My name is Clair Roberts. I am sixteen and I am an orphan. Ever since my parents left me I have been staying at the Grove Orphanage. I have twelve foster brothers and sixteen foster sisters. I have great relationships with all of them; the only person I don’t have a great relationship with is our foster mother Amber.
You see I have a passion for photography and I love my Polaroid camera but, she thinks that photography is a waste of time. I received my Polaroid camera from the Wish Foundation. It is a program that reaches out to all orphanages in my county in New York. You’re supposed to send in a letter talking about what you want for Christmas. Sometimes you get your wish and a lot of times you don’t.
That’s why I was so surprised when I received my Polaroid camera. But knowing my foster mom there was always going to be an obstacle. She said if she ever caught me with it when I’m not supposed to have it she will get a hammer and smash it into pieces. I would never do anything to get in trouble with my foster mother but when it comes to my passion I won’t let anyone stand in my way. That’s how my mom was.
She was stubborn and she never gave up. Part of me wants to meet my parents but anyone one who can’t love me and care for me is not worth my time. My parents decided to stop being parents when I was two years old. They told me I was going to stay at my mom’s “friends” house while they were going to go run errands. When we arrived at my mom’s “friends” my mom just stared at me and she started to cry.
I kept asking her why she was crying and she just smiled and said she loved me and that she always would. My dad was crying so much that he had to go in the car because he didn’t want me to see him like that. When they left I stayed with my mom’s “friend” for two hours when she realized they weren’t coming back. She told me what was going on about how my parents left and how she couldn’t keep me but honestly I was so confused. I was only two and couldn’t comprehend why my parents couldn’t keep me.
I spent the night at the ladies house and in the morning she took me to the Grove orphanage. At the time an old woman named Marta was the foster mother. She was the sweetest person you would ever meet. She always made sure you were happy and that if you ever needed anything she would always do her best to get it. She always made me feel special compared to the other kids.
But since Marta was so old she did die. She had a heart attack. They brought in a woman that would take over. Her name was Amber. She hated kids which I never understood.
Why would you be a foster mother if you hate kids? But over the years it became clear that she took the job because she wanted to make us miserable. And she has continued to torture me all my life. That’s why I have decided to leave. I’m going to leave this house.
I’m going to miss all off my siblings but I will never miss Amber. Amber was going to a meeting and would be out until twelve. I packed my bag and filled it with clothes, money, and my Polaroid of course. Amber came into my room and said I was in charge and that I better not do anything stupid. She left the house.
I looked out the window and saw her car speeding down the street. I checked each room and everyone was asleep. I gathered my belongings and walked downstairs. I walked out the door and ran. I never stopped running.
I ran until I saw the sun. I didn’t even know where I was. All I know is that I was free to be who want and do what I want. And that makes my life feel not so depressing.