Chapter 1:
Maddie is doing something she is not supposed to do. She is climbing. She loves to climb. Especially trees. She’s climbed every one of the eight trees at Gladstone’s Home for Children. And she’s gotten in trouble every time. Not serious trouble, just the kind of trouble that’s supposed to keep you from getting hurt. But she’s not climbing a tree this time. She’s climbing a rain gutter. She’s climbing it from the fourth floor of the Gladstone’s Home for Children to the roof on the fifth floor.
Of all the places she is not supposed to be, the roof is probably her favorite. She can lie on her belly, with her head on her arms and look down on all the people on the street below. They walk by on their way home, or to the store, or to work, without ever knowing she is there. Sometimes she watches families walk by, parents holding their kids’ hands and she imagines they are holding her hand, and that they are taking her home.
Below her, a man and a woman walk up to the front door of Gladstone’s. They are holding hands and look so happy and nice, like how she imagines her parents to look. She rolls over and scoots on her belly to the part of the roof where she can look down on inner the courtyard. The rest of the kids are playing down there, as excited as they are every Saturday when the visitors come. They always come as couples, just like the man and woman downstairs. They meet with the staff in a room where they talk and look at pictures of the kids. Some times they are shown around the building and meet the kids and talk to them. They leave, and some of them come back. Some will come back once or twice, maybe five times, and they’ll bring gifts and have more talks with the staff. And sometimes, sometimes, they come back one last time and take a kid home to live with them.
Maddie rolls on her back and closes her eyes, feeling the clouds roll across the bright sky. Then she remembers the tall antenna sticking out of the roof stairwell. A metal pipe runs up the side of the door to the antenna, a pipe not much smaller than the rain gutter. She’s never been up there before, she realizes. She decides its time for another climb.
Elba Ellinsworth, the Director of Foster Care, who insists all the kids call her Auntie Elba, shows the nice couple to the fourth floor.
“Of the twenty-seven children we have in our care right now, four are in special needs counseling. Let me assure you, however, they are all wonderful children, who with the proper home and attention will make wonderful family additions. Here we are.”
The Director knocks gently on a closed door, listening patiently for a response. The nice couple smile. “Is she shy?” the man asks.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. No, she’s quite outgoing. Can be a real leader when she wants to be. She just, well, likes her own space.”
The Director knocks again and pulls a key ring from her pocket. The couple exchange looks. The woman asks, “Do you always keep her locked in?”
“Oh, of course not. All the doors remain unlocked here. It’s just some times, well, when we have visitors, she likes to, uh, roam a bit. Please, you just have to meet her. She really is a darling child.”
They smile and she knocks once more as she fits the key into the lock. “Maddie, my dear, a couple of wonderful people are here to meet you….”
She pushes the door open and all three look into the room. A young girl sits on a bed listening to her headphones. She looks up as they enter. The nice woman approaches her first. “Hello Maddie. My name is Sandra and this is Tim. We are so happy to finally meet you. We’ve heard so many great thing….”
The young girl looks at them puzzled, not hearing anything they say.
The Director drops her keys. “Oh God, not again. Where is she, Kelly?”
The young girl on the bed shrugs and gestures to the wide-open window. Sandra puts a hand to her mouth to cover her shock as all three lean out the window and see the courtyard four stories below.
Felix Mustard is the oldest kid in the Home. And the biggest. Which pretty much makes him think he’s the boss of everyone else. But Felix Mustard is nothing more than an average bully. Little Michael Winters is pinned against the dumpster at the back of the courtyard as Felix punches him in the shoulder. Michael sobs silently into his other shoulder. He knows that if he screams out loud, or ever tells on Felix, the beatings will just be worse the next time. But he’s just a kid and his crying just gets louder.
“Shut up Mickey or I’ll punch you in your stomach!”
Something crashes loudly against the dumpster causing both of them to jump. Felix drops Michael to the ground. “What the…?!?”
“Leave him alone Mustard, or I’ll throw another one!” The voice comes from high above. Felix has to squint against the bright sky to even make out the figure standing high up there. “That you Maddie?! You are so busted!”
“Let him go or I’ll throw this one at you!”
“Your so dead if you do…”
The dumpster explodes again, a metal lug nut ringing off it, ricocheting past his ear. She quickly scoops another one from the rooftop, and aims for him again.
The courtyard door opens and Case Manager Dave Loomis rushes out. “What’s going on out here? Felix, that you? What are you doing back there son?”
“He’s beating up Micheal Winters!”
Loomis’ head jerked up so fast Maddie was surprised it didn’t snap off. It probably doesn’t help his shock that she is standing on the roof ledge ready to throw another lug nut at Felix’s head. She probably should have snuck off when Loomis came out, but she didn’t want Felix to think she is any more afraid of being busted on the roof than being afraid of him.
“Little lady, back away from the ledge right now and stay there. I’m coming up to get you. And you two, go to the Director’s office and wait for me. Right now. Move it!”
Michael runs out of the courtyard, into the main building. Felix stares at Maddie on the roof ledge, arm still poised. “You’re dead Maddie.”
“ You don’t scare me Mustard.”
Auntie Elba was not happy. And it was times like this she didn’t like being called Auntie.
“I don’t care why you did it, Maddie! It simply does not excuse what you did.” Director Ellinsworth paces her own office floor while Maddie sits comfortably in the visitor’s chair. A chair she knows well. Almost as well as Felix Mustard who has already been interviewed and sent to his room on probation. Michael may still be in the nurses office finishing his cup of Jell-o.
“To say nothing of the scene you created by climbing out your window and going up to the roof top, that you know darn well to be in violation of the rules, you recklessly put yourself in danger and Felix as well.”
“I wasn’t going to throw anything at him. I just wanted to…”
“Silence Maddie!!” Her outburst is so sudden, so loud it makes both her and Loomis jump, who stands silently at the door.
“I’ve tried to help you I don’t know how many times now.”
“That would be thirty six interviews Mrs. Ellins…”
“I’m speaking figuratively David!” He falls silent again and she continues, “So many excellent candidates have come through these door to offer you their home, and how have you repaid their courtesy? By walking out on them, not showing up, hiding, running away, refusing to talk, or to even see most of them? Don’t you understand child, these people want to help you. We want to help you!”
“I’m speaking figuratively David!” He falls silent again and she continues, “So many excellent candidates have come through these door to offer you their home, and how have you repaid their courtesy? By walking out on them, not showing up, hiding, running away, refusing to talk, or to even see most of them? Don’t you understand child, these people want to help you. We want to help you!”
Her face is redder than Maddie has ever seen it before, and even Loomis is quieter than ever. He was always the first to defend her when she gets into trouble, to explain to Auntie Elba how she always means well. But this time she is on her own. She really is busted.
“I’m sorry Autie…”
“Don’t call me that right now!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. Not any of the people who came to talk to me. And not you—I never meant to hurt your feelings. Really. I’m sure they are all nice people. But they should help the other kids. Not me. They should take Michael, the other kids who want to leave. Even Felix….”
“It’s probably too late for Felix, Maddie. He turns seventeen this year and will likely have to leave the Home the following year. He’s gotten himself into nothing but trouble since he’s been here, and the same fate’s going to happen to you if you don’t change your ways.”
“But I don’t want to leave here Aun—Mrs. Ellinsworth! Why can’t I just stay?”
“Don’t you understand? We simply can’t give you all that you need. You’re a young child, soon to be a young woman. You need to live with a family, with people who can love you and take care of you, just you.”
“But I’ll have that. When my family comes back for me!”
Director Ellinsworth falls silent, looks at Loomis in astonishment. “Maddie, we went over this years ago. Remember what you and Counselor Lindy agreed on, that we have no way of knowing if your family would ever come back, that you have to move on and let other people help you? Loomis, is this the first you’ve heard of this again?”
Loomis clears his throat. “Yes m’am”. Loomis is lying of course. Maddie’s told him since then that she secretly still has hope, and every time he just smiled, and patted her shoulder and told her that sometimes hope is the best thing people have. “I’m not crazy Mrs. Ellinsworth, I just—sometimes I just want to believe they will come back. Why is that so bad?”
“Honey, it’s bad if you let a hope get in the way of something real. These people out here are real. We don’t even know if your parents are still alive, never mind if they even want you back or not. Now, I’m sorry to say that. I truly am, but I just need you to understand how important this matter is for you.“
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want any more sorry’s Maddie. I want you to try. Give these people a chance.”
“I will Mrs. Ellins—“
“Stop that. Call me Auntie.”
“I will Auntie.”
“Good. But just to make sure, we’re moving you to another room. I will not have any more escape attempts. I don’t want a dead child on my hands. Go pack your things. You’ll be moving downstairs closer to us, where we can keep an eye on you. Loomis.”
He nods, and opens the door. Before she can leave, Auntie Elba wraps her in a crushing hug. “I love all my kids. I would keep you all if I thought I could give you everything you need. I need to you open your eyes, and see what’s around you, really around you Maddie. You deserve more than you can get here. Now go on. I want you moved into your new room in time for bed.
Loomis walks her quietly to her room, waits while she packs up. Her roommate says nothing, listening to her music. The never talked anyway, not one in the six months they roomed together. Loomis walks her to her new room on the basement floor. Not a bad room. One of the staff’s rooms. It has a bigger bed, and a grownup dresser. But no window. No escape, no sun light, no moonlight. Loomis turns to leave her.
“Thanks for not telling on me Dave.”
“You kidding? I’d be in just as much trouble as you. She’s got your interests at heart, kiddo. You know that don’t you? Give it a chance. Having some new hope, doesn’t mean you got to take it from the old. Get unpacked. You got an hour until dinner. Maybe you can even spruce up the place for tomorrow’s visitors, make it look a little more, pretty.”
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