Penelope

Chapter 3

The last few days were horrible. Especially when my aunt found the broken mirror. That happened yesterday, it was also the final straw for her. My aunt could barely look at me without sheer concern and worry suppressed on her face. In fact she barely looked at me at all. My uncle did the little things to make me slightly happier although they had no effect. The only person that did make me happy ,however, was Cain. I felt like a disgrace to the family,like unwanted pet left in the household while they moved far away, but only Cain brought me out of that despair.

I avoid my gaze from the window where I was watching the land whiz by. The car I'm in smells like baby wipes and burnt sage. Cain is sitting in the seat between me and Ernest, and by the look on his face he can smell it too.

"Why can't they get an air-freshener?" he complains. I make sure my voice is quiet enough so it can't be heard above the music playing from the old radio,

" My aunt likes the smell of burnt sage , it comforts her, because she feels safe from the evil spirits." I explain.

Cain nods and sighs loudly. Annoyance shoots through me. He can be as loud as he wants and no one will hear him except me.

The car slows down as we take a right turn into a neighbourhood with big and expensive houses. Then,no more the two minutes later we pull into a concrete driveway after passing through large black gates. My mouth drops open when I see the massive house. The exterior walls are a rich dark brown and a stone chimney completes the look. In the front yard there is a moderate size lawn with a couple trees and a water fountain. Kids run from the back gate,dripping with water and chase each other. In the distance you can hear a faint splash as someone jumps into what must be a pool.

"See I told you Orphanages aren't bad." Cain smiles, raising his eyebrows in a 'I told you so' look. I roll my eyes and move my hand to playfully slap him but stop before colliding with him as my aunt glares at me from the rear view mirror. I guess slapping 'mid air' would look suspicious. A smile blooms across my face despite the pang of sadness in my chest knowing that I am not wanted by my own family members.

My uncle opens the door opposite to mine in order to take Ernest out of his carseat. I step out of the car through the door i am closest to and fresh air invades my noise.CLUNK. One of my suitcases lands inches from my toes. I step aside to dodge the next one that my aunt throws to me. Then, with a handle in each hand and both of my caregivers at my side, we walk towards double red doors where an old lady stands.

I feel the other's eyes on me. I look at the ground to avoid eye contact with the kids. When we arrive in front of the lady, I only look up to smile at her for brief seconds before looking back down.

"Good afternoon Florence and Joseph. I am Mrs. Turlin." She says in a Scottish accent like sweet carmel.

"Good afternoon." Joseph says and my aunt nods.

Mrs. Turlin shuffles to the side,"Please do come in."

We walk through the doors one at a time with Mrs.Turlin following us on in last. Then, from the entryway she takes a hard right and guides to a door with a desk covered in stacks of paper. Her office. But I don't go in.

" Well, we have a wide range kids to choose from. Ages from as young as this fellow ," she says while pinching Ernest's cheek, "and 17. Once a child turns 18, adopted or not, we send them out. Any way there are plenty to adopt. Which one would you like?" She puts a folder in front of my relatives with each child's profile.

Florence glances at Joseph before looking at Mrs. Turlin with a tight face.

"I am sorry Ms.Turlin, but I am afraid we are not able to be Penelope's foster parents.We took her on a trial but we will not be able to keep her. Would you be able to take her?" My aunt,Florence, says to the head person of the Orphanage.

My uncle,Joseph, stands behind my aunt, dangling teething toys in front of five month old cousin,Ernest. I am sitting on the bottom step of the white carpeted stairs just outside of the room trying to make pictures out of the swirls in the marble tile on the floor. Cain sits on the step next to me looking at the paintings on the wall. Most of them are the drawing made by the five year olds here,but there are some professional ones.

Mrs. Turlin blinks twice before speaking onto Florence's comment."Ill see what I can do. Of course you'll need to fill out some paperwork. Is there anything about the child I need to know?" She says while rumaging through her desk for the paperwork.

My aunt exchanges another worried look with my uncle.Florence takes in a shaky breath.

"She tends to interact with people that aren't there.''

Mrs.Turlin looks up from the paperwork she is holding.

" Excuse me, but I have dealt with this before. It's a phase, she simply just has an imaginary friend."

My aunt shakes her head,but Mrs. Turlin moves on.

"Anything else?"

"Her parents were on the missing airline."

A sympathetic looks spreads over her face."Oh that's to bad, poor child. Has she um.. been sleeping all right?"

"She has been crying herself to sleep. And recently she hasn't been very, well happy." Joseph answers.

Mrs. Turlin scribbles notes on paper with words like: depressed,anxiety and imaginary friend.

There is some more talking but I tune out.

After about twenty,boring , silenced minutes of sitting, they finally emerge from the room. My uncle bends down to hug me and Ernest tries to grasp my hair.

"I am sorry." Is all he says before he walks to my aunt who hasn't said anything to me for this whole day so far. And with that, they walk out and close the front door with a thud that echoes through my chest. I sit there, unsure what to feel. Sad? Angry? I don't know. But I do know one thing:

I am an orphan.

******

AHHHHH so sorry! Things are just so busy for me right now. Chapter 4 will come I promise, just not sure when.

The photo is the back of the orphanage