Seeking Atonement

An unremarkable ship with nothing on it to identify its origin anchored in the harbor. This might have risen suspicion somewhere else, but here this ship was a yearly sight and the people in charge of checking the papers knew that things would be in order as always.

As some sailors started unloading goods off the ship a giant man in a robe that, hid his whole body completely, went off the ship, and with a handful of sailors carrying chests, he went into town.

His goal was the local orphanage, and as they arrived people welcomed him in, showcasing that they were already used to this person. He was promptly invited inside the office, where an older lady already welcomed him with a warm smile at her desk.

„Welcome, has it truly been a year already? Time sure flies.“ She gestured for the man to take a seat.

„It sure does, I hope life has been well this year.“ The man took a seat but did not remove his robe, making certain to stay anonymous.

„Indeed it has, the nation is finally beginning to recover and smiles are starting to become more common again on the streets.“

„That is good to hear, I hope that this will be a trend moving forwards, alas, we still brought a donation with us as usual, I hope I can trust you as always to distribute it fairly across orphanages around the nation.“ The man gestured to the sailors to open the chests they had carried with them, revealing lots of toys, long-lasting food like grain as well as a modest amount of gold. Tears began welling in the old lady's eyes as she saw the donations offered to her. Even after several years of this happening, it still warmth her heart each time to see the support these people had given her over the years.

„Yes of course, as always, I cannot properly give you my gratitude, you have supported us so much over the years, and I shudder to think what would have happened to the children if it had not been for this support after the war. Yet I do not even know who you are and who it is that I should be thanking“ The old lady stood up and gave a deep bow to the men, she knew that no matter what she would offer in return that these men would refuse it so this what the least she could do. With her face to the ground, however, not once had she seen the face of the men averting their glances away from her in a mix of embarrassment and shame.

„Please do not worry about giving your thanks, we have our own reasons for doing this“