The Little Orphan Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters.
I thank all of you who reviewed the previous chapter.
When dawn came and with it came its weak sunlight, it entered through the curtains to touch her eyes warmly, to wake her up. Bulma did not sleep well the previous night. Curiosity and nervousness were getting the better of her. As she stretched, she wondered what Janet Hayes would want from her. She hoped there was nothing wrong.
"Good morning mom," Bulla greeted as Bulma made her way to the kitchen after shower. "Good morning," Bulma replied. "Mom, we have to leave for the orphanage soon. We have a meeting with Hayes at quarter past eleven," Bulla said. The girl had not slept for long as well, she had been attending her friend's party. Still, she was ready in a frilly red top and jeans. She had curled her hair for the party. Bulma admired her daughter's sense of fashion.
At exactly five minutes to 11:15, Bulma stopped her car outside Shadow Ridge Orphanage. The building looked ancient but the garden that surrounded it was completely green with bright colourful flowers. Swings were scattered here and there and there were a few slides too were young toddlers were playing. Some of the older ones were sitting underneath trees, on the green ground or on white benches, calmly looking at everything that was happening around them. Bulma briefly wondered what it would be like for them when they saw the outside world from their garden. Were they tempted to leave the orphanage? Or were they content to stay away from the wide world?
Bulma and Bulla entered the building, looking around. The inside of the building was completely opposite the outside. The walls were painted in light green, the floor was wooden. Numerous pictures were hanging on the walls. Some were of flying birds, some depicted the oceanic world and some were just wide horizons. There was a large framed photograph of all the children of the orphanage. Some of the older ones were holding the toddlers in their arms, just like responsible older siblings. All the children had a big but true smiles on their faces except one. And this child was who commanded Bulla's attention.
"She's so beautiful," she whispered, "Wish I was like that…"
Bulma turned her gaze to where her daughter was looking. It was the girl who was not smiling. Her hair had a strange colour of strawberry blond, her eyes greenish hazel, her entire outfit was black. Her hair were quite short.
"Ms Briefs."
Bulma whirled around to see who had called.
A kind looking blue eyed woman in her early fiftees was looking at her with a smile.
"Yes?"
"I am Janet Hayes, I had called you yesterday."
"Oh, hello Janet."
"I am sorry I did not inform you about anything and just disturbed you by calling you here so early without giving any reason, causing you so much trouble."
"It's alright," Bulma said, "You can tell me now. And there was no trouble."
"Will you come to the garden? It is much more pleasant there."
"Okay," Bulma.
Bulla was looking at the other kids who were staring back at her.
"Mom, can I stay here?" she asked.
"Sure," Janet said, "The children will love to see a new face."
"Okay Bulla, but do not go anywhere else."
Bulla nodded at her mother and the two women walked out. The teenager saw a child, not more than seven, looking at her with wide curious eyes. "Hello," Bulla said, "What's your name, kid?"
"Alan," the child replied, "Who are you?"
Bulla noticed that he was keeping a little away from her, ready to run if she would turn out to be bad. She laughed.
"I'm Bulla," she said and walked towards the child. A girl was crossing her path, and Bulla pushed her by mistake. The girl staggered back and then looked at Bulla with cold eyes.
Alan gasped. This was not good.
"I'm sorry," Bulla said to the girl. She was the same girl whom Bulla had seen in the photograph moments ago, the girl with strawberry blond hair and hazel green eyes, the girl who was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, the girl of whom Bulla was slightly jealous for being so pretty without any makeup.
"New here?" the girl asked. The eyes revealed nothing, the face emotionless. "Oh no. Actually, my mom came here to meet Ms Hayes and I just decided to come with her. That's it!" Bulla replied.
The girl stepped towards her slowly till she was only inches away from Bulla's face. She stopped and looked in Bulla's eyes. The girl was getting on Bulla's nerves. Why did she come here again?
"You decided to come here, to an orphanage?"
Bulla said nothing, just looked back steadily.
"Nobody decides to come to an orphanage," the girl whispered, "And pray to God that you never have to go to an orphanage."
She drew back and then walked away, towards the garden.
"Who is she?" Bulla asked Alan.
"She is Susie Tanaka. Her mother left her outside the orphanage when she was five," Alan replied.
"Nobody adopted her?"
"She has already been to, like, forty different foster homes and has been kicked out from everywhere. She is too difficult."
Bulla stroked Alan's head but she could not help thinking; how lucky she was not to be like Susie.
"Ms Briefs-" Janet began.
"You can call me Bulma," Bulma said.
Janet smiled. "Sure"
The two women were sitting on a white painted bench under a shady tree. The children of the orphanage were playing in the distance. The birds were chirping overhead and the light breeze was making the leaves dance. Apart from that, they were alone.
"Bulma," Janet said, "There is one child here, Susie Tanaka is her name. She was deserted by her mother when she was five and I found her outside the orphanage. We decided to adopt her. Time passed and her mother has not returned. She would sit near the window, Bulma, and wait all day and all night for her mother.
"She realised soon that her mama will not return. She became reserved, hostile, silent. We thought that maybe if she was sent to a foster home, maybe if she would have a family, she would be happy again."
"What happened?" Bulma asked. She knew it was a sensitive issue and that Janet was too attached to the child by the way the other woman talked about her.
"Forty different homes, but it never worked. She was rejected everywhere, she has been rejected her whole life! She does not trust, does not love anymore. She has withdrawn into a little shell.
"In the end I decided to take care of her myself. I would be her mama, teach her to trust and love. And you know, we did start bonding. But…"
"But? What happened?"
"The orphanage authorities are not very fond of her. They want to get rid of her. I have stopped them from doing this till now."
Janet paused and sighed heavily.
"I do not have much time. I will be leaving the world soon. And I don't know what will happen to Susie after that. And that is the reason I called you.
"Bulma, I have heard that you are a kind and gentle lady, you have a lot of wealth, and you have a caring nature. Can you please look after my child when I am gone? I just want happiness in her life and I want her to feel that she belongs somewhere. I want her to have a good and understanding family. I want her to have a mother."
Bulma was taken aback. Her blue eyes widened in shock. A child? She had not expected this! She felt very bad for the child and Janet's moist eyes made her own eyes bleak but...
"It is not Susie's fault," she said kindly, resting her hand on Janet's shoulder, "I want her to be happy too. But Janet, I am almost sixty. My son is twenty eight, my daughter fourteen. It is very hard for me to look after them, and a third child…"
"Bulma, you don't have to keep her forever. When she will be eighteen, you will not be responsible for her. I am just asking you to be her guardian for five years. There is no one to look after her needs after I am gone; please try to understand! They will throw her out!"
Janet was actually sobbing now and Bulma felt horrible. Maybe she should…
"Janet, the decision cannot be only my own. I have to ask my family. If they agree, Susie will come with us. I will try my best to persuade them, I promise."
Janet felt a little hopeful now. Her eyes lit up. "Thank you, madam," she said and smiled at Bulma. She smiled back and the two stood up.
The women shook hands and then went back to the orphanage. They passed a girl in a black T shirt and jeans. The girl smiled slightly at Janet but did not even acknowledge Bulma's presence, and made her way to the bench the two women had occupied only moments ago.
"That is Susie," Janet said softly. Bulma looked back at the child for a second then turned to face Janet.
"I will try my best," she said.
And she meant it.
