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11.81% Clara's Mystery - Orphan Trilogy / Chapter 15: Home

章 15: Home

Clara had been quiet on the plane ride home. She had a lot of things to process. Was she really Carmen Jacobs? Is that going to be good or bad? What does that mean for her and her brothers when they finally find her family? Will they be welcoming?

Of course, she would not abandon her brothers for anyone, she’s spent most of her life with them already, and they would continue to be together. It just meant that, finally, she would have closure.

She did not remember if she had pictures when she was younger. Not even one with Max and Jeremy as kids. In fact, they were so poor that pictures would get taken only for records and identification. So she had nothing to compare to the photo in that news article. At an age when kids were making memories with their friends, she was already working.

In her hand, she held the first and only picture she had from when she was 15. It was a photo of Mr. Wong and the guards training at the dojo. It was not a lot to compare to, but she could see a tiny resemblance. Either that or she wanted so badly to belong somewhere that she imagined herself to look like that little girl in the picture.

When they got home, she showed Max and Jeremy the article, and Max got excited.

‘This is you, Clara, I’m sure of it. This is how you looked when we were kids. I’m so happy for you’ Max hugged her and dragged Jeremy in for the group hug.

‘We found your family. But why don’t you seem happy about it?’ Max asked.

‘Are we sure this is really me? What if we’re just guessing because we want this to be me so badly?’ she sighed as she touched her forehead.

‘Don’t be sad Clara, the orphanage probably had a picture when we were kids. We can just swing by tomorrow and ask for it, then everything’s going to be fine,’ Jeremy replied. ‘You’ll see Max is telling you the truth.’ He looks over at Max with eyebrows raised, saying, ‘Bro, you better be right about this.’

She was still worried. Now that they have information about her, it seems surreal.

-=-

The next day Clara got up even before the sun was out in the sky. Exhaustion had her sleeping early the night before, but it seemed that meeting Celine had brought on a new set of night terrors that had her screaming deep into the night.

Things were more vivid now. Before, her nightmares always came out blurred. The men in the black masks were always taking her, pulling her towards the dark. These dreams scared her the most because she couldn’t go anywhere, and she always felt powerless.

Then there were dreams where they would take Max and/or Jeremy, depending on the day. They allayed these nightmares by having her brothers beside her during the night, and this allowed her to sleep until the morning.

But now, her dreams showed them taking Celine, and she was there as her ten-year-old self, helpless to do anything.

There was no cure for her. She tried anything and everything. Shrinks, meds, trials, hypnotherapy, and even meditation. But nothing worked. It would always be a temporary remedy, lasting for a few weeks or months, at best. Then her nightmares would come back as viciously as before. It was as if they had a life of their own and did not want to be suppressed.

She stopped drinking the meds because it prevented her from thinking rationally or logically. It left her loopy during the day, like a robot being controlled by somebody else.

Her brothers had slept beside her last night to quell her fears. To show her appreciation, she planned to make them a big breakfast. She hoped getting busy with her hands would help dispel some of the anxiety she was feeling, that is, before they got back to the orphanage, where they all met.

-=-

Clara forgot how beautiful it was out there. It was close enough to the mountains that the kids could take a hike into the woods whenever they wanted to. And the location was far enough from the city that visiting made you feel as if you were going on a vacation somewhere isolated, free from technology and the city’s bustle. In the past 20 years, more houses started sprouting up around the area. But they were lucky enough to have enough sponsors to keep the orphanage where it stood. And with enough enhancements, it became a sanctuary for abused and neglected kids, not just orphans.

She hired Mr. and Mrs. Powell, Heather's parents, personally to oversee this orphanage. They met at another facility that was now converted to house the teens and young adults. They showed a lot of care and empathy towards the children they had taken in. Their love and kindness made everyone happier and more productive.

When they took over, they transferred all the previous unhappy, underpaid caretakers to desk jobs or jobs around the farms, somewhere they could be happier. Mrs. Powell made this decision because she found that most of them disliked taking care of the kids. She wanted to keep their distance and interaction with the kids to a minimum until they retired. As replacements, they hired people who had compassion and a more positive outlook on life. To give the kids a better future.

It was Saturday, and Clara thought it was strangely quiet. ‘Where are the kids, Ma? I don’t seem to hear anybody around?’ she asked as they got ushered into the office.

‘Oh, they went out early for a small field trip. One of the local high schools has started this Big brother, Big sister outreach program. And they took the kids out to the amusement park, all expenses paid by the school.’

‘Let me tell you, ever since you, Johnson siblings have been active about the orphanages here and the surrounding cities, people just followed suit.’

‘We don’t even need to go around soliciting companies, like you guys used to do. Individuals and sometimes celebrities have come forward to donate and volunteer here themselves. All those other facilities you sponsored have greatly benefitted from that effort and are now thriving. If only we could have more nice people in this world like you guys, then this world would be a better place,’ Mrs. Powell finished.


next chapter

章 16: Orphanage

‘I’m so glad all three of you are here today. I haven’t seen you in a long time, and my, how you’ve all grown. Max and Jeremy, you boys are still very handsome.’ Mrs. Powell patted their cheeks. ‘Don’t make the girls cry, okay?’ and they both smiled.

‘And you, my dear, have become more beautiful. A little thinner than before and with dark circles around the eyes, but still beautiful,’ she lovingly caressed Clara’s cheek.

‘Have you been sleeping well these days? I saw your article in the newspaper and congratulations on the launch of your new product. Some of your staff installed a few of your cameras here as well, but I doubt we’ll need it.’

The Powell family and the Johnson siblings have known each other for 10 years. Mr. and Mrs. Powell asked the siblings to call them Ma and Pa, just like everybody else.

Clara visited Mrs.Powell a lot during the early days to get advice on cooking, baking, sewing, and how to deal with her brothers when they were misbehaving. Clara had learned a lot from her over the years and still held her counsel from time to time when she needed it.

‘That’s the reason we are here,’ said Max. ‘Clara hasn’t been sleeping well these days. We believe we’ve found her real family, and we wanted to see the records of when they took her in, some pictures maybe.’

‘Hmm…,’ Mrs. Powell started opening drawers.

‘Did they keep a record or picture of us when we were kids? That’s all we need. Maybe we can help you find it,’ Jeremy volunteered.

‘Hey, kids!’ Mr. Powell says from the open door. After a round of hugs, he told them that records from the kids that were in the orphanage before they assumed management was missing.

‘I asked them about all those records when we arrived, and they told us about a break-in years earlier. Those idiots trashed the whole place. Do you know what the biggest surprise was? The only thing the looters absconded with were records of all the kids living here. Since most of you guys have grown up and moved on, they never bothered to restore the missing data,’ he said. ‘I think the old caretakers should have because there is always a chance that someone might return.

‘Pa, were there any other pictures you could show us from before?’ Max asked hopefully.

‘Nah, but you know what, I was cleaning out a few boxes a few months ago and found a bunch of negatives. You’re welcome to look through them or maybe get a few developed, see if you can get something useful out of ‘em? Let me go get the box,’ he said as he left.

Clara had tears in her eyes. Another dead end.

‘Boys, why don’t you help Pa look for that box?’ Ma shooed them away. They both hug Clara before they leave.

‘Don’t cry, my dear,’ she pulled Clara for a hug, letting her cry her eyes out, ‘I know life’s been tough on you since they left you out here, but you have us. Don’t despair. You will find what you are looking for sooner than you think. If you feel in your heart that these are the people you are looking for, then they will be.’

Clara pulled away and told her what had happened at the club when she met Celine. ‘You see, I was sure it was her, but what if I was just imagining things? I did not want to get my family's hopes up by declaring myself their lost child and asking for a DNA test, outright. What if I am wrong?

I thought the picture on my record might have been a big help since the article showed a photo of their child when she was ten. Max says she looked like me when we first met. Of course, we were both kids then, so can we trust our memories?’

‘Quiet your mind and concentrate on what’s in front of you. Pray for guidance, and it will come. We will try to look for any boxes that might have any other pictures, and we will all pray together that you meet your parents soon. Don’t worry too much about it and forget to eat.

I love you, Clara, we all do, so even if you never find your real family, know that we are all here for you, okay?’ Ma kisses her cheek like an actual mother would kiss her anguished child.

‘Come,’ Ma wipes her cheek, ‘I asked the kitchen to make your favorite foods for lunch. We should get there before your brothers finish everything.’

-=-

Ma and Pa used to manage another orphanage. They met the Johnson siblings because they had been volunteering at orphanages, much like the one they came from. They would take the kids out on field trips to the beach, the mountains, or other orphanages for a chance to mingle and make new friends.

Clara’s goal was to provide happiness to kids who were alone. She wanted to provide everybody with a family they could lean on when the time came.

They struggled in the beginning, but she really wanted to make helping out as many kids as she could. This became her goal in life because she saw teens who were not as lucky as she was. So, after soliciting from different companies and asking for donations, she established a center for teens and young adults, especially ones that never got adopted. She wanted them to have somewhere to stay after they reached 18 to keep them off the streets. This was so they could at least finish high school, or they could also choose to further their studies and pursue college, vocational school, or any certificate programs to make them employable in the future.

By the time she opened SST, most of the teens she helped out were either working for her as student workers or had graduated. Some of them even became part of her regular staff. She had given them hope and a purpose.

Because of their cause, they had attracted an impressive amount of sponsors. Now have several of these establishments all across the state. In these homes, she had counselors, tutors, trainers, and teachers. The teachers taught them basic life skills like cooking, carpentry, plumbing, accounting. Counselors and tutors were on hand for guidance. Trainers were there for basic self-defense, so they could defend themselves if the need arose.

Some described it as a dorm that offered extracurricular activities. And she expected everyone to pull their weight while they lived here. To help clean up, do laundry, wash dishes, and help with cooking. All the chores were rotated, so nobody would complain about being assigned the same tasks, over and over again.

But to these kids who had nowhere to go, it was a place they could call home.


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