bringing lucy home

Chapter 24: football c'est l'amour

The four best friends had done everything there was to do in Paris. They'd accidentally stolen treats from the streetside food markets, they'd seen all the sights, they'd even experienced the outdoor adventures of the French Alps. But Keira still wanted to do something.

"I want to do something good while we're here," Keira told Lucy one night as they sat warm on the floor by the ingle in the hotel room.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, sipping her coffee. "You aren't happy? I thought you were having fun?"

"No I am!" Keira exclaimed, taking Lucy's hand. "And thankyou, for all of this." She smiled warmly. "I just meant, I want to do something good for Paris. We've have a great time here, causing all sorts of chaos...I just wonder if there's anything we can do...you know, to give back a little."

Lucy laughed, shaking her head and looking down. She leaned her elbows on her knees which were tucked up against her chest. "Of course. Something...charitable."

Keira nodded earnestly. "I was thinking we could volunteer to help out somewhere...just for a day or somet, you know?"

Lucy nodded, looking up into Keira's face, which was alight by the fire which made her lovely eyes glow. She dropped her eyes again, unable to look at her without falling apart. "If that's what you wanna do."

"Yeah."

"Then we'll do it. I think I have an idea, too."

"You do?"

Lucy scratched the back of her neck, looking somewhere in the distance. "Yeah, theres actually a lot of these schools, like Catholic homes, where they take in little orphans who have been like, abandoned, by their family, and they take care of them. They've got like, hundreds of kids. Im sure they could use a hand with the babies or somethin."

Keira clasped her hands together. "Awh that sounds perfect."

Lucy smiled. "Youre perfect."

Keira looked down. "Stop."

"Its only true." Lucy took another sip of coffee.

"How'd I get so lucky," Keira breathed dreamily, lost in Lucys magical eyes.

"I wonder the same thing every minute, every hour," Lucy returned with a smile. "Keira Fae Walsh, I truly don't deserve you."

"I know" Keira whispered.

"How does this work?"

"What?"

"Us." Lucy looked deep into Keira's face. "How on earth did I get you, and how on earth do you want me? You make me so happy, Kei. Can we be happy for the rest of our lives?"

"As long as we're together," Keira answered.

"You're perfect," murmured Lucy.

"You already said that," whispered Keira.

"I know. The thought runs through my head like that, only 5,000 times a day."

"That's all? 5,000?"

"Ok, I'll be honest. A million times."

"That's better."

"I know what'd be better."

Keira gave her a warning look which faded into a charmed smile. She stood up. "Goodnight, Lucia Bronze."

Lucy stood up, too. "Indeed. We've a big day tomorrow."

The next day Lucy and Keira were awakened by a loud banging on their door. Lucy groggily lifted her head, having not gotten much sleep the night before.

"if that's Leah and Jordan, I swear to God..." she began threateningly. It was.

"Goooooood morning!" Jordan greeted loudly. "We're up and ready for today's adventure!"

"Actually," Lucy yawned, "Keira wants to go help out at the orphan's home."

Leah frowned. "Why?"

Jordan hit her. "The hell's wrong with you. Of course we'll help."

"No I was just asking!" Leah said defensively.

"She wants to do something good while we're here," Lucy explained. "Something other than cause every possible disaster everywhere we go."

"Fair enough," Jordan concluded.

The girls got ready and then set out for one of the big medieval churches where the orphans home was. A kind-eyed nun greeted them in French at the door and let them in. Sunlight filled the church through the tall windows, the patterns in the glass reflecting shapes of light on the wooden floors. Instantly children heard them enter, and ran to greet them excitedly in French.

"Are all these orphans?" Leah asked. "Ce sont tous des orphelins?"

The nun nodded sadly. "Oui, madam. La plupart d'entre eux ont été laissés sur notre front, abandonnés par leurs parents qui étaient trop pauvres pour prendre soin d'eux."

Leah looked at Lucy for a translation as she stroked the head of one orphan.

"She says that most of these kids were left at their front step, abandoned by their parents who were too poor to take care of them so their best alternative was to leave them here," Lucy explained.

"There's so many of them," Keira gasped sadly, looking at all the shining pairs of eyes that watched her. Despite their sad pasts, the children looked genuinely happy and eager to see them all.

"Nous sommes venus jouer avec les enfants," Lucy said to the nun, explaining that they had come to play with the children.

The Sister clasped her hands to her heart. "Merci, merci beaucoup! Les enfants apprécieront beaucoup!"

Lucy smiled and bent down to come eye-level to a little girl. "Comment vas?"

"Je suis bon, merci."

"Allons-nous jouer au football?" Lucy asked, wondering if they wanted to play football. The children cheered happily in response.

Lucy, Keira, Leah and Jordan pulled footballs out of their bags and began to have a kick-about with the kids. The kids took them behind the church to a garden where the footballers set up little goalposts and drills for the kids to do, and taught the children some fundamental football aswell as just messing around and some five-a-side. Some of the younger kids just wanted to run around with the ball, and luckily the girls had went to the store and bought a lot of footballs for the kids to play with. The older ones were more serious, and were actually very good at playing, and greatly appreciated the little one-on-ones with the pro footballers.

The four best friends had gone hoping to do something for the community, which they did. But it did them good, too, in being able to use their talents to do something good for kids who needed it. Their hearts, first taken in by compassion, were then filled with happiness playing football with the orphans. Their eyes were opened to all the possibilities of what they could use their resources and skills for in the community, aswell as how strong these people, though but children, were inspite of their difficult circumstances.

Lucy Keira Leah and Jordan's holiday to France was good for them in many ways, some were unexpected, and they were able to go home to Manchester feeling more happy and fulfilled than when they left.

I don't actually know if there are orphan homes like these in France but I do know that even tho there are no more orphanages really, people should still remember that there are so many orphans in the world who still need our help and love. My Mum was one of them and luckily she got adopted by an English family but there are alot who arent so lucky x