Budding Hope

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Maria

Sister Marcella wakes us earlier than usual. We are going on a planned hiking trip up one of the neighbouring mountains. A bunch of teachers from a school in the town organised it. Since we have apparently been well behaved and worked well on our studies, the sisters thought we could use an outing. They organised with the school for us to go on the trip with them in the mid-year break. We are all very excited. Most of us have spent forever in the orphanage and we’ve nearly forgotten how to make new friends. We are also very excited at the prospect of the boys that will be coming on the trip. Because the convent is an all-girls orphanage we’ve all had no or very little interaction with boys our age, or men in general. Even though I know I can never have a relationship with any of them I am still very excited. ‘Boys are boys after all’ as Camilla had pointed out a few days ago.

Mother Katarina interrupts our packing. She is holding the hand of a small girl. She looks about eleven years old, but since she will obviously be in our dorm I know she must be at least thirteen. She has golden hair, light skin and blue eyes, very different to everyone else in the room. Nearly all the girls at the orphanage are of a South American heritage. They are all olive skinned, with brown, straight hair and brown eyes. My green eyes and curls set me apart from then even though I adjusted my hair colour and skin years ago when Nora was still here. She looks around at us nervously. Some of the girls still hold clothing in their hands and everyone is impatient to be packed and ready to go. Mother Katarina introduces the girl as Eliena Rose and tells us the usual prep talk for new kids. Be nice, help them out and don’t push them for information. Mother Katarina takes Eliena out of the room and down the hallway to get her some clothes. Probably a bag as well; I assume she will still be coming with us. We all rush back to work, filling our bags with all the clothes and things we will need. Camilla runs into the room her shirt bulging with a hidden package. She closes the door behind her breathing heavily. We all look to her, intrigued by what she has for us.

“Camilla, what have you brought?” Rosa asks.

A smile spreads across Camilla’s face and from under her shirt she brings out a bulging plastic bag. She empties its contents onto one of the beds; Lollies, hundreds of lollies. There are so many chocolates and lollypops and toffee that I cannot focus on them all at once. It’s more than I have ever seen at one time. Camilla starts dividing them between us, giving each of us an equal share of the candy. Our faces are all bright with excitement.

“Where did you find these?” one of the girls asks in bewilderment.

“I brought them really cheap from one of the corner stores near the church.” She answers

“Where-ever did you find the money?” another girl asks.

“Last week when I went with Carla into town to spread the word of god I came across a $20 note,” she says with a smile. “I thought I could put it to good use and buy us all sweats for the journey up the mountain.”

We quickly pack our lolly and chocolate piles into our bags. We stash the plastic bag and receipt deep in the bin outside the room. Just as we have gotten rid of all the evidence Mother Katarina renters with Eliena. We all realise in an instant that we did not set aside any for her. After talking to Eliena for a few more minutes Mother Katarina finally goes, leaving Eliena standing in the doorway awkwardly with a bag full of clothes. We all stare at her and she stares back her cheeks flushing red. I make the first move. I walk towards Eliena and the door. Every set of eyes in the room follow my movements. I close the door and move back towards my bed and open my bag. From within it I pull out a small handful of my lollies. I set them on the spare bed next to mine. The other girls follow suite until the pile is the size of the rest of ours. All of this occurs in complete silence and when it’s done we all look towards Eliena. A small, shy smile creeps onto her face. She looks around the room quickly before moving to the bed and setting down her things. All the girls get back to packing, satisfied with their strange welcome. I am already finished though so instead I sit on the bed next to Eliena.