Who Is It That's Stealing My Food?– Part II

This is an extension of my original story for an unofficial vocal challenge. You can read Part I to catch up here:

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Jacob flicked on the light; he would not risk another broken toe!

“You have some explaining to do, young man; start talking.”

The young boy looked at the ground. He needed a haircut. Although his clothes looked worn, he was still quite clean.

Jacob felt baffled. Where did this boy come from?

Where did he live, and why was he stealing his food?

“Let’s start with your name," suggested Jacob, trying to break the ice.

“Luke,” said the boy in a barely audible tone.

"O.K. Luke, why are you stealing my food?” Jacob was tired. His foot throbbed from where he nicked the stairs because of that little bugger. “Calm down,” he told himself, “You will catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.”

With a hesitant tone, Luke looked at the floor again and then confessed, “I was hungry. I'm sorry. I was just hungry, sir."

“Look, I am not upset and will not punish you; I just need to make sure you are alright. “Where are your mum and dad? Wouldn’t they worry about you being out in the middle of the night?”

There was a silence. Jacob feared what was to come.

“It is OK; you won’t get into trouble; it will be just our secret.” Jacob didn’t think anyone would believe him anyway.

Luke looked up as if he were going to speak and then retreated into himself and looked at the floor again. Jacob noticed a tear running down Luke’s cheek. “Uh -oh. Here it comes,” he said to himself.

“My mother died two years ago, and I don’t know where my dad is. He just left one day and didn’t come back.”

Bamn! There it was. Jacob suspected that the child was a runaway or an orphan, but not to this extent. What was he going to do now?

He had never really warmed to children. He had nieces and nephews, but he avoided them like the plague. As far as he was concerned, they behaved like snotty-nosed little gremlins. They knew how he felt and always played up to him, looking for ways to get him into trouble with his sister or brother.

“So where do you live?” asked Jacob, which seemed like an obvious question given what Luke had told him.

Again, Luke looked at the floor. Jacob sighed. At this rate, the night would be long, and he felt tired. His foot was giving him all sorts of grief.

Jacob waited for Luke to answer. Luke started swinging his foot, like a little boy in trouble. He slowly lifted his head. Tears still ran down his cheeks, and his nose began to run from being upset.

Jacob pushed his chair back and got up. Luke quickly covered his head with his hand as if to protect him from someone who was going to hit him.

“Whoo! Whoo!" exclaimed Jacob. “I am just going to get you a tissue to wipe your nose and your eyes. It is O.K. I am not going to hit you.”

Luke slowly put his arm down.

“Where did I put those tissues?” Jacob exclaimed, puzzled about where he had moved them last time he cleaned the kitchen.

To his astonishment, Luke said, "They're over there on top of the microwave.”

Jacob’s eyes moved to the microwave. Sure enough, there was the tissue box with the picture of the puppies on it. He smirked to himself, “Damn kid knows the kitchen better than I do!”

Jacob got Luke a tissue and sat down again.

“Luke, you must tell me where you live so that I can take you home. You can take the food with you. Where do you live? You must be living with someone who is looking after you?”

Luke raised his head. “I live here!”

It was then that Jacob remembered the open panel near the bench. He had forgotten all about it. When he had first caught Luke in the kitchen, it had cast a bright light from near the bench.

“This just gets more and more unreal,” Jacob said to himself. If ever he needed a stiff drink, it was now, but not in front of the boy.

Stay tuned for Part III - All is revealed

Till next time,

Calvin