Vince Smiths life begins with a rejection. He is turned away for no reason at all. His mother gives birth in the dead of night, sweats for an hour, and without checking whether the baby is breathing she wraps him in a dirty rag and tells her partner to toss the bundle in the bin.
Morning the rubbish gets collected, so its covered up! Get it out before anyone wakes! she orders. Luckily the people her mother fears get up early. The partner, a simpleminded bloke, does not throw the infant into the trash. He leaves the bundle by the bin and covers it with an old coat someone has discarded.
The baby stays warm enough to survive until Aunt Lucy, who is out walking her restless terrier Bessie, returns. Bessie suddenly needs to relieve herself, barking loudly. Lucy cant quiet the dog, so she squeezes Bessies wet snout in her fist, shushes the animal for a few minutes, and darts out in her robes and slippers, cursing her husbands anniversary present for being far too modest and for turning their morning into a chaotic mess.
Bessie, thrilled by her freedom, darts around the garden, does her business, then freezes, ignoring the shivering Lucy, whines a little and trots toward the rubbish bins, oblivious to Lucys shouted, Where are you running off to, you mad thing? Who are you calling?
Bessie pays Lucy no heed. She circles the bin, where Vince is curled up, and lets out a howl that makes Lucy clutch her chest.
Lord! What is that? What have you found? she gasps. Curiosity wins over caution; she pulls the coat aside, lifts the rag and wails louder than the dog, Good people! Whats happening here? Help us!
Lucys husband, Uncle Mike, usually sleeps like a log. Neither Bessies bark nor the neighbours weekend drill can rouse him, and Lucys chores do nothing. The only thing that gets his attention instantly is his wifes sobbing.
Lucy! Im coming! he croaks, still half in bed, and staggers out in bright, floral boxer shorts his wife sewed for him, plunging into the yard, unsure of whats wrong but certain his wife needs help.
Mikes sight of the shivering bundle stops his morning routine dead in its tracks and wipes away any plans he had with his brotherinlaw. He doesnt complain when Lucy offers him an extra sandwich; she simply sends him off with a big ham sandwich first.
He embraces his wife, wipes away her tears, and commands, Calm down and take off your robe!
Mike! she whimpers.
Lucy, dont argue! Hell freeze completely! he shouts.
Vince, who knows nothing about the roles these strangers might play in his life, lets out a tiny squeak. It isnt a cry, but its enough of a call for help.
Mike grabs the warm robe from Lucy, wraps it around Vince, and rushes to the building entrance, snapping at Bessie, whos still wobbling on her paws, Home!
An ambulance arrives quickly, and they whisk Vince away.
Lucy weeps on Mikes shoulder for a long while, then decides to make breakfast, sighing now and then, and feeds Bessie almost all the remaining sausage in the house, out of pity.
Whether she pities Bessie, the abandoned infant, or herself remains a mystery even to her.
It seems the story should end thereVince has no reason to return to the courtyard that almost stole his life. But fate has other plans. It takes a liking to the little boy who clings to life with a tenacity adults rarely show. Vince lies in a hospital ward, staring at the white ceiling, eating his meals with gusto, sleeping soundly, and charming the nurses with his quiet compliance.
The gold, not the baby! So calm, hardly a whimper. Others wail, but if he calls, its only for a reason. Who would ever turn down such a gift? Its a living child! a nurse remarks.
Vince cannot answer; he doesnt even know he has a mother, let alone a father, who deliberately stays away from him and the other children he was scattered among across the country. Those adults fade into oblivion, and a care worker invents his first name, while the adoption agency assigns him the surname Smith, as most local rejects are given.
In the childrens home, staff dote on him, even pamper him, because he never throws tantrums or demands special treatment; he simply waits for anyone to come near.
Their parents will want him soonhandsome, healthy. Maybe theyll appear, the carers whisper.
Fate, however, has its own timeline. A new foster mother takes him in six months after finalising paperwork, but soon realises she isnt ready to raise a strangers child. She returns Vince to the home, as if sending back an unwanted toy.
The new father, Tom, does not object. He is overjoyed at the prospect of finally becoming a real dad after ten lonely years, though doctors declare him unsuitable for fatherhood, claiming nature wont allow it.
Vince, still bewildered by the whirlwind of his brief, tumultuous life, is only sad that he no longer gets cradled at night or sung to. He quickly forgets this odd omission, as people tend to remember the bad more than the good.
He looks up at the ceiling again, eats his porridge obediently, and smiles when someone strokes his cheek, even if the gesture isnt always welcomed.
Time passes, and a second visit comes when Vince turns three.
Im Vova! he declares seriously, extending his hand to the man who wants to be his father. Autumn!
The man raises an eyebrow, glancing at his striking wife, Is heodd? he asks. No, no! We need a healthy child. He doesnt fit.
Unaware that Vince simply wants to share the new knowledge his nanny gave him the night beforeshed placed him on the windowsill, traced a finger over the glass and said, See, Vince, autumn is here! Rain weeps, leaves carpet the ground. Beautiful, isnt it? Autumn is your friend! You were born in September. Maybe fate will bring you happiness now, good parents for you!the couple turns and leaves.
The nanny, having watched the garden where Vince was found, returns one morning to find Lucy walking Bessie, staring at the bins, sighing deeply, as if the world itself feels her sorrow. Once a lively spirit who juggled study, work, and dreaming of great love, Lucy never expected her modest looks to open many doors. Yet she never stopped dreaming.
Her mother once nagged, Shorter dress, dear, like the girls wear now. You need longer, prettier legs. Lucys reply: If there are flaws, there are strengths too. Your hair is thick, your eyes bright, your lashes light. Adjust the waist, pick the right top, and youll be the prettiest of us all. Beauty comes from how you carry yourself.
Lucy learns to dress herself, to eye men not just for their looks but for their character. She finishes university, lands a job, and eventually her parents buy her a secondhand car, a modest but reliable hatchback that frees her from the unreliable local bus service.
She learns to drive quickly, finding a good mechanicMikethrough colleagues. Their romance is steady: bouquets, chocolates, meeting the parents. When Lucy announces her engagement, friends cheer, Lucy, Mike is a fine lad! Youre a perfect match.
Years later, doctors tell Lucy and Mike they wont have children. They exchange a quiet sigh, hold each others shoulders, and hide the pain, sharing it only between themselves in the privacy of their bedroom.
Mike, I wanted a child Lucy whispers.
I wanted you, Lucy. Kids are a blessing, but well manage without. The important thing is we have each other, he replies. They stop bringing up the subject; together they cope better.
Time eases the ache, and Lucy and Mike accept that their family is just the two of them. Their parents pass away one after another, leaving a gentle sadness and warm memories. Their home welcomes Bessie, and life proceeds normallyuntil fate pinches Bessies tail on the day Vince is born.
Since that autumn morning, Lucys sleep is haunted by a chilly, leafladen breeze, the scent of damp foliage, and a faint childs cry that seems to call her. She wakes in a cold sweat, trying to remember where she is or what to do, and repeatedly meets Mikes concerned look:
Whats wrong, love?
A dream
Bad?
I dont know, Mike I just dont know
For the first time, Lucy hides her anxiety from Mike, fearing hell think her strange feeling is foolish. She clutches a tiny head she once held for a minute, while Mike wraps the baby in a soft robe, the memory lingering like a shadow.
Mike also stays silent, fearing to upset Lucy further. He understands how painful it must be to hold a strangers infant, abandoned without mercy. He watches her protect the child, even as the world seems to deny her the motherhood she craved.
Then disaster strikes: Bessie disappears.
Lucy lets Bessie out as usual, lets her do her business, bends to tidy up, and looks up to find the terrier gone. She searches neighboring yards, peeks under every shrub, calls the dogs name, returns home and phones Mike to continue the search together. Bessie is nowhere.
For two days and nights Lucy weeps, wandering the neighbourhood. On the third day, a muddy, rainsoaked Bessie staggers back, alive.
Bessie! My joy! Lucy scoops her up. Where have you been?
Bessie licks Lucys nose, flashing a shaggy head that oddly reminds Lucy of the tiny skull she once held.
Mike! Lucy cries, but he is already at her side, sensing something crucial.
That evening Lucy finally tells Mike everythingher fears, her dream, the boy she saw with Bessie that autumn morning.
Do you think theyve taken him into a family? she asks, nose red from tears, wiping them with a kitchen towel that cant keep up.
I dont know, Lucy. I could ask around at the council office. If theyve placed him, thank God. If not Mike trails off, then pulls Lucy into a quick hug, Lets get some sleep. Morning will bring clearer thoughts.
Six months later, Vince looks into the eyes of a woman he will never recall, reaches for a tall, sturdy mans hand and says, Im Vova.
Mike gently shakes the offered hand, then glances at Lucy, Enough of the crying, love. Its time to go home.
