For the kids who stayed, it felt like they'd lost something, and time just kept moving ahead. They missed their friends who had left, and they were worried about what was outside the orphanage's gates.
Sometimes, when the kids were really worried, they'd ask Mother Jan for answers. They wanted to know what happened to the kids who left, but she would only give them mysterious smiles and not really answer. She'd tell them that they were strong and ready for whatever came next, and that they had learned about love and caring.
Mother Jan's strength in dealing with the strange rule showed how much she cared for the kids. She carried the secret that they couldn't understand, and she did it with grace and determination.
A child's 15th birthday became a day with mixed feelings at the orphanage
