Chapter 1
He couldn’t stop the feeling of giddiness that cursored through him at the thought of seeing his friend and the old lady who sang the porcupine song. Since he was on a holiday, he had taken to following his mother to give his father lunch and each time he would sneak off while his parents talked and look for her. Today was different, he didn’t need to sneak out, as soon as they got to his father’s office his mother didn’t allow him in, instead she commanded him to go look around which he frowned at but obey all the same.
It took no time for him to spot the old lady, she was bent at the waist cleaning a sticker off the floor, she wasn’t singing which he found odd. As if she knew he was standing behind her she began to sing and a sense of normalcy came over him and he breathed easy.
“Hello Gideon!” Gideon smiled as Joanna stepped into his line of vision with her hands behind her back as usual.
“Hey Joanna, long time no eat”, he replied and was rewarded with a giggle as she brought her hand forwards and revealed a red velvet cupcake and whip cream. They sat and shared the treat, Gideon’s share was always the biggest which he found confusing.
“Joanna don’t you like red velvet?”
“I do but you like it too so you get to take the bigger part because you are my friend”, she replied with a big smile. Gideon sat up and took off the necklace which belonged to his mother and put it on her.
“Isn’t this for your mom?”
“Yes but I want you to have it, if I don’t find you promise me you’ll come find me because you have what’s mine”. Joanna smiled and bumped her tiny shoulder against his small ones, he chuckled softly, out if the corner of his eyes he saw the old lady smiling at them. Just then his mother came into view and called to him frantically so he waved Joanna goodbye and ran towards his mother but not before seeing the look of sadness on the old lady’s face, he made up his mind to never forget her. Who knew it would be the last time he saw her and Joanna.
