The Safe Island. (Adopted Family Was What We Were) #2

The Safe Island

I'am Montry, 15, Dale 12, Juluis and Lui, twins 11, Lenorad 7, Alfred 6. Then the girls Imogene 17, Fay 15, Brenda 12 and baby Sarah 4 years old

Steve, Vegetables & Fruit Co., Building Contractor

It was a five room house, with old linoleum flooring, chipping. Also chipped painted walls and some places holes. The ceilings were the only decent thing to the house. The older children put up wood and shingles they found at building sites.

The foreman always let them have Xtra or over ordered items they couldn't​ use. Wayne (x-foster parent) thought the guy (Steve) felt sorry for them and would drop off extra when he had some, nails, roofing, anything for the house. One time he found cases of canning jars with lids and a canning pot with directions.

Our house sat high on stilts safe from floods, because it was close to a river. It also sat next to a vegetable garden, every year we helped the farmer pick his field in return he gave us vegetables​. We usually just froze some and ate the rest.

But this year we had cases of jars, half gallons​, pints and some small jars. We had some trees around it for shade and to hang clothes, a line. There was a couple of broken cars, van and a old trailer. In the tree we built a plat form, the kids called it a look out.

We have a generator that kept the fridge and stove going. We built a basketball hoop against the old tree for the kids. They had a couple of old tire swings and a rope that just hung down from the tree.

We use to have foster parents but one day they didn't come back. I figured they finally got busted for the weed they grew in the forest passed the vegetable field. Nobody knew us lost kids were out there or even cared. The town was small and poor, like everyone else.

There was ten of us, me, I was Montry, 15, Dale 12, Juluis and Lui, twins 11, Lenorad 7, Alfred 6. Then the girls Imogene 17, Fay 15, Brenda 12.

And baby Sarah 4 years old. She was found on the porch with a note pinned to her blanket, it read, please take care of my baby girl, Sarah. We was from different races and different religions. The twins prayed once in the morning and at bedtime, they didn't remember why, only that, they had to.

The girls always song church songs or Christmas songs, which sometimes drove me crazy and I had to leave for a while. Everyone decided I, was in charge because I always had ideas.

And Imogene was the mother, she had the medicine, bandages and scared the monsters away. She also made sure everyone was clean and fed. She gave out the daily chores and I enfored them. They were all my sybilings, I loved them and they loved me.Our family had lots of love.

It was July and hot, we swam in the river for awhile, now we was laying all over the hot house. I told the others it was Wednesday, they all groaned no Montry!

Thursday the mission in town gave away clothes, furniture, food and anything they were donated. Most of the stuff in our house, we got from the mission. We pulled a old cart to town and drug back our treasurers.

Town was about 2 miles away and it would be hot. Steve came by as we was putting our water and baby Sarah into the old cart also the gas can for gas. He got off his truck and told me to help put the cart in his truck bed.

We never argued with him, he always knew better. Imogene sat in the front with him always. I think he liked her but she wouldn't leave us, her lost family, she called us. Later she told me, Steve knew I wouldn't miss a Thursday give away.

As we walked around and dug threw the clothes, Imogene pulled out winter coats, I groaned it's summer, everyone mimicked her, you always need to be prepared. She stuck her tongue out at everyone.