Chapter Ten –
Romania
(part one)
Romania.
I've actually discovered, is quite hot. Especially with jeans on.
Despite the sweltering heat, I manage to make my way through Immigration alive.
I don't know how, coz I must have looked so much like a noob walking along with a daydreamy expression on my face.
I was musing. Musing about my dream.
I sighed. Sometimes, its really annoying that dreams don't make sense. They could at least scream the meaning at you!
But no.
I need some serious chocolate heaven to get me out of this crazy mind.
I found a currency exchange station and exchanged half my pounds. Then I went and bought the biggest ever chocolate bar that I'd ever seen. And demolished it all.
I followed an American couple out of the airport and climbed into the same coach as them. Technically, I wasn't supposed to be there, but, then again, I wasn't supposed to be in Romania.
I wonder what the hell Nadine's been doing these past few days!
Then I remembered.
My phone!!
SHITE. My mind screamed, as I threw my bag onto the seat next to me and began ransacking it, looking for my phone.
Underneath my old jeans and shirt, I found it. I'd been off for the whole time I'd left home, apart from when I called the taxi. But I hadn't thought to check my voicemail…missed calls…and texts.
I took a deep breath, flipped open my phone, and switched it on.
At once my phone started bleeping, and beeping, and binging.
468 texts, 304 missed calls, and 298 voicemails.
I scanned through the list of missed calls – mum, dad, Nadine, Ali… mostly mum and dad. About 6 from Ali and Nadine.
One or two texts from Ali and Nadine. All the rest were from mum –
'where are you?!'
'Karen?! Where are you?!'
'Karen, come home, wherever you are, just please come home.'
'Karen, we love you, we really do!'
'You're adopted, but we'll always be your parents!!'
and the rest were more or less the same. As were the voicemails.
So I did the best thing possible – I deleted them all.
I then took a deep breath, and began typing my first text in days.
'Mum, Dad, I'm fine. Luv u
Karen x'
That's it. That's all I sent to them.
I turned my phone off, just in case they rang me.
Then chucked it out the window.
I sighed and leaned my head back against the head rest.
This was going to be a LOOONG day.
-
I didn't bother checking into a hotel. I figured, there was no point.
I'd just be searching and searching for my parents, not bothering to stop.
Because, when I find them…IF I find them…they'll welcome me with open arms and let me stay with them, right?
Right?
-
I got off the coach at the last stop. To be honest, I had no idea where the hell I was going anyway.
If I knew the number of the children's home…I would ring it…
It was on the sign, anyway. If only I could remember…
The coach pulled away and I groaned. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I began walking, just walking.
I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't really care.
I was so stupid.
Why had I ever thought I could have done this alone?
How the hell was I supposed to track down my parents?
In a country with probably over 10,000 inhabitants, where would my parents be?
I just kept walking until I collapsed, exhausted, on the ground.
-
I'm outside the children's home. I only know it's the children's home because this is where the taxi driver dropped me off. A tall house, looking intimidating. A sign on the brick wall, declaring it Lightbrook Children's Home. Underneath was a number. 0191 5421090.
0191 5421090…
0191 5421090..
Lightbrook Children's Home
0191 5421090
I jerked awake, taking a big gust of air and gasping.
My hands reached up from the ground to puff up my hair, grabbing locks and pulling them.
My legs curled under themselves, and I wrapped my arms tight around me, leaning back against a garden wall.
Had I just dreamt that?
Did I… make that happen?
Had I… made myself dream that?
No…
No…
That couldn't possibly…
Could it?
My eyes wide with fear, I refused to go to sleep.
