- A short story
about a girl that changes in a few days -
My name is
Charlotte and I will tell you my life story. I started out as a girl in an
orphanage called “The Hope Place.” I went there with my two other siblings when
I was five because my dad was a gambler and my mom took care of us alone. He
did something bad. I don’t know exactly what but he ended up in a jail so my
mom had to work hard as a waitress, two shifts, weekends, or our off days from
school. She didn’t have enough time to take good care of us so we were taken
into “The Hope Place.” I felt like our parents abandoned us. It was a very depressing
experience. I still think that my mother loved us, but our father used to say:
“You are nothing more than a pain.” He drank a lot and was very rude to us.
Sometimes I would blame all of the bad things that happened to us on myself
because I thought that I was a black sheep of the flock, the oldest child that
made us leave our home and suffer. Now I have learned that I had nothing to do
with the fact that our parents left us.
About two years
since we were in “The Hope Place” and had gotten used to the residence we were
separated. My six years old sister, Samantha went to a boarding school for
gifted children. She had a passion and became good at playing piano. At the basement
of the orphanage there was an old piano with a music book. She sneaked in there
to play piano as often as possible. She taught herself how to read the music
and move her little fingers on the big piano keys. An older, rich lady noticed
her passion and talent and decided to pay for her tuition. She believed that Samantha
had a great future with her gift. I was really happy for my sister but
sometimes I wish that she was a normal child just like me and could stay to
keep me company. My brother named Larry, was transferred to an orphanage for
disabled children. When he was five the social worker at the orphanage has
noticed some delays in his development. Now I am left alone here with no one I
feel close to. When I was with my siblings, there was a part of my family still
with me. The good part. To have them near me was like healing for my soul and
sadness. I had someone to think about, worry about something other than myself
and about how bad our live was. In other orphanages the rule was to keep the
siblings together, but not in this one. We were separated.
I didn’t have a
good friend at “The Hope Place.” I was bullied. I was alone. Kids would always
try to compete for who was the best and who would get picked first to be
adopted. When a kid was adopted he or she would walked with pride and laugh at
us. Later, when they returned to visit us they would boast about their great
new lives. They would put on their best clothes and walk through the orphanage
as if they were fashion models. I never looked up to them because I knew that they
was equal to me and the only difference was their better luck to be adopted. I
tried not to be affected by their behavior, but their mean actions were hard to
bear. That made me feel very jealous, sad, and lonely. We all tried to be nice
and attractive for the new visitors, so they would want to adopt us. When they
were around, we acted like people they wanted to see, but when they were gone
we acted like ourselves. The adults always tried to conceal what they were
saying about us, but after a while our ears got trained for hearing their
whispers. Kids laughed at me when they overheard some visitors commenting my
look. The potential parents were trying to pick their ideal child. They looked
at our IQ, appearance, behavior... They had a mental chart and checked off the
characteristics they liked. To make us get adopted, the orphanage employees would
pull up our IQs and make us seem better than we were. This showed that they
knew we weren’t too attractive. They didn’t even hide it from us. The longer I
was at the orphanage, the more I got used to this discourteous behavior and
learned to ignore it. This meant that I was starting to give up. I didn’t want
to be judged for what I said so I grew quieter with each day. I wasn’t pretty
or special in any way. With time I became overweight. No one wanted to adopt me.
I didn’t like how the adopting parents made the selection process. It was a
horrible experience when we were invited to their house so they could watch us and
make a judgment. Sometimes I was getting used to the family and new life. It
was hard to return to the orphanage with hope. The adoption center was giving
us a sneak peak of the real world. This just made our lives worse because we
were getting a taste of a future family that was not for us. It felt like the
orphanage workers were making us try harder and be better than we were. What
makes me sad is that the people who visited “The Hope Place” thought that
orphans are not smart or civilized. That was not true. We were attending schools,
going to the theaters, visiting museums. It is true that we had lower grades than
kids who had tutoring and help from their parents. I personally had hard time
at school. I was shy and sad which distracted me from learning.
Many people still think
that orphanages look bad, with many beds lined up in one room, where kids are
squished and badly dressed. In the past the government was trying to find the
cheapest way to take care of unwanted children. Now it is different because
there are less kids per orphanage and they receive better treatment. In “The
Hope Place” there are social workers, psychologist and all sort of therapist
who helped us feel better, do better, or look better. But it is still not the
same as having a real family. Many doctors and therapists came to test our
mental health, emotions, interactions, and IQ. I didn’t like it because they treat
us without care or love.
Despite my
negative experience, I always believed that parents should do a lot more than
just making sure that a child has food and shelter. I know that parents play an
important role in a child's mental development. Parents are role models that
educate children how to be good people and citizens. They shape their
personality and character. They also help kids with school work, give
thoughtful advice and are friends. They teach them good habits and help them
learn from their mistakes. The problem for me was not the way the orphanage
looked and the conditions we had, but that we didn’t get enough attention and love
from the people who supposed to care for us. Now I was much old and have gone
through a lot. I recall the orphanage as a cold and dark place, not because of its
look, but because of the lack of emotions and deep sadness I once experienced.
The best day of my
life was when a young couple with a little girl came to “The Hope Place.” The
girl was about five. She was wearing a cute pink dress and a big bow. She
smiled and pointed to me. She skipped and said, “Hi, I’m Cindy. I have a pretty
doll. Do you want to play with us?” “That would be a lot of fun.” I answered. She
grabbed my hand and pulled me to the sofa. She sat down and put her doll on my
laps. “Her name is Lucy. Lucy is looking for a friend, just like you. Would you
like to be our friend? I think she likes you.” I smiled, took a deep breath and
said, “I would love to. I like her too.” Cindy was not shy, unlike me and very
eager to talk. She looked straight into my eyes and asked many questions. I was
expected to talk, to answer back and to play, and I did it all. She told me
about her school, her teachers and friends. She showed me pictures of her dog,
garden and room. She was cheerful and very energetic. For once I wasn’t shy. I
felt like a different person, happy and as light as a feather. She reminded me
of my dear sister Samantha whom I missed so much. Cindy’s parents were very
excited that we were getting along. They talked to me for a long time and
finally asked me to tell them my life story. They didn’t want to test me, they
just said, “We trust Cindy and Lucy. We want to adopt you if you give us a
chance.” I felt like the happiest girl in the world. I wanted to scream and
jump up and down just like Cindy. My dream finally came true! I already love my
new parents for the fact that they didn’t care how I looked, what my grades
were or where my father was. They didn’t judge me. They gave me a chance to be
myself and time to become one of them. From the very beginning we were a happy
family.
On the way to my
new home, I learned that my new father was an editor and my new mother was a
real estate agent. Their biggest dream was to have two kids. When we got
home Cindy was asleep. I help my mom to carry Cindy to her bed. She took my
hand and walked me to my new room. “Welcome home Charlotte. I’m glad you are
with us. Everything here belongs to you.
Now take your time and when you are ready come downstairs for dinner.” She
kissed me and left me alone. From the very beginning I felt at home. The room
was very pretty and modern. It was a good fit for my plain and simple
character. My own room. I sat on the bed and got into my deep thoughts. I don’t
know exactly for how long but long enough for chicken to smell roasted. At the dinner
I got my first phone. In every way my new parents wanted to make up for the
hardships I had experienced in the past. They haven’t realized that since the
very minute they adopted me, they made me the happiest person in the world. We
talked and laughed. My new dad had a great sense of humor! When it was getting
late, my mom walked me up to my room to tuck me in. She went back down to talk
more with my father.
The next day they
told me about their plans for my sport activities and about wanting me to stay
in the 9th grade for another year. I didn’t object because I knew that they
loved me and were doing that for my own good. They had planned everything very
carefully, so I could have a great life and be a successful person. My little
sister made me a pretty card, obviously pink. I felt sorry that I didn’t have
anything for her, but thought, “I will make it up a million times for what you
have done for me. I will always remember that special moment and will give back
one day, I will make someone happy too.”
Because of my new family,
my mindset and personality had changed a lot. My mom often hugged me, tucked me
in before I went to bed which I really liked. This was probably because she
knew that kids from the orphanage don’t get a lot of love. She wanted to
compensate everything. For once I felt like I had a real family. I was happy. Cindy
was a very sweet sister who made me laugh. Thanks to her I opened up. I enjoyed
reading to her every night. Some evenings I was so tired that I would fall
asleep with her while I was reading and I stayed there till the dawn.
My new life was almost
perfect except that, when I started school, I was getting bullied. Once I was
pushed towards the locker and laughed at. The kids seemed big to me and
powerful. The long hallway appeared longer. I was scared. I was also called different
names: “pig face”, “bear”, “beast”, “beefcake”, “big mac”, “burrito”, “butcher
girl”, “chunk”, or “hippo.” If someone didn’t know my name they would say, “That
new fat girl”. I didn’t like that. I was heavy and wanted to change it, but I
didn’t know how.
One day my parents
decided to sign me up for swimming lessons. At first I didn’t really want to go
because I was afraid that teachers would laugh at me. With time I’ve started to
love it. I had an amazing coach who taught me a lot. He put countless effort
into helping me. He actually truly wanted me to become a great swimmer. When I
was succeeding it became our shared achievement. I went to competitions and it
turned out that I was a good swimmer, one of the top five. I also started
losing weight and became strong. It seemed like my body was built for this type
of work out.
On top of
swimming, I also went to the gym with my mother and ran with my father. I
enjoyed both.
Running with my dad was lot of fun because we could talked about everything.
Dad was a person who would always listen to me with his full attention. He
motivated me in every way and often studied with me. My parents were telling me
that I was an amazing daughter with a high potential. They also told me that I
was very ambitious and persistent in everything I did, including my hard work
on losing weight. I was very motivated so I quickly achieved my goal of 115
pounds. I had lost 55 pounds!
Since I became a
member of the swim team, succeeded in sports and lost a lot of weight, I
started liking school and I began getting along with my classmates. I felt good
about myself and all of the work that I have done. I liked that my attitude had
changed - at first I was not very confident in myself and thought I would
always fail, but with time I knew that I had my unique abilities to succeed. I
liked who I became. At that point I knew that my new family would always
support me. My grades have jumped up dramatically over the past few months. My
parents made an enormous impact on this because they always helped me with my
homework. My father even took time off from his work to help me. He understood
exactly how I felt because he was an orphan himself and had a hard
childhood.
My friends wanted
to make me happy and feel more confident so they asked me to go with them to a
theater club. One day at school we had a “pi day” and we had to memorize the
most numbers of the 𝝅 number and I won. Since then they
knew that I was very good at memorizing. Everyone, students and teachers were
telling me that the theater club would be a very good fit for me. They were
right - I loved it. My mom also liked that I had joined the club and was very
involved. She helped me to get the right costume and always made extra for
my theatre friends. She invited my friends to come over to dress us up. She
liked bringing food for us to eat during the rehearsal.
I met many new
friends at the club. They were saying that I was amazing. When I said, “I don’t
think so.” they replied, “You are very modest”. I thought that the best of best
was my friend Lily. She wished to be an actress when she grew up and I wanted
her to pursue her dream. Lily’s success in the play we were working on could
help her in getting a scholarship at a well know drama collage. Our theater
teacher decided that I would play the main character. Because I hadn’t time to memorized
all the lines she set me as the replacement. At first I was disappointed, but
when I learned that Lily would play the main role, I was happy for her. She
felt guilty that she got picked instead of me, but I told her that she deserved
it more than anybody else.
A month later… On
the day of the first performance Lily was nowhere to be seen. This meant that I
would have to play the main character. I knew I would do well, but wished that
Lily was the one. She would be happy and proud. I looked for her everywhere,
but 10 minutes before the show I had to get ready. During the show, people were
very emotional when I sang and danced. The performance went very well and
everyone gave me a standing ovation. It was a great night for me, my family and
our friends. That night my parents invited all of them to our house to have
some fun. My dad was the DJ and my mom entertained the guests. This was a last
minute celebration, but it turned out amazing. The next day when I came to
school people still hadn’t gotten over how well I performed. Lily was back but tried
to ignore my gaze. At lunch I talked to her and she told me that she sacrificed
her part for me because she felt guilty and thought that I would be a better
fit. I was very sad for what she had done to herself. Her life dream was ruined.
I got an idea. I had
to organize a show for her. I called my friends. We planned to re-do the show in
my backyard. My parents agreed, invited friends, teachers and audience. My
father brought his editors with him. Lily’s parents drove her to my house. She
was surprised but played the main role. The publishers loved our innovative
idea, stage and most of all, Lily’s play. She got great publicity, was invited
for the interview and finally received an offer to the collage of her dream. We
became friends for life and I’ve learned a great lessons. Friends are a gift
that are as important as parents. They have to work together to achieve their
goals. We ought to treat each other with kindness, give helpful hand and always
motivate each other.
I keep in touch
with my siblings. They are also very happy and safe. They live not far away
from us. My adopted family and I often visit them and even spend holidays
together. My half-sister has grown up to be an amazing child. My younger sister,
brother and I all laugh about the past and try not to feel sorry for our
experience. We believe that we are in the best circumstance that we could ever
wish for. We try not to think about our past with pain or regrets. We try to
forget about all negative things that happened and only think about positive
things that we have experienced.
Now I am in
Harvard College working on my law degree. It has always been my dream. I am
very proud of myself. Lily got into a very good drama school called London
Academy of Music & Dramatic Art in London and decided to become a drama performer
in Cherry Lane Theater and Playwrights Horizons in New York and a teacher instead
of a Hollywood actress. She wanted kids to pursue their dreams and be happy. My
parents are very happy with my achievements over the years and I thank them
very much for their love and kindness. I can never pay back the good that they
have done. They are my saviors, some of the most important people in my life.
If I stayed in the orphanage for the rest of my childhood, most probably I
would have a sad life, a bad job and maybe not even friendships. But here I am,
a person I would never dream that I would become. The family and friends pulled
me up to a very high level and because of them I have always had very high
accomplishments. I believe in myself and trust my abilities to make the right
decisions. I have learned to never give up and reach for the highest. I love my
friends and family for teaching me, motivating me, sacrificing for me, and most
importantly, for loving me. Lastly, I believe that we must forget about our
past problems because bad memories would just drag us down. The past can’t be
changed, so we must focus on the future and try to make it better. One day I
want to adopt a child to improve its life just like my parents did. I believe
that the kids that are adopted are always thankful and happy. I hope I can
change an orphan’s life and pass on the love my parents gave me. Thank you for
reading my life story.
I love to write short stories. I just wrote
this for my 7th grade ELA homework. “The Big Change” was a very fun story to
write. I learned a lot about the importance of family and friends from writing
this story.
The article that I
read on CNN, “Girl loses 65 pounds in fight against childhood obesity” by
Jacque Wilson, gave me a real world example and inspired my thinking about
kids’ obesity problem. The book “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio also inspired me and
helped me in writing the part about the show. “The War That Saved My Life” and “The
War I Finally Won” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley helped me to better understand
separation from the mother and adoption. I recommend these books because they beautifully
and wisely talk about departing your real family, difficulties of adoption, acceptance
of our weaknesses, about believing in yourself, and importance of the friendship.
I also give a lot
of credit to my ELA instructor for teaching me the methods of how to write a
story. I also brain stormed my ideas with my classmates. Friendships that I
experience everyday gave me examples for my writing. Finally, my personal life
experience helped me to understand the importance of family, friends, kindness
and persistence that are all reflected in this story.
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