| Chapter Eleven Finding My Way Home |
"Dad, dad, dad,!!!! Jessica yelled as she ran down the stairs toward him. "Jessica, calm down," Mark said in a quiet voice. "Wendy isn't in our room, I think she is gone," "Supper is in thirty minutes," he replied as he took her aside. "If she doesn't show up, then I will call my friend in town. Don't worry Jessica, we will find her. Now I want you to go upstairs and wait in your room until dinner, I don't want anyone to see you upset and ask you questions." When Mark entered the rec room, David noticed him looking around the room, "Sarah, look at the pictures, I need to go talk to dad," he said as he dropped her into the bean bag chair. "Dad. She�s gone isn't she. "I think she is, but I want to wait until supper. There are a lot of places she could be," he replied. "Wait dad, I wanted to ask you something earlier, but I didn't, he said as they continued through the building. "What is it David," he asked. "Are you going to punish her for running away?" he asked. "I don't know yet David, It depends on Wendy and what she has to say when I find her.� They both returned to the dining hall as the dinner bell rang. Mark and David watched as children came and went. Wendy never showed up. Soon all of the children had been served their dinner, It was official, Wendy was gone. Mark made a quick call to a business owner in town. Told him of the situation and what she looked like. Since it didn't get dark until around ten p.m. Mark had plenty of time to figure out how to handle this delicate situation. Marks call was returned not thirty minutes later from the shop owner. Wendy had stopped in his shop. Mark grabbed a jacket and headed for his car. Wendy wandered town for more than an hour trying to decide what to do. She looked in all of the shops and wandered the neighborhoods. She stopped by the city park and sat on the gazebo steps. There were children and families playing there. It made her remember the wonderful times that she had with her grandmother. The warmth and love that she felt when her grandmother held her and talked to her in a soothing voice when she was sad and hurting. As she sat there watching them play, her mind began to wander, how and where had her life gone wrong. Wendy wondered with all of the places she had been, how come no one loved her. She pictured all of her foster parents and what they had been like. She thought of her social worker, who claimed to care, but had yet to come visit her. Then there was Sarah, Jessica and David. Sarah needed a big sister to keep her out of trouble. Jessica had been so nice to her and shared her things with her. And then there was David. David was special in Wendy's heart. He was the big brother she wished she always had. He really cared about her and gave her really good advice. He helped her to understand and deal with Mark. Then she thought of Mark. He was strict and sometimes hard on her, yet he was patient. He made her feel safe when he talked to her after a nightmare, or when she wasn't feeling well. Wendy tried to convince herself he did it because it was his job. Still she couldn�t help but wonder about the hugs he gave. Was it his job to hug her too. Wendy wondered, then thought maybe he did care. She wondered if he had discovered her missing yet and if he had, would he come looking for her. Wendy decided that if Mark really did love her, he would come looking. As she looked around the park she noticed it had gotten late and most of the families had left for home. Wendy once again found herself alone with her thoughts. She was finally away from Barrington and all of the rules, but as she sat in the park, she realized that she missed it. All the people there had been so different and they had never really judged her for anything that happened in her life before. Tears welled up in Wendy's eyes. What had she done, she ran away from the only real home and the only real family she had ever known and now it was to late. Wendy wanted to go back, but she didn�t know how to get back without someone seeing her and surely she had been missed by someone by now. In less than thirty minutes from now, it would be dark and Wendy had no idea what she was going to do. She could call, but what if they told her she couldn�t come back. When Wendy looked up, she noticed that the town had closed for the night. She truly felt alone. She was not aware of the shop owner, who was keeping a close eye on the little orphan. �What have I done, and where do I go now,� she cried. Her deep thoughts were soon disturbed by the rumbling of a car engine. She noticed a car pulling into a parking space. I'm not ready to be found she thought as Mark climbed from the car and started walking toward her. As he approached, Wendy shivered with fear. His face looked very upset and this frightened her. She had run away from Barrington and Now her so called dad was going to give her a very good tanning. Probably right there in the park. What's wrong with me, she thought. I never used to be afraid, but now I am actually scared. Wendy clenched her fists together and waited for the smack of her life from this man who was suppose to care for her. "May I sit down"? he asked as he stopped in front of Wendy. Wendy shook her head and wiped the tears away from her face. Mark joined Wendy on the gazebo. He reached over and put his arms tightly around her. As Wendy tried to deal with her emotions, she could feel something happening. Maybe she had been all wrong, after all he did come looking for her like she had hoped. No one had ever looked for her when she ran before. "Are you ok?" he asked as he let go. "Yes sir, I'm ok," she replied as she looked at the ground. "Do you have any idea how worried I have been?", he asked in a calm voice. "You have!" she responded in amazement. "Yes Wendy, I've been worried sick about you. When one of my children run away, I get very worried," he replied as he took hold of Wendy's chin and made her look at him. "Will you tell me why you ran away?" he asked. Wendy couldn't say anything, she knew why she had run away, but she didn't want to tell him. "I know you're hurting Wendy, and I know you think you have been cheated, but you can't think like that. You're my child, and I love you. I will always take care of you always, and Wendy, I won't leave you." For the first time, Wendy was hearing him and the words stung at her heart. She loved him too, but she couldn't find the words. "Everyone I love, always leaves me." Wendy burst into tears. Mark again put his arms around her and talked to her in a calming voice until she stopped crying. "Are you gonna call my social worker and turn me in?" she asked. "No Wendy. I'm not calling anyone. You are my child, do you understand that now? There is no one to call," he replied. �You are my responsibility forever. I am your father, and I love you. The only person you have to answer to when you mess up, is yourself. But when you disobey the rules that I set for you, then you have to face me.� Wendy was shocked, She really did want to go back to Barrington, and he was making it easy for her. Wendy did feel safe there. She hadn't even been gone very long, and she already missed her brothers and sisters, especially David and Sarah. "I'm sorry, and I won't ever run away again, I promise," she said as she put her face in her hands. "Wendy, Tell me why you ran away from home," he asked. "I, I don't know, honest," she replied. "I don't think for a minute that is true, and running only gets you a life of loneliness," he responded. Wendy turned her face away from him. She decided that she wasn't going to answer his question. �I think it�s time to go home, don�t you? Wendy shook her head yes. On the car ride home, Wendy watched Mark. She could tell by his expressions that this discussion wasn't over. As well as he knew her, she also knew him. Wendy knew that Mark did really love her, as much, if not more than her grandmother did. She did love him to, but she just couldn't get herself to say it. Once again she entered Through the gates of Barrington Hall, but she no longer felt the same as she did when she first arrived there. This was her home and although she couldn't yet say it aloud, she was glad to be there. It was after nine and all of the children were tucked into bed. Mark walked Wendy to her room. "I want you to get yourself straight into bed and stay there. We will continue this discussion tomorrow," Mark gave Wendy a quick kiss on the head. As she entered her room, she startled Jessica. She saw Wendy and jumped from her bed, threw her arms around her and started crying. "I am so glad Daddy found you," she said as she continued to cry. "Did dad yell at you?" she asked. "No, he was very nice, but just now he sort of scolded me. I think we are going to be having a talk tomorrow.� Jessica and Wendy stayed up and talked about her adventure. Where she had gone and what she had actually done. "I don't understand why you are having such a hard time with this place. We have nothing else in our lives and he is the only parent you will ever have," Jessica scolded. "I know, but I just can't get the words to come out," Wendy replied. "Well Wendy, I'm just glad to have my little sister back. Wendy could finally admit to herself that she was glad to be back too. "Jessica, do you think he will punish me for running away?" "Well, um, I'm not sure about that Wendy. You will just have to wait until tomorrow and see.� |
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