Ben was at the harbour, sitting on some crab traps, smoking a pipe. Next to him sat a twelve year old boy with chestnut hair and bare feet. They were waiting for the tide to change, the autumn sun warming their faces. At some point, Ben offered his pipe to the boy, who took it, inhaled, pulled a face, but then quickly straightened his face and handed the pipe back to his father, suppressing a cough. Ben laughed and ruffled the boy's hair.

Uriel had taken a long walk to the harbor, not to bother anyone really, but because he had a lot on his mind. School seemed to be going a little better than it began, it seemed to help the less fortunate children that he brought in bread and such for breakfast. The new baker in town heard about what Uriel was trying to do and began donating some of his day old bread to help the cause, the butcher donated some of his money to the cause and Uriel paid the milk man to come with a basket full of milk bottles. But it wasn't just school on his mind, it was life in general. He was starting to feel overwhelmed. He hooked his thumbs into his suspenders (necessary now because of his shrinking gut), and he whistled a little as he continued his walk.

"Mr Meijer!" Ben called out. The name had a nasty ring to it to Ben, but never mind. He remembered this man's name because he had heard good things about him. "Come sit with us if you like!"

The big man heard his surname and glanced over to see Ben Ward. He loped over and sat down with a little bit of a grunt. "Hello Mister Ward," he said before looking up at the sky. "Beautiful day."

"Aye, and dry." he said. "Can I offer ye some tobacco." He held out the pack. The boy next to him looked shyly at the big man.

"That's alright, I have some in my pipe already. Thank you for the offer." He pulled out his pipe and stuck the mouth piece between his teeth. He rarely ever lit the pipe, but he wanted to that point and did so. He gave a smile to the shy kid and said to Ben, "Indeed, nice and dry." He inhaled a nice sized cloud and released it, feeling like a thorn was pulled from her head.

"I heard yer feeding the bairns in school?" said Ben. "You're a good man."

"I know some of them are hungry in the morning. It's hard to concentrate on doing sums when you're distracted by the pain that can cause." He cradled the bowl of his pipe in one hand. "Have to make sure they are doing alright under my care." He frowned and squinted for a moment and then glanced to Ben. "How do you fare as of late?"

"Aye, far too many are." Ben admitted. He smoked his pipe. "It's alright. Catch could be better," he replied. "Seems it gets less every year. There's some as say there's too many folk fishing, an' we're emptying t' sea. But I still send me own to school with a full belly," he quickly added. He took pride in taking proper care of his children. He wasn't like those drunk folk who never minded their kids, or those people who could hardly remember the names of their own children.

"I let all of the kids have some food so they don't feel left out, a big basket of bread rolls and hopefully soon there will be other volunteers. I am starting to get a few volunteers to help. The new baker in town gives me whatever day old breads he hasn't given away yet so it doesn't go to waste and get stale... I believe if I lobby hard enough, I can get more folks in on helping as well. Its not easy." He nodded at the man when he said he fed his kids, "Your Bram is quite the character."