Chapter 2: The Start of Something New
St. Luke's Children Group Home…
A few days later after Troy checked out of the hospital, he was sent to St. Luke's Children's Group Home for orphaned kids along with Gabriella. As Paige drove them to the children's home, the thought of being orphans scared the two of them and the two remained quiet throughout the car ride. They pulled up into the driveway and saw a giant mansion like house with a small chapel a few feet away from the main house. They was a woman dressed in nun attire waiting in front of the house for them to arrive.
"Hello Ms. Carter it's such a pleasure to see you again," the nun replied, "So…where are the little ones who will be joining our home?"
"They're right in the car," Paige said as she opened the back door, "Troy, Gabriella c'mon you guys I want you to meet someone. Sister Kathryn…I would like to meet Troy and Gabriella. Guys what do you say?" The two of them just silently stared at the nun as she smiled but they hid behind their social worker.
"Oh…we got ourselves some shy little angels don't worry," Sister Kathryn smiled, "We'll make them feel welcomed. I am Sister Kathryn and I am one of the people in charge of St. Luke's for you children. Troy, Gabriella…there's nothing to be afraid of God will always be there to protect you and keep you safe."
"Guys…it's time to go with Sister Kathryn," Paige said the two were taken by the nun, "I will check up on you guys in a few weeks take care."
Sister Kathryn took the two of them and showed them around the entire group home. Once the tour was over, they were escorted to their sleeping quarters and the rooms they were staying in. The sister gave Troy and Gabriella a set of clothes that looked like school uniforms like the other children were wearing which consisted of a white dress shirt and grey pants for Troy with a navy blue vest while Gabriella had a white dress shirt with a navy blue checkered overall strap dress over it. They were given a pair of black shoes and white socks after they were changed.
"Okay you two I know it's very scary to be in a new place like St. Luke's but I promise you that you will make a lot of new friends here," Sister Kathryn said to them, "These are the clothes we have the children wear during the school hours. Right now until we get some donations…the uniforms will be the temporary clothing for regular outing."
"Will…I get all my old toys and clothes back from my mommy and daddy?" Troy asked.
"I talked to Paige and traditionally all the children who are sent to stay here are given any of the personal belongings they had brought here," Sister Kathryn assured them, "Your stuff will be sent to you in a few weeks…but usually any free clothes at the moment will be received through donations to the group home."
"Thank you Sister Kathryn," Gabriella said, "That's really nice of you."
"You're very welcome Gabriella," Sister Kathryn replied, "Now you guys go along and play and we'll call you for supper later."
Days passed as Troy and Gabriella was become accustomed to their stay to their new surrounds and new home for now. As promise Sister Kathryn and the other ministers of St. Luke's made them feel at home and after the arrival of their belongings, at least it gave them comfort of having a piece of the memory of their parents left. They became used to the routine of school lessons, prayer in the chapel, recreation time, the dosage of their main meals and playing with the other kids.
However for Troy and Gabriella it was different. At times Troy would being playing a game of tag with some of the boys his age, but Gabriella kept to herself a lot and hardly didn't speak to the other kids or anyone else besides Sister Kathryn or any of the other staff members. One day during free play outside, Gabriella was playing with a red ball when a few boys took Gabriella's ball making her cry.
"That's a nice ball…I want to play with it!" one of the little boys said taking Gabriella's ball.
"Oh look little cry baby is going to cry," another boy teased, "What are you going to do? Are you going to cry to mommy and daddy?"
"She doesn't have one!" another boy teased as they were playing a game of keep away as Gabriella was struggling to get her ball back, "What are you going to do?"
"She's crying again…you're name is going to be crybaby from now on!" the boys teased as they laughed and teased. Troy was not too far from where Gabriella was outside in the yard as he saw the group of boys tease Gabriella and passing around her red rubber ball.
"Crybaby! Crybaby! Crybaby!" the boys kept on teasing making Gabriella cry more.
"Hey!" Troy yelled going up to them, "Stop it…you give her back her ball!"
"And what are you going to do about it?" one of them said in a mean voice, "It's mine and besides I want to keep it!"
"That's her ball and you took it from her!" Troy snapped, "Now I said give it back or else!"
"What are you going to do about it?" one them taunted Troy.
"I'll…hurt you if you don't!" Troy replied as he pushed one of the boys down, "Now give the ball back to Gabi right now!" Troy began shoving all the boys teasing Gabriella down forcing them to give back her rubber ball.
"Fine…you can have your stupid ball…besides it's not pretty," they replied as they went away and threw the ball at Troy.
"Don't cry…here's your ball back," Troy said giving Gabriella her ball, "Hey…don't let those mean boys make you cry because if they make you cry then it will mean you're weak. Boys like to make girls cry a lot and it's not good if you cry too much. You have to be brave and strong and stand up to bullies or else they will make you cry more. You…haven't said anything to me when we first got here and you haven't talked to anyone. Why don't you say something then?"
"Thank you…Troy," Gabriella slowly smiled, "Thank you…for getting my ball back."
"You're very welcome," Troy smiled, "Why are you playing alone? Don't you have any friends?"
"People don't like to be my friend because they treat me different," Gabriella sighed, "Unlike you…other kids like you Troy and I don't want to be alone without any friends. Other kids pick on me a lot because I don't like to say much and they hurt my feelings."
"That's wrong for other kids to do that to you Gabi they shouldn't and it's mean for them. I don't like it when other kids say mean things about me and it hurts my feelings…but they shouldn't do that to you too. You don't let other kids hurt your feelings okay Gabi?"
"Okay then I won't Troy…I'll try to be brave like you."
"If other kids pick on you…then you tell me and I will protect you okay? I'll be your friend from now on and I will not let other kids make you feel sad and you don't have to be alone anymore promise? I promise I won't let anyone make fun of you and I will protect you Gabi?"
"Does that mean…we're friends from now on? Will you be there no matter what Troy?"
"It's a promise…that since we're here from now on I'll be your friend and you can talk to me all you want okay," Troy smiled as he and Gabriella continued to play ball. After the two of them finished playing, they went to the playground away from the other kids alone as the two were sitting watching the other kids play.
"Troy…do you miss your mommy and daddy?" Gabriella asked.
"I wish my mommy and daddy were still here," Troy said looking down, "Sister Kathryn says that mommy and daddy are with the angels in heaven. I don't know where you find angels but she says you pray to them every night."
"Is that why Sister Kathryn tells us to pray every night Troy? I wish…I could find mommy again and tell her that I love her very much. She was the prettiest lady ever…but I don't know where she is now. I want to find mommy…but I don't know where to look."
"Sister Kathryn says you pray every night and then you get to talk to your mommy is what she said. I heard it from one of the stories she was reading and she says that it's because of this guy name God we have to be here. That is what she told the bigger kids."
"You're lucky…because you had a mommy and daddy," Gabriella said, "I only had a mommy and that was it."
"What about your daddy…why didn't you go live with him instead of here?" Troy asked, "You have to have a daddy Gabi because all kids have mommies and daddies."
"I don't have one…mommy says I do but she never talked about him. I asked mommy one time about daddy but she says that daddy lives in England. I don't know where that is but she says it's very far away. Maybe…maybe we can go find our mommies and your daddy by asking the angels for help…but that's not possible because they're in heaven."
"I know…and heaven is more far than England I think," Troy replied, "But what finding your daddy instead? If he finds you then you get to live with him instead because you have a daddy now…I think it would sound nice."
"I wish I could but I don't know what my daddy looks like," Gabriella sighed, "Mommy never told me…even after she got sick. What about you…I don't want you to be alone without a friend and we promised we be friends."
"Maybe one day you'll find your daddy," Troy smiled, "At least you have a friend now that's all that counts right?"
"That's right we're friends now," Gabriella smiled as Sister Kathryn approached them with another boy with her.
"That's him Sister Kathryn he pushed me and my friends!" the boy replied, "And now he's hiding out with that girl!"
"Troy is that true?" Sister Kathryn asked, "Did you push Nick earlier?"
"I did…I'm sorry Sister Kathryn," Troy was apologizing, "I promise…I won't push again."
"Sister Kathryn!" Gabriella replied to her, "Troy did push Nick but it was because of me…they took my ball and wouldn't give it back so Troy got it back for me after they didn't want to return it. Nick and his friends were teasing me and making me cry but Troy came to stop them."
"It's true Sister Kathryn that Nick and his friends did take Gabi's ball and wouldn't give it back to her that's why I pushed him…I'm still sorry," Troy said to Sister Kathryn.
"Well I see…that you did that to help out Gabriella and I understand that Troy," Sister Kathryn replied to the kids, "Next time you shouldn't use violence to solve anything promise? I don't want you to be fighting because I know you're a good boy and you're very smart and you're better than that not to fight. I see that you and Gabriella have become fast friends now. Nick I'll talk to you later in regards of your behavior but Sister Patricia is looking for you."
"Alright Sister Kathryn," Nick replied as he left, "I'm sorry too."
"I'm just curious to why the two of you are here at this playground away from all the other children," Sister Kathryn asked them, "Are you two playing?"
"Yes Sister Kathryn," Troy and Gabriella smiled, "We were playing and talking."
"Well that is very nice of you that you two are now friends," Sister Kathryn smiled.
"Sister Kathryn…can we ask you something?" Gabriella replied, "Is it true that my mommy and Troy's mommy and daddy are in heaven with the angels?"
"Well you can say that," Sister Kathryn said, "But just because your parents are not here doesn't mean that they are gone forever. I want you two to remember that although sometimes you feel alone remember that your parents loved you very much and you'll always keep their memory in your hearts. You can always pray to God every night and ask him how they are doing in heaven."
"Does praying work?" Troy asked, "Will I be able to talk to God and ask him about mommy and daddy?"
"If you believe and concentrate he'll hear you," Sister Kathryn replied, "But I can see that he answered your prayers that you two won't be alone from now on. I can see God has plans for both of you…when you get older you'll understand."
"Did God plan for us to be friends too?" Gabriella and Troy asked.
"Just call it the start of something new children," Sister Kathryn replied as she took them inside for supper, "You two are two of a kind…what about we all go in and have supper."
