All the Time in the World by Keith B. Darrell

Author:Keith B. Darrell [Darrell, Keith B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Coming of Age, Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy Contemporary, Fantasy General, Fiction Fantasy General, Fiction Fantasy Contemporary, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Publisher: Amber Book Company

Chapter Five: After All, Tomorrow is Another Day

After the first mile, Mackenzie’s bare feet no longer felt the cold. A car would pass on the highway beside him every 10 minutes or so. None had stopped or even slowed as they passed. It didn’t matter. Mackenzie needed the time alone to think; he would not have made good company for any driver who might have picked him up. It was cold outside, but then it had been cold all the time these past weeks in the barracks and in the courtyard of Fort Breendonk. Mackenzie had learned one could adapt to almost any physical discomfort; it was the emotional ones he was unsure of.

The sun was setting behind him to his left, as the town of Antwerp came into his view. Mackenzie barely felt the cobblestones beneath his feet. It seemed like an eternity since he had last trod these streets, yet they remained familiar, if not comforting, to him. He saw the Renard’s bakery up ahead. He trudged forward, slowly but inexorably.

The bell above the bakery door tinkled as he entered. It was warm inside; warmer than he had felt in quite some time. He sat at one of the small tables, staring into space. From behind the counter, Flora noticed a barefoot boy shivering at the table. She stepped around the counter and approached him. At first, she didn’t recognize Mackenzie. The gaunt boy had lost a lot of weight, even in such a short time, his hair had only begun to grow back, and he was not the vivacious boy she remembered. Yet Flora could not forget his face; it had been etched into her mind the night she watched the Gestapo take him from her uncle’s bakery. “Mac? Are you all right?”

He nodded, without making eye contact.

Her eyes darted around the bakery. “Come with me. We must get you upstairs.” Flora helped him up the staircase to her bedroom. “I’m so glad to see you, Mac. I was terrified when the Gestapo took you away.” She sat him on her bed. “You don’t have to speak; I understand. I’ve seen political prisoners released by the Gestapo after they’ve been ‘reeducated’. The important thing is, you’re safe now. You can stay here as long as you need to. Take off your damp clothes. I’ll bring you some of Jan’s clothes to wear.”

Flora returned minutes later with fresh clothing and a pail of warm water. She wrapped her blanket around the naked boy. “Put your feet in the bucket. You’re lucky you don’t have frostbite. I brought you a pair of Jan’s shoes, as well. It won’t be a perfect fit, but it will do, for now. I’ll make you a bowl of hot soup and a sandwich.”

Mackenzie glanced up at her. “Thank you.”

Flora returned with the food 15 minutes later. “I know you must be starving, but you shouldn’t eat too much food at once. I’ll feed you small portions frequently throughout the next several days.” She smiled at Mackenzie.

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