The boy looked at the food, then at the old man, and sighed deeply.

— “Here, take it,” he said quietly, handing him half the bread and the apple.

The old man lifted his eyes. A flicker of surprise appeared in them, as though he had long since stopped expecting kindness. His fingers trembled as he accepted the offering.

— “Why did you do that?” he whispered.

— “Because I know what it’s like to be hungry,” the boy replied.

They sat on their bunks, eating their dinner in silence.

Only the crunch of the apple and the crackle of the bread crust broke the stillness of the cell. But suddenly, the old man set the food aside and looked at his cellmate with an entirely different gaze – serious, uneasy.