“Who ran into the cafeteria again and stole a loaf of bread?” Ms. Linda Foster scolded as she opened the doors to the children’s room. She was a strict caretaker feared by all the children. She couldn’t stand it when something happened behind her back, and she found out about it later.
Today, Alex was just unlucky. The boy had stolen the bread not just for himself but had shared it with other children. However, none of them wanted to be on the wrong side of Ms. Linda Foster’s perpetually bad mood. Alex had to take the blame for all the boys and was put in the corner for the entire day.
The next day, the caretaker was replaced by the calmer and kinder Ms. Maria Carter. With her, Alex didn’t feel humiliated or insulted. She didn’t even scold them if the children took extra food from the cafeteria. She knew that every child needed to grow and that eating was essential for life. Moreover, time with Ms. Maria Carter was enjoyable. She knew how to keep the orphans engaged and entertained.
When the mean caretaker was on duty, Alex always looked for a chance to escape from the orphanage. This time, the eleven-year-old boy used his secret escape route, known only to himself. Even the guard, Uncle Victor, was unaware of it. By moving a couple of boards, Alex quietly climbed through the fence and escaped to freedom.
It was late autumn. The leaves had long fallen, and the snow had not yet started. Nature seemed gloomy. Birds hid away in the warmth. A little boy walked through the park in an unbuttoned jacket. Alex enjoyed this unusual solitude, imagining himself as an adult. He had long wanted to grow up and leave the orphanage, where he had to endure strict rules.
As he walked between the trees, he enjoyed the sound of rustling leaves and listened to the cawing of crows flying overhead. The sun was covered by grim clouds. Passersby occasionally walked along the paved paths, their gazes downcast. Alex had time to observe each one. “They probably have their own homes and children… Why would they need me?” he thought sorrowfully to himself. Suddenly, a stranger extended a small package to him.
“Here, this is for you,” said the man.
“For me? What is it?”
“Cookies. I see you often wander here alone. Where is your family?” asked the stranger.
“I… I…” Alex decided not to reveal where he was from, so he ran in the opposite direction of the park, holding the treat in his hands.
The boy ran a few more meters and noticed an elderly man sitting on a bench, chin resting on the palms of both hands, deep in thought.
“Hello!” greeted the child, approaching the old man. Alex noticed his sad look and felt a sudden pity for the grandfather.
The boy sat next to him on the bench and began to eat the cookies greedily.
“May I have a piece?” the man suddenly asked, reaching out for Alex’s treat.
“Of course, you can! We always share with each other in the orphanage,” the child replied, handing a cookie to the old man’s palm. Then he paused. He had decided not to tell anyone that he was from an orphanage and had inadvertently let it slip!
“So, you’re a runaway?” concluded the companion. “And I sit here, unable to understand where I came from… I walked and walked and forgot… That’s how we are, old people.”
Alex caught his breath. How good it was that the old man didn’t press him further! “Do you really not remember anything at all?” the child inquired curiously, and the old man nodded sadly. “It’s a disaster with me… a disaster. No one knows when such misfortune will happen to them… People can’t foresee their future, and for everyone, it ends the same—in old age…”
Alex blinked rapidly, listening intently to the elderly man. He truly felt sorry for him! Completely lonely and needed by no one. Alex at least had his own little bed, a plate, a cup, and a spoon, but this grandfather didn’t even remember where he lived! Could there really be no kind soul in the world to take in this nearly helpless old man? He thought this as he glanced sideways at the elderly man.
“Do you have a phone with you? Maybe it could help,” the boy said maturely.
Digging through his pockets, the man pulled out an old-fashioned mobile phone and handed it to Alex. The child pressed a button, and the screen lit up. Unexpectedly, a number appeared.
“They’re calling you!” exclaimed the orphan. “Shall we answer?”
The old man nodded. “I think they’ll tell you something quicker,” he said gloomily.
Alex answered, “Hello!”
“Dad, where did you disappear to? We’ve been looking for you since last night!”
“Hello. This isn’t your dad. I found this grandfather in the park. I’m sitting next to him right now,” the boy explained.
“Tell me the address!”
Alex gave the address of the park and quickly said goodbye to the old man before running back to the orphanage.
A luxurious car pulled up to the orphanage the next day.
“Who could that be?” a nanny wondered.
Ms. Linda Foster looked out and saw a well-dressed man and woman. “I’ll meet them. They don’t seem like ordinary visitors.”
“We’ve come for a boy named Alex. He’s 11 and often runs away,” the man explained.
Linda frowned but led them downstairs, where Alex was locked away in solitary confinement.
“You locked him up?” the man exclaimed. “This is illegal!”
“He broke the rules!” Linda protested.
“You know what? Soon you’ll be the one looking for a new job!” the guest snapped.
Turning to Alex, he said, “We’ve come for you.”
“For me?” the boy asked hesitantly.
“Yes,” the man smiled. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll explain everything.”
Later, Alex learned that the man and his wife had come specifically for him. “Thank you for feeding my father in the park!” the man said. “If it weren’t for you, who knows how long he would have been out there.”
For Alex, it felt like a dream. He even pinched himself. Could it really be true? Would he soon have a family?
That same day, Ms. Linda Foster was fired. Meanwhile, Alex walked out of the orphanage for the last time, holding the hand of his new father, who reminded him of the father from his dreams. A new life had begun, far from the harsh orphanage and the cruel Ms. Linda Foster, who was now mopping floors elsewhere…
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
