lemonade,
a house of anubis story

he couldn't be more than six or seven. bright blue eyes as clear as the sky fill with excitement and hope as he helps anna eule with the table.

"you sure this is gonna work?" he asks.

"yeah, me and my sister did it last year. you just pick a really hot day, like today, and you sell lemonade. everyone likes lemonade."

you watch as the two tape their sign on the front of the table. 'lemonade' spelled wrong and a backwards pound sign, but you don't say a thing. you just watch them, and when the pitcher runs out, you go fetch another.

"how much did we get, trudy?" she asks impatiently. you've only been counting their money for a minute, but you're almost done.

"you've got quite a lot of coins," you say.

"i bet we got a million pounds!" jerome says from behind you.

"i bet we got a million bajillion pounds!" anna chimes in.

you chuckle softly, "not quite, but you managed to earn one hundred and two pounds, which means you each get fifty-one pounds." their eyes go wide. you hand them each their hard earned money and walk out the room.

"what're you gonna do with your money?"

"i dunno, save it?"

"come on, jerome, there has to be something you want. i'm going to buy a puppy when i get back home. i always wanted a puppy. they're so cute and cuddly."

"i don't like puppies." jerome says, pinching his face in disgust. you laugh, then return your attention to washing the dishes. you start humming a song your mother used to sing,

hush little baby, dont say a word

mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird

and if that mockingbird dont sing

papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

and that's when you hear it.

"i'm going to buy a train ticket. that's how i got here, by a train. but instead of going to school, i'll go home. that's what i wanna do, annie. and i'll get to see margot, that's my sister."

"what about your mummy and daddy?"

his face gets dark. it's an expression you have never seen on a six year old's face, ever. and you've been working in this field for a very long time. "i don't think my mummy and daddy like me very much." he says.

it's quiet for a while. all the other children were sleeping, so you make a suggestion. "anna, why don't you go wash up and go to bed?"

jerome is sitting on the counter behind you. he's got his head hung low in his lap. he hasn't talked in over ten minutes, which worries you because he is usually the most talkative in the house.

"jerome, sweetie, would you like to help me wash the dishes?"

"no." it's barely audible, but you hear it. nodding in understanding, you begin singing again.

and if that diamond ring turns brass

mama's gonna buy you a looking glass

and if that looking glass gets broke-

he's crying now. those sweet blue eyes now filled with tears, and you're not sure what to do. you're so used to his constant jokes and laughter, crying is a foreign subject in your mind when it comes to him.

you pull the small boy into your arms. you don't know what to say, so you say nothing. you simply hold the boy, rocking him back and forth, singing him songs of comfort he has probably never heard.

he's seen people come and go many times.

he watches on the first day as people come in to unpack, looking around, amazed at the place he has called home for the past thirteen years.
and you notice he stays away from a nice distance, because after a while losing people that are close to you gets irritating, he says.

and he watches on the last day, too. goodbyes become numb as he sits on the front stairs, watching the others leave. you wonder if he'll ever buy that train ticket, or if he has just given up on the people who left him here in the first place.

"a lemonade stand? really, jerome?"

"what? everyone likes lemonade, mara. isn't that right, trudy?"

"but a lemonade stand seems a bit juvenile,"

"i don't think so."

"this has to be one of your worst get-rich-quick schemes ever, jerome."

"believe what you wish, mara, but i know for a fact that lemonade stands work."

"what do you and alfie plan on doing with the money anyways?" you're watching them from the corner, and to be honest you're very curious to hear the answer.

"who knows?" jerome says with a wink, carrying the table out the door.

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