After I spoke with the adopted girl, I realised not everything was as straightforward as it seemed.
Next to me on a park bench sat a little girl, probably about five years old. She swung her legs back and forth, telling me bits and pieces about her life:
I never met my father because he left Mum and me when I was very small. Mum passed away last year. The grown-ups told me she she died.
The girl looked up at me and carried on with her story:
After the funeral, Aunt Edith, Mums sister, moved in to live with me. I was told shed done something very kind and honourable by not sending me off to a childrens home. They explained that my aunty was now my guardian and that I’d be living with her from then on.
She grew quiet and gazed beneath the bench before speaking again:
Once I moved in, Aunt Edith started tidying our house. She packed all of Mums things into one corner and was going to throw them away. I started crying, begging her not to. She let me keep them in the end. Now, I sleep in that corner, right on top of Mums things. At night, when I lie on her things, it feels warm, as though she’s still with me.
Each morning, Aunt Edith gives me something to eat. Shes not the greatest cookMum was betterbut she asks me to finish everything on my plate. I dont want to upset her, so I eat it all. I know shes trying her best. Its not her fault her food doesnt taste like Mums. Afterwards, she sends me out for a walk, and I can’t come back until it starts to get dark. Aunt Edith is terribly, terribly nice!
She likes to boast about me to the ladies she knows. I dont know them; they visit a lot. Aunt Edith sits with them over tea, tells funny stories, says lovely things about me, and treats both them and me to sweets.
After saying this, the girl gave a little sigh and went on:
I cant just eat sweets all the time. Aunt Ediths never once told me off. Shes as gentle as anything with me. One day, she even gave me a doll. Well, the dolls a bit wornone legs wobbly, and its eye sometimes goes funny. Mum never gave me a poorly doll.
The girl hopped off the bench and started to skip on one leg:
Id best go because Aunt Edith said some ladies are coming over today, and I need to dress up smart before they arrive. She promised me a delicious cake afterwards. Goodbye!
She hopped away to run her errands. I stayed on the bench for a while, my mind swirling with thoughtsall of them centred on dear Aunt Edith. I wondered what lay behind her kindness. Why did she want everyone to think of her as noble? How could anyone ignore a child who sleeps on the floor and clings to her mothers old clothes for comfort?
Reflecting on it all, I learnt this: sometimes, acts of goodness can hide a lack of understanding or real affection. People may appear noble but miss what truly mattersa childs heart, and their need for love and comfort above all.
