Her Journey Begins (4 page)

  
“
Hey!
”

  
“
Hey what? It
’
s time to eat.
”
and he carries his plate over and sits down across from her. Chris watches them as they begin to eat and Brad looks up at her.
“
Go ahead, eat. Like I said, next week you get to cook.
”
Chris smiles a sad smile at him, knowing next week she won
’
t be here, because they only agreed to keep her until Tuesday. Finished eating, Barb gets up and puts her plate in the sink.

  
“
Okay, I
’
m going to go get dressed.
”

  
“
Want help?
”
Brad asks causing Barb to blush.

  
“
No, you get to stay down here and do the dishes.
”

Chris speaks up,
“
I can do them. That is if you want me to.
”

Brad hands Chris the dish towel.

  
“
I
’
ll tell you what Chris, I
’
ll wash and you can dry. Will that work for you?
”
Brad washes and rinses the first plate and hands it to Chris. Done drying it Chris looks around and Brad nods towards the cupboard.
“
So Chris, do you like school?
“

Not sure where the conversation
’
s going, Chris hesitates before answering.

  
“
Yeah
…“

  
“
And what
’
s your favorite subject?
“

Chris thinks for a moment.

  
“
I think it would have to be math. I like numbers.
”

   
“
Really? I would have thought it would be English or art.
”

  
“
I like those too, but I think math is my favorite.
”

Brad hands her the last plate and pulls the plug out of the sink.

  
“
That
’
s it. That didn
’
t take very long at all, did it? From now on you can help me do dishes every Saturday. What say we sit down and read the paper. Sound like a good idea?
”
Chris nods and they sit down.
“
Okay what section do you want?
”

Chris grins.
“
The sports page.
”

  
“
Hey! That
’
s the part I want.
”

Chris giggles,
“
I
’
m kidding
…
I want the comics please.
”

  
“
Okay, here ya go.
”
 

Barb comes back into the kitchen. Looking at the clock, Chris sees that Barb was upstairs for about an hour and now has her makeup on and she
‘
s dressed in jeans and a sweater.

  
“
Okay Chris you ready to go shopping?
”



   Tuesday morning Chris is up early. She makes her bed and folds up the clothes she came with and places them in the plastic bag. She has on a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater that her and Barb picked out from the thrift store on Saturday. Chris doesn
’
t know until years later, that Barb and Brad were struggling financially at the time and that is one of the reasons they decided to become foster parents. Originally Chris had thought it was just because Barb couldn
’
t have children of her own. Chris found this out while they were shopping.

  
“
Barb, why don
’
t you have kids?
”

   
“
I guess God didn
’
t want me to.
”

   
“
Why?
”

  
“
I don
’
t know, but
“
everything happens for a reason
”
, even when we don
’
t know what that reason is.
”

   
“
I
’
m sorry.
”

   
“
Maybe he has better things in store for me.
”
Barb said and winked at her.



   Coming down the stairs Chris is telling herself not to cry. She likes it here and she would like to stay, but
…
Barb is just opening the front door as Miss Vetro comes walking up the steps. Barb seems to be in a chipper mood this morning as she welcomes Miss Vetro.

  
“
Good morning. How are you this morning?
”
Maybe she
’
s happy  Chris is leaving. Coming in Miss Vetro sees Chris standing there clutching her bag and her book.

  
“
Good morning Chris. How are you this morning? I see you are all ready to go.
”
Barb looks over at Chris and sees the bag of clothes in her hand.

  
“
What
’
s this?
”
Barb asks as she takes the bag of clothes from Chris.

 
“
I didn
’
t take any of the clothes you bought me, except for these
”
Chris stammers and points at the jeans and sweater that she has on.

  
“
But how are you going to wear the clothes I bought you, if you leave? That is, unless you would like to stay here with us.
”
Chris gives Barb a quizzical look.
“
Come on, let
’
s all sit down.
”
Barb motions to the chairs. Sitting down Barb looks at Miss Vetro.
“
My husband and I have discussed it and we have decided that we want to keep Chris.
”

  
“
But you had stated in your original paperwork that you wanted a child under five.
”

  
“
We
’
ve changed our mind, besides
“
everything happens for a reason
”
right Chris? Now go put your clothes away where they belong, in
your
room. Chris looks at Miss Vetro who smiles and nods her head. Coming back to the living room Chris walks up to Miss Vetro and gives her a hug.

  
“
I bet you want to know if Jason
’
s okay?
”
Chris nods.
“
He is with a very nice family also.
”

Chris finally lets the happy tears fall as she whispers,

  
“
My wish came true.
”



   Sitting at the courthouse Chris is twiddling her fingers.

  
“
I don
’
t understand. Why do we have to see the judge?
”

   
“
Because after a year we have to have the judge
’
s approval for you to remain with Brad and I.
”

   
“
I didn
’
t have to do this when I was at the last home.
”

   
“
That
’
s because they didn
’
t follow the rules.
”

Barb reaches over and places her hand on Chris
’
hands.

  
“
Now quit fidgeting. It will be okay.
”

Miss Vetro comes out of the judge
’
s chambers.

   
“
Okay Barb, you
’
re up.
”

Barb squeezes Chris
’
hand and gets up to let Miss Vetro sit down.

  
“
Hi Chris. Are you doing okay?
”

  
“
Yeah, I
’
m okay. Miss Vetro?
”

  
“
Yes?
”

   
“
How
’
s Jason?
”

Miss Vetro smiles and puts her arm around Chris
’
shoulder.

  
“
Jason is doing great. He
’
s been adopted. And he
’
s in kindergarten.
”

Before Chris can reply Barb comes out of the judge
’
s chambers and smiles at Chris.

  
“
Your turn.
”

Chris sighs and goes into the judge
‘
s chambers.

  
“
Hi Chris, please have a seat.
”
The judge whistles while he looks over Chris
’
paperwork. Closing Chris
’
folder he folds his hands and looks over and smiles at her.

  
“
You can stay another year, but
…
you have to keep up your grades at school and stay out of trouble. Can you do that?
”
Grinning the biggest grin he
’
s probably ever seen, Chris tells him,

  
“
Yes
”



   When Chris was fourteen the judge asked her one additional question.

  
“
Chris you are at an age where you can make some decisions on your own. So I have to ask you this question. Do you want to know who your birth mother is?
”

  
“
No
”

  
“
Chris you might want to think about this.
”

  
“
No
”

   
“
Okay, but if you change your mind, let Miss Vetro know and I
‘
ll have the records unsealed, okay?
”

Chris stands up and smiles as she shakes the judge
’
s hand.

  
“
I
’
ll see you next year.
”

In the car on the way home, Barb asks her,

  
“
Did he ask you?
”

Chris looks at Barb out of the corner of her eye and then asks innocently,
“
What?
”

   
“
You know what. What did you tell him?
”

   
“
The same thing I
’
m going to tell you. No.
”

   
“
But Chris honey, don
’
t you want to know?
”

  
“
No
”

Barb knows Chris well enough now, that once she sets her mind to something, there
’
s no way to change it and Barb doesn
’
t ask her again.



   Chris has been with Barb and Brad a little over 5 years now and has taken over Brad
’
s Saturday job of making breakfast. In the kitchen she lets her mind wander while thinking about school.
All of her friends have been talking about how exciting senior year is going to be. Chris isn
’
t excited. She hasn
’
t been excited about school since she started high school. Well maybe a little this year, but that
’
s just because it will be her last year to have to go there.
Just before her first year of high school the school district decided to change the boundary lines and since Chris lived on this side of the street and her friends lived on that side of the street, she was bussed to the new high school where all the upper class snobs went and she didn
’
t fit in. Lost in thought Chris doesn
’
t hear Barb walk up behind her.