Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: HOPE (joyful, confident expectation in salvation) (03/05/15)
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TITLE: Charlotte's Fairy Tale | Previous Challenge Entry
By Leola Ogle
03/12/15 -
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It was 1950, and Charlotte had been at Sanctuary Orphanage since she was a toddler. This day was Open House and every year her hopes that she would be chosen hadn’t happened.
“Forget it, Charlotte,” Sarah smirked. “You’re ugly and no one will ever pick you.”
“You take that back, Sarah, or I’ll scratch your eyes out,” Abigail said, coming to Charlotte’s defense. “Nobody wants a bratty girl like you, that’s for sure.”
“Nobody wants a freckle-faced, carrot head,” Sarah sneered, then dashed away when Abigail swung at her.
“She’s right,” Charlotte sniffled. Abigail hugged her and Marlene handed her a tissue.
“Don’t cry, Charlotte. It makes your eyes ugly,” Marlene said. “But you’re not ugly,” she hurriedly said.
Charlotte, Abigail, Sarah and Marlene followed Mrs. Emma downstairs to the huge parlor where couples who wanted to adopt gathered. The babies and toddlers were always picked first. But nobody ever picked Charlotte. Even as a toddler, hopeful eyes skimmed right over her.
Abigail clutched Charlotte’s hand. She hadn’t been at the orphanage very long and she hated Open House. “It makes me feel like worms are crawling in my tummy,” she said.
Charlotte giggled until Miss Angeline hushed them. “You must be well-behaved,” she admonished, but smiled to soften her words.
Charlotte tried to act like she didn’t care if she got picked. “It’s no big deal,” she whispered to Abigail. “At least we’ll have each other.”
But Charlotte did care. She wanted a family. Her hopes arose each Open House. She even prayed a mommy and daddy would fall in love with her despite her wild hair and big freckles. She cried herself to sleep every time she wasn’t picked.
The couples arrived and walked around talking with the children. A few came to where Charlotte and Abigail sat holding hands. Charlotte tried to impress them with her smartness by reciting her spelling words and their definitions. Abigail just answered questions with a shy whisper.
The three Baxter boys went with a couple who had a ranch. A banker and his wife chose a baby. A young couple chose another baby. Even Sarah got chosen by a stern looking man and woman. She stuck her tongue out at Charlotte and Abigail before bounding up the stairs to get her suitcase.
“They look as mean as Sarah,” Abigail whispered, causing Charlotte to giggle. “Let’s trip Sarah when she comes down the stairs.”
“No,” Charlotte giggled, clinging to Abigail’s hand so she couldn’t leave the sofa. “Smile, Abigail. There’re still some people left.”
There was an older couple at the punch table and two young couples still in the room. One couple left, saying they wanted a baby but the babies were gone. Another couple took three-year-old Sammy. The older couple looked at Charlotte and Abigail, and then said something to Mrs. Emma, who said something to Miss Angeline.
Could it be? Would they take both Charlotte and Abigail? Charlotte’s heart fluttered as Miss Angeline walked over to them. “Abigail, Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien want you.”
Abigail started crying. “No, I can’t leave Charlotte. Can she come, too?”
“I’m sorry, but no. They say they can’t afford two children.”
Charlotte tried to be brave while Abigail sobbed and clutched at her, but she started crying, too.
“I’m sorry, honey,” the lady told her, “but we can only take one of you.”
Abigail cried all the way to the couple’s car. Charlotte ran upstairs and buried her head under her pillow. “I’m done hoping and praying,” she sobbed to Miss Angeline.
Charlotte moped for months. She didn’t even care when Christmas came. “I’ll stay upstairs,” she told Miss Angeline. But Miss Angeline said, “I have a surprise for you in the parlor.” Charlotte gasped. Could it be? Maybe Abigail had come back for her like in a fairy tale.
The surprise was only Miss Angeline’s fiancé, David. Charlotte’s chin trembled. “Hello,” she mumbled, hope crushed again. David dropped to his knees and said, “When Angeline and I get married, we want you to be our little girl. And we’ll even take you to visit Abigail.”
It was the best fairy tale ever.
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Thank you for sharing.
This was fabulous and I could read it over and over again. It is my kind of story. I loved it. I pray it does well, because it not only opens the heart of the reader, but brings home the topic in a grand way.
Well done!
God bless~