Month: April 2024

Chapter 6

Before I tell you about Step’s journey with the policeman to the orphanage I will go back in time to Saturday morning, when Step left happily with the pretty young woman, looking forward to his weekend on a farm.

Tear saw him wave as he left and wished very much that she was going with him.  All her courage left her and she was about to live up to her name when a pale blonde woman stopped in front of her and took both of her hands, gently pulling her up.

“It can only be one day, but I want you to have the time of your life.  Will you come with me?”

Tear felt that she knew this woman but couldn’t remember where she had seen her before.  She felt comfortable in her presence, however, and the tears that almost came out of her eyes dried up immediately. She was going to have a wonderful day, so why worry about the future?

“Just call me Tilly,” said the woman. “Now let me tell you what we are going to do first.”

Tilly took Tear to a big department store where they looked at childrens’ clothes.  She helped Tear select a red and white dress, some white sandals, a straw hat and a white handbag. Tilly told her to put them on while she put the old clothes in a carry bag printed in a black houndstooth design.

“Now I’m going to take you to have waffles and ice-cream,” exclaimed Tilly excitedly.  They sat on high stools in a café overlooking the harbour, savouring the sweet, crunchy waffles.  Tear thought she had never been so happy.

Tilly led Tear down to the ferry terminal and soon they were standing on the bow of a ferry, the wind in their hair and the salt spray in their faces.  They pulled into a jetty, clambering ashore with lots of other families.

“Look up,” said Tilly.

Tear saw the biggest face she had ever seen in her life.  It had large white teeth, bright red cheeks and popping eyes. Its hair stood up like a crown. Behind it she could see a fairyland of towers and turrets, enormous wheels and what looked like little trains climbing up steep rails of steel.

“We are going to buy a ticket,” said Tilly, “that allows us to go on any ride we want.  How about we start with the merry-go-round?”

Tear walked under the white, shiny teeth and stared around while Tilly bought the tickets.  A woman was selling pink fluffy stuff on a stick and before she knew it Tilly was handing her one.

“It’s called Fairy Floss and it just dissolves in your mouth like magic.  Look at the horses on the merry-go-round.  Which one would you like?”

Tear chose a prancing black horse with a flowing silver mane and tail.  Tilly sat astride a golden horse with a colourful saddle and laughed happily at the people waving from the side.

They tried the Ferris Wheel, looking out across Sydney Harbour as they teetered at the top.  The Ghost Train was scary when a figure stepped out and touched Tear on the arm.  They even went on the Roller Coaster, climbing slowly to the top before swooping down the other side.  Tear felt a little sick in the stomach after that but she wasn’t going to tell Tilly.

“Hot dog or sausage roll?” asked Tilly.

Tear decided on a hot dog.  She hoped it wasn’t a real dog in the middle of the bun, although Tilly assured her it was made from pig meat.  Tilly also ordered a big chocolate milkshake which she said they could share.

The sun was low on the horizon as they took the ferry back to Circular Quay. Tilly wanted to go to Chinatown for dinner but the motion of the boat made Tear feel very, very sick.  Soon her waffles, fairy floss and hotdogs had vanished over the side of the boat into the sea.  Once they were back on land Tear felt better so Tilly led her excitedly to Chinatown, past shops with shiny orange ducks hanging in the window and up a grand staircase to a room full of large circular tables.  Because they were only two, they were given a small table in the corner.

“I’m going to order my favourite dish to share with you.  It’s long and short, sweet and sour, fried soup.  The long and short bits are the noodles, the sweet and sour are the flavours, the fried part is the wontons and as for the soup…. well it’s not soup.  It’s a sauce.  I’ll get some fried rice with that.”

It really was delicious, but as the food disappeared Tear was filled with dread.  Her lovely day was coming to an end.

“We’re going to the pictures!  This day ain’t over yet,” cried Tilly.

They skipped along the pavement until they came to a brightly lit picture theatre.  Tilly bought tickets and a box of jaffas to roll along the floor and surprise the other patrons. The picture, called “Old Yeller”, was about a stray dog that adopted a family and became a much loved part of it until it was bitten by a wolf with rabies. Tear lived up to her name and Tilly joined her as they both sobbed their way out of the picture theatre.  Everyone around them was doing the same.

“We have to cheer ourselves up after that,” said Tilly.  “It was a wonderful story but so, so sad,”

Tear agreed.  She had never seen anything that she enjoyed so much even though it had made her sad.  It was a different sort of sadness, because when you walked out of the theatre you realised that it had nothing to do with your own life.  In fact Tear had forgotten all her own fears and worries while she was caught up in the story of Old Yeller.

Now they came rushing back as she realised the day must be over.  Tilly had one more trick up her sleeve, however.  She hailed a taxi and whispered to Tear. “You might see some strange people where we are going but I am dying for a coffee and there is only one place I know where I can get a proper cappuccino and that is Kings Cross.  You can have a hot chocolate.”

They climbed out of the taxi into a busy street full of people and cars.  Some women were beautifully dressed, standing around as if they were waiting for someone.  Tear didn’t have time to stare.  Tilly rushed her down some stairs into a dark room full of loud music and sat her in a comfy lounge while she went to order drinks.  To Tear’s relief the loud music stopped and was replaced by a soft melody on a piano.

Tilly took a swig of her coffee and sat back, wiping her lips with a handkerchief.

“Phew!  I needed that.”

Tear sipped her hot chocolate and found it to be very nice.  She noticed Tilly was staring at her.

“Tear, I have something to tell you.  I wanted you to remember this day for ever more because I can never see you again.”

She took another gulp of coffee and continued. “I am about to be married to a man called Charles.  He doesn’t know that six years ago I had a baby… a little girl.  I was too poor to keep her or look after her, but my sister tried her best with her until she had to leave to go away for a job.  Then she took her to an orphanage.  If Charles knew about the baby he would refuse to marry me.  I can’t lose him.”  She looked into Tear’s eyes. “Tear, you are that baby and I am your mother, but we can never see each other again after today.  One day, when you are grown up, we might be able to meet again but I want you to know now you can’t count on it.  So just remember today and don’t ever tell anyone that you met your mother.  Understand?”

Tear didn’t know what to say but she was determined not to cry.  They caught a taxi back to the orphanage and Tilly took her inside, kissing her briefly before waving goodbye.

It was late and all the other children were in bed.  Nurse Smiley quicky rushed her to the bathroom and checked she had cleaned her teeth.  Soon she was in her pyjamas and lying under a blanket.  Over and over she said to herself. “I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry.”

END OF CHAPTER 6

Chapter 5

Step looked around him and realised the property was surrounded by a high fence.  He remembered the woman with the sweet face who brought him here yesterday.  She had stopped at the gate and spoken on a two-way radio before the gates opened.

The man must have read his thoughts because he immediately said, “Now don’t you go getting any ideas about escaping.  That fence is electric and if you touch it you will be frizzled like a sausage. No-one leaves without my say so.  Right?  Now off you go and dig up some potatoes for our dinner.”

As Step swung the mattock into the hard, dry soil, he considered his options.  The children must leave for school each day and the mother must go out to do the food shopping.  Maybe he could slip out the gate as it opened.  He didn’t like his chances of getting away unobserved and he imagined Bluey being sent after him.  It was not a pleasant thought.

Later that day the man came down to the potato paddock. “That’s enough potatoes for now.  Take those up to the kitchen and then I want you to take the bins down to the gate.”

Step wondered how the rubbish truck managed to pick up the bins behind a locked gate but realised that at least the contents would be thrown in the truck and travel a long way from the farm.  The bins were as high as Step’s chest and made of corrugated galvanised iron.  He struggled with the first one until the man gave him a trolley to put it on.  Now it was on wheels it rolled easily down the driveway.  He left it next to the gate and toiled back up the hill for the second one.  As he dragged the trolley he had an idea.  If he hid in one of the bins early in the morning the gate would open and he could escape.  He might even get a ride in the rubbish truck.

Early next morning Step grabbed his small bag and crawled out from under his newspapers.  Bluey growled at him as if he knew what he was up to.  If Bluey barks then the man will come out and I will be stuck here for at least another week, thought Step

He pushed through some bushes so Bluey couldn’t see him anymore.  Then he scurried towards the gate keeping himself hidden from the house.  The bins loomed in front of him in the darkness.  Yesterday he had checked which one had the least rubbish but they were both nearly full.  He pulled off one metal lid and began throwing the contents into the bushes.  When there was enough space inside he leaped in, replacing the lid. Over his head he dragged a flour bag which he had found in the shed.  When the garbage collector took the lid off he would only see the bag.

Step sat in the bin shivering with fear.  So many things could go wrong.  What if he was hurt as the bin was emptied?  What if Bluey came down with the man before the garbage truck arrived? If he did get into the truck, how would he escape?

Soon he heard the rumble of the truck.  A voice spoke on the two-way radio.  He could hear the gate opening.  Then he could feel himself hoisted in the air.  He fell awkwardly into a pile of rubbish in the back of the truck.  The contents of the other bin landed on top of him.  The truck started moving and he realised with growing excitement that he was leaving the farm.  He had escaped!

The truck drove on for about half an hour. Then it stopped and more rubbish fell into the truck. By squeezing into one corner Step managed to avoid the worst of it but he smelt terrible and wondered how he could face the world again in his present state.

Finally, the truck stopped for a long time and the smell was atrocious.  Step decided he must be at the Dump so climbed up to the top of the truck and looked around.  Piles of rubbish stretched in all directions but he could see a road winding through the wasteland.  Follow that road and I must reach a town, he thought.

The sides of the truck were very high so he waited until it began to empty its contents.  First of all the engine started.  Then the floor beneath him began to move and tilt.  He rolled out onto a pile of debris, jumping up and running before anyone could stop him.

Step must have run several miles before he crossed a small stream gurgling under a wooden bridge.  The water was clear and cold.  After drinking his fill he carefully removed his smelly clothes and jumped into the stream, scrubbing himself all over with his hands to remove the stench of the garbage truck.  Then he rinsed his clothes as best he could, putting them on while still wet.  The sun was warm in the sky and he hoped he would dry off as he ran.  At least he didn’t smell so bad.

A sign ahead proclaimed the town of Tumbarumba, population one hundred and three.  Now Step faced a new problem.  He had no money so how would he eat and where would he sleep?  Up ahead he could see a roadside café where sandwiches, pies and sausage rolls were advertised on a large poster.  His stomach growled with hunger.  He watched a family walking to their car, throwing the remains of their lunch in the bin.  As soon as they drove away he scurried to the bin and found half a meat pie, some sandwich crusts and almost a whole apple.  Sitting under a nearby tree he happily filled his stomach.  After all, it was better than eating the pig swill at the farm.

The combination of food, warm sunshine and exercise made Step very tired.  In minutes he was asleep, only waking as the shadows grew long and the chill of the evening entered his bones.  He knew that he must find a warm place for the night so walked past the scattering of shops in the main street hoping to find a cosy corner in which to shelter. The Tumbarumba Hardware Store had a large, covered porch in front of a locked entrance door so Step huddled in one corner, shivering and wondering how he could get back to the Opera Orphanage for Unwanted Children.  It occurred to him that they may have replaced him and that some other boy could now be sleeping in his bed.

“What have we here?” boomed a man’s voice.

Step looked up to see a large policeman looming over him.  His first thought was to run but the policeman gripped him firmly by the arm.

“Don’t be scared.  I’ll take you home because little boys should not be out by themselves at night.  Where do you live?”  The policeman sounded kind but Step was not sure he could trust him.  What if he sent him back to the Farm?

“My home is the Opera Orphanage for Unwanted Children, but I don’t know where it is,” Step answered.

“So you ran away, did you?  I’m afraid I’ll have to send you back.  Can’t have boys sleeping out the front of shops.”

Step said nothing.  He sat in the Police Station while the policeman spoke on a big black telephone.   He heard his name mentioned once or twice and lots of “I see” and “That explains it”.  He looked questioningly at the policeman when he hung up the phone.

“Well young man, it seems you didn’t run away from the orphanage but you were having a weekend with Foster Parents.  You are a long way from home so there will be a lot of explaining to do.  One of our men will be driving to Sydney in the morning so he’ll give you a lift to the orphanage.  In the meantime you can have a kip in the cell.  No-one is in there at the moment.

That was how Step spent a night in a prison cell.   He didn’t mind.  He knew that tomorrow he would be back in his own bed, looked after by Nurse Smiley and catching up with his new friend Tear.

END OF CHAPTER 5

Chapter 4

The week passed quickly and before he knew it Step realised it was Friday night again.  His heart beat faster when he thought about Inspection Day.  Even if he had to work hard for the weekend it would be nice to live in a house with a normal family.  How he hoped he would be chosen by the Foster Parents.

Tear sat opposite him in the Inspection Room. She looked very frightened but was determined not to cry.  The doors opened and in came the adults in ones and twos.  A young woman with a sweet face caught Step’s eye.

“Hi there!  How would you like to live on a farm for the weekend?  There won’t be much hard work, just collecting the eggs of a morning.  There’s nothing better than a fresh boiled egg with some home-made bread cut into soldiers to dip in the yolk.”  She smiled and prattled on. “There’s a billabong where you can swim if it’s hot and horses to ride.”

Step was thrilled.  He followed her to a Land Rover and threw his small bag in the back. They drove for what seemed like forever and it was nearly sunset when she pulled up in front of a tumbledown house at the end of a long driveway.  He wondered about getting back to the orphanage in time for school on Monday.  Climbing out of the Land Rover he walked to the back and grabbed his bag.

“See you”, called the woman as she swung the car in a circle and headed off down the track.

Step looked in amazement as the vehicle disappeared in a cloud of dust. Turning back to the house he climbed the rotting wooden steps to the verandah, knocking nervously on the front door.

“Go round the back,” called a man’s voice. It didn’t sound too friendly, but Step was relieved that at least the house was occupied.

Step pushed past prickly bushes until he came to a small verandah where a large, ferocious dog showed its teeth.  Fortunately, it was on a chain so Step was able to avoid its excited lunges.  The man wheezed and then spat on the grass.

“Took your time getting here, didn’t you?” the man said in an accusing voice.  “Weekend’s half over already.  This is where you’ll be sleeping, beside Bluey.”

The man pointed to a strip of dirty carpet on the veranda floor beside the dog kennel.

“There’s some newspaper if you get cold.  Now your job is to feed the animals.  After each meal we put the leftovers in a bucket.  You can have first pick and then take the rest down to the pig sty.  Don’t eat too much.  I want our pigs to get nice and fat.  Now take this wheat around to the chook pen and when you get back you can go through the scraps for the pigs.”

Step looked through the window into a well-lit room where a woman and two children sat around a wooden table eating and drinking.  He realised how thirsty he was and asked if he could have a glass of water.

“You’ll be drinking from the tank when you give the animals their water.  I’ll give you the Vandal Proof Key in the morning.  Meantime you’ll just have to share with the pigs.”

Step carried a billy can full of wheat to the chook pen.  As he scattered it around he looked longingly at their water bowl.  It was full of feathers and other unspeakable things but he dipped his fingers in and sucked them gladly.  He comforted himself with the thought that he would be going home to the orphanage tomorrow.

The remains of the dinner were disgusting.  He found a chicken wing which looked relatively untouched and nibbled on it doubtfully.  Some peas and a potato rounded off his meal but an orange he found was soft and covered in mould on one side.

He carried the heavy bucket to the pig pen where he was greeted with delighted squeals and snorts.  The water trough was repulsive, so Step reconciled himself to spending a thirsty night.  At least he could look forward to clean, fresh tank water in the morning.

Looking back on that night Step decided it was one of the worst of his life.  As the hours passed by the cold seeped into his bones despite covering himself with newspaper.  Bluey chewed noisily on his bone and growled at the owls and other night creatures as if they might take it off him.

And the thirst! Step had read that if you put a pebble in your mouth it stops you being thirsty but even though he selected a small smooth stone from amongst the bushes it did little to help.  Needless to say, he was up at dawn waiting for the Vandal Proof Key.

The man appeared and let Bluey off his chain.  The dog disappeared with an excited yelp and ran in circles around and around the house.  He showed Step the Vandal Proof Key.  It was made of brass and shaped like a T.  The man hauled a dirty bucket to the water tank and set it beneath the tap, using the T to open the valve.  As the rusty water rushed out Step put out his hand to catch some drops.  The man pushed his hand away.

“Wait until it’s full.  We can’t waste water.”

Finally the bucket was full and the man took the T and put it in his pocket.  Step lifted the heavy bucket and headed off to the pig pen.

“Don’t you dare spill a drop, or I’ll have your guts for garters,” the man called out in a nasty voice before going back into the house.

Step put the bucket down carefully and scooped the water out with his hands.  Never had anything tasted so good.  Once his thirst was quenched, he set about the unpleasant task of cleaning out the water trough before filling it with fresh, clean water.  The pigs pushed him aside as they drank noisily and happily, dropping bits of food in it so that it soon looked just as putrid as when he started.

The breakfast scraps consisted of greasy bacon rinds and burnt toast so Step decided to give them a miss.  He imagined dinner that night at the orphanage.  It might only be a lamb chop and three vegetables but it would be clean and served on a white plate with a knife and fork.  Beside it would be a glass of milk and after would come a pudding with custard.  When would the woman who brought him here come back to get him?

“Hey you.”  The man kneeled down to Step’s level and looked him in the eye.  “We think we might like to keep you so we are sending word to the orphanage that we will be your Foster Parents.  Who knows, you might live here with us for the rest of your life.  We could find you a spot to sleep in the hay shed if you work hard.”

Step was speechless.  A wave of horror overwhelmed him.  One thing he was sure of.  He was not going to stay in this dreadful place one more day.

END of CHAPTER 4

Chapter 3

Step was excited and scared at the same time.  It was the day of the Inspection and he wondered where he would be sleeping that night.  Would he stay in the orphanage or would some people take him home for the weekend?

He took special care dressing himself and combed his hair until it sat flat on his head.  The other boys were subdued, all wondering what was in store for them.  They filed into the Inspection Room, boys sitting on one side and girls on the other.  They sat in order of size, from the youngest to the oldest.  Step was the first one seated on his side of the room.  He looked across at Lottie, her ringlets swirling around her head as she glanced this way and that for her Foster Parents.

The door opened and the Parents walked in.  They came in twos or sometimes just alone, walking past each child and checking them carefully up and down.  A tall, thin woman with black hair in a bun and a pointy face asked Step his name.

“My name is Step,” he answered in a clear voice.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“Only two days,” he said.

“You look a bit scrawny to me.  I need a big strong boy to do lots of heavy work.”  She moved on.

Lottie disappeared with her Foster Parents. “So long suckers,” she called out cheerfully. “I hope I never see any of you ever again.”

Two of the biggest boys left with the tall thin woman.  They looked unhappy, realising they had a weekend of hard work ahead of them.  All they could hope for was that she would give them lots to eat and maybe pay them for their work.

Suddenly the crying girl appeared with her aunt.  Nurse Smiley sat her down in Lottie’s seat and the aunt moved swiftly away.  All the Foster Parents had left with the chosen children so Step realised he was staying at the orphanage for the weekend.  He looked at the small girl who was still crying and crossed the floor to talk to her.

“Hello, my name is Step and I have only been here two days.  Nurse Smiley is kind, the food is good and the beds are warm and comfortable.  It’s not such a bad place.  What is your name?”

“My aunt calls me Tear because I am always crying,” she said.  “I miss my Mummy and my Daddy and know I will never see them again so I can’t stop crying.”

Step was worried.  He had to get this girl to stop crying.  If they could be friends, he would have someone to talk to and someone to sit with when he ate his meals.  They could work together in the afternoon and maybe sit together in school.

“Look at me,” said Step.  “I’ll be your friend and help you whenever I can but you must promise me you will stop crying.  The other children here are not very friendly so it is always good to have an ally.  The world is not so bleak when you have someone on your side.”

Tear stopped crying and looked at Step. It had been a long time since she felt as though someone cared.  Even her aunt was always too cross and too busy to listen to her but now she felt something almost like happiness.

Nurse Smiley came into the room.  “Come with me Tear and I will show you to your room. Then you can have your lunch in the Mess Hall with Step.”

For the first time Step looked forward to eating a meal.  He picked up a tray, collected his soup and bread and sat down at the end of a bench.  Soon Tear came into the room so he waved, and she came over to join him, balancing her tray of soup with great care.

He told her all about the school and hoped she would be in First Class like he was.  Maybe they could sit together?  Then he talked about the afternoon jobs and warned her not to peel potatoes with a knife.

Nurse Smiley came into the Mess Hall.

“Children, listen up please.”  

The buzz in the room stopped and all eyes looked at her expectantly.

“Of course, you will have your jobs this afternoon but as a special treat, because you did not get chosen today, we will be having a projector night after dinner.  The film we are going to show today is called Pollyanna and is about a girl who is always glad about everything.  I hope it will make you feel glad that you are looked after and cared for at the Opera Orphanage for Unwanted Children.”

The children clapped and cheered.  They all carried their plates to the kitchen and looked at the roster to see what their job was for that afternoon. Step was on washing up but because Tear was new she wasn’t on the list.  

Cook glared at Step. She had eyebrows that ran in a straight line above her eyes and looked very ferocious. “You again!  How do I know you won’t slice your hand with the big knife and turn the water red with your blood?”

Step promised to be very careful and put a glove on the bandaged hand. Tear was given a tea towel and told to wipe the dishes until they were perfectly dry.  They worked away happily and talked about all sorts of things, including the film they were going to watch that night.  Life at the orphanage wasn’t so bad after all.

END OF CHAPTER 3

Chapter 2

The schoolroom was a small weatherboard building outside the orphanage.  Step walked up the wooden steps and hung his new satchel on a peg on the wall.  The classroom was square, with three rows of desks on one side and four on the other.  There were two blackboards, one on each side of the room and in the middle was the teacher’s desk, where an old, grey haired man sat in a chair, reading his newspaper. 

The classes ranged from Kindergarten to Sixth Class.  Step was told to sit in the second row from the front as he was to be in First Class.  A boy and girl in his row moved over to let him in.  They didn’t look too friendly.  The teacher, whose name was Mr Scott, handed him a book and a pencil and soon he was tracing over letters.  The boy next to him punched him with his elbow.  His pencil skidded across the book, leaving a dark, angry mark.  Mr Scott was cross and the boy in his row smiled with satisfaction.

At recess the other children ignored him. One of the big boys, called Teddy, came onto the verandah with a billy of milk.  He swung it around above his head and Step was amazed that the milk didn’t fall out.  They lined up with their mugs as Teddy poured out the milk.  Of course, Step was last and there were only a few drops left when it was his turn.

Back in the classroom he had to copy sums off the blackboard into his exercise book.  He was good at adding and subtracting and took great care forming his numbers. He also watched the boy next to him for any sudden movement in his direction.  Then they were writing stories.  Mr Scott asked them to imagine they were a King or a Queen for a day and to write what they would do.

Step wrote that he would put all the bad mothers and fathers in gaol.  All the children in orphanages would be given a hundred pounds to spend on anything they wanted.  Then they would go and live with the King in his palace for ever and ever. Mr Scott thought it was a very good composition and read it out to the class. The other children didn’t clap or cheer.  They just looked at him with frowns on their faces.

Lessons were over for the day.  They all lined up for lunch with a tray in their hands.  Cook gave each child a bowl of soup and a piece of bread.  Soon they were sitting at long tables eating and talking, but no one spoke to Step.  He sat at the end of the row, shunned by the others and wondered if it would always be like this.  He looked up as a pretty girl with ringlets tossed her head.

“My Foster Parents are taking me home tomorrow,” she said.  “I will have a bedroom all to myself with lots of toys and they are going to take me to the zoo and the beach and on holidays.  Maybe even to Disneyland.”

She wasn’t talking to Step.  Rather she was addressing the whole group. “And then I’ll be out of this awful place forever.  Good riddance.”

Step realised that tomorrow was Saturday, the day of the Inspection.  Would someone like the look of him and take him home?

First of all he had to complete his job for the afternoon.  Nurse Smiley led him to the kitchen where Cook was delegating tasks to the children.

“Aaaah! Here’s the new boy.  What are you like at peeling potatoes?”

This was a job his stepmother always gave him so he announced he was very good at it.  Cook gave him a huge pile of potatoes and a potato peeler. He would have been happy to do it by himself but another older boy sat near him and grabbed the peeler.

“You can use this knife.  I’m using the peeler!”

Step wasn’t used to peeling potatoes with a big sharp knife and soon he cut himself.  Blood poured over the potatoes.

“Yuk”, cried the other children.  Cook rushed over, but not before the older boy put the peeler down and moved away.

“I told you to use the potato peeler.  What a silly boy, using that great big knife.  Whatever were you thinking?”

She wrapped his hand in a bandage and sent him out of the kitchen.  “Go and find another job.  I don’t want you here.”

By now Step was feeling mightily discouraged so wandered slowly along the hallway towards the front door wondering where he should go next.  To his surprise there was a commotion at the end of the hall.  A small girl about his age was clinging to a woman and crying very loudly.

“I have to leave you here,” said the woman. 

“Don’t go, don’t go,” cried the girl.

“I can’t look after you anymore.  I have to go far away to my new job, and you are not allowed to come with me.”

“But Aunty, you are all I have left.  Don’t leave me.”

Fortunately, Nurse Smiley arrived and spoke to the woman kindly but firmly.

“I’m afraid there is no room here.  Our orphanage is full.  We can only take sixteen children.”

Step wasn’t sure if he should speak but he felt he had to try and help somehow.

“Nurse Smiley, what about the girl with the ringlets?  She said she was going to live with her Foster Parents for good and she is leaving tomorrow.  Then there will be room for this girl.”

Nurse Smiley looked cross at Step’s sudden interruption but then looked at the tearful little girl and considered what she would do.  “Very well”, she said to the woman. “Bring her back tomorrow and if Lottie is taken then your niece can stay.”

END OF CHAPTER 2