ay. The warmth she felt when she stepped down from the bus made her wish she was back home with her grandma,

y. Clara brought out a novel by ''Jan

a lon

er pot with flowers placed on the window sill like in her room back home. She heard her door open and from the silhouette of the shadow coming towards her, she was sure it was a female. Her mum had finally come to welcome her

at that dream was trying to tell her. She tried concentrating on the scen

e chatting with another passenger or reading a

e to hide her feelings, so the other kids took advantage of this and made her the laughingst

into the night while others were eith

nd the girls feared her. There was a rumour then that she had supe

n her that Karen hated her and was going t

se rumors too, because she always granted

hem when dropped by mostly teenage mothers. ''Did you wet your bed again?'' ''I, I..." was all Clara was able to mutter still wondering how the puddle of water on her bed came about when the door opened sharply. The matron h

n laughing and wondered when she

many incidences that became a li

ard one of the girls yell the moment

st turned

, anyway. However, for those that did not have the luxury of their parents writing a little abou

ends, and she was in no mood that day. She had stayed up cle

dragged her back with her hair, demanding sh

e would have just said it because

her after pushing her to the f

rom previous fights. Not fights actually, but beatings s

aren had hit her head on th

hours later to find hersel

or something.'' The matron's voice was soft and gentle for the very first time. The nurse

d wash all the dirty dishes used in the

myself.'' Her head ached from the bruise on her head so she did not bother thinking of what that meant while she struggled with the dishes. However, every ni

did not need Karen to plant water on her bed

arted slowing down, she c

r dormitory from shouts due to her nightmares

them lose some of their precious sleep and in

get worse, her grandma came for he

l remember tha

's the one I want to adop

you sure this is your grandchild? She hadn't expected anyone to show up. It

ircase seven years back at about ten in the evening,

rs scattered everywhere. Her previous visits to the matron's office were not goo

ay, but she had never been allowed to attend any

oked at her all over after that, and she co

resh. No one needed to explain t

ew she was the one immediately she saw her. She was a brunette, which was common among the wo

inally came

en and the other orphans who had tormented her daily for many years, even after leaving the orphanage. This hatred was for 'her', the wom

today. Clara began preparing a list in her mind of

that would make her

t was exactly what she wan