Hazy (Chapter One/ Delicacy)

Life, is much more delicate then I thought. At once, it could all just fade away. All your hard work to get where you were, all the sweat and blood you gave into your life, that took decades to build, can rip into dozens of pieces in two seconds. Just like that, just like that. And I finally get to realize now, how close I came to that, until I met them.1

Them, at the moment, was all I could call them. They hadn't even introduced themselves until the day after they took me in. It's kind of funny to know where someone lives before you even know their name. That's how I felt, funny. Not ha ha funny, but uncomfortable, weird. I hadn't been in somebody's house for months. They didn't look very fortunate themselves though. Their house was small, and they had three kids, identical triplets. Rare, I guess, because they were really proud when they told me that. They were girls, and their names were Riley, Raven, and Rhoda. They were nice, but several years younger than me because they were only three years old. I was twelve. 2

The next morning at breakfast (finally, food), they remembered to introduce themselves. Their names were Miranda and Bill Davenson. A happily married, but financially poor. Not much money, but certainly nice people, I guess. I introduced myself as well, and grabbed some, well a lot of, food, sat down, and ate it in silence. That's pretty much how the day went. Everybody relaxed and we all talked and started getting very close very soon, and maybe a little too close to my liking. They asked me about my past, which I didn't mind, then jumped to my parents, and then to my siblings. I didn't really want to remind myself of those days, and how they've abandoned me for all this time, so it made me uncomfortable. I'm usually a strong person, but cried anyways while explaining, trying to make them feel bad for making me explain myself so much to "tears". My tears were teary before, but certainly not heavy at all, and it was probably the light that was making me that way......maybe.3

Six months later, it all changed.4

"Penelope, we're going somewhere," Bill called me from the kitchen. I was entertaining the kids in the living room, trying to make them do something other than watch t.v all day. I told them to wait a little and I got my stuff.5

"Where're we going?" I asked suspiciously, grinning a little. 6

"You'll see."7

Most of the time when he or Miranda say this, it's usually a good surprise. This time, not so much.8

Finally, we arrived to the place. It was a big, official government looking place, probably the state house for Pennsylvania I guessed at first. When we parked the car in the lot and came to the front entrance, the sign up front was finally visible. It said, Adoption Center. Great, I thought to myself. What, I'm going into a homeless shelter? 9

Miranda decided that she would wait with the triplets in the waiting room, while Bill and I went with the woman who was going to lead us to another room. Automatically, of course, like when we go to the grocery store and other places, people started talking to Miranda about her kids. She got a couple of numbers from some of them randomly.10

The room Bill and I went into though was dim and smelled very sanitized, like needles. We sat in the chair in front a desk in the room. The lady said, "Mr. Lohengrin will be here very shortly," with a smile. That was probably to make me feel better for the serious heartbreak I was about to encounter.11

Mr. Lohengrin came in seconds later, sighing when he saw our presence. Nice man, I thought to myself sarcastically. 12

"Hello, I'm Mr. Lohengrin as Miss. Syrian told you. Nice to meet you both."13

"Thank you, this is Angela" Bill announced, looking at me, "And I'm Bill Davenson."14

"Yes, you have the wife Miranda and the triplets, you said I think before?"15

"Yes, that's me."16

"Well, a pleasure to meet you both. You're probably wondering what this is all about, Miranda, aren't you? So, let me cut to the chase," Mr. Lohengrin grinned. I guess my face showed my impatience.17

"We're here to talk about your custody. Bill and Miranda are not you're biological or legal guardians are they, Miss... what's your last name?" he asked me.18

"Briant," I replied.19

"Aw, yes, Miss. Briant. So we must find you a guardian very soon, but first, we must find your biological parents. We don't want to be sued here for child theft do we?" he continued. I smiled fakely, just trying to reply silently.20

"No, yes we don't. So for now, you will be taken to a different guardian. Sadly, Mrs and Mr. Davenson's income isn't enough to keep four whole kids, and one that's supposed to be in school. We've put you in the hands of Miss. Ellen. She lived just on the edge of town. She promised to take you to the best schools and give the most care and love to you. She has a very large income in fact, and two other kids about your age that are also orphans, so we know she's good. Is that alright with you, Mr. Davenson?"21

"Um, yes, sure," he answered flatly, obviously not exactly happy with it. Hopefully it's because he doesn't want me to leave, but of course, what else can he do, sell his house? I completely understood the torn feeling of wanting someone to stay, but also having to realize the fact that it's not possible. I haven't gone to school this whole time, I've been home schooled a little, but that's it, nothing very organized. It was time for change. A sad change, but a change, already. The part that made me very sad was the triplets. How would they feel not having anybody to watch them and understand every word they're saying as if it was perfect English? How would they feel not having someone to talk to that will listen to them carefully and respectfully? That really broke my heart, and right then and there, water built up in my eyes, and finally, the tears accumulated and fell down. 22

"Oh, don't cry," Bill comforted me nicely. He hugged me and grabbed a bunch of tissues from Mr. Lohengrin's desk. Mr. Lohengrin didn't look very happy about that when I looked up to dab my eyes.23

"I'm fine, really. I'm ok," I pretended flatly. I really wasn't, but I just wanted to cry in peace and get over it, even though I almost felt it would be impossible to do so. We got up and Bill thanked Mr. Lohengrin warmly, while Mr.Lohengrin smiled fakely like I had before. We went to the desk and Bill and Miranda signed the papers slowly and sadly. And not only that, today my moving day, how great is that? 24

"Why are you crying?" they asked in unison at once to me. I told them I had something in my eye, and they partially believed it since most of my tears were gone already.25

Then, that night, after dinner we all were watching t.v in the living room, the phone rang. The girls fell asleep on the floor so Bill went to pick it up quickly. A couple of minutes later, he hung it up.26

"What happened?" Miranda wondered.27

"It was the adoption center. They found your mom, Angela."28

My heart stopped.29