The Bane Of Child Labour

"Ting-Tong", I was awaken from the nap in a hot afternoon by ringing of the door bell.

I didn't get up at first. I was home alone so I knew I had to. So, tepid though, I got up and went to the door.

"Who's there?", I shouted to confirm, but none replied. I tried to see from the key hole but couldn't. Then I opened the door.

What I saw made me fully awake. There lying was a half naked little boy on the floor. I saw around but no one else was there. The acrid smell from his ragged clothes and torn body made me more conscious about him. I realized he was drastically beaten up. I picked him up and took him in. He was fainted. I threw some water on his face, shook his body to make him come to his senses. Soon he was. But he was still filled with fear, pushing me away from him and constantly shouting to leave him. I offered my loving hand to him and tried to make him comfortable with me and the place where he was.

"Who are you brave boy?", I asked him curiously while I gave him first aid.

"I'm Harry. I work at a nearby tea shop", he replied in his innocence tone.

"You work? And who beat you up?"

"Yes I work. I have to", he answered my first question angrily and the second one again innocently,"My owner beat me up".

"Why?", I asked this but obvious question.

"I was hungry so I took a piece of bread and ... and he saw me and started beating me", his voice was breaking and then he himself broke up. His tears fell on the ground before I could catch them. I consoled him and offered him milk and corn-flakes.

"By the way, who rang the door bell? Did you?", I asked.

"Yes, I did. But couldn't stand for long and fainted there. I was finding a place to hide myself."

While he was peacefully eating, it left me thinking how to remove this bane from the world. No clear path was visible.

The little boy quietly slept on my lap but the thoughts in my mind were not at all in a mood to stop.

Also prompted at Three Word Wednesday