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Post by Jonah Wellington on Mar 14, 2011 23:20:33 GMT -5
Jonah was on a mission. He didn't like this mission one bit, but he couldn't very well tell his father no. His father was very excited--too excited, if you asked Jonah, not that anyone had--about this new project that had been pitched to him. They would be working with a developer to design and build a new shopping center--they called it a "mall"--right on the outskirts of the city. As if the whole bloody city wasn't already overrun with shops, they needed a shopping mall? And why here? The outskirts of town were lined with modest little homes, mum-and-pop stores... and an orphanage. It wasn't fair to displace these people just for more stupid shops just like the ones in the city, only concentrated in one overcrowded space and dressed up with fake atmosphere and plastic plants and gaudy water fountains.
And yet, Jonah had the dubious honor of investigating these homes, shops, and the orphanage, to determine whether these buildings could be acquired for their project. There was something about the idea of displacing orphans for the sake of money-grubbing developers and politicians that made Jonah feel like he should be wearing a top hat and twirling an oversized mustache.
But here he was, approaching the orphanage with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took a breath and knocked on the front door.
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Post by Carley Spangler on Mar 15, 2011 8:22:50 GMT -5
The children were running around the house during their play time. Ms. Elvington was out doing a bit of grocery shopping. Carley asked her if she wanted her to go grocery shopping, but Ms. Elvington insisted on Carley staying at the orphanage for now. Carley didn't argue with her and returned to the children as Ms. Elvington left.
One of the little boys came running up behind her and hid behind her as he was trying to catch his breath. "We're playing tag," he said breathing hard. Carley let out a laugh and ruffled the boy's hair just before he let go of her and started to run again.
The orphanage had always been home to her, although she had her own small apartment too far from here. She was never adopted, but she never let that bother her. She always had the children and Ms. Elvington, they were her family. Sure, some children were adopted, some weren't, and there were sometimes when new children would come in. The children seemed accepting of each other.
Since she was near the front door, she was able to hear a knock on the front door. "Children, quiet down for a moment," she called just as she reached the door. The children continued to run through the house, but they weren't yelling this time. Carley opened the door to see the person on the other side. For a quick second she took in who this person was. Not many people like him came by the orphanage. "Can I help you," she asked politely.
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Mar 21, 2011 18:11:41 GMT -5
Wow. It really was an orphanage... big old rundown house, kids running wild... But the girl answering the door was not at all what he expected. He rather thought that the proprietress of Elvington's Home For Children would be a little old lady, half-deaf, bent over and wearing a knitted shawl. But this girl... she was too old to be one of the orphans, but she was clearly not what he'd pictured Mrs. Elvington to be.
"Er... Mrs. Elvington?" he asked. "Or, is she at home? I have some urgent business to discuss with her."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Mar 21, 2011 23:22:11 GMT -5
"Mrs. Elvington is actually out grocery shopping," she said still holding the door open. Carley hadn't heard of any urgent business going on. Sure, she knew that there was a few things that could be updated about the house, but there wasn't any money for that at the moment and she knew that had Mrs. Elvington planned something, she would have let Carley know.
"If you want to, you can come in and wait for her," she said stepping out of the doorway. "Or you could leave a message or something and I'll make sure she'll get back in touch with you." Carley wanted to just right out ask what business he had, but it wasn't really her place to really ask that sort of thing at the moment.
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Mar 22, 2011 23:52:12 GMT -5
Jonah hesitated. Given the nature of his business here, he really didn't want to impose on their hospitality. He had hoped to just talk to Mrs. Elvington quickly and get it all over with. And honestly, he wanted a drink. He'd been serious for about 2 straight hours and it was giving him a headache.
And yet, he had to admit, he kind of wanted an excuse to talk to this girl longer. She was cute, and there was something in her eyes--a flash of mischief--that appealed to him.
In spite of himself, the "business-like" act he'd been putting on cracked, and he found himself grinning at her. Some would probably call it a cocky grin.
"Eh, who needs her, anyway? I'd rather talk to you, anyway."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Mar 23, 2011 1:00:25 GMT -5
Carley noticed that the man standing in front of her didn't seem comfortable at first. That was mainly making her want to just ask what he came the orphanage for. Honestly, the man didn't seem all that much of the business type, but Carley didn't really judge.
She let out a laugh at his next statement. She couldn't help it. The sudden bluntness of it and the grin caused her to laugh. Carley rolled her eyes. "Do you tell that to all the women you stop by to see," she asked still amused.
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Mar 24, 2011 0:24:34 GMT -5
"Only the cute ones," he answered honestly, giving her a wicked grin.
He tugged on the stupid tie that his father had insisted he wear for this little mission. This wasn't him; he wasn't a suit and tie kind of guy. He'd rather be working the actual construction than doing this... and he hated working construction. He hated everything about the job, except for when his father asked him to help with the finances.
He pulled the tie off and balled it up, stuffing it in his pocket. "That's better," he said. "So, what do you say? Invite a stranger in for a glass of lemonade?"
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Post by Carley Spangler on Mar 24, 2011 0:38:25 GMT -5
Again, Carley laughed. She gave him a 'yeah right' look. It was still puzzling to her as to what kind of business this man had. He didn't look too old, in fact he looked her again if not just a few years older. What business would he want with the orphanage, or Mrs. Elvington?
She got the impression that the gentleman wasn't exactly comfortable because no business man just pull off his tie while attempting to do business.
"Come on in," she said stepping out of the doorway. "As for lemonade, we might have some as long as Rylan hasn't drank it all." There was a joking tone to her voice. Rylan would always be the one that would drink the majority of the lemonade, since after all it was his favorite drink and he had made a point to tell Carley this awhile back.
"You can actually make yourself at home here in the living room. Please, don't mind the children, they're having play time right now.
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Mar 24, 2011 23:56:19 GMT -5
Jonah actually liked kids, but he didn't often get to spend much time around them. His family consisted of his father and younger brother; he hadn't seen his sister in a long time. He kept in contact with her, though, and she had a little boy that he hoped to meet one day.
"Oh, I don't mind the kids running around. That's what kids do. It's strange, though... I barely even remember ever having that much energy. But I'm pretty sure I did."
He followed her into the living room, looking around at the place as he went. It was, as he expected, rather messy, and in a slight state of disrepair. They needed a handyman, and he had to refrain from offering to do the job himself. That wasn't what he was here for, he reminded himself. Of course, he also wasn't here for flirting with pretty girls or drinking lemonade.
"I should probably introduce myself," he said, walking up beside her. "I'm Jonah Wellington. What may I call you?"
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Post by Carley Spangler on Mar 25, 2011 11:13:16 GMT -5
"You still need about that much energy to keep up with all of them," she said with a laugh. Currently there were about 5 boys and 3 girls in the orphanage at the moment. The youngest was around three years old and the oldest was around twelve. Usually the three year old tagged along with Carley, but today Rylan and a few other boys got him to run around with them. It was always funny seeing the older boys run by and then a few seconds later, Matthew running behind them, which was exactly happened when Carley stopped. Rylan came running by, followed by Kenny. A second later, Matthew rounded the corner, laughing as he ran.
She turned to Jonah as he spoke. Carley smiled at him. "Nice to meet you Jonah," she replied. If she knew what his business at the orphanage actually was, she would have turned him away at the door. "I'm Carley. I help Mrs. Elvington out since she is getting older and its getting harder for her to keep up with the children. I figure it is a way I can repay her."
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Apr 2, 2011 23:31:25 GMT -5
"Nice to meet you, Carley," Jonah replied, taking her hand.
He really shouldn't be doing this. The owner wasn't here right now, so he had no business with this girl. And the more time he spent here, with her and the orphans running around, the less he liked himself for going along with this plan. He wasn't supposed to get emotionally involved, but how was he supposed to harden his heart to pretty girls and cute little orphans?
"You help out?" he questioned. "But you don't work here? Don't tell me you're one of the orphans..."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Apr 3, 2011 7:15:10 GMT -5
Carley didn't have a problem admitting that she was an orphan. "I was left on the doorstep here when I was probably about a month old or maybe two. Mrs. Elvington took me in and raised me. After I became of age, I left here trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, but I was drawn back here. I figured that I found what I'm supposed to do. Mrs. Elvington is getting fairly older and she doesn't have as much energy as she used to. It's sort of like a thank you I suppose."
This was her home, granted it was in need of work, especially on the inside. However, Carley never really thought twice about what the house looked like. The children never really stopped to pay attention. It didn't matter the condition, they had a place to live and be taken care of.
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Apr 5, 2011 0:01:14 GMT -5
Oh, yeah, he was feeling worse about himself by the second. Flirting with a girl when he was here to offer to buy the only home she had ever known, only to knock it down and build a crappy shopping mall.
Thanks, Dad. Great plan.
"That's really nice," he said sincerely. And then, because he couldn't help himself, he added, "I never would have left you behind on the doorstep."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Apr 5, 2011 19:05:51 GMT -5
Carley smiled at his response. When she was little, she always thought that she wasn't wanted. She would always see the families out together or mothers or fathers hugging their children. There was always that emptiness from not having her biological mother, but then again there had to be a better reason as to why she was left there. Mrs. Elvington did become a mother to her and Carley still saw her as one.
"I've actually enjoyed my time here. Sure, the place could use a little work, I'm not going to lie, but it's a good place to be if you want family." She gave a shrug. "The children enjoy it here and it's always sad on days when other families come in and want to look at the children for adoption. However, we try to make it a good day for all of them since some children take it harder than others. Most of them were left behind on the doorstep in a way, but for quite a few of them, it's the best thing that has ever happened to them so far."
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Apr 5, 2011 23:56:19 GMT -5
Jonah thought about that for a moment. He'd probably read too many stupid stories, because he had always thought of being an orphan as being kind of a miserable existence. Like Oliver Twist, they were sad, lonely children who were mistreated and didn't have enough to eat and ended up on the streets having to steal for their food. But Carley did not look sad or lonely, and she wouldn't have stayed here to help if she'd been mistreated. And she wasn't a pitiful urchin on the street, begging and stealing to survive.
But if he went through with this plan of his father's, there was a very good chance that some of these kids would end up on the street. He should get out of here, now, and tell his father to forget about this location. They couldn't put orphans out on the street. It wasn't right.
"You know, this is not at all what I thought an orphanage would be like," he said. "I kind of pictured a crazy, drunken old lady yelling at the kids and forcing them to scrub the floors all the time. I'm glad it wasn't like that for you... Mrs. Elvington must be a really good lady."
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Post by Carley Spangler on Apr 6, 2011 13:32:42 GMT -5
She couldn't help it as she laughed. "A lot of people probably think that of an orphanage. Of course I'm not going to say that there are not some orphanages where things are pretty rough, however. We attempt to make things comfortable for them here and make sure they get the attention and everything else they need." Carley was enjoying talking to Jonah. He was fairly easy to talk to and seemed actually interested in what was going on.
"Mrs. Elvington is a really good lady. She's probably one of the best people I have ever met. I've never seen anyone as caring as she is. This house is her's. Her husband used to live here too before he died. He died before I came here. They couldn't have children, so they decided to open up an orphanage." Mrs. Elvington was the person that Carley always looked up to. The woman had been through life's challenges with a smile still on her face.
"It has been a great place to grow up. Even though I did go off to school for several years, this place was still my home and everyone always welcomed me back during the holidays and the summer time. Nothing felt like it changed, which is what they need."
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Apr 6, 2011 23:24:45 GMT -5
It was like she kept twisting the knife deeper and deeper into his gut. If the orphanage had been the bleak, mierable place of his imagining, and if Mrs. Elvington had been the crazy, drunken old bag he had been expecting, then at least Jonah could have felt that maybe he was helping the children in some way, by freeing them from such a horrible environment. They could go into the system, be sent to foster families and maybe eventually get adopted.
But no... it had to be a nice, if slightly rundown place, filled with love and a kind of surrogate family. And Carley had to be a beautiful, warm, caring girl who had grown up in this environment. It clearly hadn't done her any harm. In fact, she might have been a better adjusted person than he was, and certainly better than his brother Stephen.
He needed to think for a minute, so he began to cough. It was a little dusty in there, anyway, so the cough didn't feel faked. "Sorry... Could I get that lemonade now?"
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Post by Carley Spangler on Apr 7, 2011 8:08:36 GMT -5
"Yeah, sure," she said as she looked over to the couch. "You can have a seat on the couch if you would like. Just be careful when you sit down, Matthew likes to leave some of his toys in the couch." Carley smiled and then made her way toward the kitchen, passing by a few of the children who were trying to get a straw in an apple juice box. She paused for a moment to put the straw in the box just before the children took off upstairs.
Making her way into the kitchen she grabbed a glass and poured lemonade in it. Luckily Rylan hadn't decided to drink it all. Carrying the glass back into the living room, she offered the glass to Jonah. "Here you go," she said. "It shouldn't be too bitter or too sweet, but just let me know if it is."
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Post by Jonah Wellington on Apr 9, 2011 0:11:33 GMT -5
Jonah coughed again and made his way over to the couch to sit down. Immediately after sitting down, he felt something hard under the cushion and he got back up again and lifted up the cushion to see a toy dump truck underneath. He laughed lightly and removed the truck, placing it in a large box in a far corner of the room.
That was what he was doing when Carley came back in the room. Shrugging, he held up the dump truck. "You were right," he said. "I almost sat on this. I take it this is the kids' toy box?"
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Post by Carley Spangler on Apr 10, 2011 7:34:38 GMT -5
Seeing Jonah holding the dump truck caused Carley to smile. "He's usually pretty good about putting away his things, but during their playtime, things go everywhere." She nodded when he asked about the toy box. "Yes, that is their toy box. There's actually another one in the room that they have story time and are tutored in. We just have to space things out so it won't become more cluttered than it already sort of is."
Carley tried to keep things clean around the house. She would usually wait until all the children went to school in order to clean. Mrs. Elvington knew about her magical abilities already, but the other children didn't and she didn't want them to become scared of her. Sometimes even with magic it took her almost all day to keep the house.
"At least he's not leaving those pick up sticks around everywhere like he used to. I'm not sure if you know what those are, but it's like a game where the sticks have colors on them and you have to pick up the sticks after they've been dropped in a pile and try not to move any others while you try to move your stick from the pile." Carley caught herself rambling and there was a very light blush on her cheeks. "Anyway, Matthew would get a hold of those sticks and leave them everywhere in the chairs and everything sticking straight up."
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