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Chapter 4 - Orphan - Part 2

“The place is located near a lake, and I needed to take some photographs for a project a few months back.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it would keep my intimacy intact a bit longer.

“Cool,” he said and focused back on the road.

In reality, I’d received an assignment to portray something personal. After thinking long and hard, I came up with the orphanage because it was the most personal I could get. Of course, the orphanage wasn’t the one that Ludmilla and I had been at when we were younger. However, after checking out the place, I was reminded of the same feeling of dread, sorrow and lost hopes and dreams.

It had been a challenge, but my project had scored me top marks.

While I spent time there, I got to know some of the kids. They weren’t related, but they clung to each other like peas in a pod. They’d been playing outside one day, and the boy had accidentally stumbled over my equipment in the grass.

And that was the start of a beautiful friendship. Ever since then, I’d been going out there as often as possible.

Harry parked close to the orphanage, and I was the first out of the car. Grabbing my camera bag, I hooked it over my shoulder and waited while Harry locked the car.

“Do you think it’s okay if I’m with you?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. They don’t get that many visitors, and they’ve always loved it when I brought Danny here. I’m sure they won’t mind.” I smiled.

We walked on the pathway and up the massive set of stairs. It was an old building, where the children and their caretakers lived year around. It used to be more crowded they’d said, but with the advance in foster care, these places were becoming rarer.

I saw some older kids play ball on the grass outside, and I pointed the lake out for Harry to see.

“It’s beautiful here,” he said.

“I think so too.” I opened the door, walking into the main hall. I smiled at the woman who was reading to a couple of younger kids in the corner and pointed upstairs.

She nodded in return while never stopping her tale.

I’d been such a regular visitor that most of the staff were used to me by now. I didn’t know most of their names, since different age-groups had different caretakers, but they all knew who I was here for now.

We walked towards the stairs when I heard the loud sound of someone cheering. Looking up, I noticed a blonde girl running downstairs to us.

“Cami. You came!” she exclaimed and threw herself into my arms, almost knocking me over.

“Hey, Hannah.” Laughing, I squeezed her back. “I told you I would.”

“Who’s that?” the boy asked from the staircase, he was eying Harry suspiciously.

“That’s my friend, Harry,” I said. Gesturing, I presented them to each other. “Harry meet Amir and Hannah. The two worst troublemakers I’ve ever met.”

Hannah giggled slightly. “That’s not true.”

Harry extended his hand to her. “Pleasure to meet you, Hannah.”

She took it, shaking it carefully. “I know you.”

“You do?” He raised his eyebrows. “Where from?”

“You’re on the TV a lot,” Amir said as he walked down and took his usual place beside Hannah. “You’re popular, right?”

Harry met my eyes, and then ran a hand through his hair. Laughing nervously, he shrugged. “I guess you can say that, yeah.”