Samir wandered down the stone alley as the sun sank low. Lanterns flickered on one by one. Then he heard it — a faint meow.
Behind a stack of pots, a small white cat huddled and shivered. Samir crouched slowly. 'Hello,' he whispered. The cat flinched and pressed closer to the wall.
Samir sat back on his heels. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of bread, still warm. He broke off a small piece and rolled it toward the pots.
'Just a little,' he said. Behind the pots, the cat's ears twitched at the crumbly sound. It peeked out from the shadows.
Samir held out his hand with the rest of the bread and sat very still. The cat sniffed the air. Then it stepped forward, paw by careful paw.
The cat took the bread right from his fingers and ate quickly. Its tail lifted for just a second.
Samir smiled. 'I'm Samir,' he said softly. The cat looked up, then slowly rubbed its head against his hand.
Warm lantern light spilled across the alley. The boy and the cat sat together in the fading dusk, and Samir knew this was the beginning of something new.