SNAPSHOT THREE: WHO AM I?

From the age of five, Harvey began to start asking questions. Questions regarding his parents. He was in Reception at primary school and was collected by the Headmaster at the school gates every afternoon at three pm sharp. Compared to the other adults mingling in the playground, he was far older than the average parent. Harvey would tell anyone who asked; that the Headmaster was his father, not understanding that the man was biologically not his true father. The Headmaster was raising him, and Harvey called him 'Daddy' because to him, he was Daddy and as far back as he can remember, from when he was a small little baby, the Headmaster had always been there. Harvey was suspicious though of his family background, so after a lesson teaching the children about something called the 'family tree', Harvey had a number of questions for his father.

The Headmaster waited at the back of the crowd, head and shoulders above the rest of the parents. The adults within the town were of smaller statures compared to him and when the majority of the crowd consisted of women, he stuck out like a sore thumb. It was easy for Harvey to spot him and a big smile broke out on the little boy's face. He rushed over to the Headmaster, backpack banging against his knees and cried:

"Hi, Dad!"

Weak arms enclosed around the man's legs and Harvey rested his head against the bottom of the Headmaster's waistcoat.

"Missed you." He mumbled.

The Headmaster sighed, resting a hand against the boy's back. "I hope that you had a productive day?" He paused, then rephrased the question to suit a child. "Did you learn a lot today?"

Harvey pulled away, letting his arms drop down to his side, stepping back and grinning up at the Headmaster.

"Lots! We learnt about plants today and in PE, I ran the fastest! We did relay, and my team won!"

"Did you have to use your pump?"

Harvey shook his head gleefully. "Nu-uh. I was out of breath, but I didn't use it. Mr Fraser said I did really well!"

"I am pleased to hear that." The Headmaster's lips twitched into a slight smile. The first insight into difficult breathing that Harvey had ever experienced was when he was a year and two months old. The Headmaster had taken him out in the buggy, lost in his own mind, when his little ward took a sudden sharp intake of breath and promptly began to wheeze. The Headmaster had peered over the top and encountered the sight of a round face steadily colouring blue and laboured breaths emerging from a struggling chest and throat. Eyes wide and recognising the signs of an asthma attack, the Headmaster had rushed Harvey to the nearest hospital and got him treated straight away in the Emergency Department, the doctor explaining to him the results as the Headmaster was soothing Harvey off to sleep. He was officially diagnosed with having asthma and the Headmaster was handed information leaflets, a prescription sheet and a brand new blue pump. He was already first aid trained and knew what he was doing, so did not bother to read the leaflets and as soon as Harvey was old enough to understand, the Headmaster sat him down and explained his health problem to him.

Harvey was not very good in most areas, considering he was merely five years old, but he coped very well with his asthma. Outside of school, he kept the pump to hand at all times and within the building during school hours, where it was safely stored away, Harvey would always alert the teachers whenever his breathing was becoming laboured.

"Come." Holding out his hand, the Headmaster waited for Harvey to secure his small hand into a firm grip, before leading him out of the playground and back towards their home. Harvey, instead of breaking out into his usual frenetic skipping, walked along slowly. His face broke out into a puzzled expression and he didn't even pause to plead the Headmaster to take him to the sweet shop.

"Dad?"

"Yes, son?"

"Today, we were learning about the 'family tree.' Do we have a family tree?"

The Headmaster tensed. Here it was. Another question about 'family'. Why couldn't the boy simply accept that the Headmaster cared for him? Thus, he was a father to him.

"Yes… but it has not been updated for several years."

"Am I on there?"

"No. I have just said it has not been updated for several years."

"What's sev… seve-ral?"

"Many. More than five. So, you would not be on there because we didn't know that you would be coming along."

"Oh… Is my Mummy on there?"

"No…" The Headmaster sighed. This would have to be the time he informed Harvey of his true family connections. The boy was asking numerous questions and although he was aware there was no maternal woman on the scene, he had never delved into the particular whereabouts of his Mother and her current state.

Leading him through the park, (the Headmaster hoping to distract Harvey once he told him the news), he looked down at his ward and asked:

"What would you like to know?"

"Are you my Daddy? My real one? Cause you're really old."

The Headmaster bristled, slightly sensitive over his age, but managed to mask his annoyance to tell the little boy the truth.

"I am not your biological father, that means we do not share the same blood. I am your father, however, because I have raised you since you were very small and I have all of the correct documents stating that you are under my care. I have known you practically all of your life."

"W-Where's my Mummy and Daddy? My… bio-logical ones?"

"I do not know." The Headmaster sat down on a bench, hoisting Harvey up to balance on his knee. "You are adopted, Harvey, because none of your biological family were around to raise you. I found you… near my school."

"Near S-St Champions? Did you meet my Mummy?"

"No." The Headmaster said: "You were abandoned. Your family abandoned you. Left you out in the cold… I assure you that you are now in the best care that you could have received under the circumstances. Perhaps if you had grown up with your biological family, you would not have received the best care."

"M-My parents a-a-abandoned me? W-Why?"

"That I do not know." The Headmaster sighed. "Forgot about them, Harvey. They didn't even place you into a warm and safe environment, it seems that they did not want you. If they had simply been unable to cope, they would have at least left you in an Orphanage or a foster home. When I found you… there was a note."

"W-What did it say?" The tears dropped from his round chocolate-brown eyes.

"Your name." The Headmaster said softly. He wrapped his arms around his ward and pulled him to his chest. "One word."

"H-Harvey?" He sniffled.

"Exactly. Harvey. Your other names I chose myself, but your first name is your birth name. So, you have a slight link to your parents. I will look after you and protect you, I promise."

Harvey turned into the man's torso and slung his arms around his father's neck. It didn't matter if the Headmaster wasn't his real Dad, or if he was really old, he was always there for him.

And that is all he wanted.