Arabelle glanced around the room, spotted me and took strides towards me. It seemed she had something exciting to tell me, I knew it from her face.

- Come on brother, I have something for you. – Arabelle said in an excited voice, trying hard to control her emotions, but these got the best out of her as a smile came upon her face while I started following her.

Although I’d have preferred to continue my talk with Kupi, when I looked behind where we were just talking, he had already left so I guessed we’d continue at another time, and he would be the one to come to me.

Already out of the room and now exiting the convent my curiosity got the better of me and I questioned:

- Where are we going? What do you want to show me? Will it take long? Why are you doing this? Is it too important? Does it have to be now? – I barraged her with questions, but she only looked at me, smiled and continued pulling me away, into the market of the city.

Walking through the many streets and passages in the city I kept asking more and more, but my sister already had experience with me and knew how to handle me, so just before my breaking point, when I’d start being angry, she started talking.

- You see, Gabriel, I… have a job… have had a job for a while… – this was news to me, I didn’t have any knowledge of this and was quite surprised that my sister got a job before me. I was the older one, so it was expected that I found a job first. I wanted to know more.

- What kind of job is it? Is it safe? How much do they pa – I asked and asked, but Arabelle stopped me mid-sentence

- And this is why I didn’t want to tell you. Not soon, at least. You always question everything, doubt everything, don’t trust anything and if I didn’t have experience with my job to show that it is safe, pays well and all the things that you’d worry about are well and all you wouldn’t let me work here. – she made a very good point, and after a slight pause she continued – I am here to show you the place where I work, but please, please, don’t embarrass me nor get me fired. I can already take care of myself, you’re only one month older than me so you don’t need to worry about everything about me. I don’t worry about everything that goes on in your life and all I ask for is that you do the same. – My sister argued.

After a solid argument like that I could only nod my head up and down and deep within my heart feel proud of her, even if I was still worried. But things were looking up for her and I felt quite happy about that.

She guided me the last few streets until I reached the place where she worked at. I was still quite curious which place would fit all those categories AND hire her. It turned out it was a restaurant and she’d work as a cook, where the clients wouldn’t have to see her.

- Even though I cooked so much at Grum’s place I still have to start from the bottom here, at first, I only cleaned dishes and the tables after this place closed, but over time I’m getting more and more responsibilities. I already have permission to prepare some of the entrees people have. Maybe in the future I’ll be a famous cook! – Arabelle related her experiences and expectations with a big smile on her face, holding both my hands between hers and looking at me in the face.

Personally, I seriously doubted that she’d become a famous cook, because it seemed like such a difficult position to get, because cooking is easy, but cooking well is not. After scouting the area and the restaurant and being satisfied with its security I asked my sister if this was all she wanted to do, because knowing her she wouldn’t take me through half the town just to talk to me.

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- As always you can read me well. Please come with me – she let go one of her hands, clasped both my hands with her remaining hands and continued pulling me, now into the kitchen, where some of her coworkers were resting after a long day at work.

They all looked at my sister and I and continued talking between themselves. Well, it wasn’t like segregation was something new and at least they didn’t do anything bad so I’m not complaining. Still, I couldn’t believe that my sister was having such a great time as she told me she did if those coworkers behaved like that towards her.

But I didn’t voice my doubts, she clearly didn’t want to listen to them so even if I argued with her about the situation, she’d either not listen to me or get mad at me for going against her will. I just moved on with her and we now exited the precinct and are now in the back alley on the other side of this restaurant where an old table and a pair of chairs were prepared.

My sister pointed at one of the chairs and kindly asked me to sit, so I did and after telling me she’d be back soon, she returned to the restaurant, probably to prepare something to eat. Maybe she wanted to show me her progress or she wanted some feedback on her cooking.

As she closed the door behind her a familiar figure sat in the chair in front of me. It was Kupi, who had most likely followed us all the way here.

- I see you don’t like her working here. But it’s what she wants, you know. I’d heard before of her boasting of her job here and how she had been improving her cooking skills. She really cares about you, you’re the first person that she brought here. – Kupi informed me, without the need of me to ask. Kupi really knew me well. – And now that we are here, why don’t I train you?

After Kupi said those words he took a copper coin, showed it to me and then hid it inside one of his pockets. He didn’t need to explain what I had to do as he walked past me, I’d need to take his coin making a very small disturbance to pass this test.

Soon he was on my side, so I checked on his accessible pockets, failing to find the coin, but then I tried the pockets of the other side and lo and behold, I got the coin. But it wasn’t good enough, Kupi looked at me with a clear disappointed look on his face and simply said.

- Again.

And so, I did, again and again, getting better at checking his pockets but after a while he put his coat inside out and a whole new set of pockets were accessible now, so I had to check even more, but after tens of attempts he looked satisfied but his words told another story.

- You could now steal from a person if that person was an elderly who had lost his sense of touch! You’re taking too long in checking useless pockets, instead of that you should see the movement of the person and predict…

While commenting on my mistakes the door towards the restaurant opened again and Kupi went out of my sight as quickly as he entered it. Arabelle came out with two plates on her trembling hands, but she managed to put them on the table.

When I looked at her, I saw that she was covered with flour but looking at the food she brought nothing was prepared with said ingredient. One of the servings she had prepared was a salad with chicken and the other a steak cooked rare with some fried rice balls on the side.

I questioned her about the food she had brought and her cleanliness situation, but she said that I needn’t worry and that I should just try the meat. But of course I’d worry, my sister had never ended so messy after cooking and she should have more experience now, so I puffed the flour off of her and realized that… She had been hurt and the bruises over her face and arms had been hidden under the flour.

- Who did this? – I inquired, with a stern voice and a worried look on my face.

- You don’t need to worry… - Arabelle answered me in a quiet voice – Everything’s fine…

I knew it wasn’t fine and I voiced my concerns.

- Did those bastards inside do this to you? – I interrogated – Did they? – My sister looked away from me, confirming my suspicions – I’m going to get back to them. How many times did they hit you?

- No, don’t! You’ll make everything worse; you’ll get me fired, don’t, please don’t go back in there. – Arabelle took a hold of me and pleaded me not to go back.

She looked nervous, sad, angry and scared and I didn’t want to make things worse, but wouldn’t I make things worse by not doing anything? They’d continue mistreating her and I couldn’t accept that. Still, she really didn’t want me to go in, pulling me towards her and changing the topic of the conversation.

I’d accept it for now, but I wouldn’t forget their faces and at some point, they’d pay.