Something so Familiar

~2~

There was a big man with broad shoulders standing in the doorway of the orphanage. He towered over Harry and I as we stood on the doorstep awaiting entry. The man told us to come in. He introduced himself as Mr Bachieliordet, a French name- I believe, but told us that we should call him Sir.  He had a rough, deep voice and a long and stern looking face but he looked like he may have had a soft side at some point. The stranger lead us into the kitchen where we sat rigidly at a table while he explained rules, what was expected of us as well as chores and school. After the discussion, that seemed to drag on forever, he called the children to the living room to introduce us. I used to get nervous when I met new people for the first time but I guess it just got easier over the years especially after you have mastered the art of ignoring how uncomfortable having 15 to 20 strangers, who were now your family, staring directly at you and wondering what your 'story' is.

There were about 20 children sitting around the living room, all staring intensely at Harry and I. There were a range of children the youngest being maybe 3 or 4 and the oldest being not that much older than myself and Harry, maybe 16 or 17. Mr Bachieliordet introduced them all in turn. No one could possibly remember all those names, but when I glanced over at Harry, he appeared to be trying very hard. A boy about our age called Noah was to lead us to our room. He made his way up a narrow wooden staircase with a wobbling hand rail, already chatting away to Harry. I didn't trust this place it felt too familiar. I wondered whether Harry felt it too. Something about this place made me feel uncertain and scared unlike any other home I had been to before, I followed carefully up the narrow, steep staircase to a hall with what appeared to have identical rooms- almost like a hotel instead of a house. There were windows into the rooms from the hallway with blue curtains covering them like they were hospital rooms or something like it. I was certain I had seen this hallway before. I wondered why you would have windows looking into a room from a corridor but again I ignored it as Noah and Harry were already making their way up the next stair case. We went up two more staircases after that and finally reached the fourth floor where our room was. We walked to the third door on the left as Noah had told us and I smiled at him as I twisted the cold brass handle and stepped inside.