A vulnerable woman in her storm

IDENTITY

She was ten years old when she left their home again because her older sister had taken her place. She gave herself some time, especially when she and her siblings had disagreements. One day, she was extremely hungry while sitting at a cafe, and there was a woman named Myrna drinking coffee there. She saw the woman weakly holding her stomach, appearing to be hungry and without money because she slept beside the rice mill and her money had been stolen. The woman drinking coffee did not hesitate; she ordered milk and sticky rice for her. She accepted it gratefully and thanked the woman while eating and drinking. The woman watched her kindly, wondering where her parents were. She was still young and a girl; she could be in danger because she slept wherever she could. After she had eaten and finished the milk, she was asked, "Where are your parents?"

She answered, "My mom is at our house, and my dad works far away, coming home only once a month."

"Aren't they looking for you?" she pressed with another question.

"It doesn't really matter to them. If I come home without any money or rice, I'm sure I'll just get beaten," the girl replied.

"I'm not rich, but there you can have a proper place to sleep and eat three times a day. What's your name?"

She did not give her real name. Instead, she used an alias, saying, "My name is Jennifer," and that became what she was called. Myrna asked her again, "Do you want to come with me? I'm going home now. Decide, and I'll take you with me. No one will hurt you as long as you're with me."

Nine months had passed since that happened, and during those nine months, she experienced care and nurturing as if she were a real daughter. She was bathed every day.

One day, they heard an announcement on the radio that parents were looking for their daughter, saying that if she was in good hands, they would not take her back. They just wanted to ensure she was okay and in good hands. She had been missing for nine months, exactly the number of months since Myrna found the girl. However, she could not be sure if the child she had taken in was the same child being searched for in the announcement because the names did not match. Another month passed, and the girl now had many new clothes. Myrna invited the child to come home with her. The child she brought home to her house was very different from before. The child would remember how Myrna had argued on the jeep because the passengers did not want to sit next to her due to her being smelly, fishy, and dirty. Above all, she would remember what Myrna had done for her, things she had never experienced with her real parents, which truly changed her.