LYKO: Under the Birch

Chapter 1 : Woman in Yellow Jacket

It was 5 o'clock in the morning. Sun rised cheerfully to wake the children of Sherwood Orphanage up for their special day. The kids had got up from the bed as if the bed was some kind of a water shelt and they just slipped and rised to the surface. Families who want to adopt a child would come and spend time with the child they wanted to adopt on 14th day of every month. That was 14th day of August, it was very hot inside the orphanage but the walls were as if they were smiling and absorbing all the heat.

Sherwood Orphanage had only a few buildings around it: six or seven detached houses, a little hospital and a shopping market beside it. It was more colorless, serious and church-like than before because of the last restoration. But it was an another world inside. It was still a church-like because of the nuns, religious motifs and scriptures from bible on the wall but the paintings of children which made the orphanage almost a dream world were everywhere. It was only the children who cheered this orphanage up.

A child who looked to Sherwood Orphanage outside would think it was sort of a castle seen in movies which takes place in distant lands. And it was a land of Snow Queen probably, because the building was on a region which had a high elevation and snow would not let go of it.

Of course, the smaller ones of those children who think it is a castle of a Snow Queen, did not understand when they were told it was only an simple orphanage with no magic, only with children with no families. But who could except from a little child to understand some families just abandon their children and never come back again. It was too sad.

One room was customized for naos. On every Sunday, it was open to visitors. The choir had its fame in the city. And not only because of the talented children it included. Precentor of the choir was young Sister Sofia, who was a daughter of a country singer. Her mother was dead OD, and after a year, she decided to become a nun. She was kind of a teacher a child loves most, the type which gives no homework and let children experience their own journey by asking them a lot of questions. And when the sun shines, she would make all the children in her group outside. And other group of children would get jealous and would insist to their teachers to do the same thing.

Though the size of the building, it was almost empty. There were not so much children and furnitures were only enough. Two floors which had the biggest rooms of it were specialized for church. And the last floor was for choir, which was a big one again.

The children dressed up meticulously. They combed each other's hair. The old ones wear a little bit make-up to their faces. And they hurried up to dining hall for breakfast. It was a special day but they understood from the smell that the menu was not very special.

There was just one girl, still hiding in the bed, and was not as excited as expected. Her name was Beatha.

Her friend, Arlene, was trying to pull her from the bed with her both hands on the her pijamas.
Although the slim body of hers, she could be strong when necesarry. Finally, she laughed slowly and said, "You won't quit, will you?"
"Which one ?"
Arlene pointed two dresses which she had threw to bed of Beatha.

"White one, I think." Said Beatha, with a sleepy tone. Arlene slipped the blue dress to Beatha's hands.

"I thought it was for you." Said Beatha and started to dress up.
"What, are you blind now? I am already dressed up. "

Arlene was wearing a blue jean with a green belt and a sweater with red stamps on it. She was like the other days, except the earrings on her ears.

While they were going down the stairs, three girls were going the opposite one wih unhappy attitude. They were probably had sent back from the nuns because of their short dresses.