Chapter 18
Lynette paused, watching the child, wondering if that was really something a kid should be saying. Since Lynette didn’t stop her, Angela quickly picked up the rest of the fallen leaves.
“My goodness, children should act like children. This world makes them grow up far too quickly.”
Shaking her head, Lynette went inside and came back out with a broom as soon as she opened the café, Ikkeullim.
“Well, since you want to earn those cookies, use this to sweep and then come inside.”
Handing Angela the broom, Lynette went back to roasting beans, leaving the door open as usual.
Growl—
The cookies she’d eaten last night had long since worn off. When the smell of freshly roasting beans drifted through the air, Angela’s stomach rumbled loudly. She hadn’t eaten breakfast, but she endured it, quickly finished sweeping outside, and carefully stepped inside.
“You don’t need to creep in like a stray cat. Just sit anywhere you like. Not the floor! A chair!”
Angela had been about to sit on the floor without thinking, but at Lynette’s gesture she sat on a chair. Fidgeting nervously, she clasped her hands and darted her eyes about until Lynette placed a sweet potato latte and some cookies before her.
“Drink this first.”
“Uh, I… I…”
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to drink?”
At Lynette’s firm tone, Angela finally took a sip of the sweet potato latte—and her mouth fell open.
“I-It’s delicious!”
“I’m glad. Eat it all, don’t leave anything. If you leave it, I’ll have to throw it away.”
Angela slurped the hot latte, as if waiting for a sentence to be passed on her, anxiously waiting for whatever Lynette would say next.
“What’s your name? How old are you?”
“M-my name’s Angela. I’m thirteen.”
“Thirteen? You’re awfully scrawny and small for your age.”
Lynette gave her a once-over and spoke frankly.
Angela’s face flushed red, though she stayed silent. Most of the children her age in the neighborhood were in the same situation. Normally she wouldn’t care, but hearing Lynette say it somehow embarrassed her.
“Do you have a home?”
“Yes… we do. But we’ll have to leave in a few months…”
One problem stacked upon another, like snow piling over snow. Seeing the child’s situation, Lynette shook her head.
“You don’t work, do you? Ah, of course not, you’re still a child.”
“…”
Children of wealthy families spent their time comfortably eating and studying. Those less fortunate were forced to help their parents work or earn money through odd jobs.
Folding her arms, Lynette studied Angela carefully. When their eyes met, Angela startled and dropped her gaze. That was when Lynette made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“Angela, would you like to work here at my café? One of my employees just quit, and I was looking to hire someone.”
“M-me? Can I really work here?”
Angela jumped up in shock, unable to believe her ears.
“You can—but first, you’ll need a bath.”
It might have been spring, but the river was still icy cold. She hadn’t bathed for nearly a month.
Sniff sniff.
Angela raised her arm slightly to smell herself, and wrinkled her nose. She had grown used to the stench clinging to her, but surrounded by the warm fragrance of the café, she realized just how bad she smelled.
“To work here, you have to be clean. Take a bath and come back tonight.”
“Yes! I-I’ll wash right away!”
There was no place to bathe at home, so the river was her only option. She sometimes went to secluded spots to wash. Now she dashed off in that direction—clutching the cookies tightly in both hands.
Lynette watched the little figure run off and sighed softly.
“I don’t even know if this is the right thing to do. Hiring a child like that, what am I thinking?”
Still, she chuckled faintly. The kid was pitiful, struggling just to survive. Clearly she hadn’t had a proper education, yet she had cleaned the street just for a cookie. That spoke of a household that had at least taught her some discipline.
Angela hurried home, hiding the cookies under her dirty skirt so no one would see.
“You’re back early, sis.”
“Mm-hm. Look, I got this for sweeping up leaves today.”
Seeing the hidden cookies, Angelo’s face lit up.
“Eat with me, sis.”
“I already had something. It was a thick drink, but I couldn’t bring it home, so I only brought these. You eat them.”
Starving, Angelo devoured the cookies. Angela set a glass of water by him, afraid he might choke, and sighed.
“You know, the café owner asked me if I wanted to work there.”
“Really?”
Jobs were scarce, and even when she wanted to work, no one would hire Angela without parents to vouch for her. Lynette’s words felt like a rope thrown from heaven.
“Then… we won’t have to starve anymore? No more digging through garbage?”
“Mm. But she said I have to bathe first.”
“Then hurry and wash. Let’s go to that place we always use.”
They usually bathed at night when no one could see, never in broad daylight. But since Lynette made it a condition, Angela hurried to the familiar spot.
Luckily, no one was there. She stashed her clothes in the bushes and bathed quickly. She even washed her greasy hair. Though she now smelled faintly of river water, she felt much cleaner. She pulled her clothes back on without even drying herself.
Back home, she grabbed the chipped comb their late mother had used and tried to untangle her hair. It was so knotted it barely moved.
“I’ll help you.”
Though only seven, Angelo was stronger, and he combed her hair out for her. Many strands fell, and it hurt, but what was that compared to finally getting a job?
Without even a towel, she waited for the wind to dry her dripping hair. As the sun dipped low, she left Angelo behind and rushed to the café.
Finding the door open, she didn’t go in. Instead, she leaned against the wall outside, doodling on the ground with a stick until she heard the door shut. She jumped up immediately.
“You were waiting already? Why not come inside?”
Meeting her gaze, Lynette asked kindly. Angela smiled shyly. Locking up the café, Lynette gave her another once-over.
“Is that the only set of clothes you own?”
“Yes…”
Lynette suddenly recalled how Sharon always came in with fresh, clean clothes, and realized poor children like Angela could never have such things.
“Come with me, Angela. Don’t be nervous—it’s not a bad place.”
Even after washing, her clothes were still rags, patched over and over. Customers would lose their appetite just looking at them.
Angela hurried to keep up with Lynette, afraid of being left behind. Seeing her trail too far back, Lynette silently reached a hand behind her.
Angela hesitated, then grasped the larger hand. It was rough with calluses, but oddly reassuring.
They went to a clothing shop. Angela had never set foot in such a place and shrank timidly among the racks of new clothes.
“I’d like to buy some clothes in this child’s size.”
“Oh my! Isn’t this the owner of Ikkeullim? I just adore your coffee!”
The shop owner was one of her occasional customers.
“I-I don’t need any clothes—”
“Who said I’m buying them for you? They’re for my niece. I don’t know her size, so I brought her along. Don’t overthink it. Just get measured.”
Angela bit her lip at Lynette’s pointed words.
“What about these? Should we get them a little large?”
“Yes, children grow quickly.”
Lynette bought two spring/fall outfits, two for winter, two for summer, all slightly larger, and even ordered tailored pieces.
“Custom work takes time. I’ll bring them to you in a month.”
“Understood. Here’s the payment.”
Paying in full, Lynette received generous extras from the delighted shop owner—hair ties, socks, and more.
“Come anytime, I’ll give you big discounts!”
“Thank you. Until next time.”
With her arms full of clothes, Lynette led Angela—now silent and subdued—to a shoe shop.
“I’d like shoes that fit this child.”
Angela’s feet were wrapped with cloth over wooden soles. She flushed with shame, curling her toes.
“Should I give her a size larger?”
“No, shoes must fit exactly. Angela, what color do you like?”
Angela’s eyes strayed longingly toward red and pink shoes before dropping.
“A-anything’s fine…”
She didn’t know how to choose shoes. The pretty red ones tugged at her heart, but she thought they weren’t for her.
Lynette chose the red shoes and helped her try them on. For a moment, Angela felt like a princess. But since they weren’t really hers, she lowered her head.
“Do they fit?”
“Yes…”
“I’ll take these.”
After paying, Lynette left the store. Seeing Angela trudging with her head down, she scolded lightly.
“What are you doing? Don’t tell me I have to carry all this too.”
“N-no, I’ll carry them.”
It wasn’t heavy, just disheartening because she thought they weren’t hers. But then she realized—Lynette had hired her, and that alone was something to be grateful for.
Lynette piled the clothes and shoes into Angela’s arms, then stepped into a bakery and came out with two large loaves of bread, placing them on top of the bundle.
“I’m tired, so I’ll head home now. Be here tomorrow by 11.”
“Yes… but, what about all this?”
It was a huge pile, and since Lynette spoke as if leaving, Angela asked where she should put it.
“What else? Take it with you.”
“M-me?”
“Now that I think about it, the only family I’ve got is an ill-tempered older brother who never married. So you keep them. If you don’t want them, just throw them away.”
