The Orphan Child

The Orphan Child: Hektor Malton

Translation: Google, Gemini

E-isbn (İng): 978-625-6020-59-7

Year of Printing: 2025

It cannot be reproduced, published or distributed without permission from the publishing house, except for short quotations for promotional purposes, provided that the source is cited.

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The Orphan Child

There was a woman who would hug and caress me when I cried. Like every child, I was happy with her warmth and attention. Yes, like everyone else, I had a mother, but now I'm an orphan.

When I was grazing the animals in the field, she would get scared if she saw even a single cloud in the sky and would come to me, fearing it would rain. She would bring me blankets so I wouldn't get wet. I thought this woman was my mother because of her sweet gaze and loving demeanor. One day, I found out she was my foster mother. If you're curious about how I found out, please listen to me.

I was born in one of France's poor villages. Since I never had the chance to meet my mother, I don't even know where that village is. I only remember the village where I grew up. The poverty of the village where I grew up came from its infertile land. Everywhere was barren. To see a single tree, you had to go a long way, to the riverbank. My childhood passed in such a village.

Our house was on the outskirts of the village. Until I was eight years old, I had never seen a man in our house. My mother wasn't a widow, but her husband had been working in Paris for years, just like the other villagers. He was said to be a stone breaker. He would send letters and money with people coming to the village. For Berin Ana, this was enough.

One autumn day, a man stood in front of our garden gate. Since I didn't know this man who was looking around, I asked him where he was looking for. He said he was looking for our house. His clothes were covered in mud. His tired state showed that he had come from far away. Berin Ana, hearing our conversation at the door, came out. The man, with a sad voice, said to Berin Ana:

“I have news for you from your husband.” Berin Ana was startled. She asked anxiously:

“Is it bad news?”

The foreign man swallowed and then said:

“It's nothing to be scared of, but you will be sad. Your husband was wounded. He is in the hospital. I was in the same hospital for a while and just got out. He told me to bring you the news.”

After giving the news, the man wanted to leave. Berin Ana, who was in a state of shock, said:

“The roads are dangerous at night. Come inside and rest for a bit.”

While drinking hot soup, the man told how the accident happened.

“When the scaffolding collapsed, your husband was underneath. He was stuck under the trees. The employer claimed that your husband shouldn't have been there at the time and didn't pay any compensation. Your husband was very unlucky. If it had been someone else, they would have gotten a hefty compensation. We all advised him not to give up on this and to demand compensation,” he said.

Berin Ana immediately went to the village priest. She had him write a letter to the chief physician of the hospital. The answer to the letter came quickly. It informed them that Berin Ana's husband needed money to file a compensation lawsuit. Berin Ana did what was necessary. She found and gathered money and sent it to her husband whenever he asked. In the last letter, he had asked for the money from the sale of the cow to be sent. Others could not know what a cow meant to a villager. Despite this, Berin Ana sold the cow and sent the money to her husband.

The sale of the cow was immediately felt in our house. We used to eat clotted cream, milk, and yogurt, but now we longed for them. Berin Ana would make me pastries and flatbread with a little oil and dry cheese that she bought, but the old rice puddings and custards were gone.

One evening, as Berin Ana was preparing the table with what they had, the door of the house opened wide. A man with a thick stick in his hand and a white shirt on his back came in. With a harsh voice, he said:

“Are you preparing dinner?” Berin Ana was suddenly very surprised. Then she shouted:

“Is that you, Jom?”

In the meantime, she grabbed my arm and pushed me towards this man.

“This is your father,” she said.

I ran to throw myself into his arms, but he stopped me by pressing the tip of his stick against my chest.

“Who is this child?” he asked. Berin Ana swallowed:

“Remi, you know...” she said.

“But you told me that...”

“Yes, I did, but it wasn't true.” I didn't understand anything from the conversations. My father, whom I hadn't seen for years, wasn't letting me near him. What was this all about? Moreover, when I tried to approach him a second time, he raised his stick and came towards me. I backed away in fear. The man, without looking at me, said:

“Anyway, let's forget about these for now. What is there to eat? I'm very hungry.”

Berin Ana, sadly, said that there was only flatbread. She explained that there was no other food. Hearing this, the man roared:

“What do you mean, no other food? I've come a long way, prepare some food for me quickly!”

Berin Ana immediately ran to the hearth. The man sat next to her and watched her cook. I, on the other hand, couldn't get up from my place. I was in a state of disappointment. This man who was said to be my father was about fifty years old but was harsh and rude. Perhaps because of his wound, his head was always tilted towards his right shoulder.

When the food was ready again, we sat at the table. Master Jom didn't take his eyes off me during the meal. I couldn't eat much because I was uncomfortable. He asked Berin Ana:

“Does this child always eat so little?”

Berin Ana said that my appetite was fine. Master Jom got angry at this, too:

“It would be better if you ate little. Now that you're full, go to bed. Otherwise, I'll lose my temper!” he yelled.

When Berin Ana signaled me to go, I went to my bed, but I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking until midnight. If this man was my father, why was he treating me like this?

After a long time, I realized that someone was approaching my bed. A thick voice asked:

“Are you sleeping?”

This was Master Jom's voice. If I said I couldn't sleep, he would get angry that I didn't listen to his commands. So, I pretended to be asleep. At that, he turned to Berin Ana and said:

“Don't worry, he's sleeping.”

Berin Ana said that I fall asleep as soon as I lie down. Then she asked her husband:

“What happened to your compensation lawsuit?”

“We lost that case. The judges blamed me for going to a place where I shouldn't have been. We couldn't get compensation from the employer.”

“How will we make a living now?”

“How should I know? The case is gone. The money has run out. As if that's not enough, when I return home, I find a brat. Why didn't you take that child to the poorhouse, like those found on the street?”

“Can a person suddenly abandon a child they fed with their own milk?”

“But he is not your child.”

“I did think of doing what you said for a moment, but then the child got sick. I couldn't bear to take him to the poorhouse. He would have died there if he wasn't taken care of. I raised him until he was eight years old. I think we can continue to take care of him.”

“We can't take care of him. We don't have the strength anymore.” Berin Ana sighed.

“Paris has changed you a lot. You weren't this cruel and heartless before,” she said.

“Yes, Paris didn't just change me. It also left me disabled. The cow is gone, too. How can we feed a child when we are hungry ourselves, huh?”

“He is my child.”

“He is neither your child nor mine. He is a city person's child. Look at how skinny he is. His cuteness is useless. In the village, this child can't do any work.”

“He's a very good child. He will take care of us when he grows up.”

“But right now, we have to take care of him. You see my disability.”

“What if his family comes and asks for him?”

“If he had a family, they would have come and looked for him in eight years. We were deceived by his fancy swaddling clothes. We thought maybe they would even pay for his upkeep.”

“A voice inside me tells me that this child will be sought after one day.”

“We're not throwing the child on the street, are we? We'll leave him at the poorhouse. Morning has come. I'll go and talk to the neighbors and come back.”

When I realized that Master Jom had left, I sat up in my bed.

“Mommy!...” I shouted.

I hadn't planned on shouting like that, but it just came out. I had learned the truth, but my love for Berin Ana was the same. Even if she wasn't my real mother, I still loved her like a mother.

Berin Ana, who realized I wasn't sleeping, ran and hugged me.

“You're not going to send me away from here, are you, Mom?” I said, hugging her neck.

“No, my child,” she said. “So you weren't sleeping. You heard what was said, right?”

“I heard it, Mom. I was sad that you're not my real mother, but I was happy that that man is not my real father. You are more important to me than real mothers.”

Berin Ana's eyes filled with tears.

“I should have told you this before, but I loved you so much that I couldn't bring myself to say I'm not your mother. We don't know who your mother is. One morning, Jom found you at the doorstep. A man who left you there quickly walked away from the door. That's all. No one has ever come looking for you or asked about you. At that time, I had a three-month-old baby like you. My milk was enough for both of you, but my own child died. I gave you his love, too. I had forgotten that you weren't my own child. Unfortunately, Jom hasn't forgotten.”

“Mommy, please don't send me to the poorhouse,” I begged.

Berin Ana tried to comfort me:

“Don't you worry,” she said. “I won't send you anywhere. Jom is not a bad person. Poverty is forcing him to act this way. Don't stand up to him too much. He might hurt your feelings.”

The next day, I woke up with fear. I had learned that I wouldn't be sent to the poorhouse. Master Jom was not at home either. But he came towards noon. He told me to follow him. When I looked at Berin Ana's face, she signaled me to go. That's when I understood that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Since our house was far from the village, we walked for a long time. As we were passing in front of the village cafe, someone called out to Master Jom. The man who called out was a white-bearded, big man. He was dressed in an interesting way. He had a gray dog with him. The police hat on the dog's head attracted everyone's attention.

While I was looking at the dog, Master Jom was talking to the cafe owner. He was telling the cafe owner to get some money from the village aid fund to be able to take care of me. At that moment, the white-haired man chimed in.

“Is this the child who is bothering you?” he asked.

“You guessed right,” said Master Jom.

“I highly doubt the village fund committee will give you money for this.”

“Then I have no choice but to grab the child by the ear and throw him on the street.”

“Maybe there is another way. It could even earn you a few francs.”

“Like what?”

“Since you're not feeding the child, get rid of him by giving him to me.”

“Give him to you? Can such a beautiful child be given to just anyone who asks for him?”

“I see he's a beautiful child. If he weren't, I wouldn't want him. I won't buy him. I'll just rent him. How about twenty francs a year?”

“What kind of work will you have this child do?”

“Since I'm getting old, he will be my companion. He will entertain me. He will jump and skip. In short, he will join Signor Vital's company of players.”

“Where is this company?”

“Right in front of you. I am Signor Vital. Shall I introduce you to one of my players?”

The Signor immediately took a small animal out from under his arm. It was wearing a vest with shiny gilding. Its arms and legs were covered with black fur. It had a fist-sized head. I had never seen such a creature before.

Master Jom shouted:

“I have never seen such an ugly monkey!”

At that, I realized that the creature was a monkey. I had never encountered a monkey before. The Signor, not paying attention to what was said, said:

“This is my main actor, Mr. Sweetie.” He asked the monkey to greet us.

Mr. Sweetie put his hand to his lips and blew us kisses. The Signor gave some commands to the dogs. At that, the dogs that came from afar greeted the audience by going six steps forward and three steps back. They held hands and bowed their heads. The Signor puffed out his chest and said:

“Do you see? I make a living by showing interesting plays. I am constantly traveling. All of my players are very smart, but they need a stupid person next to them to show their intelligence. I mean, someone who is stupid for the role. The person who will succeed in this role must actually be very intelligent. Because it is very difficult to play a stupid role. I think this child will succeed in the stupid role.”

As the bargaining intensified, they sent me away. I couldn't learn what they talked about. The bargaining lasted for about an hour. Master Jom took me home. I was happy that they hadn't reached an agreement, but when we got close to the house, my happiness faded. Before entering the house, Master Jom squeezed my arm and threatened:

“If you talk about what was discussed today, I'll beat you up. Act accordingly!”

As soon as Berin Ana saw us, she asked:

“Did you meet with the headman? What was the result?”

Master Jom replied:

“We couldn't see the headman. We met with other acquaintances. We'll go again tomorrow.”

I was a little relieved. Since he was taking me to the headman again, he hadn't rented me to the Signor. If they had agreed, he wouldn't have tried to get money from the fund. If I could have been alone, I would have told Berin Ana what happened despite the threats, but we were never alone. Then I had to go to bed.

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn't see Berin Ana at home. Master Jom, who realized I was looking for her, said:

“She went to the village, she won't be back until the afternoon.” He was looking at me in a meaningful way. Since I was bothered by the looks of this man I didn't like, I went out and walked around the garden. An hour later, he called me inside. When I went in, I saw the Signor and his dogs by the hearth. A warmth spread inside me. I understood everything. To be able to give me to the Signor, Master Jom had sent his wife to the village. He knew very well that Berin Ana would prevent me from being taken away.

Whatever I said to Master Jom would be useless. So I went to the Signor and started begging:

“Please don't take me from here, sir,” I said. The Signor said sweetly:

“Don't cry and tire yourself out for nothing, little one,” he said. “I never beat children. You will be friends with my students who are your age. You will have a good time. What more do you want?”

Suddenly:

“Mommy, save me!” I shouted.

Taking this as an opportunity, Master Jom grabbed my ears and shouted:

“Don't struggle for nothing! If you don't go with the Signor, you will go to the poorhouse. Forget about staying here.”

The Signor stood up and said:

“We are late, let's get on our way.” Then he left twenty francs on the table. Master Jom immediately put the money in his pocket. He gave the Signor the bundle containing my small belongings. The Signor took me by the shoulder and said:

“Come on, my child, get in front of me. What's your name?”

“Remi.”

“Yes, Remi, carry your own bundle. We have lingered here too much.”

When he saw that I was clinging to the door, the Signor grabbed my wrists. He started pulling me as if he was dragging me. There was no one to ask for help. When we went out the garden gate, I kept shouting:

“Mom! Berin Ana!”

While the Signor was holding my hand, we were climbing the hill. I kept looking back from time to time. When our house was no longer visible, I stopped looking back. The Signor let go of my hand so I could wipe my tears easily, but in the meantime, he also signaled his dogs. If I tried to escape, they would catch me. Now there was no hope of returning. At one point, I pretended to be very tired and sat on a stone. My goal was to run into Berin Ana, but even though we were far from the village, I hadn't seen her. A different life was ahead of me. I couldn't guess what would happen to me. My destiny was dragging me to places I didn't want to go to, places I didn't know.

I had joined the Signor's company. My friendship with the dogs there, especially Kap, quickly developed. Kap, to give me courage, would stand in front of me and bark by raising his front legs. It was as if he understood that I had never seen any place other than the village. In the first town we went to, the Signor took me to a junk shop. He bought me a pair of thick-soled boots. He dressed me in a blue pair of pants. He also wrapped up a red jacket and a hat. Until now, I had walked around with clogs and had worn nothing but a thick cloth shirt.

When we returned to the tent, the Signor cut my new pants with scissors. I watched with surprised looks as the pants were cut in half. The Signor must have seen that I was upset because he said:

“We are performers,” he said. “If we dress like everyone else, we won't attract attention. In France, it's a must to dress like Italians. If we were in Italy, we would have to dress like the French.”

I put on the pants that had no pant legs. The Signor tied a red ribbon right above my knees. He put a flower on the collar of my jacket. The first one to congratulate me was Kap. He congratulated me by raising his front paws. Even though they were strange, I had new clothes. The Signor said:

“Tomorrow is the market day here. We need to start working as soon as possible. You are not missing anything. You will also go on stage.”

I said that I didn't know how to act. The Signor told me not to worry. He explained the subject of the play I would be in. I would be a monkey's servant. Moreover, I would play the role of a stupid servant.

“I don't like this role at all,” I said. The Signor said indifferently:

“You're not going to be really stupid, are you?” he said. “You're just going to make the audience laugh. Come on, start now. Now you have become a servant in a house. Show me what you will do.”

There were plates, forks, spoons, and white cloths on the table in the room. I didn't know how to serve.

The Signor shouted:

“You're doing it very well!”

So, my first attempt was a success. We rehearsed for about three hours. The Signor also made the dogs rehearse. I was amazed by the Signor's patience. He was treating the dogs well. In the village, dogs were always cursed. When the rehearsal was over, the Signor smiled:

“Are you bored?” he asked.

“I had a lot of fun,” I replied.

“You are a smart child. You're also attentive. There is no job that cannot be accomplished with kindness.”

The dogs and the monkey had experience compared to me. What they were going to do was something they had repeated hundreds, maybe thousands of times, but I was going on stage for the first time. That's why I couldn't sleep a wink that night from the excitement.

As we were going to the area where we would perform, the Signor lifted his head and played the flute. The animals were walking behind him, and I was walking at the very back. As we walked, windows would open, and children would follow us. Our stage was a square-shaped area tied to four poles.

In the first part of our show, the dogs came on stage. They did various performances. The Signor put down the flute and took the violin in his hand and played lively tunes. The dogs' dance with the violin was applauded a lot.

When the first part was over, the crowd increased even more. Kap, with a bowl in his mouth, stood on two feet and went out to collect money. When there were people who couldn't give money, he would leave the bowl on the ground and scratch the men's pockets. When the bowl was full, the dog would bring the money to the Signor.

It was my turn and the monkey Sweetie's turn. The Signor, with his bow and violin in his hand, said:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now continuing our show with a play called 'The Monkey and His Servant'.” This play is only about movements.

We started the play. The Signor would make explanations from time to time to make the play understandable. He announced the arrival of the monkey, who was in the role of an English general, by playing a war tune. Mr. Sweetie had a servant. That was Kap. Now he was looking for a new one. For this, he was walking around the stage nervously. He would stomp his foot from time to time. On the third stomp, I entered. Kap took me by the hand and led me to the general. The monkey Sweetie didn't like me. He wrinkled his face. Then he took me on because he felt sorry for me. He ordered my stomach to be filled. The Signor made the necessary explanation in the meantime.

“The general thinks that when the child's stomach is full, his mind will open up,” he said. “Now we'll see if he's wrong.”

I approached the table in front of me. I took the cloth and wiped my nose. The general was cracking up with laughter. The dog, who was his servant, was also lying on the floor and shaking his four paws in the air. They were making fun of my stupidity. In the meantime, to keep busy, I tied the cloth around my neck. Kap started rolling on the floor again. The monkey laughed a lot. Finally, the general, whose patience ran out, grabbed me and sat me in the chair. He showed me what to do by spreading the cloth on my knees. Finally, when he asked for a toothpick to clean his teeth, the audience cracked up with laughter.

Since the show ended successfully, the Signor congratulated me on the way back to the inn. So, my first stage test went well, despite my excitement.

The dogs were talented, but they always did the same tricks. For this reason, we couldn't stay in each town for more than a day or two. One day, while going to another town, the Signor asked:

“You don't know how to read and write, do you?”

“No,” I said.

“I saw a book in the church. Is it very difficult to read, Signor?”

“It's difficult for those with thick heads. How is your head?”

“I don't know, but if someone taught me, I could learn to read easily.”

“We will see that, too. We have a lot of time ahead of us.”

The Signor cut some square pieces of wood. He wrote the letters of the alphabet on them with his knife. He said that when I memorized them, I would be able to read some words.

I started carrying the wooden pieces with the letters carved into them in my pockets. I had a hard time putting them side by side to find the words. From time to time, I fell into despair because Kap had memorized the letters before me. The dog never forgot what it learned. He couldn't read, but he could immediately show the requested letter. When I made a mistake from time to time, the Signor would say:

“Kap will learn to read before Remi.”

Kap, who was my classmate, wagged his tail happily as if he understood what was being said. This situation spurred me on. While Kap was putting his name together with three letters on the wooden pieces, I had also figured out how to read. The Signor said:

“After you know how to read and write, you can also learn musical notes.”

“If I learn the notes, will I sing like you?”

“You will if you want to.”

We were both performing and traveling from town to town. In the meantime, I also learned the notes, but it was not that easy.

When I was with Berin Ana, I was a frail, pale-faced child. Working under harsh conditions had made me stronger. I had become resistant to heat, cold, hunger, and thirst.

We were traveling from town to town, village to village in the south of France. We would immediately set up our stage wherever we saw that we would find an audience. It was my job to decorate the dogs and dress the lazy monkey in his general's clothes. I was most tired when dressing the monkey. The monkey, who knew that he would go on stage when he wore the clothes, made me very tired.

When the performers were ready with everything, the Signor would take his flute and lead the way. Our interesting clothes on the streets were enough to gather our audience. When there wasn't a sufficient crowd, we would continue on our way without starting the play.

Whenever he had the chance, the Signor would not hesitate to give me advice:

“Since fate has pushed you into such a traveling job, try to learn some things by looking around you.”

“It's bad luck that you have to work while your peers go to school, but I wasn't a born animal theater director either. At least put some things in your head in the meantime.”

I didn't know what the Signor had done before. He kept saying that I could also rise in the ranks. One day, when we had to spend the night in the hayloft of a dilapidated inn, he said to me:

“Someone born in this village, even in this barn, rose to the rank of general. While he started his life as a barn worker, he later became a prince and a king. I knew him closely. I talked to him a lot,” he said.

I opened my eyes in amazement and asked:

“Did you talk to him when he was a barn worker?”

“No,” he said. “I talked to him when he was a king. We met in his palace in Naples.”

“So you met a king?”

“Yes, I did.”

The Signor laughed when he saw that I was surprised. As we sat on the boards in front of the barn and sunbathed, he said: