An other daughter

WELCOME TO THE 'FAMILY'...

This lady is one of the worst kind. All she said to Jasmine in the last hour was get in the car and hurry up. They were at her house and Jas packed everything that came into her hands. This was probably the last time she would be in this house the girl wishs she had more time to walk around and feel near to her mom but Ms Carter wasn't very patient and rushed for her to get the things and get out of there.

Now the two are standing in front of the foster home and Jasmine is hesitant to take the last steps towards the house.
" Now please don't just stand here. Go on we are late as it is."
Rolling her eyes Jasmine follows the lady  inside. In the entrance hall stands a man with a frown on his face.
" Good evening Mister Hendriks. I am sorry that I have to disturb you but I am bringing you a new one here."
The man nods and looks at the teenager behind the social worker.
" Whats your name, girl?" he clearly is not a friendly kind of guy.
" Jasmine."
" How old are you?"
" Fifteen."
" So you technically old enough to look after your own needs."
Jasmine looks confused but before she can ask what Hendriks meant the hall his full of other children. They all stop and look at the new girl.
" This is Jasmine. Take her to the girls room and help her unpack." Mr Hendriks barks. They walk up the stairs and slowly Jas follows. The room they show her is small and full with the three beds it contains and a shelf.
" The bed by the window is yours. By the way I'm Chrissy." a girl Jas' age with long blond curls introduces herself, smiling encouragingly. The rest of them just stands back and let Chrissy do the talking.
" This is Darren." She points to a little boy, maybe seven years old. He has black hair that he wears at shoulderlenght.
Next Chrissi points out a little girl not much older than the boy.
" Her name is Mary she doesn't talk much." Mary looks like a little angel. She has rosy cheeks and her sweet face is framed with strawberry blond curls.
" There is an other boy living here but he is out with his friends at the moment. His name is Daniel he is sixteen. I am fifteen and Darren and Mary are six and seven. How old are you?"
" I am fifteen as well."
" Thats great I don't have many friends but now I have someone my age to talk to and you can help me take care of the younger ones."
" What do you mean?" She shrugs sadly.
" The Hendriks aren't that interested in our well being. Daniel is out most of the time and I am left to care for this two alone."
" So they don't care for you at all? Don't make you meals or spend time as a group?" Jasmine doesn't want to call this arrangement  a family.
" No. But you can believe me when I say it's better this way. I don't like being shouted at and the little ones are scared as hell of Hendriks. Daniel often gets in trouble and argues with him and his wife but because he can't do much about Daniel he takes it out on the three of us."
This sounds so awful to Jasmine, she really doesn't want to have to stay there.
" You will know what I'm talking about in time but for now it's time for dinner. Come on guys we will see what I can provide us with." Chrissy says and turns to leave the room. The two kids follow her silently. In the doorway Chrissy looks back.
" You coming or what..?"
Jas snaps back to reality.
" Oh yes... yes I'm coming."

Downstairs Chrissy shows her the way to the kitchen and starts cooking pasta.
" Chrissy how long have you all been here? Can't you go somewhere else? Why do the Hendriks take children in if they don't want to bother with taking care of them."
Chrissy stirs the sauce before replying.
" I'm here for three month now. Darren came here a week after me and Mary joined us five weeks ago. Daniel isn't long here either only about nine days but caused already more trouble than I thought was possible. Why they take us in I don't know either but my guess is because of the money. Eventually we are send to the next family in a long row of foster homes but I don't know when that will happen or if they would be better."
Chrissy wipes over her eyes like she tries to not let unshed tears fall.
" At least this two stand a chance at being adopted." Chrissy nods towards Darren and Mary.
Jasmine didn't know much about the system until now but had heard that older children don't get adopted very often.
" Okay guys go wash up we can eat in a minute." Chrissy tries to change the atmosphere back to a more relaxed one.
" Where is the bathroom?"
" Darren, please show Jasmine where she can wash up."
The little boy nods and walks in the direction of the bathroom.
" Thanks, Darren." he smiles up at the new girl. She seems to be as nice as Chrissy is.
After Jas is finished in the bathroom she walks through the hall back to the kitchen. When she crosses the door to the living room she can see Mr Hendriks sitting on the sofa with a bottle of beer in his hand and four empty ones in front of him on the table. Oh my god what is wrong with this guy.

" Is he always drinking so much?" she asks Chrissy while washing the dishes after they ate.
" No, only when his wife doesn't come home and he doesn't know where she is or with whom she is."
" There must be a way to get out of this living hell."
" And were would you go? You wouldn't be here if you had a place to run of to."
She is right they all share the same fate.

This night Jasmine lies in her bed but can't sleep. Long after midnight the front door is thrown shut and someone stomps up the stairs. 
Jas looks up at the ceiling wishing the last couple of days were just a horrible nightmare.
Then exhaustion takes over andshe falls into a restless slumber.