Chapter 2: The welfare camp

Henrietta’s POV:

“Happy birthday to you”

“Happy birthday to you”

“Happy birthday Ma Bethy, happy birthday to you”, we all sang happily.

Today was Ma Bethy's birthday. She was the hostel mistress of the hostel that my brother and I stayed in. Today was her birthday and while there was going to be a birthday party for her later tonight, the older kids in our hostel had secretly made a birthday cake for her and we surprised her with it this morning.

Ma Bethy was so grateful and full of smiles.

It's been three weeks since we came to the North and just as I had believed and hoped for when my brother and I first embarked on this journey to the North, our lives have become better.

No more did we have to sleep in horse stables, wear nasty clothes and underfeed because here, we were given comfortable sleeping mats and fed well. And those of us that didn't have good clothes were given clothes.

I had observed that in this camp, it was common practice for three people of the same gender to share a room. But because my brother was still tender and was frightened to be away from me, he was allowed to stay in the same room as me for the meantime. And because of my brother's presence, I only had one roommate, Stella.

Sir Cornel, the man who had interviewed us when we first arrived came regularly to check up on us. I could see that he was growing fond of me and my brother and I was happy about this. Sir Cornel’s affection started healing a deep wound in my heart and also started filling an empty void in me because, ever since my parents died when our pack got destroyed, my brother and I had never known any parental affection from anybody.

Later at night, Ma Bethy's party went well and we all retired to our rooms to rest. I put Benji to sleep and went outside to meet Stella who had gone out to the balcony to receive fresh air.

Stella was just a year older than me, she had blonde hair, cute brown eyes and was even taller than me by some inches. Stella was really pretty; millions of miles ahead of me.

She was extroverted, smart, funny and loved talking about boys. When Benji and I moved into her room, I was first startled by her appearance. How could a refugee girl look so good? She showed no signs of suffering unjustly which I feared would be an inescapable fate of asylum seekers.

Also, I thought that she would dislike me for moving into her room with my brother but that was not the case. She took me and my brother in as her siblings and sometimes was the one who put Benji to sleep.

“Are you thinking of jumping off the balcony? You will break your leg if you do so and hurt your fine face and scatter your throat and Martin would no longer like you like that. And Stephanie would become his girlfriend”, I joked, smiling and laughing as I spoke.

Stella laughed too and responded, “do you think that I am you? If I decide to jump from this balcony today, I would land on my ten toes. I'm that strong”, Stella replied confidently.

“Keep lieing to yourself”, I replied.

She laughed and I laughed too and there was a brief pause where we just stood, leaning on the railings and gazing into the night sky.

“How are you feeling Teta? It's been what, three weeks since you got here? And you have actually adapted nicely.”

Stella fondly called me Teta sometimes instead of Henrietta.

“Yes. The environment here is so conducive and supportive and loving. That's why I have been able to relax. You know when my brother and I were still coming here, I was scared that this place could be like the South. Poor living conditions, sleeping on hay, eating rubbish food, hard work and punishments. I just didn't know what to do.”

“But even though you feared that, you still pressed on to this place.”

“I had no choice. I could not endure the brutality of the South any longer and it broke my heart every day to see how much my brother suffered. That's why I was willing to take this risk and here we are, it was worth it.”

Stella held me by my shoulders affectionately and smiled.

“You know I was seven when I came here. I came with my parents and my aunt. But my parents died of poor health before we could reach here. I remember crying so much and wishing so hard that the gods had blessed me with healing powers or if not me, then one of the people that traveled with us. So that my parents would have survived and would still be alive today.”, Stella said sadly.

This was the first time in my three weeks of knowing Stella that she told me this and I felt bad for her. I could relate to her pain as I was also an orphan. The only living relative that I know that Stella still has was her aunty.

“I'm sorry Stella”, I said, feeling really sorry for her loss.

“It's fine. Thank you. Aunt is all I have got now.”

“Well, you have me and Benji too.”

Stella chuckled and smiled at me. “Yh” she said.

“You really do not remember anything about your past life until you became a stray?” Stella asked me.

“Yes I don't. “

“Hmmm. This could possibly mean that the event that led to you and your brother becoming strays must have been so traumatic that your brain just wiped everything off.”

“That could possibly be the case.”

“Looking at you Teta, it's hard to tell which part you may likely be from, the South, West or …” Stella paused, her face suddenly becoming angry.

“The stupid East”. The Northern werewolves and the Eastern werewolves were sworn enemies to the point that any Eastern werewolf that found himself in the North was liable to be put to death immediately and vice versa.

“I don't know.”, I said. My hands were beginning to shake slightly and so I had to stylishly place them behind me to stop Stella from seeing them.

Stella looked at me as if she was trying to enter into my mind to fish out my secrets.

“Are you sure or are you lying?” she asked me.

“I'm not lying Stella”, I replied firmly.

“Okay. I'm heading in Teta. Goodnight. I have to wake up on time so I can finish up my homework assignment. And please come in soon, it's almost light out. May the gods be your covering” Stella said walking away.

“And yours too. Goodnight”, I said, making a mental note to wake her up to do her assignment in case I woke up earlier than her.

I watched Stella walk back into our room and close the door. I turned around to continue gazing at the night sky.

I had not forgotten anything. My memory was still very much intact.

It was just better and safer for me and my brother to claim to have forgotten…