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Chapter 1:
in the orphanidge |
| In a grim gray building in the heart of a large metropolitan city a tiny boy aged two years old sits by a window and stares out onto the streets. The sky is gray and cloudy but to him, hi whole life seems this way. His clothing is old and tattered, and there is a hole in each sleeve of the red shirt he is wearing. His jeans are ragged, and he has on his worn sneakers that look like he has been rolling in the mud for a few weeks. Around him several other boys sit on the dirty tile floor playing with marbles. Others sit in corners by a very old worn bookcase trying to read books that they have probably read a million times already, but there is little to amuse the children in the place A nearby door opens and an older gray-haired haggard-looking woman comes into the room. Above the din of children's voices she yells at them, "Time for chow get with it." At that moment all the boys make a run for another door on the other side of the room, and the woman frowns and yells for order. :get into lines" she says but the boys rush lpast her into the next large room. There there are long tables with folding metal chairs at each place. Here the boys go to a counter and all of them collect their trays of food. There isn't much to eat the usual drab stew that they have had for days on end. The orphanidge matron tries to make money and collect funds from good people around the city, but she doesn't make that much effort. She has been doing this job for years, and it is evident that she really doesn't enjoy this job. It keeps her subsisting herself as long as her own rent gets paid along with her own bills. She goes to the head of one table and says a quick grace as is the custom for this place, and all the boys dig into their food. There is quiet until two boys start to argue over who will finish a plate. The matron says sternly, "Be quiet." There is again silence except for the sounds of silverware hitting plates, and the clang of glasses. In fifteen minutes the boys are finished with eating their noon meal, and everyone files out into the other large room. Here the matron stands by the brick fireplace and asks each boy to read from the old school books. If anyone fails to read what she requires he is sent to stand in the corner for an hour. Along with this punishment, if he protests his hands are struck with the matron's cane in hopes he will tend to his school homework for the next day. So this vicious routine stays rooted in place day after day, week after week. The tiny boy who stood by the window had been dropped off by his mother who could no longer care for him, and her relatives wouldn't take him in so this was her only choice. She was a thin lady, who wore traditional American Indian dress, and she put the woven basket with the baby in it along with covering him with his favorite blanket. She left a note there tied to the handle of the basket pleading for someone to take care of her child. Then with tears she slowly walked away down the empty streets in the early morning. The matron upon opening the door to the building as was her custom, to throw out the trash from her meager breakfast, spotted the basket and drew the baby and his basket into the kitchen to inspect him. This was the way many mothers left their children they could no longer care for, and she took them all in as she always had done. |
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Chapter 2:
My New Mother |
| As usual Marshal was sitting in his favorite place by the window of the orphanidge. He liked to watch the many cars moving on the street and could distract himself by wondering who was in those cars. There was little for a child of his age to do under the circumstances. He was so small he did not know how to read yet, and left this activity to the older boys who sat by the brick fireplace and bookcases that lined the main living room of that drab building.He liked to see all the colors of the cars going by, and all the different shapes of those cars and trucks. Sometimes he imagined that he was out there in one of those cars especially when their matron yelled at the boys, and he hated being yelled at himself. She sometimes did yell at him to get away from the window, but she had given up on that because he just kept going back to sit there. So, now, most of the time she ignored his presence. He was sitting there one sunny afternoon with all the other boys wandering around making loud noises and talking because this was a day when they were not let outside to play in the nearby parking lot. There were two basketball hoops in the old dirt lot they could throw stuff into and if they were lucky some kid would find a ball somewhere to use and a game would start. But for now, they were stuck inside while the matron Miss Ellen they called her, was in her tiny office doing some sort of paperwork. They did not know what type of paperwork, but they knew they were extremely bored. Sometimes somebody would start a fight just for the heck of it, and Miss Ellen would storm out of her office and yell for quiet. Today however, she did not come out, and so it was quite noisy. Marshal reached up with both hands and covered his ears the noise echoed all over the old building and he felt it was a promise he would go deaf if the others did not soon stop their noise. Then, he noticed from the street came a vary large car. It was larger than any he had ever seen. The car was so shiny he thought if he were outside he might see himself like that old mirror over the sinks in the washrooms the boys used. He leaned forward as if he could get closer for a better view, as the wonderful car rode swiftly and smoothly up the orlphanidge driveway and came to an abrupt stop. A rather muscular-looking dignified gentleman in some type of uniform got out of the car and came around the other side to open another door. Out stepped the most beautiful woman that Marshal had ever seen in his two short years of life. She had her blonde hair piled neatly on top of her head, and in her white-gloved hands she held her purse, a black leather one that stayed with her everywhere she went. Her beautiful long blue dress seemed to flow with her as she slowly walked with the gentleman to the front door. Beyond this Marshal couldn't see much. In a moment however, the man came back and sat in that nice big car to wait for the woman. It was then that the front doorbell rang, something that did not happen often in that foresaken place. The door opened on the other side of the room, and Miss Ellen came bounding out to rush for the front door. She looked just as bewildered as the boys were as they all stared at the incredibly beautiful woman as she glided into the main living room and looked around. "Hello, my name is Jane Grant, and I was wondering who runs this place?" She asked as she spotted miss Ellen standing almost behind the opened door. "I run this orphanidge." Miss Ellen told her, "And have for the last twenty years." There she stopped and seemed speechless as the woman stepped forward, and wandered around the room looking at all the boys. "I am here because I wish to adopt a little boy." She told the older woman. "Please step into my office then." miss Ellen invited. The young woman stepped into the office, looked around with distaste. The chairs looked like they had never been dusted, and the pain was wearing off. She sat daintily on one chair and waited. "What kind of boy were you thinking to adopt?" miss Ellen inquired, as she slid some paperwork across the desk out of sight."I wish to find some tiny little boy, not too old you understand." Jane started. She excused herself as she suddenly sneezed with all the dust and grime. "Well I have a few I can recommend." the older woman told her. :"Come back into the main room, and we can talk to some of them, and perhaps you can see someone who would suit you." They both rose, and entered the main room again. Jane wandered talking to a lot of the boys, then she spotted the tiny boy who was sitting by the window. "What is his name?" she inquired of the matron. "Oh you don't want him! the matron said ruefully, "He is an Indian boy probably not too bright." Jane moved over to the little fellow, and said, "What is your name little boy?" Marshal looked up startled that this woman was at his side. "My name is Marshal." he told her. She continued to study him. His black eyes were alert, and she felt intelligent. "How long have you been here." She realized maybe he was too young to understand anything about days and times. "I don't know, a long time." he said. "Would you like to find a mother and Dad maybe?" she asked. "I guess, he told her, "I can't remember my real ones." The matron came over putting her hand on Jane's elbow. "You don't want this one dearie, he will give you trouble." "Well, I like challenges." Jane told her. She said looking around at Marshal again. "Is it all right if I come to visit him, and perhaps take him out for a drive?" "Well, I guess you may." miss Ellen said. She accompanied Jane to the front door. "Thank you, I will be back soon." Jane promised. marshal watched from his window to see her get back into the car assisted by the big man, and they drove away in that wonderful car. e |
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Chapter 3:
My New Mother |
| As usual Marshal was sitting in his favorite place by the window of the orphanidge. He liked to watch the many cars moving on the street and could distract himself by wondering who was in those cars. There was little for a child of his age to do under the circumstances. He was so small he did not know how to read yet, and left this activity to the older boys who sat by the brick fireplace and bookcases that lined the main living room of that drab building.He liked to see all the colors of the cars going by, and all the different shapes of those cars and trucks. Sometimes he imagined that he was out there in one of those cars especially when their matron yelled at the boys, and he hated being yelled at himself. She sometimes did yell at him to get away from the window, but she had given up on that because he just kept going back to sit there. So, now, most of the time she ignored his presence. He was sitting there one sunny afternoon with all the other boys wandering around making loud noises and talking because this was a day when they were not let outside to play in the nearby parking lot. There were two basketball hoops in the old dirt lot they could throw stuff into and if they were lucky some kid would find a ball somewhere to use and a game would start. But for now, they were stuck inside while the matron Miss Ellen they called her, was in her tiny office doing some sort of paperwork. They did not know what type of paperwork, but they knew they were extremely bored. Sometimes somebody would start a fight just for the heck of it, and Miss Ellen would storm out of her office and yell for quiet. Today however, she did not come out, and so it was quite noisy. Marshal reached up with both hands and covered his ears the noise echoed all over the old building and he felt it was a promise he would go deaf if the others did not soon stop their noise. Then, he noticed from the street came a vary large car. It was larger than any he had ever seen. The car was so shiny he thought if he were outside he might see himself like that old mirror over the sinks in the washrooms the boys used. He leaned forward as if he could get closer for a better view, as the wonderful car rode swiftly and smoothly up the orlphanidge driveway and came to an abrupt stop. A rather muscular-looking dignified gentleman in some type of uniform got out of the car and came around the other side to open another door. Out stepped the most beautiful woman that Marshal had ever seen in his two short years of life. She had her blonde hair piled neatly on top of her head, and in her white-gloved hands she held her purse, a black leather one that stayed with her everywhere she went. Her beautiful long blue dress seemed to flow with her as she slowly walked with the gentleman to the front door. Beyond this Marshal couldn't see much. In a moment however, the man came back and sat in that nice big car to wait for the woman. It was then that the front doorbell rang, something that did not happen often in that foresaken place. The door opened on the other side of the room, and Miss Ellen came bounding out to rush for the front door. She looked just as bewildered as the boys were as they all stared at the incredibly beautiful woman as she glided into the main living room and looked around. "Hello, my name is Jane Grant, and I was wondering who runs this place?" She asked as she spotted miss Ellen standing almost behind the opened door. "I run this orphanidge." Miss Ellen told her, "And have for the last twenty years." There she stopped and seemed speechless as the woman stepped forward, and wandered around the room looking at all the boys. "I am here because I wish to adopt a little boy." She told the older woman. "Please step into my office then." miss Ellen invited. The young woman stepped into the office, looked around with distaste. The chairs looked like they had never been dusted, and the pain was wearing off. She sat daintily on one chair and waited. "What kind of boy were you thinking to adopt?" miss Ellen inquired, as she slid some paperwork across the desk out of sight."I wish to find some tiny little boy, not too old you understand." Jane started. She excused herself as she suddenly sneezed with all the dust and grime. "Well I have a few I can recommend." the older woman told her. :"Come back into the main room, and we can talk to some of them, and perhaps you can see someone who would suit you." They both rose, and entered the main room again. Jane wandered talking to a lot of the boys, then she spotted the tiny boy who was sitting by the window. "What is his name?" she inquired of the matron. "Oh you don't want him! the matron said ruefully, "He is an Indian boy probably not too bright." Jane moved over to the little fellow, and said, "What is your name little boy?" Marshal looked up startled that this woman was at his side. "My name is Marshal." he told her. She continued to study him. His black eyes were alert, and she felt intelligent. "How long have you been here." She realized maybe he was too young to understand anything about days and times. "I don't know, a long time." he said. "Would you like to find a mother and Dad maybe?" she asked. "I guess, he told her, "I can't remember my real ones." The matron came over putting her hand on Jane's elbow. "You don't want this one dearie, he will give you trouble." "Well, I like challenges." Jane told her. She said looking around at Marshal again. "Is it all right if I come to visit him, and perhaps take him out for a drive?" "Well, I guess you may." miss Ellen said. She accompanied Jane to the front door. "Thank you, I will be back soon." Jane promised. marshal watched from his window to see her get back into the car assisted by the big man, and they drove away in that wonderful car. e |
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Chapter 4:
my new way of life |
| Now every week Jane came to pick up Marshal at the orphanidge. the other kids were jealous and sometimes they showed it by calling Marshal names. But he didn't care. He had gone to the zoo with Jane, and to a pizza place and so many other places through the weeks he could almost not remember them all. He had gone to movies for the first time, and out to a restaurant with Jane and her companion. They visited the library where Jane began to teach him his letters and how to read. He caught on fast, and although Jane was not familiar with children that much it seemed he learned extra fast to her. She saw he was well-behaved for his age, so she took him to meet her friends. Her best friend was another lady who lived down the street from where Jane lived, named Loren. Loren was an old college friend who had also married well. The two women often visited every week. Loren said when she met Marshal, "Gosh Jane he acts a lot oder than his age." "I know, and I can't figure that out." Jane told her friend. They took Marshal out for ice cream something he had never had before, and it was good on a hot day he discovered. He tried chocolate on Jane's recommendation and it was great. As time went by summer turned into fall, and then there was winter, and Jane took Marshal to fit him with a new winter jacket...and the first boots he'd ever had. There was also new mittens and a brand new hat for him to wear. Life seemed a lot better with his new friend. He did not know where this was leading but he imagined himself now when in bed with Jane, and this kept him tolerant of the terrible conditions at the orphanidge every night when he went to sleep. He thought of Jane, Camille and all that good food, and the big house and car...and Jane's kindnesses to him. |
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Chapter 5:
I meet my best friend |
| Marshal was at Jane's house, and he was now three years old. It was his birthday, and he was playing with a set of blocks as Jane worked in the backyard garden. It wasn't that she had to do this as the gardeners came by every week, but it gave her a peaceful feeling to putter around all the greenery. Marshal stacked his blocks into a tall tower, and stood to look at it. He heard a small sound on the other side of the hedge, and he ran to see what was there. Another small boy peaked through the bushes. "Hi." Marhsall said to him, "Who are you?" "My name is Lance. Who are you?" the boy inquired. "My name is Marshal. Want to come see my blocks because I have made a tower." "Yes, okay." Lance said and crawled through the hedge until he stood next to his new friend. "See!" Marshal said. "I just got these. My friend gave them to me.' It's my birthday." "Oh that's good." Lance said and walked over to the tower. He held it up with one hand. "I can show you how to make it stand better." he offered. So the two boys fiddled with the blocks and Jane came around the corner to see the stranger. "Who are you?" she asked. "I'm Lance. Ilive next door." L Lance told her. "Well I am Mrs. Grant." Jane said as she inspected the blocks. "Are you having fun Marshal/?" "Yes I am." Marshal told her. Jane settle into a green and white lawn chair and watched the two bosy play. They seemed to get on well she observed. This was good for Marshal to have a new friend outside the rough boys of the orphanidge. She felt this was a great way for him to get to some type of normalcy. Soon though, it was time for dinner, and Marshal and Lance had to go inside. Lance went home, and Marshal went to eat his supper with Jane, something they had been doing for some time. then he had to go back to the orphanidge. This was getting hard for both of them, and finally this evening was noexception. He sat and cried, and she held him. "Some day maybe we can betogether." she told him. He said not a word. |
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Chapter 6:
I meet my best friend |
| Marshal was at Jane's house, and he was now three years old. It was his birthday, and he was playing with a set of blocks as Jane worked in the backyard garden. It wasn't that she had to do this as the gardeners came by every week, but it gave her a peaceful feeling to putter around all the greenery. Marshal stacked his blocks into a tall tower, and stood to look at it. He heard a small sound on the other side of the hedge, and he ran to see what was there. Another small boy peaked through the bushes. "Hi." Marhsall said to him, "Who are you?" "My name is Lance. Who are you?" the boy inquired. "My name is Marshal. Want to come see my blocks because I have made a tower." "Yes, okay." Lance said and crawled through the hedge until he stood next to his new friend. "See!" Marshal said. "I just got these. My friend gave them to me.' It's my birthday." "Oh that's good." Lance said and walked over to the tower. He held it up with one hand. "I can show you how to make it stand better." he offered. So the two boys fiddled with the blocks and Jane came around the corner to see the stranger. "Who are you?" she asked. "I'm Lance. I live next door." Lance told her. "Well I am Mrs. Grant." Jane said as she inspected the blocks. "Are you having fun Marshal?" "Yes I am." Marshal told her. Jane settle into a green and white lawn chair and watched the two boys play. They seemed to get on well she observed. This was good for Marshal to have a new friend outside the rough boys of the orphanidge. She felt this was a great way for him to get to some type of normalcy. Soon though, it was time for dinner, and Marshal and Lance had to go inside. Lance went home, and Marshal went to eat his supper with Jane, something they had been doing for some time. then he had to go back to the orphanidge. This was getting hard for both of them, and finally this evening was no exception. He sat and cried, and she held him. "Some day maybe we can be together." she told him. He said not a word. |
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Chapter 7:
my music |
| In Jane's house stood a beautiful piano in the corner of the living room. The wood just shone and sparkled as Marshal walked by. He wasn't sure just what this was, but he tentatively ran his hands across the keyboard. He jumped when sounds issued from the grand piano. Then his curiosity got the best of him, and he sat on the long bench to touch the keys. It made the most pleasant sounds he had ever heard. Sure he had heard the old radio in Miss Ellen's office, but he never imagined anything like this. Jane came in from the kitchen where she had worked on tonight's orders for dinner with the cooks, and found her young charge sitting at the piano. "Do you like music?" she asked him as she sat down beside him. "I think so." Marshal said. He watch in fascination as she opened a book. This book was unlike anything he'd seen. There were circles and lines in it, and he soon learned these were notes that corresponded with the keys on that piano. Jane began to play. She had always had a knack for this instrument, but she was no concert pianist. She just enjoyed playing for friends and sometimes for herself. Marshal suddenly saw each note, and it seemed to play in his head. He tried to immitate what Jane had done on the keys. Jane also watch in fascination as the young child seemed to pick this up. She showed him some chords and even at his young age he understood and di them fine. Over the next weeks Jane searched for an appropriate teacher and on Wednesdays he went to her home to have his piano lessons. She took great pleasure seeing how fast he learned, and how much he enjoyed the lessons. It was she thought unusual he picked it all up so quickly. |
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