Farm life...

Finally it’s here. The very first day of the year is arriving. From this day forward, one month until my new begging. Just the thought of having all the new children at school and the groups that I might fit into. Even the teachers and classes. Maybe it’s silly how such a thing can make somebody pleased. But it’s much better to me, Eliza, than staying in my farm house all day.

4:02—The leak in my ceiling will be fixed soon, mother swears by it. All I can feel is my now soaked head. My body is frozen, “the cold nights don’t help the cold blooded”, a boy from over the ridge had said. Every time I had heard the boy speak those words I was glad I was in school. If he would have stayed in school he would have known that animals are cold blooded…People on the other hand, are warm blooded. Another drop on my forehead makes my whole body shiver. All I want now, is a warm bed with no leaky ceilings. Slowly with the dreams of a nice warm bed and me laying peacefully make my eyes shut again. Calmly in a relaxed way, I drift back into my slumber.

5:34—Awake again. This is unusual, I never wake more than once in the night. Now that I’m awake fully and alarmed by the amount of water lying around me, I stare at the ceiling. Where the once was small hole is now a large watermelon shape in my ceiling. I cry softly and once again stare at what is my room. The room was always bare. From walking in the cracked door a small bed with cream sheets welcome you. To the right is a small dresser with a rocking chair beside it. One small rug with flowers woven into the pattern, is placed in between the gap of the bed and dresser. The light in the room is dim, a small shade lamp on top my dresser is the only light my room has ever known. Even the walls are bare, a simple white with some wall paper on the top corners were falling apart.

5:56—Now, I get up. After starring at the blank room around me, I walk slowly to my door and stare through the cracks. I can hear the fighting below of my mother and father. Mother’s upset father wouldn’t take the job that was available at the bankers office. The money that the bankers office was offering, was much better than the money that father made at the car shop. At our small car shop, father didn’t make much. He had only made money when there was large cars involved. Yet all the money that he made went straight to the big guys in suits. They collected money ever month and apparently mother said we were in a debt to the big guys. Another crash makes my train of thought vanish; slowly I gaze back to the cracks. Through the cracks I can see large men in suits. Those are the big guys in the suits. I’ve never seen them, but heard of them. More crashed and bangs get my full attention. I’m starring at the men beat my father and tell him, he no longer has any more time. Mother is crying and begs all she has left is our home. The old rusty truck was taken by the men last month. Again my attention was brought to the men in my home, when I heard screaming. My mother yelled for me and my cousin to get out of the house.

6:00—After my mother told me to leave the house. I ran from my room into my cousin’s room. Vienna had been living with us because the death of her parents. Her mother was my mom’s sister. Although the thought of having a sister might be appalling, Vienna was very intelligent and nothing like I ever expected. She had also been watching the fight. I heard a bang and turned to my rocking chair. Suddenly with a cloud of dust and a loud pop, the wall broke. Vienna grabbed me under her arm and told me to be quite.
“These men are dangerous. We are going to work our way to the garden, kind of like hide and go seek. But listen, if they see you…game over” She whispered seriously, while starring into my eyes.
“They might kill papa” I whimpered.
“Shh. The game has begun” She spoke.
With those last words, no more speech had been spoken. We worked our way through the holes in my home and the junk that had been gathered to sell, incase the men did come. The only issue my mother had with selling the items in the rooms around me, they were her sisters. More screaming worried me, never did I want my parents to be hurt. This had been like a nightmare, soon I hoped I would wake up. I never woke up…where I thought I would be.

10:00—“Finally you’re up” Said a large man with an Italian accent.
“Who are you?” I questioned. With no answer I continued to look around.
“Where am I…And where is Vienna, my cousin?” I question some more.
This man still didn’t answer and remained like he was. Once with papa, I had seen a kidnapping show. The girl survived being kidnapped, because she remember her surroundings, later that night she escaped and her kidnappers were caught. Not trying to be so obvious I looked around at the room and the room surprised me. The whole room was blank, white walls, hard wood floors, a simple light, one white door and one window. That window had the attention of the man in the room.
“You like the view?” I asked…Only to hope he would answer.
“Yes. It’s different from Italy. New York is a unique place.” He responded, with his eyes locked out the window.
He said New York, as in the city. Mom always said that we would visit this place, but money was tight now. Vienna had been to New York, she lived there until her parents had passed away.
“Umm, why are we here?” I said bravely.
“No more talking” He grunted.
The room again went silent and I slowly started to fall back asleep. In my dreams I had my mom and papa with me. Vienna was even there, and we now were in a new house.

11:32—The loud noise of trucks staring up and children yelling startled me. I was now awake and in a new location. This location still had no Vienna or mom and papa. It was beach like, similar to the pictures Vienna brought when she came to our house. She explained the pictures to be a place called, Florida. She is no stranger to visiting places, papa had said once. I guess she had been all around the world. Places I would only ever get to see in magazines and on the TV.

12:00—Some men had gathered children of the same age to put in vans. The van’s were off to take us to a building. I didn’t know what would happen after that. I was in the van with mostly boys and four girls. None of them spoke and never made eye contact with anybody. It was odd. Vienna was 15 and she was on another van, at least that’s what I had hoped.

1:00—A large BOOM and the van was stopped. We had been at a large building that said “Orphanage”, in large letters on the front and side of the large building. I had never seen a place like this. Slowly I walked, but still starred at the building. Eventually the line I had been walking in was called to a stop. A lady wearing a nice outfit, with nice hair stood at the back door of the “Orphanage” . She said something and the child either walked in the door or was taken back to the van.

1:46—I was finally in line for the lady. She looked at me and asked,
“Where is it you came from”?
“Georgia, Braselton Georgia.” I spoke softy
“And your name”?
“Shanna Brooks”. I spoke confident. I loved my name. It was unique like my personality.
“She’s good” Spoke the lady again and grinned at me.
While walking down a hallway escorted by large men, I heard the soft voice of Vienna. She too had been accepted into the large building.

8:00—The whole day, I was put in a small room with some bunkmates. We were to clean ourselves up and change into necessary clothes. The clothes were provided by the pretty lady. But before we could put on the clothes we were to clean our rooms from the past “guests” and claim our beds. After we were to take showers and put the clothes on. Shortly after a bell rang and a voice came from the walls, it said,
“Dinner time. Everyone is to go to the dining hall where dinner will be served”
I walked down the large hallways. Vienna was walking slowly two people in front of me. I nervously whispered,
“Vienna!”
“Shanna???” She responded in an excited tone of voice.
She stopped in the hallway, then continued walking when she was next to me.
“What’s happening?” I asked in a hurry.
“This is a place where they sell kids, mom and papa didn’t have enough money…they sold us.” She almost cried
“This can’t be! Papa loves us. He would never do such things!!!” I argued.
“Then why are we here? Don’t argue, this is now our life, being sold to people.” She snapped.
“It’s true! Oh, I don’t want to be sold. I want to be with you Vienna!” I cried.
“Stop that, we will get in trouble. Now fix yourself up and go eat.” She said.
I couldn’t believe what was happening. We were sold to this building. People will get us and Vienna might go to somebody else than me. All the thoughts that jumbeled in my head, almost made me walk into the pretty lady.
“Sorry Mrs…Lady. I don’t know where my head is today.” I spoke extra kind.
“That’s alright…Umm, Shanna. Correct?” She questioned.
“Yes, impressive. You have a good memory.” I complimented.
“Why thank you Shanna. You’re a kind girl.” She grinned.
“Your welcome. I didn’t happen to get your name. What would that be?” I questioned
“Mrs. Hawthorn” She answered.
“Right!” I spoke.
“Well let’s not keep you from your dinner.” She smiled.
Then she walked slowly down the hall. I followed and kept quiet. I think she liked me…this could be a good situation.