Chapter 11: Finding a New Purpose in Life
Loreen realized some of the staff of the resort and some of the locals around were looking at her. They seem puzzled.
Some even looked at her with warning. It was because they knew the girl was a street kid for some time now.
Loreen smiled at them assuring them everything would be okay.
She reached out for the first aid kit and tended to the girl's cuts. Meanwhile, the little girl stared at her, disbelief and wonder all over her face.
The girl winced when Loreen rinsed the wound with water.
"I'm sorry. It will hurt a bit, but we have to clean it first. Here, you eat this candy while I clean your wounds."
Loreen handed the girl a candy from her bag. She had bought some earlier in case she got hungry on the hike but did not feel like eating something.
Ever since her divorce, Loreen barely had any appetite. All the food she had been eating these days tasted like sand.
Due to the hike, she got a sweet candies to do the job so she won't pass out.
"Thank you, ma'am," the little girl finally spoke.
Loreen smiled.
'Look at her. She is such a cute kid when she smiles. Why was no one helping her?'
Loreen continued tending to the little girl's wound while she was focused on the candy.
"Alright. All done," she packed her first aid kit again.
"Thank you, ma'am. I still can't believe someone helped me this time," the girl beamed.
Loreen felt a pang at that. It meant the girl had been bullied before too, but no one helped her. The people here simply watched.
'How could they not help her? Is it because she's a street kid?'
"If I may ask, why are those kids doing such things to you?"
"Because they said my mother is a prostitute. She only comes home occasionally, leaving me in our rented room. Everybody here won't help me because of my mom. So, I can only help myself. If I stay in our room, I will die starving. So, I need to go out and eat whatever the tourists left on their tables," the little girl explained.
She felt a lump in her throat. She almost cried at the girl's explanation.
As much as there are responsible parents who take care of their children there are also parents who could simply abandon their child.
It made Loreen furious, but she kept a cool facade. She had been having difficulties having a child yet here was a child being ignored and not taken care of by her parents.
'If it's true that her mother was a prostitute, she must have gotten pregnant accidentally.'
This girl was not part of her parents' plans. Someone people call an unwanted child. But even so, this girl was still their flesh and blood, yet they were treating her like this. It was utterly irresponsible.
This was exactly why birth control and family planning were important.
Parents needed to be ready before having a child so the child would not suffer due to the parent's lack of preparedness.
'I also accidentally got pregnant, but I was working back then.'
Loreen had some savings and a stable salary she could have used even if Edric did not offer to marry her.
She already had health and life insurances as well in case something happened to her. Though she was not ready for a child, her finances were already stable back then.
She could have continued working and supported her child even if she had to do it all alone. She would never let her child wander the streets like this, exposed to dangerous elements.
'How could everyone treat her this way because of her mother? No matter what her mother does, this girl is just a child. Children should be protected. Why are they shunning and ignoring her even when other kids are bullying her?' Loreen was angry and frustrated.
"You have not eaten yet, right? Come with me, I will order some food. You eat first before going home," Loreen smiled at the little girl.
"Really?" The little girl's eyes instantly brightened up at the mention of food.
"Yes."
Loreen gestured to one of the staff to bring a menu to her cottage. She ordered food she knew children would love and the girl's overwhelmed expression made her heart ache even more.
Every child deserves to be fed well. Yet, this child was eating leftovers where she could find one which was why she was so overwhelmed with normal food that kids her age eat.
Loreen grew up in a poor family, but she at least had fresh and warm food to eat. Her grandma and grandpa had a farm which was the source of their daily meals.
She missed her grandparents even more. She was grateful they were around to raise her. If they were not, she would have become a street kid as well or grew up in an orphanage.
"Eat slowly so your tummy won't ache later," Loreen patted the girl when she got too excited and ate too quickly.
When the girl was done eating, Loreen decided to accompany her home. But first, she bathed the girl and had one of the staff buy clothes for her to wear.
The ones the girl was wearing earlier needed to be changed since they were dirty and smelly and had holes here and there.
When they were heading to the girl's place, the people who saw them kept whispering to each other.
"T-this is your room?!" Loreen was shocked as the little girl showed her the room they were renting.
It was so small, very dirty, and dark. There was no light bulb, no bed, no bedding, no kitchen, or any of the basic needs.
The girl slept in old cardboard boxes and there was even no lock for the door. It was not a place to live.
While Loreen was still there inspecting the place, the landlord suddenly came.
"You are finally back. You can't stay here anymore. Your mother had not paid four months of rent," the landlord screamed.
It was dark and he did not enter the room, so he did not even notice Loreen standing in the corner.
The little girl froze in fear and simply nodded.
"Get whatever things you have and never come back here. If I see you here tomorrow, I will kick you out," the landlord walked away still ranting about all sorts of things.
Loreen wanted to tell him off that there was no need to scream but this was his house, a place for rent so payment was indeed necessary.
"Why don't you come with me for the meantime?" Loreen offered since it was already nighttime, and the kid had nowhere to go.
The girl looked like she was about to burst into tears and did not know what to do.
Loreen sighed deeply. She felt so bad for the girl.
'This was the fault of this girl's irresponsible parents,' she thought in fury. 'They only thought of themselves and simply abandoned the child.'
She held the girl's hands tightly and convinced her to come with her instead. It was two hours before closing time so the mall nearby was still open. She needed to buy more clothes for the child to wear.
She let the little girl choose but she was embarrassed and still fearful after getting yelled at by the landlord, so Loreen chose for her. She bought her several pairs and the girl cried in delight.
They then headed to her hotel room.
After knowing that the girl could no longer return to the rented room, Loreen could not stomach just letting the girl be a full-fledged street kid. She needed to do something for the child.
'Oh, right. They have a branch nearby!'
Loreen remembered the NGO she used to work with three years ago. There was a branch nearby. She could have the girl rescued there.
She opened her laptop and sent an email to her former colleagues hoping they would read it even late that night or at least tomorrow morning.
To Loreen's surprise, someone replied immediately.
It was Anne. Her former trainee. She happened to be assigned there.
Anne willingly came to her place and picked up the girl.
"Thank you very much, beautiful and kind ma'am," the little girl hugged her and thanked her before leaving.
Loreen almost cried as the little girl kept waving while the car drove away.
Seeing the child and Anne reminded her of her work three years ago.
'What a day,' Loreen sighed deeply as she walked to her room.
She suddenly felt so tired. Probably from the hike this morning and likewise going from one place to another with the child.
Yet, she finally felt alive.
This day was exhausting but her encounter with the little girl made her realize that it was not the end yet for her.
Even that young little girl who was abandoned by her mother was fighting so hard to live.
She was not giving up on life despite not having anything.
'I am still far too lucky compared to all the suffering people in the world.
'I need to get up and face reality.'
Loreen did her best to look at her divorce in a positive light.
She was single again.
She no longer had to be considerate about her husband before doing something.
She could do as she pleases now.
'That's right. I can work. I can study. I can travel as I please.
'I can do whatever I want!
'Why didn't I think about this sooner?!'