Closed Wrong Way

[Hamish Reid]

Seamus liked to do his grocery shopping in the mornings. Sometimes, Hamish would come along, but they'd gone separate ways that morning. He thought Seamus was out jogging or running or something, but he wasn't sure. He was heading home now, a few brown paper bags in hand. He had some early thoughts for dinner that night. He hummed softly as he moved, content as he worked his way through the crowd and back towards their new home.

 

[Giulia Alcott]

Giulia was still getting used to this new life, and she wasn't sure if she liked it yet. New Zealand was on the other side of the world, and nobody here spoke French except for her family, and it was all... a bit wrong. She didn't really want to spend much time outside the house, if she was honest, in this new, unfamiliar world she had found herself in. But she couldn't stay indoors forever, and dad had things to do in the village, so he had left her with a few galleons to wander around a bit. Those galleons were gone now, replaced by the small packet of sweets sitting in Giulia's pocket, and now she was just.... lingering, nothing to do. She watched the people passing by for a while, trying and failing to understand the conversations she half-overheard. She wasn't really paying all that much attention until she saw what she was fairly sure the same boy she had just seen already passing by. He looked about her age, and Giulia supposed he must be a twin. She wondered quietly if they were going to be her classmates, and who had sent a ten year old grocery shopping by themselves, taking the sweets from her pocket and quietly eating one.

 

[Hamish Reid]

Hamish was lost in thought, humming softly, when one of the bags he was carrying ripped in his arms. He yelped, trying to save it, but despite his best efforts his bag of fruits fell through his arms anyway. He grumbled, slowing down. He sighed heavily. That was lovely, wasn't it? He sank carefully down to his knees and set his other bags down, trying to gather his fruits and distribute them to his other bags.

 

[Giulia Alcott]

As Giulia watched the stranger with his groceries, she spotted one of his bags splitting seconds before it all fell apart. She felt bad for the boy, and as nerve-wracking as she found approaching strangers in this new country, she couldn't help the drive to help. Pocketing her sweets again she jumped up and scooped up a couple of apples that had rolled near her feet. "Here, let me help you!" She said in French, optimistically hoping the boy might understand her, that she would have someone to talk to in this place.

 

[Hamish Reid]

Hamish looked up when he heard a voice, surprised that a girl was approaching with a few of his apples. "Oh, um, thank you." He gave her a tentative smile. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asked, trying not to look as sheepish as he felt.

 

[Giulia Alcott]

Giulia's face fell as it became clear this boy didn't understand her. It had been a long shot anyway. "I... erm... I help?" She asked, struggling to remember what order the words went in English. "I you help?" Giulia was fairly sure she had gotten it wrong, but it was the best she could do.