Fostered Heart

FRACTURED

The government agent's polished shoes clicked against the hardwood floor. He was so firm with carrying out a dog's work which he'd been assigned. I saw no iota of human in his behaviour. His clipboard might as well have been a guillotine.

"Sean, Peter, Samantha, Alex, and Cynthia." His voice carried the practiced calm of someone who had destroyed lives before breakfast. "You're being relocated today. You all can pack your belongings as soon as possible." His words echoed in my ears as I stood in disbelief. Everyone's eyes became glued to me like I was supposed to do something. No one spoke of what I should do but expected me to stand up for them since she had put me in charge.

Silence rung through the entire neighborhood as I watch the agent look at his clipboard without any remorse with his decision. Being in charge was not supposed to be this hard. I kept wondering how Ma had been able to keep everything together all these time. The thought of me being a kid kept me sane over the time I stood speechlessly hovering my own mind thinking of what I could do.

After the long term of utmost silence then came chaos. Someone screamed so hard I could hardly figure out what is the next course of action. A chair toppled over from inside the house and I could only noticed Peter was nowhere to be found amidst us outside. Little Alex started biting his own arm, his telltale sign of panic.

Cyn's fingernails dug crescent moons into my palm. When I looked down, her star-bright eyes had gone dull. It was as if someone had flipped a switch inside her that made her become this restless. It was the second time I had see her like this.

"That's a mistake." My voice finally found it's way out, sounded strange, too loud, too sharp. "Mrs. Abigail's coming back next week. She promised." The break in my voice gave it away in my lack of confidence to look over the whole of the children.

The agent sighed. He looked at me sympathetically as I struggled to make hike understand how the situation should not be happening "These decisions—" he tried explaining how the system works.

"To hell with your decisions!" Now I'm becoming impatient as the words tore out of me. This seems to be what the children want from me as I sensed a very calm environment. They needed someone who would fight for them. I'd never cursed at an adult before. Mrs. Abigail would've washed my mouth with soap.

The agent didn't flinch. It's obviously not their first time dosing this sort of thing out to other home. "Smaller homes mean more attention, better care" he said without no empathy shown on his face. "With these people gone, you would have just about the right number to take care of, since you have been given the authority to look after them."

That sounded like joke - a sick, freaking joke. Cyn's hand trembled in mine as she still refused to let go. I squeezed back harder. They couldn't take her. They couldn't.

We all went inside the house as the agents drove away. We had been given until morning before they would come for the assigned children to be taken away. One last night in our beds. One last chance to pretend we were still a family.

Sam curled in my lap, hiccuping. "Mikey, make them stop please." I was confused on what exactly she is referring to - the hiccups or the agent ready to divide our family. Now I could not help but think of why they had to take away Ms Abigail. What did we do exactly or was it her? Did she hate us that much?

"Someone get Sam a cup of water please!" I ordered one of the children. He took the water and the hiccup subsided.

It was time for dinner. Cyn had helped out with another teenage girl with the cooking. "It's dinner time everyone." It was as if no one was interested in the food, no matter what was prepared. Everyone either looked so sad, tired, angry or disappointed.

Peter was always the headstrong one amongst us. He stood up and mustered courage on everyone. "Seriously guy, what are we doing? This is possibly our last time together as a family and this is how we want to spend it? Cynthia and Sara had put in this much effort to make dinner and we are all going to just not acknowledge their effort because we are angry the system is messed up. No one is happy about the situation but don't you think we have to cherish this moment we have left. Anyone who is not by the dinner room in ten minutes should forget their meal for tonight. Mike, what do you say?"

Everyone stared vigorously at me. I looked around the room to study each of their facial expressions so I could understand what was on each of their minds. I saw different emotions but sadness prevailed. "Let us take this nigh as a farewell party then, shall we?" A loud chorus echoes the room as everyone rushed to the dinning room. Emotion still running high, but at least we got to regain our energy from the day's stress.

After dinner and the presumed farewell, everyone went to their respective rooms. I went round the house, looking after each and everyone till o head a loud bang. Peter's fist bled where he'd punched the wall. The hard guy softening up by going hard, that is weird alright.

Alex rocked in the corner, humming Maa's lullaby. Emotion running through his humming was louder than the song itself but he should better be left alone. I wonder why the ones leaving are having much emotion than us staying behind.

And Cyn? She folded her clothes with military precision - neat stacks, perfect corners. She believed if she kept her hands busy, she wouldn't shatter. I walked into the room and knelt beside her bed as I watched her pack.

Her yellow sweater — the one she wore every rainy day—lay between us. Threadbare at the elbows, still smelling like her. "Take this." I shoved it into her bag. She didn't look up.

"Cyn?! What is the problem? Hey! Hey! Look at me. What is it?" I grabbed her hands as she stopped packing.

"Nothing." She would not budge to my empathy. She was never big on emotion so this was different. She refused to talk about it.

I cupped her face. Her cheeks were wet. "Listen to me." My thumb brushed her tears. "Wherever they take you—" "What if it's bad?" She cut in so loudly I panicked others could hear her little tantrum, I closed the door even though I had no idea what I was going to do....