“Theresa hit me first, I did nothing wrong but she just hit me from the back suddenly” Katrina tried hard to explain
“I already asked her but she said she didn’t do anything of such, why did you hit her when she did nothing to you?” Mrs. Collins countered
“She did hit me! I don’t even have any reasons to lie against her. She hit me first and I hit her back” Katrina protested
“Why are you doing this to me? I never hit you. You were the one that hit me out of the blues” Theresa cried
“I should ask you why you are doing this to me, you are making me the liar here when we both know the truth. I was sitting alone when you appeared from nowhere and hit me from the back” Katrina stated firmly and the shout from Mrs. Collins jolted them
“Why do you keep on insisting that she did when she said she didn’t? Are you trying so hard to become the victim? This is happening because you don’t have enough work to do and that is why you can even sit around. From today, you will be the one to sweep the compound, mop the house and cook” Mrs. Collins shouted at Katrina who could not believe her ears
“But ma’am..” Katrina tried to protest and Mrs. Collins threw her out of the room
That was not the first time such a scenario was happening and it had become part of her as she was growing up in the orphanage. Times like this where she didn’t even do anything other than breathe but still get punished for it just because someone who loves to see her suffer is making a fuss.
Katrina Jack lived all her life in the orphanage with the fellow kids and this was her eighteenth year. Most of the kids who were with her back then were all adopted or left the orphanage to find a greener pasture for themselves.
She had decided to endure the bullying from Mrs. Collins, the director of the orphanage and her evil daughter, Theresa till she’s able to step into her dreams and leave the orphanage. She was practically living like a slave in the orphanage because ever since most of the kids left, she was the only one doing almost all the chores because the other children were still little.
It really affected her school attendance because most times she would come late and sometimes she would be too sick to attend school because of the extreme stress she was passing through at the orphanage but she made sure to make up for it through her academic performance.
Even her friends in school would always advise her to leave the orphanage but she would just smile at them.
“It is bearable. At least, I have somewhere to lay my head and people I can talk to. If that is out of the burden then every other thing is bearable” she told one of her friends
“What do you mean people to talk to? Theresa is just another witch with the highest level of wickedness so I can’t even imagine how her mother, the director will look like. Don’t you see how Theresa treats you at school? She treats you like trash! If you still think they are okay to be with then they are not the crazy one, you are and you need help” Maria lashed at her
“At least I will be through with high school in some few months, I will look for what to do and finally leave the orphanage but for now, there is nothing I can do so I just have to endure for a little time” she said with a thin smile
“Oh! What a pitiful girl you are, I feel so sorry for you” Maria sighed
“Let’s go back to class before we run late” she said and they stood up to leave for their class.
After staying at the orphanage for eighteen years, all Katrina wanted was to attend the university, get a good job, meet a good man and settle down to have her own family. She wishes to be a mother desperately and a good one at that, she wants to protect her children and make sure they receive every love a mother could offer and she couldn’t get.
She swore to herself to be a great wife and good mother so she was always reading books on being a good mother and making researches on making a family that will be filled with love because she was afraid that her current state might affect her mentality which will in turn affects the upbringing of her children.
“I will make sure to become a good woman, wife and mother” she wrote down for the millionth time in her diary before tucking it in and slept for the day.
Months flew by and she took her senior school final exams which she passed in flying colors. Her results were by far better than that of Theresa which caused her a lot of hatred from her and her mother but who cares? She will be leaving the orphanage anytime soon since she had started applying for jobs with her certificate.
She got back from her job hunting one afternoon when she met an exotic car parked in front of the orphanage. She did stop to take a look at it for a while but went on to continue her work.
“One of the kids must be getting adopted into a rich family, they must be so lucky and I can only wish” she muttered and went away.
She was about to enter her room when Theresa called her name from behind
“Your attention is needed right now at the office” Theresa informed her and she stopped for a bit to process what she meant by that
“I hope you have not gone deaf, my mother needs your presence right now” Theresa shouted and turned to walk away
“There is no hour of the day that you are never annoying” She muttered as she followed her to wherever her mom was.
They got to Mrs. Collins office and saw two people that seems to be a couple seated on the visitor’s chair. She greeted them and moved to meet Mrs. Collins who was calling her.
“Here she is, she is the oldest lady we have in the orphanage right now and she will be eighteen years in the next couple of months” Mrs. Collins said pointing to her but she was lost about whatever they meant by that
The two people looked at her from head to toe and turned to whisper something in their ears while nodding every two seconds as the room went silent.
“She seems to be okay, we will go with her” the woman said and her eyes popped out
“Go with me? To where? She blurt out and Mrs. Collins eyed her to shut her up which she understood immediately
“If she’s to your liking then I will process the adoption papers as soon as possible” Mrs. Collins said to them with a smile
“I hope you can hasten the process ma’am” the man said and shook Mrs. Collins hand with a white envelope which made her giggle awkwardly
“You should continue what you are doing, we are done here” she said to Katrina and dismissed her.
She could understand that they were trying to adopt her but did they have to bribe her to hasten the process? Why they are suddenly interested in a grown lady like her is a mystery she couldn’t solve. Whatever is happening was not clear to her but she could not deny that a part of her was wishing they would adopt her from this hell called home.
For two weeks, she kept submitting her certificate to get any job at various places but all of them have been turning her down that she had nothing to herself other than the certificate. When her friends were going for volunteering events, school trips, workshops and other trainings that would add to their skills, she never got the opportunity to go because Mrs. Collins never paid for her and there was no how she could get money to pay for herself.
“You indeed have a great result and good academic performance but we are sorry, we cannot hire you because we need people who have skills too. These days there is little you can do without skills” the receptionist told her at the last place she went to for a job.
That was her last hope and it was shattered to pieces with the words she heard. It was now clear to her that she might never get a proper paying job with her certificate alone so she kept thinking about the skills to add to herself as she was heading back home.
She thought about the people who came for her recently but seeing how they didn’t come back for over two weeks, they must have changed their mind.
“I can never be lucky” she said to herself as she slumped on her bed tiredly.
She would have talked to Maria but since she didn’t have a phone, she couldn’t talk to her about what was happening with her so she decided to just look for something to do on her own because there is no way she will allow this circumstances stop her from achieving her dreams.
She was browsing for skills to learn online with the old computer Mrs. Collins dumped in her room when Theresa came knocking to tell her that her presence was needed. She jumped out in happiness and ran to the office to see the couple back for her.
Maybe she was not unlucky like she thought.
