It's been more than two weeks since Dorothy Miller left the orphanage, but it seemed to Elizabeth that a human lifespan passed since then.
She still did not get used to the thought that she would never see again the one who was always with her. That's why, she seemed to see her every day sitting at the table where they usually ate, waiting for her in their room, or going down the stairs ...
Not once did she run after her, grabbed her by hand, took her in her arms and held her tight and ... and only then did she see that it wasn't Dorothy Miller, but another girl. Every time it was like this ...
Could it be anything harder than losing the last person who really cared about you? The only family you ever had ... when you were meant to not have no family ...
…
"Hello," an elegantly dressed gentleman, wearing a long black coat to his knees over an expensive suit, with lacquered leather shoes, as only a lord could wear greeted respectfully. The gentleman just entered a small office.
Under the stylish hat, one could see how his hair, which had once been completely golden, began to get the hue of silver. His movements were so skilful that he seemed to be trained at the Queen's most famous school of courtesans.
Only his huge glasses, under which two sky blue eyes kept shining, did not seem to be part of his outlook. Those glasses placed on the slightly turned-up nose, almost completely lessened the handsome physical features of the elegant gentleman.
The other gentleman, who sat at an office as old as himself, on a chair without a back, was the director of the orphanage.
"I'm Mr. Harp ... Aaron Harp. How can I help you ... so early?" the orphanage director said staring at the modest watch he was proudly wearing on his wrist.
"Benjamin ... Green," the smart gentleman introduced himself.
Mr. Harp was an older man, bald, neatly dressed but rather modest, being fat and round like a donut.
It was obvious that he did not feel very comfortable in the presence of the well-dressed gentleman. He felt… inferior. And this bothered him far more than anything, even more than the fact that the children in that orphanage had nothing to eat that morning.
"I came after one of the children."
"Really…? I have to tell you that it is not so easy to get a child. You need an important signature from ..."
"I have an order from the Social Assistance Organization ... it is signed, stamped. Sealed ... absolutely everything.
Mr Green called a boy:
"Johnny, get my bag!"
A boy of about eleven years old, cleanly dressed, but with stitched, too small clothes for his age, as thin as a stick and blond as if he were born from the sun's rays when they touched the earth, ran to the two gentlemen. He came in a flash with that bag. The boy stopped near Mr. Benjamin's chair and waited quietly.
Mr. Harp watched Mr. Benjamin taking out a paper bearing a bright red seal. When the letter was handed to him, he broke the seal and read the paper. It was indeed signed and stamped. And the frown on his face made it clear that he was extremely unhappy.
"So ... you came after Elizabeth Edwards. We waited for someone else. But, an order is an order."
He stood up and walked to the door.
"Michael! Go and bring Elizabeth Catherine Edwards to my office. Tell her to get ready because she is leaving!"
Then he went back to his office.
"You know, we are sorry we lose Elizabeth from our care home. We love this girl very much ..."
"I'm sure Mr. Harp," Mr. Benjamin smiled obviously ironically.
Mr. Harp began to walk calmly around the bookcase in his office. He has some diplomas displayed on this bookcase with insignificant achievements of his. Nothing special, considering that they were just papers, but very important to him ... because these papers fuelled his pride and lack of modesty.
"I manage this orphanage for two decades. Two decades when over two hundred children came to live here. Two hundred and seventeen children more exactly. And of these children, only fourteen left sooner, killed by various diseases."
He turned quickly and looked at Mr. Benjamin, smiling:
"You know this means less than ten per cent."
"A little over six per cent actually ... but that's less important. Poor children ..."
"And for over seven years ... this little girl came to us. This Elizabeth Edwards. Who brought me more trouble than joy.
"We make our trouble or happiness, Mr. Harp..."
"You know I think that ..."
But Mr. Harp didn't finish his words. Elizabeth entered the door.
"Good day, kid, don't you know how to say hello?"
The girl looked at Mr. Benjamin. His presence somewhat frightened her ...
"Especially since he will be ... the one to replace me from now on. He will be your father."
"My father is dead," said the little girl half-heartedly.
Yet, she looked at Mr. Benjamin respectfully, whom she could not treat otherwise, especially if you compared him to Harp. So she greeted him decently:
"Good day."
Mr. Benjamin slightly bowed his head in greeting, without smiling.
"Sometimes there are some ..." Harp searched for his words but could not find them.
"Some little rats, some bitches," Mr. Benjamin ended Harp's words, standing up. "These kids think life is easy outside the orphanage. That's not true. They don't understand that we help them survive. We offer them a warm fireplace, a glass of water and some food. We offer them life... without us they would be dead. Instead we just want a little gratitude."
Mr. Harp began to like this elegant gentleman in all respects, so he approved him with gentle movements of his head, all smiles.
"You're right."
Mr. Benjamin looked at one of Mr. Harp's diplomas carefully. Then he looked at Mr. Harp and smiled:
"Unfortunately, Mr. Harp, only these papers acknowledged your intense involvement and your sacrifice to save these children. No matter how many qualities we have, people don't know how to appreciate us. However, I promise I will talk to the Director of the Association and you will surely be rewarded accordingly."
Harp was swept up by Mr. Green's words his eyes twinkling with joy as someone finally recognized his merits and nodded his head to show that he really deserved more for the sacrifice he made.
"They do not see children as we see them ... some little letches, who want to have everything readymade."
Mr. Benjamin frowned at Johnny as he spoke these words. Mr. Harp was crazy about this man so precisely for his taste.
"This girl for example. I will take her and feed her and offer her a warm bed. Without having a claim from her. Just a little help ... to earn some money so I can feed her. Because money doesn't grow on trees ..."
Poor Elizabeth was frightened. She didn't think it could be anything worse than the orphanage so hostile. Yet, unfortunately it looked like she was wrong. In this world where there were no more good people, any time evil could be replaced by something much worse. She heard this, so she was terrified that what was to come was not good anyway. At least for her ...
"We live in a world where to have, you must give, kid," Mr. Benjamin looked frowningly at Elizabeth.
He then turned to Mr. Harp:
"Am I right, Mr Harp?"
"Of course, Mr. Green. Of course ... They are little pukes who want to do nothing, just play and take advantage of us."
"I will not let the children believe people will give them everything. I will provide them with education consistent with what happens in the world. My parents offered me nothing, I had to work. I was also sick, almost dying of pneumonia, but I never stopped working.
He slightly got closer to Mr. Harp.
"I had to steal to get what to eat. I was in prison for this, in the worst detention possible, but I learned my lesson. Now I try to educate children through work. Age doesn't matter when it comes to work. You have to work, otherwise you get to jail ... Isn't that Mr. Harp?