He watched them, the couple he was to call his parents. His adoptive parents. He had been adopted. He almost pinched himself again, just to make sure he was real, breathing. What were the odds? A fourteen year old boy, two years orphaned, and suddenly adopted. They had told him, when he first stepped into the orphanage that no one, no one, ever adopted any kid older than twelve. Don’t you have any other relatives who would take you in? That would be better than here, surely. Parents liked toddlers. Babies. Nobody wanted a young man, almost full grown, with a mind of his own, a life that they couldn’t understand and didn’t want to, probably. But here he was.
He exhaled, realising that he had been holding his breath. You’re answering my prayers aren’t you? Or is this a new hell?
“Don’t you want to go up and rest, dear?”
Mom. He was supposed to call her mom. “Okay, mom.”
“Siti will take you up,” she smiled at his uncertainty. “Don’t worry, you’ll fit in in no time.”
He followed the maid up the stairs (with banisters!) into a room as large as the orphanage’s sitting room. He was still inspecting the posters on the wall when she came into the room with a soft knock.
“This used to be his room,” Mrs Lee said.
“I…”
“You looked so much like him, I couldn’t help it.”
“Oh.”
“You like it, don’t you?”
He nodded mutely, even though he hadn’t heard of half the bands on the walls.
“Well. I… I better let you have a rest. You’ve had a long day. Good night.”
She left the room almost as abruptly as she had entered it, leaving a bewildered Daniel still staring at the spot where she had been standing.
What have I gotten myself into?
---
I'm (supposed to be) working on a script for a musical theatre piece my church wants to put up in August. We've already hashed out the story line, except for the ending - the one we have still doesn't seem strong enough (to me, at least). I wrote about 2 scenes for it about two weeks ago (when I was free) and figured I still don't know enough about the characters to be able to flesh it out properly, so I wrote this very short short. Which makes the mother seem a little delusional and creepy, but she's not supposed to be.
I'll expand on it a little later when I have more time.
Except time is something I don't seem to have anymore.
