The Story of the Little Beggar
Melody Under the City Sky

The edge of the dust and trash-filled streets of the big city, the afternoon sun was hiding behind the cloudy black clouds. A gentle breeze blew slowly, shaking a dried leaf that was about to die by the side of the road. At the corner of the deserted road, three beggars were sitting cross-legged under the shade of a broken concrete bridge.

Aryan, the 14-year-old eldest, sat with an old flute in his hand. He cursed their bad luck with a sharp eye hidden behind his tangled hair. Maya, who was 12 years old, sat next to him. His plain face was filled with tension and a sense of fatigue that was clearly emblazoned. On his lap, he held a piece of dirty cloth commonly used to wipe their equipment. Dian, who was 9 years old, sat across from them, muttering a small song that made the biggest smile on her face. He tried to keep his spirits high among them.

"Sir Aryan, play the song again, please," Maya asked with my eyes. He knew that music was their only escape from harsh reality.

Aryan nodded, then started blowing the old flute. The melody that came out of the flute's mouth was an unexpected harmony amidst their all-starved state. The sound of the flute flowed like a longing, creating a small circle of beauty under the seedy bridge.

As the melody seeped into their surroundings, the few passersby halted for a moment. A mother holding her little child, an office worker rushing home, and a biker waiting for a red light. They were all fascinated by the sound of the flute, momentarily forgetting their busy lives.

Aryan closed his eyes, absorbing the depth of the melody he was playing. He could sense how the flute was his only loyal friend in this harsh world. After a few minutes, the melody was finished, and they heard the slow applause of the people who had stopped for a moment.

However, the bright spotlight from the outside world soon returned to fading their reality. The wind grew louder, shivering those who only wore shabby clothes. Dian tightened herself towards Maya, trying to share a little warmth of her body with her cold little sister.

"It will soon be raining" said Aryan worriedly. "We need to find shelter before it's all soaked."

Maya nodded, then they got up and packed their meager equipment. They stared at the darkening sky, waiting for the first speck of rain to come. This is part of their routine. Survival is an endless struggle, and they have to go through it every day.

Meanwhile, the old flute remained excited in Aryan's hands. The melody of their struggling lives will continue to flow, accompanying their steps under a sky full of hope and uncertainty.

The first speck of rain finally fell, flushing the city slowly. The three beggars ran to find shelter. They hide under the awnings of a store that has been unused for a long time. Their dirty and soaked clothes immediately made them feel cold. Dian, the smallest among them, sat down with a trembling body.

"We have to find food" said Aryan, his feeble voice heard in the frenzy of increasingly heavy rain.

Maya agreed. "We haven't eaten since this morning" he said with my eyes.

Dian added, "Sir Aryan, we need to find a place to eat that has a umbrella. Let this rain subside a little."

Aryan shook his head. "There's no time to wait. We should eat what we can get right now."

They came out of the shelter, walking slowly in the rain. Rainwater seeps into their clothes, shivering the nutrient-deficient body. As they reached a small food stall by the roadside, they saw a kind-hearted stall owner who gave them the remaining rice and vegetables.

The owner nodded and smiled gently. "Hopefully this helps. Be careful out there."

They went back to their shelter, sat there eating their food voraciously. The rain had subsided, but they knew they had to find a place to sleep before night fell.

"We're going to sleep in the same place as last night?" ask Dian.

Aryan looked at the sky that was starting to darken. "We may have to find somewhere else. That place is getting risky, and we need to find a safer one."

Maya agrees, though she knows that finding a safe bed in this city can be very difficult. They have often faced problems with street gangs and bad guys trying to take advantage of them.

While they were talking, Dian started shivering even harder. His little body was too tired to face the cold rain.

"Sir Aryan, I'm cold" he lamented in a hoarse voice.

Aryan immediately took off the thin jacket she was wearing and gave it to Dian. "Wear this, sister. We'll find a warm bed soon."

While Dian wrapped herself in the jacket she just got, they stood up and left their shelter. They entered the darkness of the night with careful steps, looking for a safe place to rest.

The three of them were caught in endless uncertainty. They know that tomorrow is a new day with new challenges, but the only thing they can do is keep going, together, under a star-filled sky. Their harsh lives had shaped their characters to become stronger, and as the night wore on, they still had each other to lean on.

The heavy rain had stopped, leaving the city in a wet and muddy state. The three beggars continued walking, looking for a safe place to rest tonight. The night grew colder, and the air felt bone-chilling.

"We must find shelter immediately," Maya said in a trembling voice. His face was pale from the cold, and his large eyes reflected uncertainty.

Aryan nodded in agreement. "There's a nice place nearby, an old barn that bums used to use. Let's try to get there."

They walked towards the old warehouse. When they got there, they saw some small bonfires that had been lit by other homeless people who were also looking for shelter. The barn was filled with the scent of smoke and warm firewood.

An old bum with a long beard waved at them. "Welcome, kids. Let's sit here by the fire."