Suddenly, I Am Rich

After leaving the room, Gray and Mara were thankful for the silence of the hallway. They were more relaxed now. Eli was still holding their hands, but it wasn’t that tight anymore. The same as them, he seemed to be calmer too.

After taking a few steps away from the room, Gray smiled and turned to Eli.

”You did great,” he murmured to Eli. ”You were very brave in there, did you know that?”

Eli kept his head down, but there was a ghost smile on his lips. ”But, I am still scared,” he whispered after some time. ”What if they get angry again?”

”They won’t,” Gray muttered. His lips curled up in a big smile. ”They won’t get mad at you for being brave, Eli.”

”Yes, Gray is right.” Mara walked on the other side of Eli. She watched him closely. Her eyes softened as she looked at the young boy. ”You are safe. We will make sure of that, okay?”

Eli nodded, now completely calming down with the reassurance from Gray and Mara.

They continued walking after. They reached the wide play area where the other kids were waiting since earlier. Some were still drawing on small tables while others were sitting on the floor now, playing with toys.

When they saw Eli with Gray and Mara, a few of them stood up. One little girl ran toward Eli and hugged him without a word. Eli froze again, then slowly hugged her back. His eyes softening.

’It seemed like Eli is close with that kid,’ a small smile appeared on Gray’s face. He found it adorable.

With Eli taken away with the other kids, Gray and Mara continued to interact with the other kids.

Gray crouched down beside a boy who was sitting alone and drawing circles on a piece of paper. ”Hi there! How are you?” he asked gently.

The boy smiled but didn’t stop what he was doing. ”I am okay, sir!.”

Mara moved closer to them when she noticed it. ”Really? Do you like staying here?” she asked.

The boy hesitated for a moment. He looked up at them and nodded.

”Yes,” he said. ”But we cannot make many mistakes. Adults get scary when they get angry.”

The words hit Gray in the chest.

Mara looked at Gray at the same time he looked at her. That same understanding sat between them.

Mara sat beside the boy and guided him gently. ”What kind of mistakes?” she asked softly.

The boy looked back down at his paper. ”Like when we are slow. Or when we cry. Or when we forget things or don’t follow them.”

Gray closed his eyes for a moment. His hands curled. He forced himself to breathe calmly. These kids did not need anger right now. They needed gentleness.

Another girl came up to them. She tugged at Mara’s sleeve. ”Are we in trouble?” she asked. ”The adults were shouting earlier.”

”No,” Mara said at once. Her voice softened. ”None of you is in trouble.”

The girl relaxed. She sat down on the floor beside Mara and leaned against her shoulder.

Gray watched the kids one by one. Even though he knew that some of them were being abused, they were still smiling cheerfully now. That part made Gray’s heart ache.

He walked around and talked to each group, asking simple things. ”Are you eating well?” ”Do you get to play?” ”Are classes fun?”

Most of the kids gave similar answers. They said yes. They said they were being fed well and that it was nice here. They said they had lunch every day and were not hungry and they even got treats. Some even said they liked their caretakers, especially the new ones. .

But in between these answers were small comments of fears.

”I do not like when adults shout.”

”I try not to cry because they get mad.”

”We are not allowed to talk back.”

”My friend got punished because she spilled juice.”

Every time one of them said something like that, Gray and Mara would look at each other. They did not push the kids for details. They did not ask about hitting or hurting. Theyfelt that it was not that right

They stayed with them until the atmosphere eased a little. The kids laughed again. A few of them even dragged Mara to help them build blocks. Gray was pulled by two boys who wanted him to sit and listen to their drawings.

For a moment, the room looked peaceful.

Half an hour passed since they started talking to the kids. Finally, after so long the door of the meeting room opened. There, Lita and the employees came out. Everyone turned their eyes on them.

Lita stepped out first. Her shoulders were slumped. Her face was pale and drained. Behind her were the older caretakers. Their eyes were lowered. They did not dare look at the kids or at Gray.

Lita approached Gray slowly. ”Sir Gray,” she said. Her voice was small, as if she was ashamed of what she had learned today. ”We finished talking.”

Gray stood immediately. Mara walked beside him.

Lita clasped her hands tightly. ”The older staff will be placed on probation starting today. I already contacted the administrative office. The investigation will begin as soon as possible. You will be informed about every step.”

Gray nodded lightly. ”Good.”

”They will not be allowed near the children while this is ongoing,” Lita added. ”And once the investigation ends, they will face the proper consequences. I will make sure of it.”

”I will trust your words on that,” Gray said.

He looked back at the kids for a moment. Some of them were clinging to Mara. Some were watching him with anxious eyes.

Gray sighed quietly and turned toward Lita. ”I want to be clear. I do not want this to happen again. Not even once. These children deserve better than this.”

”Yes, Sir. I understand,” Lita said, her voice shaking a little.

”Aside from that, ,ake sure Eli gets proper care,” Gray added. ”I will visit again soon. I want to check on all of them.”

”Yes, Sir Gray,” she said again.

”Good.”

With that, Gray and Mara gathered their things. Eli hugged Gray tightly before they left. Gray patted his head and promised they would see each other soon.

Once they reached outside, Daniel greeted them. They boarded the car, a sigh escaped their lips the moment they went in.

Gray leaned back against the seat for a moment. They were silent at first before Gray broke it.

”Mara.”

Mara looked at him.

He met her eyes. ”Inform the secretary of the mayor about this.”

”All right.”

”And tell them that I want my donations on hold for now,” Gray continued. ”I am not giving a single penny until I know the kids are actually being protected.”