Whirlwind of trouble

6

"Elena"

My heart thumps so hard in my chest, anyone would believe I'm having a cardiac arrest on my own damn porch. I never believed I would ever see this little girl again.

I crouch down to her level, looking deep into her glossy brown orbs full of pain, rejection, and heartbreak. I cup her flushed cheeks and caress them softly with my thumbs.

"Elena what are you doing here sweetheart?"

"I... I will tell you everything, but first you need to let me in" she barges right past me, throws her unicorn backpack the size of a camping bag to the floor and sits upon the kitchen island taking an apple from the fruit bowl. "I was with a foster family, I just moved in with them but they're not my family"

"I know sweetheart, but none of these families will be your family by blood" I sweetly coo as I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and cup her cheek. "You need to trust them and open up to find the perfect home"

"But none of them are going to be my perfect home. My mum and dad are my perfect home" she huffs, and immediately both of our eyes gloss over. "It's just getting harder. I thought 6 years without my parents would be enough time to recover, but I won't ever recover will I?" She questions with her head bowed low, unable to see me shaking my head left to right signalling a no. I know because I'm still struggling the loss of my father. "I guess it's because I didn't remember much of my parents at that age and I'm hating myself for not remembering them as much as I should. I'm just tired of being in the system, this is my 7th home since the social workers taken me. I already know this home I'm in isn't one for me. She doesn't want me"

"Who is it?" I timidly ask, I know a lot of people in this town.

"Mrs De Vil" she rolls her eyes and scrunches her nose in disgust. "She insists I call her that as she has already made it clear she will be no mother of mine. But I'm fine by that. She cares more about her stupid puppies than a damn child" she crosses her arms and sighs again. "She's only fostering me for the big dollar cheque that gets sent through her door every damn month. I know how the system works."

"Not every homes like that, I'm sure you will find a home that will want to adopt you very quickly" I coo with hope that she still believes she isn't a lost cause.

"No regina, nobody wants a broken eight year old with trust issues and a scarred past, everyone wants the younger children so they can raise them from young" she slams her hands on the island and her skin is flushing red. "I just... I'm sorry"

We're silent for a moment, there's too much awkward tension and I wish I could help her. I really do, but I can't. Just as I couldn't help her parents.

The way her nose twitches with anger despite how much she is trying to bury her feelings. The way she angrily takes several bites of her apple in a row in some fear someone is going to swipe the apple from her hand and punish her for no dinner tomorrow. Maybe that has something to do with a previous foster home, or maybe she's not eaten so well in a very long time. So I turn around and take a deep breath, prepping a sandwich for her and as expected she accepts.

It's as though there's no stopping her, the way she anxiously nibbles her food but at the speed a chipmunk would. She gurgles her water and gulps down big swallows as though she's in a rush to be somewhere.

"So... it's been nearly six years, and I still miss my father like crazy. It doesn't get any easier sweet pea, so you need to stay strong." She peers up, over her glass of water.

"How... how are you finding ways to cope with it? Every time I shut my eyes I hear the screams, I see my parents laying there cold on the floor, and the only thing that seems to soothe me is your whispers. You did everything you could and you still pushed me out the way to protect me"

"But my father protected us both" I whisper, barely audible because this is just so hard to talk about. "The truth is, I'm not coping. But I go to a grief group where we all talk about the people we have lost and how to go further"

"Could... could I maybe come with you to the next?"

I did not expect that to come from such a little girl, but I guess being so alone in this big world, transferred from house to house, shipped from country to country, she is forced to mature and grow up earlier than she should. She's still a child.

"If your foster mom doesn't mind"

"She won't. She doesn't notice me gone, she's either high, drunk or asleep" and hearing that tugs straight at my heart stings. Poor child shouldn't have to see any of that behaviour.

I somewhat recognise Mrs De Vil, and she always seems very alone, she's always whispering to her dogs and stroking them with adoration and kisses. She lives in a big fancy house and drives the poshest cars so I could never see that being a lifestyle choice of hers, but I don't really know the woman.

So I insist on walking Elena home so I can insist on scoping this woman out. As soon as I knock on the door with Elena tucked in my side; there are dogs barking rapidly, the moaning and groaning of someone behind the door as though they do not want to be interrupted and I can only assume is Mrs De Vil.

The door swings open and displays a ferocious woman holding a bottle of tequila and a cigarette in one hand. "WHAT" she yells.

"Hello I'm... actually that doesn't matter, are you drinking ma'am? I softly question, knowing just how aggressive tequila can make someone, and that's without whatever drug may or may not be rolled up in that cigarette.

"What has it got to do with you?" She spits in disgust and her eyes land upon Elena who is gripping me for deal life. "There you are you little brat. Get upstairs"

Just as Elena legs go of leg, and takes one shaken step towards the intoxicated lady, I take Elena back, tucking her into my front and protecting her all over again. Mrs De Vil snarls on my action and leans down to wrap her fingers around her arm and soon uses her force to pull her.

"No regina! Don't let her!" She cries, so I scoop her up in my arms, and pushing away Mrs De Vil's unwanted touch.

"I'm sorry ma'am but you are in no such fit state to care for a child"

"She's my fucking child" she spits, with her puppy dogs growling behind, showing their full sharp teeth and we clearly see where their loyalties lay.

"No, She's your money cheque each month"

"That has nothing to do with you lady" she stirs, taking a head gulp of her tequila before attempts to throw the bottle at us, smashing right in front of us, and I am so pleased she was intoxicated, otherwise that bottle would of aimed right for us. "Give me the damn...."

She couldn't even finish her sentence, before she falls to the floor and faints. I put Elena down, and run to Mrs De Vil. I place my fingers upon her neck and my ear to her chest.

"Don't help her. She's a bad lady" Elena calls and I only know she's saying that because she's worried I may be able to save this lady and not her parents.

"She has a pulse but it's weak" I say. I open her mouth and notice her pure yellow tongue and her tonsils swelling. "She has alcohol poisoning. I need to ring an ambulance" I immediately pull out my phone and call an ambulance for her.

They soon arrive with their flashing lights and check her vitals. "BP 78/50" they call; and from medic school I know that isn't good.

"Where am I going to go?" Elena frantically called. "I don't want to stay with her" she begins to sob and drops to the floor and immediately a puppy runs over to her and begins to lick her cheek comforting her.

"You don't have to, I've rung social services, they will meet me at my place" I reassure, lifting her up off the ground where shattered glass lay. "Who is this dog? I thought all of them were nasty"

"This is lola, she really likes me, she's the only nice one and the other dogs fight with her because of it. Me and Lola tend to stay out the way"

I quickly run inside to Mrs De Vils hallway and snatch up a lovely purple lead from the hooks and attach it to Lola's collar and myself, Elena and Lola all walk back to my place, safely.