Port of Errors Read Online Free

his astonishment, his father faded into the dimness of the morning light until he was completely out of sight. The doors gradually closed. At that very moment, the world that Davy once knew was suddenly stripped away. Shouting out and wiggling about for his release, Davy was carried off to his new quarters, being that of a large soiled room. He was set gently down on a small nest of bedding beside a few other lads. Before he could get up, the door was slammed shut and locked.
    In the morning young Davy awoke curled up securely in a far corner of the room facing the wall. Taking a look around, a tear formed in the inner corner of his eye.
    Joseph, one of the other boys who’d been curiously observing Davy for some time, ripped a piece of cloth from his own sleeve and wiped the tears from Davy’s eyes. Soon, the fear Davy had felt vanished into a quiet, unspoken gratitude. A third boy named Charley sat with Davy and Joseph, mostly for moral support. Charley was the eldest of the three, followed closely in age by Joseph, who was an especially filthy child. Davy was only five.
    After a day or two had passed, Davy still wouldn’t leave his bedding – even for the want of food. Eventually, too many days had gone by, the old Irish priest slowly opened the door and walked in. “How’re you doing me lad? What ails your poor soul? It makes me sad to see you so. Please, answer me, child. What ails you so that you don’t have the stomach to eat?” Davy gave no answer. Father Whittaker sat down and talked until Davy was comfortable enough to respond. After several hours the old priest was able to leave satisfied that Davy would be well enough off. Joseph and Charley had been secretly taking food.
    The children were never allowed to leave the cathedral grounds until they were entrusted into someone’s care, which realistically might never happen. Over the next four years Charley, Joseph and Davy would become the best of friends.
    On their fifth year together at the orphanage, a young boy and his sister were found sitting at the oversized cathedral doors. The young boy never gave his name. He was angry and hurtful. After enough time had passed, he acquired the name “Grim”, due to his open bitterness. His little sister’s name was Elizabeth. The two of them mostly kept to themselves.
    One quiet evening Charley, Joseph and Davy, being the mischievous little rascals that they were, ventured into the kitchen to steal a loaf of bread as they had done numerous times before. They’d never been caught in the past and thought little about the consequences. But Grim was a discouraged little brat. He was jealous of Davy and the attention Emily, a petite six-year-old girl, had been giving him. She was a sickly little orphan, as were they all. Her hair always hid her soiled face, but she was as cute as they came.
    Grim was so envious of Davy that he ratted to Mistress Riley, the head mistress, about the boys’ sinful thievery. Grim secretly warned Mistress Riley as to when they might steal again, just to have a chance to be alone with Emily once they were caught. Emily had no feelings for Grim, but he didn’t care so long as she could be seen with him and not Davy.
    Mistress Riley kept a keen eye on the three boys. She soon caught them red handed and prudently swatted their hands with a large wooden stick. She busted the stick across Davy’s knuckles, breaking his right index finger. Amazingly enough, Joseph sustained the same exact injury. They both cried out in agony and ran to their quarters followed by Charley, who was punished in the same fashion but came away with nothing more than a small bruise.
    “There be no grub tonight for the lot of you,” said Mistress Riley, as she forced them into their room, concluding, “You thievin’ little devils.”
    She then forcefully shut and locked the door until the rest of the children could finish their supper. Witnessing the entire ordeal, Emily ran to her quarters and cried into her