It was slightly past noon and the sun was high in the sky. Quince had decided on taking an afternoon walk, and he took himself a small biscuit with a generous slice of cheese to eat for lunch. His strides were long, an affect of his rather tall stature. He strolled on the paths accompanied by the many other people walking which all of he was unfamiliar with. The fabric of his brown pinstripe trousers gathered and relaxed with each movement, when his legs were straight they rested flatly, but when he stepped they wrinkled greatly. The blue of his undershirt was hidden by the gray wool overcoat which kept Quince quite warm, not that it was very cold anyways. As he was passing the orphanage he stopped in his tracks, noticing something strange. City walkers parted around his still figure like the ocean waves part around a giant rock.

It was a beautiful day, slightly nippy but the sun was out, yet it was such a shame to see the orphanage yard empty. The children were inside, but children should be outside on days like these playing in the yard and eating their mid day meal on the grass, not inside scrubbing floors and practicing math. And that saddened him to think that young boys and girls were not indulging in their childish pleasures that every young person deserves to experience.

And he just stood there, starring at the building for a long time, examining it. One of Quince’s weathered hands dipped into his overcoat pocket and drew out the biscuit and cheese. With the cheese sandwiched between the biscuit he took a large bite, then looked back up at the orphanage building. Brown locks that had once been neatly combed got caught up in the wind, and they rearranged oddly on his head, some standing up and others laying flatly.

He was about to take another bite when a rough shove from a stranger was accompanied by a ‘move you bloody fool’. Not only was he thrown off balance by the push, but Quince lost grip of the sandwhich and watched the only meal he would have till supper fall to the ground, then get kicked by an innocent person passing by not even realizing what they had done. He suddenly felt cross, and instinctively turned to the person who had made him drop his lunch. The person had since passed Quince and their back was now to him, he immediately went to shove back that inconsiderate being…