A plate

Today, it was around 1pm when I heard a faint knock on the front door.  It could have been the wind or even a bird landing on the metal bars of the door, but I had seen a small girl standing by our gate a few minutes before.  I check the front door and there was a girl, maybe 4 years old standing with her head down in her green-checked school dress.
Its not unusual for school children to come to us during the lunch hour.  The kids are allowed to leave the school compound and the younger grades leave after the morning.  Usually its an obnoxious request of "give me this" or "give me that" or to stare at our daughters for a few minutes (which is simultaneously strange, cute, and annoying).  I approached the girl cautiously and greeted her by laying my hand on her fuzzy head (all children have shaved heads).  She mumbled in a half-voice, "nchooki isaani" -give me a plate.  "Uggg" I rolled my eyes at yet another annoying kid asking for something. I quickly said, "mikiata" -we don't have. 
Fortunately, she stood their and simply looked at me with big brown eyes.  I thought a moment and remembered a metal plate in our stack of plates that we never use.  This little girl probably didn't get to eat food at school and my heart sunk for her and the depth of need that so much of our community feels.
I turned around and quickly said, "agnas aingor, ebiaki kiata"-first I'll look, maybe we have one.  I quickly find the plate I knew was there, and come back with it behind my back.  I asked her "ekeji ngai" -what's your name.  She doesn't understand my accent and it takes 3 or 4 tries before she whispers "rasiato".  "Ira ene ngai"-what family...she whispers again and I can't hear her.  "Itii darasa a aja"-what class are you in, "baby" (pre-pre-k).  "iyieu isaani te ndaa te sukool?"-the plate is for food at school?- "yes".  I quietly hand her the plate she grows a quarter smile and turns away without a goodbye.  I walk inside the house hearing her slow footsteps on the gravel.  About 5 seconds later, she starts running.  Maybe she'll be get to school in time for food.