Doorstep Baby

Emancipation

"You can't control me, Frannie, not anymore," I said as I walked out of my foster mom's house with my things.

"Sydney, you better get your ass back here!" she yelled as she stepped on the front porch.

"Sorry, can't do that. Like I said, no control over me." I put my things in the trunk of the yellow cab, then walked over to open the cab's back passenger door. "Maybe in another life, Frannie, but for now, you can shove it up your ass." I gave her the middle finger and then got in the cab. "Courthouse," I said to the cab driver. Everything I owned was shoved into my purse and a big duffel bag, and you might think that sucked, but it was the best day I'd had in my life. It was finally my day in court.

Later I stood in the courtroom next to my social worker. The judge came in and said we could sit down.

"Sydney, can you tell me why I should emancipate you?"

"Sir, I've saved every penny I have ever found or made in a bank account. I got my first job 2 years ago, and I still have that job. I'm also first in line for the manager position, and I have around 12,000 dollars saved, and I just won a $10,000 grant that I'll get after I complete my first year of university. I'm also on track to receive a Bright Futures Scholarship at the 100% level. I've already found an apartment near my job and the high school," I said. My social worker, Mary Murphree, stood up.

"Your Honor, Ms. Carson is a straight-A student."

"Ms. Carson, how long have you been in the foster system?" the judge asked.

"I've been in the foster system my whole life. My mother--or I don't know, maybe my father--dropped me off at the doorstep of the orphanage with a note saying my name and that I was born five hours prior to that. I was born with a hole in my heart, which caused me to be on and off an operating table 'til I was around two, and I had a lot of physical therapy after that."

The judge listened, and nodded. He knew that meant nobody wanted me, so I went on.

"Sir, I'm telling you the truth, nobody wants kids, everyone wants a baby. They don't want a sick one, either. And the foster system sucks. I hear there are some foster parents who really are good people, but you couldn't prove it by me. With one exception, mine all loved that check, and that's about it. You would be doing any kid who can support themselves a favor by giving them an emancipation. And sir, I am that kid."

"I can see that you are determined. Ms. Murphree, what is your opinion of Ms. Carson's appeal to the court?"

"Sydney is a remarkably responsible girl, and she is very determined to make this work. Besides her savings and her job, she has also created a budget, and even if she loses employment for a year or more, she can easily get by until graduation. She's done everything I would expect a mature adult to do before moving out, Your Honor."

"Hmm. She could teach my brother-in-law a thing or two." The courtroom erupted in chuckles.

"Okay, Ms. Carson, I am happily surprised to say that I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to live on your own." He took a minute to write something down. "Ms.Carson, I'm giving you the emancipation."

I had a good feeling that things would go my way today, but I still felt relief wash over me.

After the court session was over, I got the temporary papers saying I was emancipated (they told me the official documents would come by registered mail), and I left right away, heading to the apartment complex where I'd found a place. 

"So when can I move in?" I asked the apartment manager, Cindy.

"As soon as you want. We house teens fresh out of school, single parents, and the like. We like to make sure when a person needs to move in, they can do it as soon as possible," she said. She unlocked the door to the apartment, and we walked in. It wasn't much, one of those one-room apartments. The kitchen area was nice, and the bathroom was blocked off by walls, so I could see it was pretty good sized.