The House at the Edge

My name is Alex, ten years old and an orphan. I don't have any memory before I was ten years old aprt from my mother left me in the street when it was winter and they said that a man found me and sent me to police station. I only remember a glimpse of his face. As I don't have any other relative, I was send to an orphanage.

"I am alone now. But I don't want to!"

The nanny once told me that if i be a smart and obidient kid, someone will take me as their son!

Hence, since then i learn and learn everyday and even gain my headmaster attention for my intelligent. He even said that, if i trully did my best, he will recommend me to a family. 

"YES! I can do it."

"I will do my best so that I will recieved an unconditional love from my parent!" 

"And finally, the day has come!"

Today, there are a few family came to visit our orphanage. "I am so excited!"

The staff of the orphanage are standing in front of me now, their faces all looking concerned yet emotionless.

Then, a stern looking woman with grey hair, who would be intimidating if she was so short, named Mrs. Simmons, takes a step forward and crouches a little to get closer to my eye level.

"I'm sorry sweetie," the woman says

"But nobody has picked you yet."

I was shocked but I believe that one day, it will come to me if I continue to be a good child.

A few weeks after that, I heard a family will come to visit our orphanage this weekend. I have a good feeling.

Guess what? I heard that i will finally be picked!

I was taken to meet the family!

As I taking a peek to look at the spouse, I realise that the women is so beautiful while the man is…. familiar?.

Then, Mrs. Simmons said that the spouse has a daughter who's age is 6 years old waiting in the living room.

As I get in, a small and frail looking girl is sitting on the sofa and watching TV. She instantly glances up when I enter and stares for a while.

Mrs. Simmons, places her hand on my back and looks at that girl. "Alice, say hello to Alex," she says.

Alice's eyes are focused on mine as she processes what has been said. "Hello," she eventually replies but she doesn't take her eyes off me.

"Are you my new sibling?" She ask.

I am not sure how to reply, Mrs. Simmons is looking down at me expectantly. I finally decide to just answer yes. My voice is a bit timid when I speak. "Yeah," I respond, fiddling with the end of my shirt nervously.

Alice's eyes brighten as she smiles, her face lighting up. She hops off the sofa. "Cool!" she exclaims. "What do you want to do first? We'll have to work out how to share the room though."

"Ahhh! Lets get back home first. I will show you around my house!.

"You cant do that!" Mrs. simmons said.

"The procedure for adoption is undergoing so he still need to be here for now!

Alice looked up at Mrs. Simmons with a mix of disappointment and confusion. "Oh. So we have to wait?" she asked, her mood noticeably dampened.

"Haaahahahhahaha"

I subconsciously laugh loudly as she is too cute.

Alice looks to me and frowns, a little annoyed. "What are you laughing at?" she asks, her face scrunching up into a pout.

"I'm sorry," I reply, trying to keep my tone sincere and apologetic. Alice looks at me for a few seconds and then nods, accepting my apology. She sits back down on the sofa, clearly still sad that she won't be able to hang out with me every day just yet.

"Her emotion is like writen in her face" I thought as I find her amusing.

Mrs. Simmons looks at me and then at Alice, a slight frown on her face. "I promise you two will be siblings soon enough." She gives her a reassuring smile before turning to Alice.

A week later, I am officially adopted and move into my new home with Alice. The room I will be sharing with her is big and really cosy. There is a pair of single beds, a large window that lets in plenty of natural light, and a closet to store my belongings.

I spend my days exploring the house and playing with Alice as much as possible. It's all fun and games but I also make sure to set aside time to focus on my studies. Every day after lunch, I make a point to stay in the room and work on my assignments. Alice seems to respect my need for studying and tries her best to find something to do quietly while I am working.

Time move so fast, without I realising, it's almost been 3 months since I start living here .

I still need to continued do my best. My past experiences have made me determined to do well in my new home.

Deep down, I fear that failure will lead to being sent back to the orphanage or worse, abandoned again by my new parents. I push myself harder than ever before, desperate to prove that my worth in keeping me around.

My new mother, Mrs. Brown, is everything I could hope for. She's beautiful and caring, and she treats me with such love and respect. She sets firm boundaries with Alice, but with me, she gives me a lot more freedom to do what I want. I am grateful to have such an understanding and nurturing parent in my life.

While my new father, Mr. Brown, is a bit more rigid than my mother. He has a stern exterior but I sense that he does it out of concern for my future. He tells me many times not to forget about my studies, and I quickly learn that getting any mark less than perfect will spark his ire. As One time, when I come home with anything less than a perfect score, he gets very angry and lectures me about the importance of academic excellence.

The pressure to succeed weighs heavily on me. I am still young and naive, but I understand that failure is not an option. I push myself relentlessly, studying until my eyes ache and my head spins. I become so fixated on perfection that I even continue to work when I am physically exhausted and sick. My nose bleeds from the strain, but I hardly notice as I keep going, driven by an intense fear of disappointing my adoptive family.

"However,I am so grateful to be here!"