Chapter 8

For Step and Tear, Saturday was a day of trepidation and excitement.  Sometimes they spent the day or the weekend with someone pleasant, and sometimes with a person who was not so pleasant. They began to look forward to staying at the orphanage where they usually had a treat of some kind because they were left behind.

When it came time to farewell Jack there was an empty bed in the boys’ section of the orphanage.  All the children moved along one bed so that the eldest slept at one end and the youngest at the other.  Step moved along the row and wondered who would fill the empty bed beside him.

It wasn’t long before a small boy was brought into the dormitory late one night.  Step wondered if he had been left at the front door in the same way he had been all those months ago.  Nurse Smiley was talking to him softly and showing him where to clean his teeth and visit the toilet.  Step was excited.  As soon as Nurse Smiley walked away he whispered, “Hello, welcome to the orphanage.  My name is Step and I will be your friend.”

The boy rolled over with his back to Step and lay still.  He certainly wasn’t going to be friends with Step tonight.

In the morning the boy lay in his bed with his eyes tightly shut. Step and the other boys made their beds and then dressed for the day. It happened to be a Saturday so Step hoped he wouldn’t be chosen because he wanted to make friends with the new boy. When he saw Tear he rushed over to her. “There’s a new boy arrived last night. He’s younger than us and won’t talk. I hope we don’t get chosen by anyone. If I have to go, will you look after him?”

Tear assured him she would and so they both sat down facing each other, making silly faces and bursting into giggles as the adults paraded slowly around the room.  Their behaviour must have frightened any would-be Foster Parents because they remained in their seats, along with four other orphans, when all the grown-ups had gone.

Nurse Smiley walked over to Step and Tear, asking them quietly to please come with her to see Matron.  They looked at each other, wondering if they were in trouble for misbehaving during the Inspection.

Matron was seated behind the table, wearing her three-pointed headdress, and looking very formidable.  She stared at the children for a whole minute before speaking.

“I’m glad you are home for the weekend.  We have a new boy at the orphanage and so far he hasn’t said a word.  He could be an Elective Mute.  That means…” she said, looking at the children’s questioning eyes, “he probably can talk but just chooses not to.  He is more likely to talk to you than to the adults, so if he does speak, could you let Nurse Smiley know what he says and that will help us to help him.”

“I tried to talk to him last night,” said Step, “but he just rolled over and stayed very still.”

“We’ll do our best to be his friend,” said Tear. “Maybe it would be best if we didn’t try to make him talk.  It might make him more determined not to speak.”

“You are very wise for a child,” said Matron approvingly.  “We will meet again next week and see what you have discovered.  Remember we are only trying to help him.”

“What is his name?” asked Step. “At least he should be able to hear us.”

“He goes by the name of Sad.  That is not his real name, but he will not respond to anything else.” Matron stood up and waved the children away. “Nurse Smiley, if you hear anything let me know straight away.”

Step and Tear filed out of the room, eager to find their new friend.  As they approached the Games Room they heard a commotion.

“Speak… Speak…Speak… Speak…” the four remaining orphans chanted.  They crowded around Sad and made ugly faces at him.  He stared stonily back at them, his face betraying no emotion.

“Leave him alone,” Tear called out.  They turned, surprised that such a small girl would stand up to them. “You are not to tease him, or else you will find yourself in the most serious trouble.  If this gets out, I imagine you would all be sent to your rooms without any tea.”

“Cook is doing roast lamb for us tonight,” said one boy.  They moved away quickly. 

“Let’s get the cricket set,” said another.  “We’ll go outside and play.”

Step moved over to Sad.  “Hi, my name is Step and this is Tear.  How about we show you around the orphanage.”

Sad nodded and followed the children to the School House, the Kitchen, the Library, the Projector Room and finally to the Mess Hall.  It was time for lunch, so they gave him a tray and discussed what he might like to eat.  At no time did he speak, but Step and Tear pretended this was quite normal, hoping all the time that he might say something.

When the other orphans arrived back on Sunday night Nurse Smiley held a meeting in the Games Room. Sad was nowhere to be seen but maybe he had been sent to Matron.

“Listen up everyone,” she said. “We have a new boy at the orphanage.  His name is Sad and as some of you have already discovered…” she looked hard at the four children who had scared Sad the day before. “Sad doesn’t speak. Anyone who teases him or tries to get him to talk will lose privileges.  You are to be kind and courteous to every child in this orphanage and to all the teachers and staff. Understood?”

“Yes, Nurse Smiley,” the children chanted.

Bedtime arrived, lights were put out and soft snores could be heard in the boys’ dormitory. Only Sad lay awake, his mind continually going over the events of the past few weeks.  After what he had seen, he felt he could never talk to anyone ever again.

Faintly, in the darkness, Sad saw a light.  It was more a glow than a light, and he wondered what it was.  Slipping out of bed he crept to the door and looked down the long corridor towards the girls’ dormitory. There he saw wisps of white curling up into the vaulted ceiling. Surely it wasn’t a ghost.  He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this was not normal.

It was then he smelt smoke. A lick of flame illuminated the darkness and Sad suddenly realised the orphanage was on fire.

“Fire! Fire!  Fire!” screamed Sad in the loudest voice he could muster.

Boys and girls clambered out of their beds.  Nurse Smiley and Matron arrived and escorted the children outside in an orderly fashion.  Standing shivering on the playing fields they watched as the orphanage was engulfed in flames.  Nurse Smiley did a quick head count.

“One girl is missing.  Who is not here?”

“It’s Tear,” answered the girls.  “She stayed behind to get something precious from under her bed.  She said she couldn’t leave it behind.”

Nurse Smiley looked back at the orphanage.  To go inside would be madness as flames were licking every doorway and window.  Just then the fire brigade arrived, and the children could see Nurse Smiley talking to the Fire Chief and pointing to the girls’ dormitory.  Flames roared out the window making any chance of climbing in and rescuing Tear well-nigh impossible.

“There she is,” called a girl.  On top of the tallest tower of the orphanage stood a small figure silhouetted against the flames.  In her arms she held something that could be a book.  It seemed that she was contemplating jumping off the tower, but they all knew that would only end badly.

Suddenly the ladder on the Fire Engine began to rise.  It moved towards the tower at the top of the orphanage.  A Fireman began climbing the ladder even as it rose higher and higher. It stopped just short of the ledge where Tear was standing.  The Fireman reached the top and held out his arms.  Tear hesitated and then jumped towards the Fireman.  The book fell down, disappearing into the darkness below.

“She’s safe,” the group murmured in unison.  Step sat on the grass sobbing with relief.  Sad walked over to him and sat down silently.  Step looked at him in astonishment.

“You spoke!  You warned everyone about the fire.  If it wasn’t for you, we would all have burnt to a crisp.”

Sad nodded.  “I had to speak.  It was a matter of life or death. I…I saw something terrible a little while ago and it fills my brain night and day.  It was only when I saw the fire I forgot the terrible thing I saw and realised I had to warn everyone.”

Step knew better than to ask Sad what he had seen.  Maybe he would tell him one day when they became good friends but for now it was enough that Sad was talking.

The Fireman brought Tear over to Nurse Smiley. “My album.  Did you see my album?” asked Tear.  She seemed to be in a daze as if she didn’t realise how close to perishing she had been. “My photo album that my mother gave me.  It has pictures of me when I was a baby with my mummy.”  With that she burst into tears and was comforted by Nurse Smiley.

The sad little group of sixteen children shivering in their pyjamas sat on the grass of the Playing Field and wondered what would happen now.  They had no home.  Where would they live?  What would they wear?  How would they eat?

The future looked very grim indeed. 

END OF CHAPTER 8