Benjy saw the red glow of the sun, slowly die away from between the hillocks. It was a mesmerising sight. The sky was filled with angry lines of red, orange and purple shades. Far across nothing else was in sight other than the vast stretches of farmland. It was such a lonely place. Not a person was in sight except the six of them and an old caretaker.                              Benjy stared at the horizon where the angry lines of the sky got intermixed with the ground. His vision became hazy. Now he would be able to see that scene everyday. Things wouldn't be the same anymore. Life was being hard on him and it was getting difficult for him to keep up with the flow. His feelings were somehow similar to the special shade of the sky that day- completely intermixed and completely confused and the sky connected with the ground symbolised that there could be some hope but as soon as the sun will set darkness would spread through the whole world and the only hope will slowly demise away in the darkness.     Suddenly Peter put his hand on Benjy's shoulder and shouted,"Look Benjy, look the last train of the day is passing by, look out there."   

Slowly the night succeded and it seemed to Benjy that the last train of the day had caused all that change to happen. It was a cold winter night and chilly winds got all the freedom to stretch its wings and flow through the vast stretches of the farmland without any obstruction.
"Have this you must be hungry", George stretched his hand to provide Benjy with his share of a stale piece of bread and a half apple. Benjy hadn't had anything to eat throughout the day so he munched happily and gratefuly at what he was given.
The station clock said 9:00pm. Time to go to sleep according to the people there. It was such a place where people didn't have much work to be done at night but had to wake up at the break of the dawn. Absolutely different from the city, Benjy thought. No shouts from the streets , no late night visitors entering all night cafes, nothing at all except the calling of the small insects and the sound of the wind blowing through the endless surroundings.
It felt cold. Benjy went back to his gang.
" Who's turn is it to sleep on the bench tonight?" Dick asked Peter. Benjy came to know that each night they got turns to sleep on the bench while others slept on the ground.
"Yesterday Tom slept, so today it's Jack's turn but as Benjy's new shouldn't he be that one sleeping on the bench, guys?" 
To Benjy's surprise everbody voted for this idea. At first he hesitated, but when they all, together said so, he couldn't deny.               
The boys covered themselves with some old rags to keep themselves warm while Benjy searched for something in his suitcase. He foumd a small blanket amd wrapped it tightly around himself and closed his eyes.
Suddenly he heard a small tinkle of a cycle bell. He opened his eyes and saw an old man dressed in the dress of a security guard cycling away in the direction of the woods.
"He is the stationmaster here. He goes back home at this time and arrives again at dawn",  Peter said from beneath me.
"He lives on the other side of these dense woods?"
"Yes. Now he will pass through the forests of raspberries and blueberries. At night the forest is a complete heavenly place. The music of the insects, the appealing scent of the freshly grown flowers and leaves is just amazing. I will take you for a walk there tomorrow. You can feel the forest come alive at night."
"Yes I will love it."
There was a silence between us. That is probably why forest is the most beautiful creation of nature.
"What is there on the other side, Peter?"
There was no answer. Peter had fallen asleep. Benjy couldn't sleep at all. He didn't know why. Was it because he was not accustomed to sleeping so early or was it because of the feeling of loneliness and depression that just wouldn't leave him. Why hadn't his granny come? Was his granny cruel enough to not come or was it because his aunt just wanted to send him away not caring about where he went- heaven or hell?
No no, he thought again nobody could be, so cruel to him. He had done nothing wrong. Then why was his life taking such a turn.
Benjy looked up at the stars in the black sky. His eyes swelled up with tears. Where are you mum? Where are you dad? I miss you both so much.

"Wake up sleepy head! We need to gather food."
"Five minutes more please."
"No! We are to wake up at 6, but as you are new we are wakimg you up at 8. Come on."
Benjy slowly got up and rubbed his eyes. The station was quite filled with people by that time. Benjy washed his face in the nearby tap.
"Follow us."
Benjy thought that his life as a beggar boy had now actually begun. If fate wanted his life to go on like this then it had to. He followed the five of them in search of food- the first thing required for survival.
"Benjy, Benjy where are you my child?" He heard a voice call out from the other end of the platform. Benjy urged to turn around but he thought that he shouldn't, it was just probly another of his feelings. He knew that if he turned around, he would be more hurt to see nobody at all. He knew there was nobody left in this world to call out to him.
He heard tht voice again and this time he couldn't resist the temptation, he turned around.
He saw an old lady looking out here and there calling out his name, with a picture in her hand. Benjy couldn't believe it. He just pushed past everyone and rushed to her.
"Benjy, Benjy aren't you Benjy?"
"Are you granny?"
"Yes I am."
Those three words melted his heart and he just couldn't help but cry.
"Why are you crying my child?"
"Where were you all thi while? Why didn't you come?"
"Am I late, I thought you would be coming by the 8:15 train."
"I came granny, I came but my train came yesterday. All this while I had been juat waiting for you."
"Goodness me! Did I confuse the date? Today is 7th December, isn't it?"
"No, today is 8th December."
"I am, so sorry Benjy. How can I ever be so very forgetful? Where have you been all this while and how?"
He told her about his gang and called out to them. The five of them hadn't even noticed that all this while Benjy hadn't been following them, so when he called out to them they rushed back to him.
"Guys I found my granny. She just confused the date. Here, meet my granny."
"Isn't this granny Maxim, boys?" Peter asked everybody excitedly. Everyone agreed at once and smiled. Benjy stood there completely confused, seeing his granny and the boys smile at each other.
"How do you know her?"
"She is the one who comes to this station each Saturdayto go to the next station for shopping and everytime she comes to meet us, she brings chocolates for all of us. If you had told us before who your granny was, we would have easily shown you the way to her house."
"Oh my god really, today I admit how foolish am I". Benjy said.
Granny placed her hand on Benjy's shoulder and said,"All is well that ends well." Benjy smiled at her kind eyes as she handed some peppermints to all of them.
Benjy bade goodbye to all the boys and promised to see them each Saturday with his granny.

The bus was filled with the laughter of his granny and him, on their way back. For the first time after all those years he felt loved and cared. After all these years of hardship, Benjy was just enjoying a bit of luck, which he would cherish for the rest of his life.

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