The plumber who’d come to clear the pipes saw the disastrous state of the toilet and couldn’t help but let out a "TSK." "How did it get this bad?"
Willow explained, embarrassed, "I tried to flush it down with water, but I didn’t expect..."
The plumber sighed, pulled on his gloves, and picked up his tools. "Alright, young lady. Go wait outside."
"Thank you for your trouble!" Willow gave him a small bow and returned to the doorway.
She stared at Renee, the wariness in her eyes fading, replaced by a hint of confusion. "Why are you helping us?"
Renee didn’t answer her question, asking instead, "Have you two had breakfast yet?"
Glenn shook his head. "No."
A smile touched Renee’s lips. "Then after the toilet is fixed, how about I take you out to eat?"
Glenn was about to answer when he heard his sister’s voice.
"No, thank you. We have to go sell fruit," Willow replied.
"What kind of fruit are you selling today?"
Willow shook her head. "I don’t know. The fruit is downstairs. We haven’t gone down to look yet."
"Then I’ll buy it," Renee said. "You can consider today a day off."
"But... but..." Willow hesitated, stammering, "The fruit isn’t... it’s not very good."
"That’s fine," Renee said with a smile. "I’ll buy it to feed the pigs."
Willow looked at her in surprise.
Glenn, however, exclaimed bluntly, "Wow, you’re so rich!"
"I do alright." Renee reached out and patted his head. "Then it’s settled. I’ll buy your fruit, and then we’ll all go get something to eat."
But Willow frowned. "But you’re spending money to buy our fruit, and then spending more money to treat us to a meal. It seems like a bad deal for you."
"How about this?" Renee pointed to Henry Stark, who had been silent the whole time. "I’ll buy the fruit, and this gentleman here will treat us to food. How does that sound?"
Willow was still hesitant, remembering that they also had to pay for the plumbing.
"Alright, it’s settled then." Not giving the girl a chance to refuse, Renee changed the subject. "Can I take a look around your home?"
Willow’s face was calm. "But our home is dirty and run-down. There’s nothing to see."
"I can’t?" Renee’s tone turned disappointed. "It’s okay if I can’t, though."
Having grown up in an environment where she always had to be mindful of others’ moods, Willow had long since learned to read people. She keenly picked up on the shift in Renee’s emotions and said softly, "You can look if you want."
Hearing this, a faint smile blossomed on Renee’s lips. "Thank you."
The living room contained a two-seater sofa and a folding table.
The floor was piled with plastic flower petals, alongside another pile of completed handmade artificial flowers.
On the left side of the living room, two doors were set right next to each other without a sliver of space between them. The doors were covered in all sorts of scuffs and marks.
"Which room is yours?" Renee turned and asked.
Willow pointed to the room on the left, its door ajar.
Renee walked to the doorway and saw that the tiny room held only a solitary little iron bed. At the foot of the bed sat a cardboard box containing a few articles of clothing.
Poverty was no longer an abstract concept. It had taken the form of a small, paint-chipped iron bed, an unassuming cardboard box, and clothes washed so many times they had faded to white.
Renee pressed her lips together, a sudden tightness constricting her chest as the bridge of her nose began to sting.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and patted Willow’s and Glenn’s heads, asking softly, "Is there anything you two would like to eat?"
"I want to eat meat, fried chicken legs, hamburgers, and I want to drink Cola!" Glenn’s eyes shone brightly, his voice filled with excitement.
Renee nodded. "Okay, we’ll get all of that. What about you, Willow?"
Willow blinked and said quietly, "I’m fine with anything."
"Okay," Renee agreed softly. "Do you two need to get ready? We’ll leave as soon as the toilet is fixed."
"No need." Willow shook her head.
A few minutes later, the plumber walked out with his tools slung over his shoulder, his hair damp with sweat. "It’s all clear. You can go take a look."
Willow’s eyes lit up. She hurried inside, filled a bucket with some water, and poured it down. "Great, it’s unclogged!"
She ran to the doorway, her small face breaking into a brilliant smile. "The toilet works now!"
As soon as Glenn heard this, he dashed into the bathroom like a gust of wind, muttering, "I was about to burst."
After using the toilet, Glenn came rushing out just as energetically. "I’m done! We can go get meat now!"
The corners of Renee’s mouth lifted in a smile. "Let’s go."
Back at the parking spot, she looked at Henry. "Whose car should we take?"
"Mine." After speaking, Henry walked toward the SUV across from them.
Once in the car, the two siblings were exceptionally reserved.
Glenn was like a curious baby, looking here and there.