A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3

A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3
Cathy Glass

The true story of 2 year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage.Elaine and Ian had travelled half way round the world to adopt little Anna. She couldn’t have been more wanted, loved and cherished. So why was she now in foster care and living with me? It didn’t make sense.Until I learned what had happened. …Dressed only in nappies and ragged T-shirts the children were incarcerated in their cots. Their large eyes stared out blankly from emaciated faces. Some were obviously disabled, others not, but all were badly undernourished. Flies circled around the broken ceiling fans and buzzed against the grids covering the windows. The only toys were a few balls and a handful of building bricks, but no child played with them. The silence was deafening and unnatural. Not one of the thirty or so infants cried, let alone spoke.

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Copyright (#uf88ae39b-91eb-5316-bcea-17ea2e236753)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

HarperElement

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First published by HarperElement 2018

FIRST EDITION

© Cathy Glass 2018

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

Cover photograph © Elly De Vries/Arcangel (posed by model)

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008275891

Ebook Edition © February 2018 ISBN: 9780008275914

Version: 2018-01-15

Contents

Cover (#u807d78b4-b83f-583a-b0a6-6daea2b6ab13)

Title Page (#uc14b8ada-9f09-556f-b615-6ceac1b0cbb2)

Copyright (#u510003a5-c07d-563b-8b8e-79f3e1262bc8)

Chapter Ten: All New (#ud7737c20-e598-5650-8790-87bfb0083ce7)

Chapter Eleven: Exhausted (#u3d06564f-b348-55c0-bf33-e9651a97bb89)

Chapter Twelve: Another Worry (#u81693f4c-19af-509c-9c5b-1f0662fa588d)

Chapter Thirteen: Good Girl (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen: Settling In (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen: Bad Parenting? (#litres_trial_promo)

PART II (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen: Foster Care (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen: First Night (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen: I Haven’t Got a Home (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen: Memories (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten

All New (#uf88ae39b-91eb-5316-bcea-17ea2e236753)

No words can describe how Elaine felt at that moment as she stood in the corridor outside the courtroom holding her daughter’s hand. Disbelief, euphoria, relief and panic combined as she stood immobile, staring after Ian. Then realization and responsibility kicked in. She was a parent and needed to behave like one. She looked at Anastasia, who returned her gaze, wide-eyed and confused. Did she understand what had just happened in the court room? Did she have any idea? She wasn’t crying or upset, so perhaps like her mother this was simply the end of a long and inevitable journey. ‘Are you all right, love?’ Elaine asked quietly, and Anastasia stared back.

Ian reappeared, out of breath and clutching his phone. ‘I got two photos of her,’ he said.

‘How was she?’ Elaine asked.

‘Upset, as you’d expect, but she wiped away her tears and put on a brave face for the photograph. I think she was pleased I’d asked her and that we are going to keep her memory alive for Anastasia.’

Ian showed her the two photographs he’d taken in the square outside the court house and Elaine’s eyes immediately filled. The woman was looking directly into the lens and trying to smile so that her daughter would have a positive image to remember her by. It felt uncomfortable standing outside the court room, looking at photographs as if they were on holiday. But these two pictures would probably be the most important either of them ever took. Elaine was pleased they were nice photos. A copy would go in Anastasia’s Life Story Book and another they’d frame and put on a shelf in her bedroom so she would grow up aware of her origins, just as the social worker had said.

Seeing Ian’s mobile phone, Anastasia agitated to look and he showed her the photographs and then put it away. Phones and cameras weren’t allowed in the court house.

‘Well,’ he said to Elaine with a big sigh, ‘we’ve finally done it! Congratulations.’ He kissed her cheek, then stooped to kiss Anastasia’s. Her skin felt cold. ‘I don’t think she’s warm enough,’ he said to Elaine. ‘Perhaps put on her hat, scarf and boots.’

‘Oh dear, yes, of course,’ Elaine said, immediately concerned for her daughter’s welfare.