Author: Estera Kovač, Gimnazija Županja
The buzzing of the alarm clock wakes me up. Thank God it’s Saturday. I put on my clothes and go to the kitchen. Mum and dad are already having breakfast.
‘Good morning’, I say and kiss them on their cheeks.
‘Good morning, sweetie’, says dad and takes a sip of coffee from his favourite mug.
‘We are going to Tesco after breakfast. Would you like to come with us?’
‘No, thanks, mum, I have to practice the violin and study for the exam.’
Mum gets up and starts cleaning the table.
‘Could you buy me some cocoa?’
‘Sure, honey.’ says dad and helps mum. A couple of minutes later they leave. I go back to my room and start practicing. The violin relaxes me and helps me clear my mind. Suddenly the doorbell rings. I go downstairs. It’s a mailman.
‘Good afternoon, miss.’
‘Good afternoon, sir, how can I help you?’
He takes a letter out of his bag and asks, ‘Are you Thalia Salvatore?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘This is for you, have a nice day.’
I take the letter and go inside. I wonder what it is. I go to the kitchen, take the scissors and open it up. It was written by hand and there is a picture in the envelope, too. The picture seems familiar but I just put it aside and start reading the letter.
Dear Thalia,
My name is Jane and I am your birth mother. I know that you probably won’t believe this, so I’m sending a picture, too. When I left you at the orphanage, I left a photo just like this one I’m sending and a letter saying that they should give the picture to your adopters. You probably still have the picture so you can check if you doubt. I would like to talk to you in person and see how you are, but only if you want. You have my address written on the back of the photo.With love,
Jane Donovan
I just stood there looking at the paper blankly. Is this really happening? No, it can’t be. But what if it is true? I sat down and took the picture. It really did seem familiar. I got up and went to the shelf with photo albums and started looking for the picture the woman mentioned in the letter. After a while I found it. It really looked the same. My heart started pounding. I started breathing heavily. Then I heard the door unlocking. I didn’t have time to think, so I put the photo album back on the shelf and the letter and two photos into my back pocket.
‘Thalia, dear, we’re home!’
‘Coming, mum,’ I walked to the kitchen and helped them with the things they’d bought.
‘Did you buy everything you needed?’ I tried to break the silence and take the letter out of my head.
‘No, we couldn’t find that mayonnaise you like.’
Well, that was an opportunity for me.
‘I thought to go skating so I could buy it on my way back.’
‘Okay, honey, be careful.’ mum said and gave me some money for the mayonnaise. I took my skateboard and got out.
When I was far enough from home I took out the picture and my phone. I wrote the address in Google maps and skated to the location. Soon, I was standing in front of a building full of apartments which looked quite worn out. I found the list of surnames on shabby doorbell buttons. I stopped for a moment, and then pressed.
‘Yes?’ a little girl’s voice asked me.
‘Errrr , I need Jane Donovan.’
‘Mum, some woman needs you….’
I felt frightened, but there was no turning back. I heard a short buzz and a voice saying ‘ Come in, please!’ So I did. I climbed up the stairs to the third floor and a woman was waiting at a door on the left, a little girl hiding behind her legs.
‘Err, my name is Thalia. You… you sent me a letter …’
The woman was pale and skinny and wore an old tracksuit. She looked at me like through the glass wall.
‘Ma’am, are you okay?’
She shook her head and said, ‘ I’ve never been better. Please, come in.’
I left my skateboard in the hall and got in. She led me to a sofa in the lounge. The room was messy and dark, dirty cushions around, leftovers on a coffee table… And her pale skin was in total contrast with the gloomy interior of the apartment.
‘Then, why did you leave me?’ I heard my voice.
She looked at the floor and started, ‘I was 16 when I gave birth to you. My parents were furious. They told me to choose. Either I’ll give you to adoption, or they’ll make me leave. For good. I was a minor then and I couldn’t do anything without them.’
I was shocked. I didn’t know if I should believe her.
‘Would you like something to eat?’ she asked calmly.
My phone rang at that moment. ‘’Mum<3’’ was written on the blinking screen. Jane glanced at it, but the second she saw who was calling, she looked away.
‘Hi, mum…Yes, I’m on my way… Okay, I’ll hurry up’, I put my phone in the pocket and looked at Jane.
‘So… you have to go?’ she asked me.
‘Yes, mum needs some help with dinner.’
She took my hand and said, ‘ I’d like you to visit me again. I would like to … make up for … everything. If possible.’
I looked at her eyes and saw tears.
‘Well, I could visit you tomorrow afternoon… ‘, I don’t know why I said that, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted that. We agreed to see again tomorrow.
When I finally found myself skating back home, I felt as if the whole world around me was slowly but surely falling apart.
THE END
