Hope Is Here

• Elyssa Koh, Grade 6, Chatswood Public School
• Short Story
• 2019

Finalist in the 'Just Keep Writing 2019' competition

Nobody notices me. I’m invisible to basically everyone. We are The Emotions, spreading our qualities around the world. We work in little ways, all of us do, although not many appreciate us. But every now and then we find something, or someone, that notices us. They are what we call “The Gifted”, for they have the gift of gratitude, enabling them to appreciate us and see us. Once I, the emotion Hope, happened to meet one of those Gifted in London.
The Ansington Orphanage was painted in a dirty white. The building looked old, and the words ‘Ansington Orphanage of London’ was etched into a slab of wood. Gently landing in front of the building, I walked forward and opened the paint-peeled door.
The building had little space, with no windows, only one large table for everyone to eat at, and no furniture except for one large closet.
As I opened the oak closet, a small girl with blonde hair, the age of six, curled her knees up to her chin. Tears streamed down her face like a river, her fair skin blotted with tears. Her cerulean eyes were watering, and she wore an undersized crimson frock torn in places.
I tried embracing her into my arms, but it didn’t work. Of course it didn’t.
Slipping out of the wardrobe, I ran right out the door, and raised my wings, as I soared above the clouds, searching for the perfect family to adopt that same girl.
My intuition steered me towards a sky-blue cottage, and the glow of the happy couple living inside shone blindingly out. Stepping towards the front door, I pressed the doorbell. I hastily set a trail of fallen leaves down on the ground as the couple answered the door, their eyes immediately falling to the trail.
“Let’s follow it!” The wife exclaimed.
On approaching the orphanage, the husband cried, “Look, Liz, it’s what we wanted! To adopt a child! This is meant to be.” He strolled to the door, rapping on it. A matron greeted them. “Hello, madam. I am Joshua Hentonsing, and this is my wife Elizabeth. We’re looking to adopt a child, six years old, a girl. Do you possibly have a girl like that?” he asked.
“Yes, we do.” She dove inside, then reappeared for them to see the same girl from the closet!
“She’s perfect.” Joshua and Elizabeth smiled.
And as they went inside to sign the adoption documents, the girl waved goodbye to me, mouthing “Thank you!” Then I knew she has a great life ahead of her, because she had the only things she needed: a loving family, and the gift of gratitude.