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on_holy_ground924 CE
She was streaked with caked on dirt, the kind that made her dark skin seem several shades lighter than it was in reality. Her feet were covered in numerous scratches and cuts, where they weren’t covered in dirty rags that were only slightly more threadbare than the ones that she wore on her emaciated body. Dark brown eyes looked up at him, filled with the kind of weary suffering that no child should ever have.
The girl was one of hundreds of children just like her that Darius had seen since coming to India. Another child who was left alone, with no one to call family and nothing to her name but the rags that she wore. He slowly bent down so that he was more to her eye level, and smiled gently, speaking softly in her native tongue. "What is your name, little one?"
"Chhaya"
He smiled sadly to himself, and though how very appropriate the name was, as the child truly seemed nothing more than a shadow, as small and thin as she was at the moment. However he didn’t let the sadness show as he reached out a hand for one of hers. "Well, Chhaya, why don’t you come with me and we will see if we can’t get you cleaned up and fed. Then, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, we’ll see what we can do about finding you a family."
The little girl looked at his hand for a long moment, then her eyes moved up to look into his, and slowly she reached out her hand and slipped it inside of Darius‘. As she did so, a soft tentative smile slowly brightened her tired face, and Darius felt his heart lighten just a bit as well, because for the first time he had seen something in her eyes that was truly precious.
Hope.
She was streaked with caked on dirt, the kind that made her dark skin seem several shades lighter than it was in reality. Her feet were covered in numerous scratches and cuts, where they weren’t covered in dirty rags that were only slightly more threadbare than the ones that she wore on her emaciated body. Dark brown eyes looked up at him, filled with the kind of weary suffering that no child should ever have.
The girl was one of hundreds of children just like her that Darius had seen since coming to India. Another child who was left alone, with no one to call family and nothing to her name but the rags that she wore. He slowly bent down so that he was more to her eye level, and smiled gently, speaking softly in her native tongue. "What is your name, little one?"
"Chhaya"
He smiled sadly to himself, and though how very appropriate the name was, as the child truly seemed nothing more than a shadow, as small and thin as she was at the moment. However he didn’t let the sadness show as he reached out a hand for one of hers. "Well, Chhaya, why don’t you come with me and we will see if we can’t get you cleaned up and fed. Then, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep, we’ll see what we can do about finding you a family."
The little girl looked at his hand for a long moment, then her eyes moved up to look into his, and slowly she reached out her hand and slipped it inside of Darius‘. As she did so, a soft tentative smile slowly brightened her tired face, and Darius felt his heart lighten just a bit as well, because for the first time he had seen something in her eyes that was truly precious.
Hope.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-30 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 02:10 am (UTC)