fatherless

The sun blazed brightly in the sky, casting its warm rays over the bustling city. The streets were alive with activity—people rushing from one place to another, cars speeding past the towering buildings, dogs being walked, and horns honking in the chaos. Amidst all of this, 12-year-old Ali and his loyal companion, Luca, walked with wide eyes, taking in everything around them. They didn't know exactly where they were headed, but they kept moving forward.

Ali turned to Luca, his excitement tinged with a bit of fear.

"Luca, what are we going to do now?" he asked.

Luca, his tail nervously twitching, replied.

"Should we go back, Ali? How are we going to find the old house?"

Ali's eyes burned with determination.

"No, Luca! I have to find my family."

Luca hesitated, seeing the resolve in Ali's gaze.

"But... do you even know the address?"

Ali fell silent, deep in thought.

At that moment, a rundown car parked some distance away caught their attention. Two men sat inside. The first, tall, thin, and frail, watched Ali and Luca through a pair of binoculars. The second, a round, bald man, sat in the driver's seat, happily munching on a sandwich.

The skinny man lowered the binoculars and turned to the other man.

"Boss, the kid and the cat escaped from the orphanage. Finally!"

The man known as "the boss" set his sandwich down, snatching the binoculars from the skinny man's hands. A sly smile crept onto his face.

"Haha! Finally! If they hadn't come out, we'd have to go in. I didn't want to deal with that annoying old woman again."

The skinny man, frowning, asked, "But why is the kid so important? Is all this trouble really worth it?"

The boss glared at him.

"Stupid Jack! How many times do I have to tell you? Our employer wants it that way. The kid has something special. We couldn't do anything at the orphanage, but now... he's out, and we can catch him. And remember—no one can see us. Or... we'll be killed. Got it?"

Jack swallowed nervously.

"I got it, John... I mean, boss. Got it."

John slapped Jack on the head.

"Call me boss, you idiot! We need to look serious."

Jack hesitated, then asked, "Why are you the boss, John?"

John clenched his teeth and slapped Jack again.

"Because your tiny brain wouldn't work without me!"

Meanwhile, Ali and Luca sat on a bench, lost in thought. Just then, a large blue bus drove by. The words Hormonos Hotel were boldly written on the side. Ali's eyes lit up as he recognized the name.

"Luca! Look! Hormonos Hotel! It was near our house! If we go there, we might be able to find our old house too!"

Luca anxiously wagged his tail.

"Ali, but we don't have any money. How are we going to get on?"

Ali glanced around quickly and whispered.

"We'll sneak in with the crowd getting on the bus."

Luca shook his head.

"Oh, Ali, we're doing the wrong thing again..."

Ali clenched his fists, his voice resolute.

"Luca, I have to find my family. No matter what it takes!"

The bus arrived at the stop, its doors swinging open. People crowded around, pushing to get on. Taking advantage of his small size, Ali quickly slipped through the crowd and onto the bus.

Now, all he had to do was avoid getting caught.