Orphans

23

"I have found both freedom and safety in my madness;

the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood,

for those who understand us, enslave something in us."
       - Kahlil Gibran

"Oh my goodness... This is horrible... This is terrible... What will I do without my babygirl... What happened to her? Darina darling what will I ever do without my baby?" A theatrical Anabela signs.

Darina looks up from her phone, slightly smiling... "Uh uh... We might need to call the police..." She answers her wife.

"I think Nadi's mommy should keep trying one last time... You never know..." Elica plays along.

Nadi puts a hand over her mouth to keep from letting out any giggles.

"Let me try one more time..." Ana says

"Could she be under the table?" Ana kneels looking under it.

"No... She's not..." Ana says with a theatrically disappointed voice.

"Awww... Sorry mommy." D says sympathetically

"Let me try upstairs..." Ana continues before stopping just at the beginning of the stairs...

"Uh ah... What are those cute tiny feet I see by the curtain... Hmmm could that be??" Ana slowly walks towards the curtain

"Well there's only one way to find out..." Eli grins

As her mommy's footsteps get closer, Nadi's heart races with nerves and excitement.

Ana opens the curtain and Nadi finally let's go of her giggles.

"My baby!! I found her... I found you..." She takes her into her arms spinning her around. D and Eli can't help but laugh at all their silly games. Even though they have been doing this for eight years, Nadi and Ana's games never get old. On days where they are all in a very good mood, D and Eli sometimes join them.

"Mommy was scares she no see Nadi again?" Nadi beams looking at her mommy.

"Very much. Mommy was very scared... My baby is such a good hider! I was almost thinking of calling the police to come help me find you..." Ana tells her babygirl, despite knowing from the onset that she had been hiding behind the curtain by the door, because it's one of her favorite spots to hide.

"Aww... Sorry mommy. Nadi no hides like that again coz she no like mommy sads coz she no find Nadi..." Nadi tells her mommy.

"It's okay babygirl... Mommy will always find you..." Ana smiles at her little one before pecking her lips.

"Okay I counts now, mommy go and hide..." Nadi declares and as she starts counting Ana looks for a spot to hide. A spot not to obvious so that her baby actually has a bit of challenge finding her, but a spot not too hard that she can't find her at all because if that happens then Nadi gets anxious about Ana being really gone.

Their hide and seek game goes on for twenty more minutes, before mommy decides it's bath time.

"You excited about tomorrow?" Ana asks as she washes Nadi's arms.

"Yes mommy. But also a bit scares... What if they mean to Nadi- the other littles?"

"Mommy will be there, so will Ree and Eli... And Eli handpicked the littles by herself and you know Eli can never bring mean people to her Nadi... Hmm..."

"Yes mommy..." Nadi agrees, knowing Eli would punch anyone just for even looking at her the wrong way.

"I love you baby."