ELOY

8: JAMES

Ada walks out of the office of the woman who runs the orphanage, meeting with me outside where I'm still staring at the path the young boy had left with his guardian.

"Wanna come in for a bit?" Ada beckons.

I smile at her, heading to answer her call, when I enter the office I get the feeling of a sacred room. The furniture, colors, and tone scream classical, maybe something passed down from generations. An aged woman is peering up at me from her glasses, she holds a stern expression naturally. I know children must be scared of her, she looks like the type of caretaker that would steal their privileges without a second thought.

"Mr. James," she nods her head slightly. She wears nun attire, so I have to refer to her as sister or mother.

"James will foster Elloy, for the time being." Ada hops in.

"Hm, I've heard you have children of your own." She starts.

"Five children." I smile politely.

"Impressive, have you fostered any child in the past?" She asks. I have felt like I was fostering my biological children sometimes but I guess that is not the answer.

"Not at all," I reply sincerely.

"Do you know about the child you're deciding to foster?" Her tone shifts to a deeper and more secretive one.

"Yes," I glance at Ada who nods confidently, "I know about his guardian and his past."

She opens a file with a familiar picture on it but I can't fully take in the face of the picture. "Elloy has records of being very violent, he beat some other child up last month violently, and we had to rush the child to the infirmary. He struggles to understand and doesn't stick to rules. He also has poor academic performance, he has no respect for belongings and causes trouble very often. He can be a danger to the kids around him if not watched properly." She highlights from the file. I felt a pang in my chest, from anger and disgust, how can anyone give away only bad records about a child? Does she mean him harm?

"He also does not communicate accurately but he is mostly quiet and responsible." She adds.

"I know," I say with a stern expression putting an end to her poisoning. "When can we help him move?"

She looks taken by my next question, "Next week Saturday. We'll prepare him for that." She simply says.

I'm already on my feet, "until then." I flash her a smile before leaving. Ada follows me with a frown.

"So quick?" She asks. "That was impolite."

"Yes, I don't like the atmosphere that revolves around her. Child accuser, wow." I scoff.

Ada laughs, "I bet she doesn't mean harm."

"It doesn't seem like it, maybe if they focus more on watching the children they will not be attempting more on throwing themselves down some staircase."

Ada pauses, "what do you mean?"

"I just saved a child from a fatal fall, and I don't think it was a mistake. The kid ran straight toward the stairs like he was trying to get away from something. Or someone. The boy was very scared and sad, he won't stop crying till I do the trick I do with Louis when he is sad. It helped a lot." I narrate to her.

"Thanks to you that little boy must be happy, I'm sure you'll help Elloy out a lot." She says.

"If he is really as she says," I demonstrate the quote signs, "he wouldn't be easy then."

"From the time I knew him, he was a peaceful child." Ada defends. "And like I said I never had the time to fully know him. Maybe he did change, after all, children are supposed to grow. Right?"

"Right." I nod.

I'm arriving home to a van blocking the driveway. It's Phineas throwing a party again? Dang, these kids.

I get out of the car strolling into the house getting ready to ruin a party. I unlock the door, revealing a messy setting room. Unpacked cartons here and there, the TV displaying one of Dreamworks movies with the cavemen family, and a son-in-law named Guy. Lucas is paying full attention to it, while Louis sits beside him with a book titled "Test of the Twins."

"Dad!" Kaila walks over to me with excitement. I extend my hand around her to give her a side hug.

"Guess what?" She giggles.

I smile at her innocent grin and giggles, she has aged but has not changed. To me she will remain little Alice in Wonderland.

"Uh, Sabastian is inviting me to dinner," I say out of the blue, referring to her fiancé.

"Nah, he is kinda scared of you by the way." She adds while flipping her hand, "Come and see! Come!" She grabs my arm leading me away, upstairs into the guest room that we have decided will belong to Elloy. It is right in between her and Caleb's room. She placed her hands over my eyes, I had to lower my height because she was way shorter. She slowly uncovers my view and I'm greeted by the sight of a horizon covered with wheat and grasses. I can see two lover antelope staring right at me from a distance. It feels so real, Kaila had sketched on the walls painting freedom itself on a land of wheat. I approach the wall reaching to touch but she jumps right in front of me shaking her head with a pout.

"Not dry." She pets my hand.

"This is wonderful." I smile, "you did it for Elloy?"

She nods, "Since he is a special little boy." She leans on my shoulder.

"I bet he'll love it." My smile fades, as I recall what the nun said about Elloy. It sounded like the characteristics of a troubled child. Maybe haunted by past memories.