bare sheets. There were no prepared meals at the orphanage; all the food was gotten by begging or from the kindness of different city organizations.
Someone with a wry sense of humor decided that Sohail deserved to live. Not many were so lucky, most ended up rotting in the corner of one of the bedrooms until the smell became unbearable. Jinny, one of the few young teens still residing at the orphanage instead of being shacked up with a different guy every night in one of the Inns, took a liking to little Sohail. It wasn?t her sad hazel eyes, or the way her ribs stuck out of her dress by the end of the first week. Rather, it was the way the three year old had slugged another girl in the eye after said girl had laughed at her for crying. It was obvious to Jinny that Sohail was one of the spirited little ones that could survive RhyDin if given the chance. Jinny was Sohail?s chance.
After the little fight, Jinny handed Sohail a half-loaf of bread and then let her tag along as she worked the streets. It would become a beautiful relationship- Jinny passing Sohail off as her poor little sister, and ?Please sir, won?t ya give me a penny so I can feed ?er?? The sight touched people?s hearts and they would give a penny, or more, if asked. Sohail become instantly indispensable to Jinny.
Standing outside the gate in the dirty street, her plain hazel eyes blinking owlishly as she was at a loss without anyone to tell her what to do. Finally, the headmistress with far too many children to take care of ushered her inside. She was left in a large room with rows of beds- never enough for the myriad of children who lived in that house of horrors- and dozens of dirty faces staring back at her.
She cried herself to sleep that first night, sharing a bed with a set of twins- one who was known to wet the bed. There was no wake up call in the morning; laziness was not frowned upon at the orphanage since there was no one to do the frowning. However, those who desired to eat didn?t waste too many hours dreaming of golden ships laden with beautiful gifts for them while sleeping under thread-bare sheets. There were no prepared meals at the orphanage; all the food was gotten by begging or from the kindness of different city organizations.
Someone with a wry sense of humor decided that Sohail deserved to live. Not many were so lucky, most ended up rotting in the corner of one of the bedrooms until the smell became unbearable. Jinny, one of the few young teens still residing at the orphanage instead of being shacked up with a different guy every night in one of the Inns, took a liking to little Sohail. It wasn?t her sad hazel eyes, or the way her ribs stuck out of her dress by the end of the first week. Rather, it was the way the three year old had slugged another girl in the eye after said girl had laughed at her for crying. It was obvious to Jinny that Sohail was one of the spirited little ones that could survive RhyDin if given the chance. Jinny was Sohail?s chance.
After the little fight, Jinny handed Sohail a half-loaf of bread and then let her tag along as she worked the streets. It would become a beautiful relationship- Jinny passing Sohail off as her poor little sister, and ?Please sir, won?t ya give me a penny so I can feed ?er?? The sight touched people?s hearts and they would give a penny, or more, if asked. Sohail become instantly indispensable to Jinny.