Edward laughed heartily, “You‘ve never been to one yourself then. For me it was more like growing up in a large family without the family history or connection. My twenty odd siblings weren‘t actually family and the person we called ‗Mummy‘ wasn‘t really our mother. There were a lot of ‗uncles‘ to play the father figure and ‗aunts‘ who came to visit occasionally with their own children. Both Muslims and Christians are religiously compelled to help and they did. We got food, old clothes, toys, visits, cuddles and so on.”
“I visited an orphanage once before but we didn‘t get to interact with the children a lot, just the caretakers.”
“That happens too. But anyway, the home didn‘t lack too much and we had enough to get by. The cracks appeared when I became of school age and it was clear I wouldn‘t be adopted. I didn‘t start school at the usual age because the home couldn‘t afford it.”
Gladys continued to stroke the back of his hand without saying anything. This was a new Edward she was seeing, one who had never opened up to her before now. She pictured him as a young and vulnerable boy and felt transported to the place and time he described. She also recalled her similar experience where her secondary and university admissions were postponed because her mother could not afford it. Her heart melted in sympathy.
“It still wasn‘t too bad. I finally started school and did very well. At ten, I got a foster home with a Muslim family. It was returning to the orphanage three years later that was the beginning of the roughest patch in my life. I became wild and got into all sorts.”
“What happened? Why did you have to return to the orphanage?” Gladys asked as she drew closer.
“With my first foster parents, I felt at home and began to relax. I thought I‘d finally found a family I could depend on. I skipped a couple of classes and was in Form three by thirteen. In those years I spent with them, my foster parents promised a lot for my future. Unfortunately, they got divorced and that was the end for me. I was returned to the orphanage and never heard from either of them again. I had trusted them but my young hopes were dashed to pieces.”
Gladys kept silent because she didn‘t want to spoil his flow.