The road to Anywhere with the man from Everywhere

I never thought I would be here. In the back of a church van with a priest and a nun. It almost sounded like a good bar joke. A priest and a nun driving down the road. I snickered to myself hoping they didn't hear. Laughter had been frowned upon for the past six months of my life. I didn't think I would ever get used to it. I prayed I didn't. The way they lived was so stilted and dull. Laughing was a sin, crying was a sin, wiping after you went to the bathroom was a sin...well they never said that out right but, you get it. Having an opinion was blasphemy, needless to say I wasn't their favorite. Not because I was disrespectful or refused to follow the rules. I came from a religious family but I didn't choose this path. My only true sin was not letting go of me, no matter how hard they tried to strip me of who I am. I feel the only way for you to get the full story is, well for me to tell you the full story. So for arguments sake ill back up a bit, to the worst day of my life. * It was an average Tuesday at my house. Mom was in the kitchen making eggs and bacon, dad was sitting in his chair in the living room watching the morning news. It was August and I was only two weeks into my junior year of highschool. Today instead of getting ready for school I was on the couch under a thick blanket. I had caught a cold over the weekend on our trip to the lake and I still wasn't 100%. Mom called dad and I for breakfast as she sat my fathers plate at the kitchen table. We always ate at the table together. I growned and gave her a pityful look from the couch. She frowned picking up my plate from the stove. She filled it with food and sat it in front of me on the coffee table. I smiled up at her. Mom and dad jointed me in the living room. We ate together listening to what was going on in the world according to the TV. No good news in the world, as usual. A short time later they were getting ready to leave for work. My mom leaned down and kissed my forehead. " Love you sweetie, ill call an check on you at lunch." She gave a warm smile. I returned it. "Thanks momma, love you." I snuggled deeper into the warmth of my blanket. Dad came after and patted me on the leg. "Be home at 6 onica, try not to die till then." I rolled my eyes. "Ha, ha" he grinned at me. " love you." I smiled "love you." Then the door closed... That was it, the last time I saw my parents. It was a good morning but if I had known I would have done things a lot differently. Around 10am there was a knock at the door. A cop informing me that my mom and dad had been in a fatal crash when an oil truck attempted to make a sharp right turn and spilled over. It caught fire and there were no survivors. First came the disbelief. I told him he was crazy, I said he had the wrong house. I frantically called my mother, the phone going to voicemail each and every time. I switched over to my dads number only to get the same result. The cop stood in the door way, listening patiently as I scraped up every reason I could think of why it couldn't be them. But in the end...it was. Second came the tears. I cried on the living room floor, I screamed when the officer picked me up and put me in his car. I cried when he took me to the hospital, I kicked and gaged as they sedated me, I cried when I woke up from sedation and I cried so loud they sedated me again. This went on for a few weeks before I stop giving a damn. Third I went not pure hatred mode. Telling the nurses and doctors to shove it when they begged me to calm down. I was 16 years old and lost both my parents in the same day. You think they'd be more sympathetic, but no. All they cared about was how loud my crying was, how I didn't eat enough, how I was acting so 'unlady like'. I had no other family to speak of and after a almost a month in the hospital someone showed up to see me. In walked in two women and a man behind them, Two nuns and a priest. At first I wondered if they were there to perform an exorcism on me, the real reason was way worse. "Im sister Ann, this is sister rose and father Marcus." The first lady introduced the treo. I couldn't have cared less. When I didn't respond 'sister ann' approached my hospital bed. " I know you've been threw a lot dear. Were all so sorry for your loss, such a tragedy, I can't imagine what your going threw." She motioned the others who were still in the door way to come inside. "We are here to help you, we'd like you to come with us." She said softly. Before could protest I was being shipped off to this 'youth home'. It was more like a convent/ group home. My first day there I stayed in my room I shared with a sweet little girl with blond pig tails. I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. I would have been content to do only that forever. All I got was a day, one day before they threw me into school and church. I stayed to myself and never spoke to a soul. I wanted to go home but I couldn't. They informed me that I was to young to live alone and since I had no other family to stay with I had to live here until my 18th birthday or I got a foster family. Sister Ann mentioned adoption but with my age told me not to get my hopes up. I had no hopes to get up, I had no drive or care left in me, it died with my parents. Over the next couple of months I had slowly drifted into the next stage of grief. Total numbness. I had become so oblivious I had no knowledge of what was happening around me. When someone spoke to me I could hear them but I couldn't make out anything they were saying. That was until I heard sister Ann having a conversation with another priest from the youth home. The little girl I shared a room with had since Been adopted and I wonder why they were using that word. I tried to clear my mind and listened in. "I think it would be great for everyone. Hes a very wealthy man and we need to think about all aspects in this decision." Curious I stood up, trying not to fall. I hadn't eaten a bite in so long and my legs wear almost to weak to carry me. "What decision?" I questioned, both turned to me as I leaned on the door frame for support. They seemed as if they had been caught in a secret. I raised my brows still waiting for an answer. " Veronica, are you familiar with Wise industries?" Asked sister Ann. "Not at all," I responded in more of a question. For some reason the look on the priest face worried me. "Well Mr.Wise is looking to make a big difference in the life of one special young man or lady." She explained. I shrugged "ok?" I didn't understand what this had to do with me. "He wants an interview with you!" She gushed. I looked to the man beside her for more but he said nothing. "Im sorry but I m not interested." The nuns smile fell. " Veronica, this is not optional, when you come to us its only until you have found a permanent home." I didn't know what to say. If I had my way I would tough it out until I was old enough to get a job to support myself so I could go home, but I learned early on not to back talk the nuns. "Alright." The next day I was sitting in one of the interview rooms here at the group home. All I wanted was to get this over with so I could go back to my room and be able to sob into my pillow in peace. It was starting to seem like it wasn't coming anytime soon. These few rooms were the only place that had a clock and I had been waiting for 30 minutes. Father mark, ' the head priest ' said we didn't need them. "When you focus too much on the hour you fail to see what's in front of you and we are on gods time." Which I agreed with to a certain extent but I still thought it was bullshit.