Neglected Child

• Dhanusha Murugasan, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2007

Three centuries ago, a couple was married in a wedding hall near a mortuary. For couple of months, they stayed happily in a terrace house at England and had a son named Luke.

Luke was a smart boy and everyone liked him. One day his family invited people and were at the beach celebrating Luke’s birthday. Luke’s dad Mike was unhappy that day. Luke’s mother Grace went to Mike and asked, “What’s wrong honey and why are you not celebrating Luke’s birthday?”

“Actually I want a baby girl that will bring peace and freedom to the house that we are staying.” replied Mike.

Then Grace said, “Is that all honey, I thought it was a serious major problem.

Anyway I have an idea.”

“What” asked Mike desperately?

“Well there is a child named Julia where her mother named Mrs Halliday where she didn’t want Julia and put her in the orphanage home and declared that Julia was not her daughter anymore. I was thinking that we may adopt her and make her as our own child as you said which will bring freedom and peace.”

“My problem has solved. Thank you Grace, I am very proud of you. We can go to the orphanage centre, sign the document and bring the kid right away.”

The next day, the couple went to the orphanage centre and sign the document; they were very excited to bring the kid home.

After a few years Julia became a teenager. She was happy living with her parents and her brother in a terrace house at England. When Julia was 21 Year old, she was an adult. She was independent and was doing her own job without anyone. One day Julia went to her parents and asked “Can I use the computer please?”

Without answering to her question, they just told “Go away you stupid child. Do not stand in front of me if not I will kill you.”

She was unhappy and sat on her bed. She went to the hall and saw her parents’ spoon feeding Luke. She was extremely devastated after seeing this and drank poison without tolerating and died on the spot. When the family came to see what the noise was, they saw Julia dead and they started crying loudly. Then only they knew their mistake.

From this story, the moral is if you want a child you need to take care of them properly, do not neglect them as they are not your real child and when they grow up they also do not take care of you in life.

By:M.Dhanusha