Meet Ethan. He was this little boy who stayed in a orphanage in a small valley in a faraway land. The orphanage was a small one, with only a handful of kids. It was run by a kind and gentle old lady. Despite staying in simple poverty life, they were happy.

One day, the old lady announced that from that year onwards, every child would take turns to receive a new coat for Christmas according to alphabetical order. The money for the new coat were polled together by the villagers.

The first year, Alex got his very first new coat after many years of hands-me-down. The second Christmas was approaching soon. Ethan was next in line. Christmas came and gone. Not only the new coat was nowhere to be seen, the old lady seem to have disappeared as well. From anxious, Ethan became worry. Worried as the old lady has never abandon them for more than a couple of days.

The old lady came back after a week, looking haggard and worn. Together with her were two big, burly men. While the children were worried for their carer, the old lady had actually gambled off the money polled by the villagers for that year's new coat for Christmas. It seems that the particular day the old lady went out to buy the coat, she was amazed by a poker game at the roadside and had succumb to the game. She lost so much in the game that she had sold off the orphanage to the two men as well.

And so, the children are now homeless.


Side note: Craps... I cant even write decent stories. :P