Shanti by Katherine Van Orden (the two towers ebook txt) 📖

understand.”

Anita rushed in the room huffing and puffing. She saw the stranger and became pale. “Ca… Can I help you?” she stuttered.

“Yes, now which one can I take?”

“Anyone sir,” Anita replied with her head bent low.

“Good, good.” the man replied nodding his head and leaning on his well worn staff. Seemingly he wasn’t going to make the adoption process easy.

“Anyone come to your liking?” Anita pushed, tapping her foot.

“Oh yes.”

“And…?” Anita questioned.

“And what?” the man replied knowing his stupidity was irritating Anita

“Which one do you want?” demanded Anita irritably.

The stranger looked at Anita and replied, “Patience.”

This is the 1950’s, people don’t have patience!” Anita exclaimed. The stranger looked at Anita with no expression on his face. He said nothing and returned to looking at the orphans.

“Fine,” Anita exasperated. “I’ll get the paperwork collected.”

Chapter 2

The man chuckled softly as Anita walked away flustered and irritable. The man’s attention was then turned back to the boys.

The younger orphans stared at the strange man with interested it seemed to make the stranger amused.
“Well now, I would like to learn about you kids. Starting with…” The stranger scanned the orphans carefully. “The tall one.”
Lester stepped out from the group, “Yes sir?”

“What’s your name?”

“Lester, sir.”

“Ok, good, good.” The stranger replied softly nodding his head.

The stranger kept calling on each orphan getting only their names. The stranger seemed to have missed Darren or skipped him. Hoping that he would still have a chance, Anita rushed in.

“Ok, I have the paperwork.” Anita said, “Have you chosen anyone yet?”

Say no, say no, say no. Darren though pleadingly.

“Yes, I actually have.”

Darren’s heart dropped in his chest.

“Well…who?” Anita snapped.

“Darren,” the man replied happily.

-*-*-*-

Darren’s heart jumped and his breathing became shallow. His thought whirled around inside his head. He had to put his hand to his head to steady himself from falling to his side.

Anita’s mouth dropped open slightly as she stared from Darren to the stranger. She closed her mouth and cleared her throat.

“Well, I will need you to sign your information here.”

“Sure.” The stranger replied.

The stranger filled out the information quickly. As he handed the paper to Anita he said, “Make sure you pack him a hearty lunch, he’s going to need it. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Anita looked at him strangely but nodded her head in approval as she scanned the information document.

“Uh sir? You didn’t put your name here in the document and I need that for the records,” said Anita chasing the man down the hall.

“Trust me, you don’t need it.” the stranger said faintly.

Darren and the orphans started to laugh mimicking Anita’s facial expressions. Darren turned around and saw Lander stalking up to him with his face twisted into a smirk. “Well, it looks like our favorite orphan friend has finally found a home.” Lander said sarcastically.

Darren squinted at Lander with disgust, “Why can’t you ever be happy for me? Like, can’t you be nice? I’m pretty sure that’s the reason your parents left you.”

Lander’s mouth dropped open and the room became quite. Lander looked around the room bewildered but he remained quiet.

“You lied about your mom and dad being dead. They never died, they left you.

“I never cared, so why would I care now?” said Lander while his eyes darted from confused orphan to orphan.

“Why’d you lie?”

“How did you find out?” Lander replied with no emotion in his voice.

“I asked you first.”

“You don’t have the right to know.” Lander replied coldly.
“Lander…my own birth parents didn’t want me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. They should be ashamed,” Darren replied sympathetically.

“How did you find out?”

“A couple of days ago I was helping one of the younger orphans find his ball. I check in Anita’s room and found papers under her bed. There was a file…about you.

“What did you learn?” Lander responded. His face was pale and his eyes seemed to go into his sockets.

“Your parents left you when you were about eight, you were sick until you were eleven, and you have a tendency to wet your bed.” Darren replied smiling.

The orphans laughed but Lander was not amused.

“I’m glad you’re leaving. Everybody can finally get the peace I want.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’m the one disrupting the peace,” responded Darren while leaving the room.

- *-*-*-


“Well? I’m waiting.”

“For what?” Darren questioned.

“For all the times I cared for you and loved you; aren’t you going to say, thank you?” Anita replied crisply staring at Darren with loopy eyes. It seemed like she already had her drink that she normally saves for the night during her television show.
“Uh…thank you?” Darren replied unsure of what he was really thanking her for.

“Your very welcome.” said Anita pinching his cheek and smiling showing a row of yellow, rotted teeth.

Darren pushed her hand away, grimacing, trying to hold down his breakfast. Anita wiped her hand on her dress frowning. “Well, the man is waiting for you. You better be off.”

Darren headed for the door and stopped. He turned to Anita and smiled before saying, “Make sure you don’t drink too much okay?” He knew he could say whatever he wanted now that he had an owner

Anita was taken aback. She lifted up her hand to slap him but decided to put it down. She glowered at him and stormed away.

Darren laughed while he walked outside. He saw the stranger and noticed he was waiting by the side of the house. He took one more glance at the orphanage building and headed for his new owner.

Chapter 3
“You have everything?” the man asked.

“Well, yeah. I have my clothes and a couple of books I collected over the years.”

“Where’s your lunch? Your water? Where are you supplies?”

“Um, I need supplies? Like, I don’t think we are walking 1,000 miles.” Darren replied jokingly.

“You just might.” The man said mysteriously starting to stride down the alley.

“Well what does that mean?!” Darren replied following his owner.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“What I think I need to find out is your name. Like, I don’t think it’s right. Too many secrets. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

The man stopped abruptly in the alley, if Darren was close enough he could have easily slammed right into his back. “I do?”

“Yes.” Darren replied confidently looking at the man.

“Alright then,” the man replied while taking of his sack, “We’ll discuss it over dinner. It that okay with you?”

“Yes it is.”

“Good, good.” The man said nodding as he pulled out a pair of black, leather gloves. He slid on the gloves and continued to walk the same fast pace as before. Darren looked at the man strangely before he continued to chase after him. Darren thought about making a comment of how fast he went compared to other elderly people but he didn’t want to somehow insult the man.

“So, where do you live?”

“Somewhere far away.”

“Oh. Where’s your car.”

“Don’t have one.” The man replied shortly.

It was Darren’s turn to stop, “You don’t have a car?! How in the world are we going to get to your house?!”

“Walk.” The stranger replied seemingly not knowing that Darren stopped.

“Are you kidding me?!” Darren hollered toward the man.

“No, I am not kidding. Now come on, I don’t want to waste daylight.”

“Daylight?! I can’t believe I’m stuck with an insane old person!”

The man whirled around and said, “I’ll have you know that this old person has more sanity then anyone.” The man calmed down and continued to walk. Darren continued to follow with his hands shoved into his pockets. A few minutes later the man uttered, “Now that were far from the city we’ll start a fire and eat some dinner.”

Darren stopped short trying to calculate how long they were walking. The walk didn’t seem to have been more the 15 minutes. He looked under him and noticed for the first time that he was standing on soft, green grass. He spun around in a 360 and saw only thick, green forest. He tried to remember if there was a forest outside of the city. Darren knew he wasn’t in New York. He put his hand on a tree trunk to steady himself of the thought of leaving his home which he had been living in all his life. Some kind of electric shock ran through his body, stopping his heart for a second. Darren felt energized but a bit shaken. He looked at his owner with a bewildered look. The stranger looked amused. Darren looked back at the tree timidly. He knew that the tree was no ordinary tree. He looked up into the branches and saw a dove perched on the bough of the tree. The dove stared at him with keen eyes. Darren returned the gaze and stared at the dove with interest. Behind his back, the stranger lifted his hand, palm facing the bird. The bird looked behind Darren and soared off the branch and into the air. The dove flew until Darren couldn’t see it any longer. Darren turned around right as the man lowered his hand. Darren felt weak as if he was in a trance. Slowly, Darren lowered his body and sat on the grass cross legged. Just as the man sat on the grass across from Darren a piercing noise flooded the forest. Darren’s hands flew up to