Hey Everyone!
This is a story I wrote for English class. I hope you like it.
Tricia (ciaTri)
This is a story I wrote for English class. I hope you like it.
Tricia (ciaTri)
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My story please enjoy
- Thread starter ciaTri
- Start date
You are special
At the age of six months she was left on
Auld Marys doorstep, an orphan baby that
nobody loved. People in London England did
not have time for little orphans like Maria.
They left babies on doorsteps all the time,
and half the time the babies died before
morning. Fathers did not have the money to
take care of their own children let alone
someone elses. Mothers had enough
problems trying to keep track of all the
children that belonged to them forget about
somebody elses child. Nobody had time for
another child. The only one who had time
and means for orphans was Auld Mary. Auld
Mary took the orphans into her large, old
house and cared for the ones that lived, but
she did not love them. They were useful and
helpful but if one died during the night Auld
Mary didnt care, shed have the body buried,
change the sheets, and make room for
another.
Life with Auld Mary was difficult. The food
you ate was the food you found. The bigger
children hit and bullied the younger ones and
Auld Mary hit and bullied the older ones. Auld
Mary was a laundrywoman and everyday the
children took clean laundry to customers and
brought dirty laundry back to Auld Mary. Any
mistakes such as dropping the clean laundry
or being too slow earned the children a
smack on the head and perhaps no supper
that night. The children soon learned what
was expected and hurried to do as they were
told
(to be continued)
Tricia (ciaTri)
(to be continued)
Tricia (ciaTri)
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Maria lived the first five years of her life with Auld Mary.
She was a tiny girl who almost never talked. She did
what she was told too then hurried out side to hide
under the woodpile. Most of the time her food was
grabbed out of her hands or she was denied food
because of some mistake she made during the day. She
was so thin and pale she seemed to be always sick. A
month after Maria’s fifth birthday Auld Mary died. The
older children ran out into the streets to take care of
themselves and the younger ones including Maria were
taken to the orphanage. There Maria was given a grey
dress, a blanket, stockings and boots that were too big.
After she changed out of her thin patchwork dress she
was taken to her room
"What’s your name girl?" The headmistress asked Maria
as she stood in line with the other girls outside the girls’
dorm. Every single girl wore the same grey dress, grey
stockings, brown boots and grey headbands, and every
single girl had the same frightened expression on her
face.
"Maria" Maria said slowly. Then she gasped in pain as the
headmistress cuffed her ear.
"Speak up and say Ma’am when you’re finished brat!" the
headmistress said.
"Yes Ma’am" Maria said. "My name is Maria"
"Oh, named after Auld Mary are you?" the headmistress
grimaced and hit Maria again. "I did not ask for your
name a second time, don’t talk unless told." She scowled
as Maria’s face went white and she crumpled to the
floor. The headmistress gestured for someone to pick
her up. "Take her to her bedroom." Then she moved on
down the line.
That evening Maria woke up as the other girls came into
the room. They all walked quietly in a straight line to
their beds. They changed into wool nightgowns and
crawled under the blankets. Like robots they all lay on
their backs staring at the ceiling without moving or
saying anything. Maria looked around and noticed that
the cause for this was a young woman clad in white who
would hit any girl that moved or talked or even breathed
too loudly. Quickly Maria lay down like the others. At
last the young woman left, turning out the lights as she
went and the girls moved around to get comfortable.
The younger girls went to sleep in the same beds as
their friends or sisters until the only bed that had just
one girl in it was Maria.
The next day was difficult. The girls woke up at five-o-
clock in the morning, got dressed and made the beds.
Then they stood in a line again as the young woman in
white, Ms. Alvin checked the girls’ beds and clothes for
wrinkles or bumps. Then they were taken to breakfast to
eat under the watchful eye of the headmistress, Ms.
Markell. After breakfast the girls were taken to different
rooms. The older girls were taken to a room in which
they sat still all day stitching shirts or knitting socks and
the younger girls went to a room where they sat on hard
benches and learned to read and write and do
arithmetic. Maria was part of the younger girl category
so she spent her day learning to read and write. All day
the girls did the exact same thing with the only change
being the number of times Ms. Markell’s or Ms. Alvin’s
ruler smacked down on some girls poor unsuspecting
hand. The girls worked all morning, had one half hour for
lunch, worked all afternoon, then they finished for the
day, had supper, and went to bed. Maria’s hands were
sore and chapped from the beatings they took and in
one place on her head had a small cut from falling off
the bench onto the floor. Exhausted, she slept soundly
that night only to get up and do it all over again the
next day.
For five years Maria worked in that terrible place. Every
day she did the same thing, and every day she grew
stronger and more determined to get away. Unlike most of the other girls Maria seemed
to thrive on the work. It made her strong of mind and of body and those long days of
boring work only gave her a lot of time to think. After supper every day she snuck to the
forbidden library and stole a book to read in her bed that night. In this way she learned of
life outside the orphanage, of children who had parents to love them and of all the
different places around the world. As Maria grew older she learned more and it was her
hunger for those secret books in bed that kept her going.
Over the years plenty Ladies and Gentlemen came to the orphanage and took a child
away to be their son or daughter but no one wanted Maria. Maria grew bolder, stronger,
defiant, and angry. Only with a lot of hitting, yelling, and reducing of food would she
listen to the leaders.
It made Ms. Markell mad when Maria talked back. It made Ms. Markell frustrated when
Maria refused to do the punishment work. It made Ms. Markell furious when Maria refused
to cry when she was hit. It made Ms. Markell angry when she saw Maria hold her head up
defiantly when she was scolded. Whenever this happened Ms. Markell would yell and hit
all the harder but it never seemed to be enough. So, whenever a child left the orphanage
Ms. Markell would go up to the girls’ dorm right to Maria’s bed and standing over her she
would say. "See Maria, there’s just nothing special about you. Every other girl will leave
but you’re not special enough." And Ms. Markell would rejoice in the pain she saw in
Maria’s eyes, a little more each time Ms. Markell said the dreaded words.
One night as Maria was miserable as she got ready for bed. Another child had left the
orphanage and Ms. Markell had come to Maria and had again told her that she wasn’t
special enough. Maria had almost broken and cried, only seeing the pride in Ms. Markell’s
eyes stopped her. As she slipped into her nightgown she remembered that it was her
tenth birthday. She began thinking about how her life with Auld Mary had been and one
particular day when everything Maria had thought and believed, changed, five years ago.
Like any other day Maria ran out of Auld Mary’s house on her fifth birthday, a big bag of
clean laundry across her back. It had rained the day before and Maria had to be careful
not to step in the puddles as she hurried through alleys and down side streets. She
rounded a corner and burst out onto a main street. Suddenly her foot caught on a crack
in the sidewalk and she was flying through the air. She landed with a thump on the
sidewalk beside the road just in time to see her bundle of laundry fly over her head to
land in a mud puddle behind her. Maria gasped and suddenly began crying.
"My dear, what’s the matter?" a kind voice asked. Glancing up Maria saw a beautiful
young lady looking down at her. Startled Maria jumped up and grabbed her bundle about
to run away. Before she could take off the lady grabbed her muddy arm. "I’m not going to
hurt you." She said gently. Maria looked into the beautiful green eyes and saw something
she’d never seen before. There was honesty there, patience, and love. The woman
reached into a small paper bag she had been carrying and pulled out a fresh cinnamon roll
with icing, resting on a napkin. "Here, you take it." The lady said. She gave it to Maria
and left. Maria was shocked, she rewrapped the roll in the napkin and grabbing the dirty
laundry took off down the street. When she reached Auld Mary’s house she climbed
between the wood pile and shed, where none of the other children could go. Then she
sat and slowly ate the cinnamon roll. It didn’t matter that she was punished for getting
the laundry dirty, all day she remembered those eyes that had looked at her and loved
her.
Maria was jerked back to the present by Ms. Alvin’s wooden ruler coming down on her
bedpost. "Don’t just stand there girl! Get into bed!"
"Yes Ma’am" Maria said, she changed and lay down on her bed for the night. Ms. Alvin,
amazed that Maria had listened turned and left the room without hitting any one.
The next day Maria went about her job as usual. Halfway through afternoon chores she
was sent to Ms. Markell’s office for being rude to Ms. Alvin. She stood in the corridor
because Ms. Markell was busy. At last the door opened and Maria looked up, excepting to
see Ms. Markell but instead, she was looking into a set of beautiful green eyes. Shocked
Maria could only stare. The eyes belonged to a lady. She wore an emerald green silk
dress the exact colour of her eyes. Her black hair was piled high up on her head and she
wore what looked like real pearls and emeralds around her neck, wrist, and in her hair.
Maria took this in quickly and looked back at her eyes; there was honesty there,
patience, and love.
"This is Lady Grace; she has come to choose a girl to be her daughter. Of course you are
not special enough; go, off with you now, back to work." Ms. Markell turned expecting to
lead Lady Grace off.
"Wait!" Lady Grace called. "Come here child" When Maria came Lady Grace pulled her chin
up to look at Maria’s face. "I want her." She told Ms. Markell. Maria and Ms. Markell
looked at her stunned.
"But, but, Lady Grace, she is not at all special enough for you. You are an important lady
and Maria is just a….a….street brat. I think you should reconsider." Ms. Markell stuttered
as she tried to get Lady Grace to change her mind.
Lady Grace looked at Maria again "No, I want her to be my daughter go write up the
papers." Ms. Markell sighed, turned, and left to go to her office.
"But Lady Grace, why do you want me?" Maria asked. "I’m not special why would you love
me?"
Lady Grace took Maria’s face in her two hands. "Because." She said simply. "You are
special, because I love you."
She was a tiny girl who almost never talked. She did
what she was told too then hurried out side to hide
under the woodpile. Most of the time her food was
grabbed out of her hands or she was denied food
because of some mistake she made during the day. She
was so thin and pale she seemed to be always sick. A
month after Maria’s fifth birthday Auld Mary died. The
older children ran out into the streets to take care of
themselves and the younger ones including Maria were
taken to the orphanage. There Maria was given a grey
dress, a blanket, stockings and boots that were too big.
After she changed out of her thin patchwork dress she
was taken to her room
"What’s your name girl?" The headmistress asked Maria
as she stood in line with the other girls outside the girls’
dorm. Every single girl wore the same grey dress, grey
stockings, brown boots and grey headbands, and every
single girl had the same frightened expression on her
face.
"Maria" Maria said slowly. Then she gasped in pain as the
headmistress cuffed her ear.
"Speak up and say Ma’am when you’re finished brat!" the
headmistress said.
"Yes Ma’am" Maria said. "My name is Maria"
"Oh, named after Auld Mary are you?" the headmistress
grimaced and hit Maria again. "I did not ask for your
name a second time, don’t talk unless told." She scowled
as Maria’s face went white and she crumpled to the
floor. The headmistress gestured for someone to pick
her up. "Take her to her bedroom." Then she moved on
down the line.
That evening Maria woke up as the other girls came into
the room. They all walked quietly in a straight line to
their beds. They changed into wool nightgowns and
crawled under the blankets. Like robots they all lay on
their backs staring at the ceiling without moving or
saying anything. Maria looked around and noticed that
the cause for this was a young woman clad in white who
would hit any girl that moved or talked or even breathed
too loudly. Quickly Maria lay down like the others. At
last the young woman left, turning out the lights as she
went and the girls moved around to get comfortable.
The younger girls went to sleep in the same beds as
their friends or sisters until the only bed that had just
one girl in it was Maria.
The next day was difficult. The girls woke up at five-o-
clock in the morning, got dressed and made the beds.
Then they stood in a line again as the young woman in
white, Ms. Alvin checked the girls’ beds and clothes for
wrinkles or bumps. Then they were taken to breakfast to
eat under the watchful eye of the headmistress, Ms.
Markell. After breakfast the girls were taken to different
rooms. The older girls were taken to a room in which
they sat still all day stitching shirts or knitting socks and
the younger girls went to a room where they sat on hard
benches and learned to read and write and do
arithmetic. Maria was part of the younger girl category
so she spent her day learning to read and write. All day
the girls did the exact same thing with the only change
being the number of times Ms. Markell’s or Ms. Alvin’s
ruler smacked down on some girls poor unsuspecting
hand. The girls worked all morning, had one half hour for
lunch, worked all afternoon, then they finished for the
day, had supper, and went to bed. Maria’s hands were
sore and chapped from the beatings they took and in
one place on her head had a small cut from falling off
the bench onto the floor. Exhausted, she slept soundly
that night only to get up and do it all over again the
next day.
For five years Maria worked in that terrible place. Every
day she did the same thing, and every day she grew
stronger and more determined to get away. Unlike most of the other girls Maria seemed
to thrive on the work. It made her strong of mind and of body and those long days of
boring work only gave her a lot of time to think. After supper every day she snuck to the
forbidden library and stole a book to read in her bed that night. In this way she learned of
life outside the orphanage, of children who had parents to love them and of all the
different places around the world. As Maria grew older she learned more and it was her
hunger for those secret books in bed that kept her going.
Over the years plenty Ladies and Gentlemen came to the orphanage and took a child
away to be their son or daughter but no one wanted Maria. Maria grew bolder, stronger,
defiant, and angry. Only with a lot of hitting, yelling, and reducing of food would she
listen to the leaders.
It made Ms. Markell mad when Maria talked back. It made Ms. Markell frustrated when
Maria refused to do the punishment work. It made Ms. Markell furious when Maria refused
to cry when she was hit. It made Ms. Markell angry when she saw Maria hold her head up
defiantly when she was scolded. Whenever this happened Ms. Markell would yell and hit
all the harder but it never seemed to be enough. So, whenever a child left the orphanage
Ms. Markell would go up to the girls’ dorm right to Maria’s bed and standing over her she
would say. "See Maria, there’s just nothing special about you. Every other girl will leave
but you’re not special enough." And Ms. Markell would rejoice in the pain she saw in
Maria’s eyes, a little more each time Ms. Markell said the dreaded words.
One night as Maria was miserable as she got ready for bed. Another child had left the
orphanage and Ms. Markell had come to Maria and had again told her that she wasn’t
special enough. Maria had almost broken and cried, only seeing the pride in Ms. Markell’s
eyes stopped her. As she slipped into her nightgown she remembered that it was her
tenth birthday. She began thinking about how her life with Auld Mary had been and one
particular day when everything Maria had thought and believed, changed, five years ago.
Like any other day Maria ran out of Auld Mary’s house on her fifth birthday, a big bag of
clean laundry across her back. It had rained the day before and Maria had to be careful
not to step in the puddles as she hurried through alleys and down side streets. She
rounded a corner and burst out onto a main street. Suddenly her foot caught on a crack
in the sidewalk and she was flying through the air. She landed with a thump on the
sidewalk beside the road just in time to see her bundle of laundry fly over her head to
land in a mud puddle behind her. Maria gasped and suddenly began crying.
"My dear, what’s the matter?" a kind voice asked. Glancing up Maria saw a beautiful
young lady looking down at her. Startled Maria jumped up and grabbed her bundle about
to run away. Before she could take off the lady grabbed her muddy arm. "I’m not going to
hurt you." She said gently. Maria looked into the beautiful green eyes and saw something
she’d never seen before. There was honesty there, patience, and love. The woman
reached into a small paper bag she had been carrying and pulled out a fresh cinnamon roll
with icing, resting on a napkin. "Here, you take it." The lady said. She gave it to Maria
and left. Maria was shocked, she rewrapped the roll in the napkin and grabbing the dirty
laundry took off down the street. When she reached Auld Mary’s house she climbed
between the wood pile and shed, where none of the other children could go. Then she
sat and slowly ate the cinnamon roll. It didn’t matter that she was punished for getting
the laundry dirty, all day she remembered those eyes that had looked at her and loved
her.
Maria was jerked back to the present by Ms. Alvin’s wooden ruler coming down on her
bedpost. "Don’t just stand there girl! Get into bed!"
"Yes Ma’am" Maria said, she changed and lay down on her bed for the night. Ms. Alvin,
amazed that Maria had listened turned and left the room without hitting any one.
The next day Maria went about her job as usual. Halfway through afternoon chores she
was sent to Ms. Markell’s office for being rude to Ms. Alvin. She stood in the corridor
because Ms. Markell was busy. At last the door opened and Maria looked up, excepting to
see Ms. Markell but instead, she was looking into a set of beautiful green eyes. Shocked
Maria could only stare. The eyes belonged to a lady. She wore an emerald green silk
dress the exact colour of her eyes. Her black hair was piled high up on her head and she
wore what looked like real pearls and emeralds around her neck, wrist, and in her hair.
Maria took this in quickly and looked back at her eyes; there was honesty there,
patience, and love.
"This is Lady Grace; she has come to choose a girl to be her daughter. Of course you are
not special enough; go, off with you now, back to work." Ms. Markell turned expecting to
lead Lady Grace off.
"Wait!" Lady Grace called. "Come here child" When Maria came Lady Grace pulled her chin
up to look at Maria’s face. "I want her." She told Ms. Markell. Maria and Ms. Markell
looked at her stunned.
"But, but, Lady Grace, she is not at all special enough for you. You are an important lady
and Maria is just a….a….street brat. I think you should reconsider." Ms. Markell stuttered
as she tried to get Lady Grace to change her mind.
Lady Grace looked at Maria again "No, I want her to be my daughter go write up the
papers." Ms. Markell sighed, turned, and left to go to her office.
"But Lady Grace, why do you want me?" Maria asked. "I’m not special why would you love
me?"
Lady Grace took Maria’s face in her two hands. "Because." She said simply. "You are
special, because I love you."
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