Chapter 361: Heavy Snow Rachel, Kelvin's nanny, had forgotten to tell him that he only needed two dimes for the bus fare. Since this was his first ttaking public transportation, he threw the ten dollar bill into the fare box, and attracted the attention of everyone on the bus.
He proceeded to a seat near the back, gazing out of the window at the snowy world outside. He breathed on the window to clear the condensation and watched the snow-covered landscape.
The journey was silent. Kelvin had completed his test quickly during school, as the first-grade questions were easy for him. However, due to the heavy snow outside, the teacher didn't want him to leave the school early by himself. Instead, he was asked to wait inside the classroom until his parents could pick him up.
Kelvin rested his head on the desk and dozed off for a while. Outside, the snowflakes fell gently, and the world was unusually quiet. The only sound he could hear was the soft scratching of pencils on paper. After about half an hour, the other students finished their tests, and the teacher organized them to line up and open their colorful umbrellas, creating a vibrant contrast against the white snow. Red, green, purple, pink umbrellas with various designs like SpongeBob, Ultraman, mermaids, and Cinderella could be seen all around.
However, Kelvin didn't have an umbrella. His hair was quickly dyed white by the snow, and from a distance, he looked like a young boy with white hair. Sclassmates even laughed at him. One chubby boy turned to him and asked in a childish voice, 'Kelvin, didn't your mommy prepare an umbrella for you?' This boy was Deacon, and he was quite annoying, often teasing other classmates. Despite being only seven years old, Kelvin had a mature personality beyond his age and chose to ignore him. 'Of course, she did. I just forgot it,' Kelvin replied casually.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe chubby boy, not believing him, proudly showed off his umbrella. 'Look, I have a Winnie the Pooh umbrella from Disneyland! My dad tookto Disneyland, and it was so much fun!' There were only two Disneyland parks in the country, one of which was located in Akloit.
The newly built Disneyland in Akloit had opened just in October, and its expensive ticket prices had left many locals feeling envious and unable to afford the visit. As a result, there weren't many people who had the opportunity to go there.
Kelvin's words quickly sparked discussions among the other children, who began to boast about the fun places their parents had taken them. Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, magic shows, visits to Sea World to see dolphins. These were experiences Kelvin could hardly imagine, let alone have ever enjoyed himself.
After taking turns boasting about their adventures, the children realized that Kelvin hadn't shared his own story yet. A cute little girl, missing two front teeth and speaking with a lisp, took the initiative to ask him, 'Kelvin, did you go somewhere fun with your mom and dad? Tell us, we want to hear! Deacon claims he went horseback riding in Briyra, but I don't believe it. He's so timid, how could he dare to ride a horse?' Even these first-grade kids already knew about 'saving face' in front of little girls. Deacon retorted defensively, 'I'm not timid at all! Who cried in fear of a caterpillar the other day? Crybaby!' As they bickered and laughed, Kelvin hung his head, his long eyelashes concealing the sadness in his eyes. No, he hadn't. Not even once.
'Alright, everyone, line up! The gates are opening,' their young and pretty teacher walked over, noticed Kelvin standing alone in the snow, and quickly shielded him from the falling snow with her own umbrella. 'Kelvin, why are you standing in the snow? If you don't have an umbrella, you can stay with your classmates for now. You'll catch a cold like this.' The polite little boy thanked his teacher and then stood silently away from his classmates. He wasn't close to them usually, and he didn't want to listen to their childish boasting of happiness. The teacher let out a sigh but said nothing, gently wiping away the snowflakes from Kelvin's head with her scarf.
The school gates opened, and parents who had been waiting outside eagerly extended their arms to welctheir children, smiles on their faces. The children, who had been chattering and making noise just moments ago, ran joyfully into their parents' embrace.
Kelvin saw Deacon's father, a tall man dressed in a black uniform. He had mentioned before that his father was a soldier. The strong man raised his son high and hugged him tightly, displaying a combination of toughness and tenderness.
The girl who had asked him earlier ran to her mother, cuddling in her embrace and playfully demanding barbecue for dinner.
Kelvin's eyes observed the myriad of emotions and scenes, and it seemed like everyone was happy. Kelvin shoved his hands into the pockets of his school uniform, trying to keep warm. His little head retreated into his collar to escape the cold. The female teacher stood beside him, smiling gently as she bid farewell to the parents of her students, reminding them to supervise their children in completing their year-end assignments. As the people in the school gradually diminished, the crowds at the school gate disappeared without a trace. After the lively scenes, silence settled in even deeper. The sky grew darker, tinged with crimson from the city's neon lights. Kelvin felt colder by the minute, and his legs started to grow stiff and numb.
He bit his lip tightly, and his eyes stared fixedly at the road in front of the school gate. Occasionally, he would lift his gaze when a car passed by.
Not this one.
Not this one either...
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe teacher had been keeping him company since 4 o'clock, and now it was almost 6 o'clock. The school was deserted, with only the occasional colleagues greeting her.
She sighed and touched Kelvin's small face, realizing that he felt as cold as an ice hole. When she lowered her gaze, she was shocked to find that the boy was wearing only a thin white shirt underneath his school uniform, with no sweater or jacket.
What kind of careless parent would make such a mistake?
She quickly removed her own scarf and wrapped it around the shivering boy He felt a Vittle warmth and managed to thank her.
'Kelvin, my dear, at this hour, maybe your mommy got too busy and m forgot. Would you like to call someone at hto cpick you up?' she suggested. Grandpa was still overseas.
As for his father... Kelvin couldn't remember a single this father had smiled at him, let alone cto E pick him up from school. His mommy had promised to cand get him, though.
With a stubborn shake of his head, he cast a cold glance at the teacher. 'Miss Wiggins, I'll wait a little longer.' Until 6 o'clock.
If she still hadn't cby then...
But she had promised she would, hadn't she?