This story happened to me fifteen years ago. A little girl from the orphanage was staring up at me with her big green eyes for several minutes and then suddenly asked,
Do you have a daughter?
No, I replied, caught off guard.
She sighed, her gaze dropping sadly.
Wouldnt you like one? she said softly. As I mulled over her words, she spoke again, I could be your daughter. If youd like me to, that is
My thoughts were racing. I already had a twenty-year-old son. I didnt think I needed another child. Yet those words stayed with me: A daughter would be needed, and her enormous eyes completely captivated me.
Id always dreamt of having a daughter. I wanted a little girl to dress up, buy pretty outfits, ribbons, toys, do make-up together, and play girlish games. But I had a son, and for years Id convinced myself I couldnt cope with a second child. Now I thought: Im an adult now. I can raise a girl, cant I? Especially since Ive always longed for a daughter.
Of course I would! I declared. She hugged me tightly, as if wed belonged to each other from the very beginning.
In that embrace, she gave me all the love shed built up during her years in the childrens home. Her name was Beatrice, and she was five years old. Shed been brought to the orphanage when she was just over a year and a half old. Both her parents had died in a car crash, and since then, Beatrice had dreamed of being part of a family.
You can hardly imagine how overjoyed she was to meet her new relatives, and how quickly she learned and remembered all their names. Everyone adored her right away, as she was the most loving little girl. At first, my husband wasnt keen on the idea, but almost immediately, Beatrice charmed him. She started calling us Mum and Dad from the very first day.
Beatrice took to everything so naturallyshe even kept up with children her age. And when she started her first year at school, she stood out straight away for her cleverness and logical thinking. Recently, shes discovered a new passion: writing poetry. Shes become the favourite of everyone who knows her, and every day, I thank my lucky stars that I visited that orphanage.
