The truth will out
Checking his pocket for another snack, Winston walked back into the empty room where Angela had been. He took up a comfortable position where he could be easily seen should anyone come in and waited.
He picked at the crumbs that the bar had become. It had not held together terribly well, despite the honey, which ended up making it sticky rather than solid ... He spent some time pondering this problem as he waited in hope of hearing from Angela. The bar had various ingredients intended to optimise nutrition, but he'd already eaten 3 of them today and they really still just felt like a snack. He needed to add something to make them feel little more substantial.
It was not a short wait as Winston curled up in the warehouse, he was beginning to get thirsty and the food bars had all run out. He took his little fairy-bottle out of his belt and took a big slurp to quench his thirst only to realise he was not alone. Angela stepped out from the corner of the room, which was cloaked in shadows. "Hi Winston. Sam said you were hanging around. He told me what you discussed with Enid." She gave him a weak, somewhat apologetic smile.
He sat up and returned her smile. "Water?" He asked, and offered the tiny bottle to her. "Et's gat a lat more in dere den yuh tink." He reassured her as she quizzically studied the tiny Winston-sized bottle. "No thanks." Came her reply, so he corked it and placed it back in his belt with a little satisfied pat of the pouch.
"Yuh know we can sort this out, right? We cun get yuh back in de competition an' we cun get back tuh trying to outcook each udda." He smiled reassuringly, but Angela wasn't convinced. He was fairly certain there were other eyes on him, but he gave no indication that this was an issue, or that he had even noticed. "But I lied ... and I DON'T have any parents ... and ..." "Despite all dat and nat havin' a kitchen tuh practice en, ar food tuh cook wheneva yuh want, yuh still one af de best chef's me eva met." Angela blushed. "An it wud be criminal far yuh nat to be allowed tuh compete because yuh didn't 'ave parents. So yuh let ME worry about dem problems. Ef yuh can agree to give yuh stary to Enid, en whatever farm yuh wish and trust me to sart out de rest, den we cun get dis sarted. 'ow's dat?"
Angela went silent again and a few little voices from the corners of the room and even the rafters whispered. "Go on ... Do it ... Yeah, go. GO! ... Do it!" She took a deep breath before replying suddenly. "OK then. I'll do it." There was a far less subtle flurry of happy giggles and quiet exclamations of "YES!"
He smiled and stood up. "Me ave one final request." The room fell silent again, this time with anticipation. "Fram now an, yuh will use me kitchen to prepare far de competition en yuh will
'elp yuhself tuh anything yuh need frame me lardda
." Angela looked like she was going to object for a moment, she certainly took in a great gasp of surprise, but Winston cut her off. "Don't be objectin' now. Dis is NAN-negotiable. Cus wen me beat yuh in the final round, me don't want no par, impaverished orphan sympathy gettin' in de way af me victory feelin's." He said in a most certain, but playful manner.Truth be told, not that he would let this on to Angela, EVER, he was going to need to sell a few things to fund that and it was going to make things a little tight for a while, but there was no hesitation in the little ferret's mind. This was, without a doubt, the only right thing to do.
Angela smiled and ran over and picked up the little ferret in her arms and squeezed him tight. "UUUUuuuuhhggg ... Need ... Air ... Gonna DIE!"
"OH! Sorry. THANK YOU! I promise not to beat you to badly." She replied with an enormous grin and tears streaming down her cheaks.
The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: You know this girls going to kick your but right?.
Winston: Oh me do 'ope so. Me really do ...
Curiosity: You know this girls going to kick your but right?.
Winston: Oh me do 'ope so. Me really do ...
The next day ~ Back in the game!
After much joy, cuddling and chatting about what's what with Angela and eventually, all the other children too, they went back to Winston's chest. Chest and Angela went through the usual introductions and quickly became friends, but Angela insisted that she only needed access to the kitchen and did NOT need somewhere to sleep. Winston decided that he had already won her over enough times for one day and let that one slide, for now.
Right now, he was sitting in the office of the competition organisers. Angela had given her story to Enid and he had already drafted the headline and overview, which he had brought with him at Winston's request. The competition organisers had read it, listened to the evidence presented by Enid, spoken with Angela, and finally listened to Winston's statement ... he did not plea, OH NO! 'Plea' was not the angle he was taking. It was much more like a damming review of a future where the Scalvoran people are told that orphans are not permitted to better their lives through hard graft and determination.
"Et would be such a shame to 'ave to tell da media dat dis competition, wat supports de orphans, will only do so ef de don't enta de competition. An' ef de only issue es 'er nat 'aving a gardian, den me cun say me 'ave already spoken wid Felicia at de orphanage and she es more den 'appy to take en Angela an' act on 'er behalf far de purposes af providing a guardian far de competition." Angela has exploded with joy when she had been given this news. "She might 'ave entered de competition under false pretences, out af nececity I might remind yuh, but far dis she es most sarry and dere cun be no doubt dat she belangs 'ere."
Winston hoped, without suggesting too strongly that the organisers were evil, of course, that he had left them with no reasonable excuse to not allow Angela to re-enter the competition. He was ready to leave the competition himself, taking Angela with him and Sunpha down if they so choose, but as fortune had it, this had not been necessary.
They had requested that they all wait while they considered the information and, not that they said these explicit words, had a word with Sunpha regarding the allegations, both against and from her.
Quite a bit of time had passed, which Winston used to walk Angela through the interior of Chest and his kitchen, in order to distract her from her worry.
The organisers re-entered the office and sat opposite Angela and Winston.
The nominated representative from the group spoke first. "We have considered the situation and can agree that it would be a travesty for this poor girl to fall victim to her circumstances." The room began to fill with palpable excitement. Like a fizzy bottle with a loose lid, had been shaken and was leaking every so slightly. "Of course, we would need to publicise the apology from Angela for entering the competition under false pretences." Winston bristled, literally, at the suggestion that it was THEM that deserved an apology, but Angela placed her hand on his back and stroked him reassuringly. "Of course! I really AM very sorry for lying about that." The organisers bustled and nodded.
"Well of course then, we look forward to seeing you in the next round." Now Angela and Winston both let out a little squeal of excitement. "But!" They continued, to try and regain their attention. "We must very regrettably inform you that Sunpha will be leaving the competition. A fact we would very much appreciate you keep to yourselves until such a time that we can announce it formally."
Neither of them cared in the slightest right now, but they nodded and leapt up to make their way out of the office. Chest was waiting outside the building and fidgeting with excitement also, sensing the emotions pouring out of its ferret companion. Angela leapt down the stairs, several at a time and shouted at Chest. "I'm back in the competition! They let me back IN! OH THANK you, Winston!" She cried and danced around the Chest it span around in circles like some kind fo whirling dervish.
Winston watched and enjoyed the joy. He really didn't understand why people found it so hard to be nice, when doing so felt THIS good.
