Daughters

• Karen Kennedy, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2021

Isolated, unwanted and dejected he sits. Shivering in the cold and continuously slapped by the wind. His heart, desperate for sparks of warmth. As each red petal falls, a piece of his love fades away. The rose was her favourite flower.

He knew he’d never meet someone like her again. No one could ever fill that dark hole in his heart. So he thought.

Spontaneously he trudged up to the old, rusty gate covered in overgrowth. It cried out in pain as he pushed it open. Leaning heavily on his walking stick he made his way to the door of the orphanage.


He was a gardener at the institution. He knew every child. Never did he think he would one day end up adopting one. The mistress opened the door with a puzzled look on her face. “I was wondering if I could adopt Alessia,” he said. The words slipped out without him even realizing what he’d said.

Her face slipped from confusion, to sorrow, to understanding. She called him in, interviewed him, made him sign papers and finally, she was finished. Lucky for him it took a lot less time than usual seeing he worked here and knew the girl quite well.

The little girl grasped her bag and skipped back to the old, yellow Toyota. Her parents had abandoned her when she was two months old, leaving her with nothing. The drive home was an odd one. Alessia seemed to lighten up the old dark car. “Just like Olive once did,” he thought.

The door handle clicked as he turned the key into the cottage. Alessia stifled a gasp and instantly began running around the house, exploring every nook and cranny. He knew they’d be great friends.

Over time, his heart healed. He learnt to accept the past and look forward to the future. Alessia grew into a beautiful young woman with a heart that had no limits. Her favourite flower was like his daughter Olive's, the rose.

Strangely, many years later, her heart full of sorrow, she sought comfort from the rose she was embracing. Her carer had left, he was gone, but would never be forgotten. Vivid memories of the day she was found, the day she came into her own came rushing back to her. A single tear trickled down her face. At least he would be with his beloved daughter.