Days at the orphanage went by pretty uneventfully. Soon, days turned into months. I had made friends with the little boys and girls, who looked up to me and respected me as an elder. Isi and I became the best of friends, and Akash and Osamu became inseparable. He too had become like a younger brother to me, and I cared for him just as his sister would have.
Occasionally, during these months, I spotted Butakha doing monthly inspections of the orphanage, with Bunka attached to his side, always sucking his face. Once, they even made love in the supply closet. Why were men such disgusting animals? And why did women enjoy that quality? It truly boggled my mind.
One particular morning, in the fifth month of my stay at the orphanage, Isi poured freezing cold water on me. I yelped as the cool water seeped into my clothes, and I jumped out of bed. All the kids in the dormitory were on their knees, doing the beds and scrubbing the floors. A few little girls were trying to bait the rats that I had heard squeaking in the night with some moldy cheese and a hand-made, wooden trap. I rubbed my eyes.
"What's going on? We just scrubbed yesterday!" I complained.
"Some folks are comin' to adopt a kid. Zhixu wants the whole place clean before they come. Ya should be thankin' me; I let ya sleep a couple of extra minutes, since ya're still new and what not. Don't count on it though, it ain't happenin' again. Around here, we need all the help we can get," Isi explained.
"What's the big deal? Can't they put up with a little bit of dust on their feet? Forget it, my back is killing me, and I'm tired. Leave me alone, Isi," I groaned.
"Boo hoo, ya're back hurts. Get used to it, sister. We all did. Those damn cots are all ya're going to get in this place," Isi retorted frustratingly. "Now get on ya're knees and scrub, Akira!"
I buried my face into the pillow and pulled the damp covers over me, apathetic towards the fact that they were wet and gross.
"Don't ya and Akash wanna be adopted?" She questioned.
I perked up.
"What?" I responded.
"Ya heard me. I said 'adopted.' If ya're adopted, ya get to get out of this hellhole and live with actual people, and not Zhixu. Also, adoption eliminates ya're worries. You see, if ya aren't adopted by the time ya turn ten Zhixu kicks ya out so that more room can be made for littler kids. Of course, she's not upposed to, but she does it anyway. She makes us clean because Butakha pays her more if more kids are adopted, because she's 'helpin' 'em,' and when the kids are working, it makes them seem more better, so, it makes 'em more likely to be adopted. The money is upposed buy more beds and grub for us, but Zhixu spends it all on herself. Today, s'all kids for themselves. Ya're lucky I'm even helping ya out here; lettin' yasleep would've made my chances higher, but I chose to be the better person and tell ya about how all this jazz works. Also, we need help. So c'mon, get up!" Isi said.
The thought of adoption had never occurred to me. I wasn't sure I wanted to live with another family at that point in time. On the other hand, living with Zhixu didn't seem much better. I decided that anything would beat living with Zhixu. I sighed and was about to get up when Zhixu entered the room.
"You! Nonbender girl! Why are you not working?! No food for three days! Now start scrubbing before I make it a week!" She hollered.
Unsurprised at my bad luck, I got onto my knees and scrubbed the wooden boards until my back couldn't take it anymore. Exhausted, I lay on the floor in wait for my new potential family.
Suddenly, the chatter in the room came to a halt, and all the kids rushed up to the door and listened carefully.
"I think they're here!" A little boy named Liwei whispered.
Even Isi was crammed up against the door and had her eyeball stuck to the keyhole.
"Places, everyone!" She ordered.
The children obeyed, and returned to their work, scrubbing or sweeping or catching mice diligently. My knees hurt way too much to scrub, so I grabbed a broom and joined the sweepers, where Akash grabbed my hand.
"Do you think we have a chance?" he asked excitedly.
"I hope so," I responded, a note of nervousness playing upon my voice.
Zhixu came inside the dormitory, and gave each and every one of us a vicious look that said, Mess this up, and I'll beat the living daylights out of you. I rolled my eyes.
A young man and woman followed Zhixu. They were a young couple; that much was clear. The woman was beautiful. She had sharp, bold hazel eyes, with long, braided black hair that stretched to her hips. She wore a beautiful red dress with the Fire Nation insignia on it. The man was burly, and obviously Water Tribe in the way he dressed himself. He had their signature blue eyes and sandalwood skin, and a blue fur coat to combat the harsh Republic City winters, as well as the typical pants that men wore in Republic City: stylish blue knickerbockers. He was ruggedly handsome. We collectively stopped what we were doing to designate our undivided attention to the guests. Even an outsider could sense the tension in the room. Everyone wanted to be picked, especially since these people seemed responsible and loving. The woman began to speak to her husband.
"Oh, Udo, don't you want to adopt all of them?" she asked. He cleared his throat in response before giving her a crooked smile.
"Nia, I wish we could," he answered lovingly, pulling his wife close into him while eyeing us all with genuine compassion and curiosity.
"So," Udo began. "Which one of you wants to come home with us?"
Every kid went wild. They all raised their hand, screaming, "Pick me, pick me, pick me!"
I kept my hand down, hoping the couple would prefer calm kids rather than boisterous ones. Akash emulated me. Then, I caught Nia's eye. She gave me a smile, and turned to Akash and widened her eyes, as if she knew who she was going to pick.
And right that moment, I was high on hope. A few months in the orphanage, and we could already be adopted. Maybe my life could be normal, for once. I could actually have two role models that love and support each other and do anything to protect their family. I could have quality mother-daughter time and go shopping with Nia, or I could sit and listen to some Pro-Bending with Udo.
I looked away, and prayed to the spirits that Nia would pick us. But when I looked back up again, she and Udo were coddling Osamu, who was crying because Nia reminded him of his sister. Udo tickled him to make him feel better, and he giggled adorably. And I knew instantly who they were going to choose.
"They can't pick Osamu! He's…he's my best friend!" Akash whimpered.
As much as I found Osamu endearing and delightful, I sort of resented him for taking away my opportunity and simultaneously hurting Akash, despite the fact that we had grown so close over these past months.
They then told Zhixu that they wanted Osamu. Akash started to cry into my shirt. I held him close.
"Akash, you can't be sad, buddy. You gotta be happy for your friend. He's gonna have a better life now. Right?" I consoled. Akash nodded and rubbed his eyes of the tears.
"There you go," I smiled, squeezing his hand.
When they had signed the paperwork, Nia and Udo stepped back into the dormitory.
"Osamu! Come on now, we're going home!"
He looked up, confused.
"I am home!" he replied.
They looked at each other nervously.
"You see, Osamu, we really like you, and well, we know this may be difficult for you to understand, but, we're your new mommy and daddy now!" Nia exclaimed.
Osamu's eyes twitched, and he began sobbing.
"You can't take me without Rina! Please! Rina's going to come back! She won't find me if you take me, please, don't take me, don't make me go, not without Rina!" Osamu wept. Immediately, like real parents, Nia and Udo began comforting him.
"Kiddo, you have to come with us. Don't you want a better life?" asked Udo.
"NOT WITHOUT RINA!" bellowed Osamu.
After a huge, ear-shattering temper tantrum, Nia and Udo managed to subdue Osamu. They forced him to come with them.
It was truly heartbreaking when I saw his exhausted, tear-stained face as he was hauled away from the orphanage like some sort of potato sack, moaning "I need Rina! I need my sister! Please…let me stay so I can see my sister again…"
"GOODBYE OSAMU!" wailed Akash. "I WON'T EVER FORGET YOU, BEST FRIEND!"
But as much as I hated to say it, I don't think Osamu cared to hear him amidst his grief.