Parrot And Girl

Chapter 15

"Can I visit the orphanage, please, pretty please?" I asked Sarah hoping she would say yes.

"Um, I don't know, It's cold outside and far from here." She shook her head.

I tell her, "Well I really want to go and it's been months since I left that place." looking straight in the eye, "and besides she's always been me like my second mother and I don't want to disappoint her just by turning her down."

She gave in, probably because of my cute puppy-dog eyes, sighing, "Alright, you can go, but be safe while you come and go, we have guests coming over, my sister and her daughter who are delighted to see you."

"OK, I will." I nodded, feeling slightly down just from the news. Besides I don't have any other real family to spend Christmas with, I just feel like an outsider to everyone. Why do I have to live here in the Reynolds' house besides Sarah is just my Mom's best friend nothing special. Not that I don't want to live away from them and I already appreciate it that they're there for me.

I ran upstairs to my room to put my coat, scarf, gloves and boots on. I pet my gorgeous green parrot before I go downstairs.

I waved at him, "See you later Chico!"

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Sarah stood by the door waiting for me and as soon as she saw me, she looked sad a little. I'm already thirteen so I'm a big girl now and I don't need baby sitting. It didn't stop her from pulling me into her arms to hug me, which I really missed

"Please, don't worry about me, I'm a big girl now." I tell her, she was taken back but she understood.

"I know but your still a child to me." I gave her one of my brave face, " alright, just be careful."

"I will, Sarah." I say to her until I got out of the house ready to walk.

I walked my way towards the park which in most of my spare time to play at so that means I'm not lost and I know which way to the orphanage is because James and I spent our little play times here together and also I spent exploring adventures in the woods with Joey and my parents.

The orphanage came into sight and guess what, it feels like I haven't left it at all. Look at how much I missed living in this place except there are few changes which I tried to block out of my mind. Changes that are buried and uneasy to overcome with.

I opened the door and wow, it all looks the same as if I never left the place. There are many orphans in here, some of them were old ones which I've seen before and some new faces, both young and old. They were all hanging around talking about life, universe, food, boys and girls. Some of them looked at, some smiled and some just glared at me. I shrugged them off so I just stared at the whole place.

"Lola, sweet heart you've come!" Shouted a familiar voice, when I turned around I rushed to her and we both wrapped each other in to a warm hug from Andrea which I haven't felt in a long time. We we're both in a combination of happiness and love
Gosh, I've missed her so much.

"Of course I came only for a visit like you asked." We both laughed and she took me to the familiar kitchen where she gestured me to take a seat.

"So Lola, tell me how you are settling at your new home." She asks me

"Oh, everything at my new home has been alright and besides everyone there was caring." I tell her, "They accepted me as if I'm one of them."

"That's good." She gave me another hug, "I missed you child."

I hugged her back, "I missed you too Andrea."

She wiped the tears which have fallen from my eye like a mother would.

We released each other, " So any thing new besides you know.... "

She looks at me with sadness, "Well we have new kids here who lost their parents."

Oh I definitely know how those other kids feel without the company of their parents and I don't blame them, they didn't ask to be.

"Wait you said something about James left something." I reminded her, "what was it?"

There was another sadness in her eyes, I guess she misses James too, well she was the one who took him in when he was left here when he was a baby. So do I, all the times I have time to think on my own I picture him in my mind.

"Oh yeah, let me walk you to his room." She says to me.

So she took me to the familiar stairs almost felt shivers down the spine but I pushed it aside because there's nothing to be afraid of but still I can't help the feeling, sometimes it isn't easy. Even my own arms trembled like a shattered mountain.

When I reached his room, I asked Andrea if I could go in there alone and she let me because I need to go in there alone. Once I stepped inside his room, there were few things left inside his rooms like his posters on his wall, trophies which he won from his previous soccer matches, empty wardrobe and bed. The moment I stepped in the air of uneasiness seeps into my heart.

On his desk was a picture frame of a little version of James and me back when we were little, I can't believe it he still had it with him which is a relief to me. I guess he did cherish the years we had each other. I picked it up and look at it for couple of minutes, this picture was taken when I was watching him play one of his soccer matches when we were little and after that I congratulated him and the people took pictures of us two standing together gripping each others arms like normal siblings. There was a tear running down my cheek....

"You might to keep that if you want?" I snapped from a male voice who entered the room which I haven't heard in a long time.

Taking glance at the person who entered, "Oh, hey Tom, hows everything going?"

"I've been OK except for the loss of James keeps dwelling on me." he says without meeting my eyes, "much has changed since you moved to your new home."

I look at him, "What do you mean by that?"

He meets my eye for a while, "When you left, he was worried about you about settling on your own, you know if you have any trouble settling at home and the school's soccer team haven't been playing well much since the car accident James have fallen to."

I was trembling, " I'm so sorry, this must have been kind of my fault."

"No it's not your fault or any ones." he says calmly, "it's not something we are capable of controlling."

I look at my toes, "Even if we're alone."

He sighed, " yeah even if we're alone but don't worry, you still have that green parrot, don't you?"

I gave him a nod and smiled, "Thanks Tom."

"Don't mention it Lola." He smiled back, then looked at the frame, "You can take it, it's a reminder of your precious childhood."

"Oh, I will keep it."

"And you should." Tom said sadly. Tom and James were pretty close from when they were babies, way before I came. Unlike my droughts, I can't imagine how he must feel after losing his best friend. The only similarities is that we both knew James and he knew us. He was always the one to make us laugh, smile and cheer someone up when they fall into their worst days.

The time on the clock said I should be going back to the Reynolds. And Tom won the argument and demanded to drive me there instead of let me walk by myself. I lost and gave in. As he started the engine I was half sad and half happy, it felt nice to see the orphanage again and feels different. But thanks to the Reynolds and Chico, they didn't want me all upset or weep for longer.