Short Story Prompt Link Party 7
Grammy Dee, from our Blogging Grandmother’s group, hosts a blogger’s link party based on story prompts.
This story is a writing exercise and is linked up to Grammy’s Grid – Short Story Prompt Link Party 7 This is how it works…
- write a story using the short story prompt she provides
- publish your post
- then add it to the link party here
Here is her Short Story Prompt… Who is that woman in the photo? Is it…
And here is my story.
Kallie Come Home
Who is that woman in the photo? Is it possible? She had searched for years, wondering who she looked like? And now she holds a picture of a young woman, that could be her twin.
Kallie had known she was adopted from the time she was a small girl. Her grandmother always pointed out that she didn’t look like the rest of the kids in the family. Kallie’s adopted family was Italian, and all had very dark hair and deep-set brown eyes. But not her, she was tiny, with curly red hair, that was unmanageable for most of her life.
All Is Lost
Kallie’s mother never wanted to talk about her adoption. She claimed the orphanage didn’t give them any information.
When Kallie was in her twenties and demanded answers, she called the orphanage asking for information. She was told the records for the year she was born were no longer available because there had been a fire, and all was lost.
All was lost. Her history, her birthright, even her own name, was lost, never to be found. It was like a death, the final rejection that she has felt her whole life. And now, with her parents gone, she was alone in this world.
The Time Had Come
The sadness Kallie felt consumed her for many years, and at her mother’s passing, she felt overwhelmed at the thought of clearing out her house. She had put it off for several months, but now she was there, and the work had to be done.
Being an only child meant there was no one to help her go through her mother’s things. She loved her parents and had a wonderful childhood. But now, they were gone.
It was up to her to clean out the house and here she sat looking at the old trunk.
A Trunk with Secrets
The small trunk, with its hidden secrets, was about to reveal the truths that Kallie had sought her whole life. Who were her birth parents? Who did she look like? Why didn’t they want her?
Kallie raised the lid of the old trunk and moved some of her baby clothes and an old blanket that lay in the bottom of the trunk. And then she saw it.
In her hands was a never before seen box, retrieved from the bottom of the old trunk. Papers that were 54 years old, and a picture of a young girl that could have been her twin 40 years ago. Who was she? Could she be her birth mother that she had thought of all these years?
There was a birth certificate, but different from the one she had known. The details of her birth were correct, except for the names of her parents. And a paper, with her tiny newborn footprint. And the photo.
Inside the Envelope
Kallie found an envelope, fragile from the years, with a handwritten note inside. It read:
To my sweet baby Caroline. I am 21. You were born during the great storm. Hurricane Betsy destroyed our home. Your father and I were left homeless. There was no work, as the shrimp boats were completely destroyed. We love you so much but have no way to care for you. The Dr at the hospital said he could find a nice home for you and you would be cared for. I pray he is right. Please forgive us, but know we only wanted the best for you.
Ps. My name is Caroline too. We were named after my grandmother.
The Photo
Kallie looked at the photo, and slowly turned it over to find the words, “We love you, Sweet Caroline, nevermind my hair, it’s almost always unmanagable. With love, Your Momma.
All That Was Lost
The sadness that Kallie had felt her whole life seemed to be lifted at that moment.
Armed with her parents names, she immediately got on her computer to search for them.
Within minutes she found her, Caroline Trahan. An older, but beautiful woman with uncontrolled curls. And in her profile heading were the words…Kallie we love you! Come home soon.
The message was sent. And Kallie was not alone anymore. All that was lost, had been found.
14 Comments
Leave your reply.