‹ Prequel: Love Works in Mysterious Ways
Welcome to Anna's World
Chapter 2 - Hurt and Broken
John's PoV:
We followed Mrs Jane to her desk and sat down on the chairs in front of it. "Okay, Mr and Mr Rocket now some more serious problems there are with Anna", Mrs Jane started. Ryan looked over at me worried. I squeezed his hand and signalled Mrs Jane to continue.
"Anna is one of the more complicated children here. Due to her past she doesn't trust anyone easily. She also doesn't talk that much and is awfully shy especially with strangers. Anna was born in Switzerland but when she was 5 years old, both of her parents died in a car accident. That was when she got to an orphanage for the first time. She got adopted only a month later by an American couple, who took her to the United States. They weren't good to her at all and abused her on a daily basis both physically and mentally. Because her school saw the bruises on her and so discovered the abuse and violence, she got out of this family and to us. She was 7 years old by then", she stopped for a while, probably to see our reaction. I couldn't look into her eyes. I was about to cry. This time I could feel my husband's hand squeeze my own and I watched him as he told Mrs Jane to continue.
So she continued: "She got adopted several times until now and not all of them were good to her. I don't think I have to tell you of every single one of them in all det-" - "How many?", suddenly I interrupted her without thinking. Ryan's head shot over to me. Mrs Jane looked at me a bit shocked. I guess she never had been interrupted before. She slowly opened her mouth, closed it again and then finally began to speak: "I'm sorry, what do you m-" - "How many families was she in? How many times did people hurt her, break her and bring her back here?" I was now on the edge of crying and I could feel my eyes fill with water. I knew I was rude but I just couldn't believe how someone could sit here so calm and tell us these horrible things. After what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke: " 8."
"Sorry", I mumbled a simple apology to her and squeezed my eyes. "Should I continue?", she asked. Ryan looked at me while rubbing my back. I nodded.
"Well, where was I? Ah, right. The last thing you should know is that in one family she was in, when she was 13 or 14 years old she got raped by the father. I am not sure how many times it were. A couple at least." I turned my head away from Mrs Jane's gaze and stared out of the window. By now I could feel a single tear pour down my face. I guess I zoned out for a few moments because I suddenly felt a tissue brought to my face. I turned around quickly and saw that Mrs Jane was gone. Instead I could feel a pair of strong arms around me. Ryan - the love of my life. After a while he let go of me, took my hand and we walked out of the room. Down at the reception Mrs Jane handed us the copied file of Anna, we said our "goodbyes" and went through the wooden doorway.
We walked through the garden out to the street to our car. When Ryan was fiddling with the keys I looked back at the house and I could swear I saw her through one of the windows. Her beautiful red hair shining in the sunlight.
We followed Mrs Jane to her desk and sat down on the chairs in front of it. "Okay, Mr and Mr Rocket now some more serious problems there are with Anna", Mrs Jane started. Ryan looked over at me worried. I squeezed his hand and signalled Mrs Jane to continue.
"Anna is one of the more complicated children here. Due to her past she doesn't trust anyone easily. She also doesn't talk that much and is awfully shy especially with strangers. Anna was born in Switzerland but when she was 5 years old, both of her parents died in a car accident. That was when she got to an orphanage for the first time. She got adopted only a month later by an American couple, who took her to the United States. They weren't good to her at all and abused her on a daily basis both physically and mentally. Because her school saw the bruises on her and so discovered the abuse and violence, she got out of this family and to us. She was 7 years old by then", she stopped for a while, probably to see our reaction. I couldn't look into her eyes. I was about to cry. This time I could feel my husband's hand squeeze my own and I watched him as he told Mrs Jane to continue.
So she continued: "She got adopted several times until now and not all of them were good to her. I don't think I have to tell you of every single one of them in all det-" - "How many?", suddenly I interrupted her without thinking. Ryan's head shot over to me. Mrs Jane looked at me a bit shocked. I guess she never had been interrupted before. She slowly opened her mouth, closed it again and then finally began to speak: "I'm sorry, what do you m-" - "How many families was she in? How many times did people hurt her, break her and bring her back here?" I was now on the edge of crying and I could feel my eyes fill with water. I knew I was rude but I just couldn't believe how someone could sit here so calm and tell us these horrible things. After what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke: " 8."
"Sorry", I mumbled a simple apology to her and squeezed my eyes. "Should I continue?", she asked. Ryan looked at me while rubbing my back. I nodded.
"Well, where was I? Ah, right. The last thing you should know is that in one family she was in, when she was 13 or 14 years old she got raped by the father. I am not sure how many times it were. A couple at least." I turned my head away from Mrs Jane's gaze and stared out of the window. By now I could feel a single tear pour down my face. I guess I zoned out for a few moments because I suddenly felt a tissue brought to my face. I turned around quickly and saw that Mrs Jane was gone. Instead I could feel a pair of strong arms around me. Ryan - the love of my life. After a while he let go of me, took my hand and we walked out of the room. Down at the reception Mrs Jane handed us the copied file of Anna, we said our "goodbyes" and went through the wooden doorway.
We walked through the garden out to the street to our car. When Ryan was fiddling with the keys I looked back at the house and I could swear I saw her through one of the windows. Her beautiful red hair shining in the sunlight.