At last Daisy had to take care of the child until she was able to walk. The orphanage didn't have the necessary structure for newborns yet, still better than nothing.
Calla overcame her weakness and managed to walk at the age of three. What really surprised Daisy thought was how the child started talking days after completing 2 years old. Complicated words as well.
Calla was an odd kid. Daisy only recalls her crying twice. Once on vaccination day, she was 1 year and 4 months old and the other time when she, while crawling, struck her head at the door's corner. Calla got her first bump and cried for the second time at the age of a 1 year and 9 months. That was it.
Daisy had a journal of all the things the kid did, she thought the orphanage would need to know about the kid's preferences, fears and habits.
Surprisingly Calla was simple to figure it out. Even though she was diagnosed with pulmonary failure, it was considered to be the mild kind and since she left the hospital Calla haven't been hospitalized again. She was a quiet and calm child. She never complained, cried, she slept soundly at night, walked properly, a bruise here and there but nothing serious. Daisy and her grandmother were always worried about her but with no real need. She was no trouble at all and now she started talking.
Daisy was quite sad because the child wouldn't call her mom or aunt, only Ms. Daisy; she would though, call grandmother granny. Calla knew how to say, yes, no, please, go away, help, bring me food, poop and things like that. In no time she would be formulating phrases and striking conversations.
Now Daisy only waited for Calla's documentation to be processed and soon enough she would be able to enroll her at the orphanage.
...
Soon enough means a year later, of course, thank you notary's office for your "diligent" work.
Calla was now 3 years old. She talked fluently and mope she had learned how to write and read... by herself... Yep, the kid is probably a genius and Daisy doesn't want that to be known. To much attention would bring to much of a headache.
Now Daisy's worries changed figure. Calla is antisocial. She's extremely quiet, wary of others and gets really sad every time someone new approaches her.
That day, it seemed she had realized what was going on. She realized that after this drive she won't be coming back to her granny. She had seen the bags packed with all of her belongings. They have never traveled. This wasn't a trip.
Calla Amara knew this was a goodbye. She hugged her granny one last time, kicked the hateful door frame and said bye to the musty smell. Compared to the hospital, the only place she had to compare, her house was extremely dirty yet, it is her home. It was.
Calla felt sad but thought it to be a nuance if she made it clear. She wouldn't cry.
And just for the record she did cry. She cried at lot but never did she ever cried in front of the big humans. She felt uncomfortable with that.
...
Daisy got a fright when they arrived at the orphanage. She could only see boys playing around. It's been more then a year since they've changed their policy to welcome girls. Where are them?
As for Calla, she had never associated herself with little boys. She knew concept, she has seen the images yet it didn't ring a bell for her 3 year old self. All she saw were noisy, smelly and ugly weird looking "girls".
Calla Amara had quite the mouth and fortunately she would rarely say those things out loud.
Many times she wanted to tell Daisy that she had bad breath yet, she didn't. She wanted to tell granny that she knew the dog wasn't the one farting, they had no dog, yet Calla didn't wish to embarrass her farty grandma. She found herself to be a saint really.
Daisy left Calla waiting outside the door reading "headmaster" on it side by side with a weird looking uncle.
'Is this how hungry Santa looks like?' thought the girl. At the hospital, doctors never kept long beards. For Calla only Santa Klaus has a long beard but shouldn't he be supper fat, fluffy and cute? That's bugging her, it's not even Christmas, are those smelly weird creatures outside supposed to be the elfs?
She deemed herself to be the best child to have ever existed, so it only makes sense that she would be on Santa's list and would gain many presents.
Yet she never received one.
Santa never visits the poor she thought. Because of that she held a grunge towards Santa, Christmas and this man. Still, she pitied him, he looks hungry and bony.
The man by her side just couldn't stop himself from thinking how cute this shy little girl is without having a minimal idea of what was going through her mind.
Daisy was inquiring about the lack of girls and the headmaster simply stated that every time a girl was enrolled she got adopted shortly after. The longest a girl remained was a week. Their boys didn't have the same charm though...
Daisy was quite worried about Calla living with a bunch of boys but these news were music to her ears. She hurried all of the paper signing and in half an hour it was all settled.
The headmaster, Mr. Lu, was actually surprised. He read her files, historic and journals and found the girl to be quite interesting.
Daisy didn't open up about Calla's "inheritance" but she spared no details on talking about the girl's past. Her heartless father and mentally ill mother, Mr. Lu was actually more surprised with Daisy.
To him, this women took care of the poor kid for 3 years and didn't develop any feelings towards her. She even rushed the processes of admission to have her hands free quicker. He found the girl to be lucky because at least now, he thought, she would have the chance to have a bright future.
Mr. Lu thought it was probably because of the girl's unstable health that made the woman in front of him unable to love her. Still Calla seems to be incredible, 3 years old and she walks, speaks, reads and writes. There are 5 years olds that can't do half of all of this. Most of his boys couldn't...
He promised to himself he would do his best to help her, she doesn't deserve all the pain she's been put through. Yet he can't take out of his mind how this very day might traumatize her. The woman that brought her up until now is going to desapear. Poor child.
As for Daisy, she wouldn't show it but she was depressed. She doesn't wish to part with Calla yet her selfishness won. She stressed her grandmother for 3 years to take care of a child who was not the old woman's granddaughter. She also lost uncountable nights of sleep afraid that the kid would stop breathing at night. She has grown dependent of her. Daisy wouldn't be calm without knowing her whereabouts and checking her wellbeing.
Still, she had her dream. She didn't want this responsibility. It kills her to admit it, but she has no condition to take care of Calla. She is poor. All of Calla's clothes and toys were granted donations, she never had something that belonged solemnly to her. Not even her little ribbons.
Daisy didn't know that Calla couldn't care less and that she actually wished she could stop wearing dresses that got on the way of her walking and ribbons that made her have headaches. But how could she tell them that? She couldn't.
Daisy was sad because the girl never had a birthday party. She never received a Christmas gift. She never traveled. Actually Daisy consoled herself by thinking that Calla was only 3 years old and she wouldn't remember her harsh childhood.
Yet, the girl is a genius and by it self was like a slap on Daisy's face and hopes. She might remember it, she might resent her, she might be traumatized.
Daisy once thought that Calla was like a Party Favor, no one really wants it, they didn't went to the party because of it, it has that poem that no one really reads and the sack with cheap soap. No one could see value on her. Daisy got sad with the thought but it also made so much sense...
She's to ashamed to even say goodbye to Calla. Daisy only wishes for Calla's unlucky streak to be over, she wants her to be happy. Happier then she has ever been. A happy party favor. She hoped someone could see value on her...
Unfortunately wishes don't usually come true and little Calla still doesn't know any joy !!!