Xavier

As I was coming down the hallway from the boiler room on the Queen Mary, I see a young man probably in his mid twenties, huddled in a corner with tears running down his cheeks.

Thinking back to that morning I had fired a young man in his twenties that came for the bellhop job I had advertised in the want ads.

The boy looked skinny and malnourished with sad looking eyes.

Reaching out a hand I said come.

Getting up he followed me back to my cabin.

"Lets get you cleaned up,'" I said to him.

Backing away from me, he said "don't touch me."

Backing up I gave him time to calm down.

Moments later I went up to him  and gently helped him out of his shirt. To my surprise I saw striped wounds on his back that looked like he was beaten.

"Who did this to you?" I asked.

"Umm,"  he hesitated "umm.... my Master."

Leading him into the bathroom, I took down the peroxide and antibacterial medicine, then gave him my shirt that was hanging up on the hood in the bathroom.

"You hungry?" I asked. 

With a nod he said, "yes sir, I am."

Minutes later he was eating as fast as he could.

I  stopped him saying, "slow down, my friend, or you're going to make yourself sick."

Giving him a smile I asked him what his name was.

Through a mouth full he said, "Xavier James Potter."

"Nice to meet you Xavier. My name is Jude Stevens."

.

Looking over to Xavier, I saw he was falling asleep in his bowl of soup. Exhaustion had caught up to him.

"Let's get you to bed."

Watching Xavier sleep I felt anger and sad that someone had done this to him and hoped I never to meet this person that did this.

Reaching down I pushed his long curly hair to the side. I smile as the tears flowed down my cheeks.

I wonder how this young man would feel knowing he put those tears in my eyes.