THIRTY-FOUR

TWELVE YEARS AGO AT THE CLEAR OPAL MANOR

Left alone in his suite, Dylan cried his heart out. He punched the pillows on his bed, threw them all away and tossed the bed linen on to the floor.

"What is there? What is there at the children's home? What do you mean by asking me that?", he spoke to no one in particular, mimicking his mother's words.

After a long time, when he had calmed down, he sat on his bed and rubbed his hands together.

He laughed mockingly and repeated his mother's words, "what is there? What is there at the children's home! well I will tell you what is there! …I will tell you what is there at the children's home! Mamma you asked me, I will tell you! I will tell you!! I will tell you who is there!" he cried as he left his bedroom and headed towards his study table.

Dylan fumbled through his desk drawers for his charging code, for his laptop battery was about to die. After he found the charger, he plugged it in as the tears rolled.

"You will soon know, mamma! You will soon know who is at the children's home! You asked me a question, and I will tell you! I will tell you who is at the children's home!" he cried large drops of tears which fell on his chest, on the back of his hands as well as on the laptop, as he typed away the poem. Each word came from the core of his heart:

THE POEM

She asked me, "What is there at the orphanage?"

I wanted to look into her eyes and tell her

Tell her that there is a girl at the orphanage

I never gathered enough courage

But should she ever ask me again

I will gather courage and tell her

There is a girl at the orphanage

There is a beautiful girl at the orphanage

She is the brightest girl I know

Her smile radiates warmth to my heart

The sun can shine during the day, and the moon at night

Yet her smile dominates them all

There is a girl at the orphanage

There is a girl at the orphanage

Her laugh is magnetic

She laughs freely, as if she has no care at all

There is a twinkle in her diamond eyes

She has everything perfect

She is the girl at the orphanage

There is a girl at the orphanage

She has a heart of gold

She loves and cares for everyone

She is willing to help anyone

Children big and small come around her,

Never tiring, she maintains her smile

I want to be friends with the girl at the orphanage

There is a girl at the orphanage

Her life seems simple and happy

She is disadvantaged, she has no parents

Yet not even once has she shown it

She smiles, she laughs, she is happy

There is a girl at the orphanage

I think about her when I am happy

I think about her when I am sad

When I eat, I wonder if she too has eaten

When I sleep, I believe she too will be falling asleep

I dream of her, and I wonder if she ever dreams of me

I wonder what she does in the mornings, as I prepare to start my day

I wonder if she has ever noticed me

There is a girl at the orphanage…

Every first Thursday of the month is my dream

I want to go; I want to see her

In the hall full of many kids, my eyes search for her

I see her, and she is always helping someone

Rocking a baby to sleep, or carrying a toddler

Helping a child to get water, or taking a little one to the bathroom

Fixing the collar of her friend, or helping a child to take off his jersey in the hot room

There is a girl at the orphanage

Her smile never disappears

I look for her and I see her

And yet I wonder; has she ever noticed me?

There is a girl at the orphanage

There is a girl at the orphanage

Her eyes seem to pierce into my heart

Her voice is angelic; it echoes through the place

It is the voice of an angel,

If angels could be seen, I believe they would look and sing just like her

I see her face in my dreams, I hear her song in my dream

When I close my eyes to sleep, I see her smile

I see her perfect face, she is too beautiful to be real

I hear her laughter and I hum to the tune of her song

Her song is my daily lullaby' it is also my wake up alarm

She has become a permanent resident of my mind

There is a girl as the orphanage

Every day I tell myself, I will greet her

Yet each time I see her, her beauty scares me off

I keep postponing, but one day I surely will…

There is a girl at the orphanage

And I need to know more about her . . .