All the Colors (Chapter 2)

~Chapter 2~

It had been two weeks since her mother had died, Hannah had an overwelhming feeling of lonliness. Her father would always leave her alone, or stay late at work, or not even come home til early the next morning. For he too was trying to escape the real world, but he (unlike his daughter) found it easier to occupy himself with things far far away from the house. Hannah also noticed that he was always on the phone with someone or another talking about Hannah’s childhood, and her future in his care. But she never knew what it meant until her social worker came to her house for more than a visit.

Miss Hilary P. Waltenburg had arrived with her usual black leather suitcase filled with papers that desperately needed filing. And in her black suit with a skirt and very professionsal looking shoes. “Mr. Delmont, I’m here to talk to you about Hannah.” She said in a stern cold voice. “Has her family been found?” Mr. Delmont asked. Hannah could hear them exchange quiet little words in the marble forye. But it wasn’t until Miss Waltenburg looked up into her terrified eyes that she knew what was about to happen. “You cruel old man.” Hannah stated as she looked at her father. “She would have wanted you to take care of me! You know she wouldn’t want you to get rid of me!” She screamed as she approched him. “How dare you speak to me like that. You don’t know how hard this was for me.” He replied. “Hard for you? I’ve been rejected by my real parents, then came here and actually felt like I belonged. Then my mother died and now you want to get rid of me? You don’t know what its like to have not only your birth mother not want you, but your foster father to not want you either.” Hannah yelled at him. “Miss Waltenburg take her before I loose my temper.” He said in a dignified manner. “You can rot in hell for all I care.” Hannah replied, then she took off out the door and down the street. “Hannah come back, it’s not safe out there!” her social worker yelled. But Hannah just kept running, she ran down to the corner of her block and just kept running. She never looked back, or stopped to even think of where she was runnig to, but she kept runnig.

Hanna had reached downtown before her social worker's car found her and she was ushered inside. “If you had wanted to stay with him, your parting words weren’t a way to make that happen.” Miss Waltenburg said softly. “This is all too easy for you isn’t it?” Hannah replied. “What do you mean?” The social worker asked. “You help countless childeren rebuild their lives by finding them new families. You make them feel loved and wanted. But all you ever feel is the satisfaction of a job well done. We feel so much more. You have no idea what it’s like to watch your parents drive away and realize that they are never coming back. That everythig you once knew and loved was all a lie and wasn’t real. You’ve never woken up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and have wanted more than everything to have your mother comfort you but than remember she doesn’t even want you. You have never felt alone and lost in a world where there seem to be so many people but there isn’t anyone who wants you. Or to finally feel like you’re loved and feel so complete with a family than have it all ripped away from you. You can help us but you will never truly know the things we have had to go through and you probably never will.” Hannah answered.
Tears streamed down Miss Waltenburg’s face. Hannah hated ruining other people’s ignorant bliss with the harsh realities of life, but she felt it needed to be done. “You’re right Hannah. I will never in my life experience the type of emotional turmoil you have been put through and I’m sorry for your loss I really am. But we both know there is nothig I could have done to prevent any of it from happening.” Miss Waltenburg responded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have taken this all out on you. I just… I’m scared. I’m scared about what will happen to me next. I’m afraid of where I’ll go and if I’ll even go anywhere. I hate not knowing my own fate and that’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of in my life is the fact that nothing ever stays the same for very long. And that’s what scares me the most about all of this.” Hannah stared deep into Miss Waltenburg’s eyes. She could feel the tears welling up in her own eyes. “Hannah, I promise I will find you a great family who will love you unconditionally and never leave you.” Miss Waltenburg took Hannah’s hands in hers and smiled a reassuring smile. “Thank-you.” Hannah wispered. She liked how much Miss Waltenburg cared about her. But she never took her words too seriously. The chances of finding a family who would want a teenage orphan who has been through so much already were slim to none. It’s just like a pet shop. Couples never want the dogs, they only want the puppies and this case was no different.
“You can stay with me at my apartment tonight since it’s too late to drop you off at the childeren’s shelter, is that alright?” Miss Waltenburg asked regaining her composure. “Yeah, I’ll be fine on a couch or something.” Hannah replied staring out the window. “Would it be alright if I just stay with you till I find a family?” She asked glancing back at Miss Waltenburg. “We’ll see, but I wouldn’t mind the company.” She responded smiling.