House of Hope chapter one

Chapter One~ Start of A New Life


He left the room with their whispers still engraved into his mind. He knew that they were glad he was gone. He never took a liking to the foster mom Anita so he was secretly a little relieved that he was leaving, but he was also upset because he would have to adjust to yet another foster care. This would be the fourth one this year.

“Michael, do you have all your things,” the social worker said to the brown haired, brown eyed boy. Michael looked up, his eyes ice cold, and let off a little hostile nod.

“Just try to work with these new foster parents. You don’t want to be sent to yet another foster home because the current one’s don’t want ya,”

“I’ll try,” he said meekly, not a shock to the young social worker. Michael stood up in the car seat when the social worker got in.

“Buckle up, Mike,” he said, “We will be there in awhile,” Michael settled down back in the seat and put on his seat belt. He just sat there as the car rolled off. His mind went back to the little whispering he heard.

“Anita, I’m glad he is gone. He caused problem after problem,” he remembered a little foster girl say. He admitted to himself that he did cause some problems in most of his foster homes. He felt as he never really belonged and they were there for the money. When the times got tough and it wasn’t worth the money, anymore they get rid of you. It was nothing new to Michael since he had been juggled around from foster care to foster care since he was eight. His mother died and he was shipped off to a foster care, and was separated from his sister just a year ago.

“Michael, we are here,” the social worker said. Michael looked out the window at a small house, with a woman standing there in the distance. She looked about thirty-five to Michael but he couldn’t be certain since Anita was forty-eight and she looked forty. The social worker opened the passenger door, where Michael got out. He slowly followed him up the steps to the new house.

“You must be Michael,” the woman said politely. Michael looked up from his feet to the woman. She noticed that she had brown hair, and green eyes. “So you are a shy one,” she giggled a little.

“I’m far from shy,” he replied to her in a low voice.

“Then we should get along just fine won’t we?” she said smiling at him then up at the social worker. Michael soon found himself inside the house. He just stared at the floor while the two adults talked. He didn’t listen to what was being said because he assumed it was the same old stuff. He looked up just as the social worker was a bout to leave.

“I don’t want to hear about you causing any problems Michael,” he said. Michael looked up at him not saying anything. He said to the woman that he would be back in a few days to see how Michael was adjusting. He left the house, where Michael was standing nervously in the porch.

“So, do you want to come inside and sit down,” she said, Michael didn’t reply instead he just stared at her blankly, “Or you can stand there it is your choice,” she said heading into the living room to sit down on the recliner. Michael stood there for a few minutes before taking off his shoes and walking up the stairs into the living room. He sat down onto the couch where he sat his duffel bag beside him.

“I don’t know if I introduced myself to you. I’m Megan,” she said with a big smile on her face.

“Cool,” he said, shuffling nervously. He was shaking a little mostly because he felt uncomfortable.

“Do you want something to eat?” she asked him

“No!”

“Is there anything I can get you?”

“No!” he said knowing that this special treatment wouldn’t last so he wasn’t going to get use to it again. He just stood there.

“You know I can’t predict what you want. So you’ll have to talk to me,” Megan said

“I don’t want anything,” he repeated himself and just sat there. Megan didn’t pressure him anymore, instead the two of them sat in silence. Michael didn’t make a sound and Megan just let him be for a few minutes.

“Michael,” she said, as he looked up at her, “Our other foster child Sarah, will be home in a few hours and then we will be going out for our weekly supper. You came on a good day,”

“Cool,” Michel said emotionless. Michael didn’t really want to go out, because he was still getting use to his new home. He hated having to start over all the time but he was use to it and would be damned if he would allow himself to get hurt again.

“I’ll show you where you can put your stuff,” she said getting up. Michael reluctantly got up and followed her down the hallway. He passed a bedroom, which contained a small bed with pink blankets on it, and the walls were bright purple. He presumed that room was this Sarah girl. Megan led him to a bedroom. He walked in to see a bed, with a blue comforter, the walls were plain white, and a dresser was in the back corner. He walked in a sat his bag on the bed.

“You can put your stuff away, and get changed because we will be leaving soon,” Megan said leaving the room. Michael looked at himself. He didn’t understand what was wrong was with he was wearing. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. The jeans had holes in the knees and the t-shirt had a stain on it. He presumed they must have been going to a fancy restaurant. He looked in his bag to see if he could find something a little fancier. The only thing he could find was a blue button up shirt and black blue jeans. He slipped into them. He walked back into the living room where he went and sat on the couch. Megan entered the living room looking at Michael.

“Michael, do you want to watch some television or play a game on the Wii system,” Megan asked. Michael looked up at her. He was never asked if he wanted to play a Wii. At his hold foster home, Anita said that the system costed too much for him to mess with. He remembered when he was grounded for a week when he went to try it out.

“Okay,” he said a small smile overcoming his face.

“You go enjoy your self, because I have work to do,”

Megan left the room down the hall to the bathroom. She was fiddling with her make up, and the sound of the blow dyer filled the room. Soon Michael heard the front door opened. Megan hurried into the living room. Michael shut off the game system and sat on the couch again. He saw a young girl about eight or nine walk into the door. She had two braids lying down her shoulders. Her hair was dark brown almost black, and her eyes were a greenish color. She was wearing a vibrant purple t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. She looked right at Michael and then at Megan.

“Megan, is this Michael,” she asked in a sweet voice

“Yes it is Sarah. Why don’t you go along and get changed because, we are meetingTom for supper,”

“Okay,” she said running along past them both into the room that Michael suspected was hers.

“Jake has wanted to meet you, so I hope you two get to know each other,”

“Cool,”

“So, did you find any good games?” she asked him. He looked at her. He found a racing game that was kind of fun but would be more fun if two players were playing.

“Yes,” he said, just as Sarah came barreling out of the room. Her hair was still in braids but she was wearing a black shirt and black pants.

“Are you two ready to go,” she said looking straight at them. Sarah nodded running down the stairs almost tripping over Michael’s shoes. Michael followed her as Sarah walked outside.

“Can I have the front seat?” Sarah asked

“No, Michael is older so he gets to sit in the front,” she said.

“Okay,” she said a little sadly, getting into the back seat, and Michael getting into the passenger seat. As they drove, Megan turned on the radio to C95 and was listening to some hip-hop music, and switched it whenever country came on. Michael found it weird because he remembered that was all Anita listened to was country. She must have had about thirty million albums of just country. He was glad that he didn’t have to listen to country anymore; it sure didn’t hurt that she was treating him good so far. They pulled up to a family restaurant. A man with graying blonde hair approached the vehicle. Michael looked away, as Megan pulled down the window.

“Hey honey,” she said

“Hi Tom,” Sarah blurted from the backseat

“Hey Sarah,” he said smiling at her. He then looked at him, “You must Michael,” he said. Michael slowly turned his head; he did already not like him much and he just met him. He just reminded him of Joseph, Anita’s husband. Michael remembered the tall blonde hair man, who had that wicked smile and just brushed Michael aside as a child. It always infuriated him, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Hi,” he finally said, but he stopped at that because he didn’t want to feel more uncomfortable. Tom didn’t say anything else, as they walked into the restaurant. They walked into the restaurant.

Michael ended up ordering a small salad and a drink. He was hungry but he didn’t want to appear as greedy, and they send him back tomorrow. He noticed Sarah ordered a big plate of French Fries, and a drink. It was obvious that she didn’t think too much about their money. That fact made Michael wonder if maybe these people are going to be nice to him. He didn’t want to fall into their little temporary web of niceness just to be later disappointed like he has been so many times. He ate slowly, the food contents unsettling in his stomach. He felt like everyone was judging him, even those no one was. He saw Megan, and Tom non-stopping talking, occasionally glancing over at both him and Sarah.

“So, Michael how do you like things so far?” Tom asked him

“There fine,” was his response.

“That good,” he said, “Later we are watching a movie after we do a few inside chores,” Michael looked at him in complete utter shock. Chores were the last thing on his mind. He looked over at Sarah who had a big smile on her face. That made him wonder if she had to do any, or was she just plain weird. He just glared at the two of them. Tom didn’t say anything else as the four of them left the restaurant.

Michael found himself back at the house again. The whole ride from the restaurant felt like the drive from Anita’s house to this one. His mind was all juggled and he didn’t know what to think. He wanted to crawl into a little ball in a dark corner and not wake up, but he knew that wasn’t possible. He was stuck with this family for the time being, or this may be his last night here. He couldn’t be sure how this night was going to end.

“Sarah, hurry along and clean up the family room, since you didn’t finish after playing princesses yesterday and then finish sweeping the furnace room,” Tom told her.

“Okay Tom,” she said leaving downstairs. She didn’t seem like she minded at all. Michael just stood there hoping he didn’t have to do anything. Tom walked up the stairs with Megan following him. Michael didn’t want to look stupid so he followed them into the kitchen. A stack of dirty dishes greeted him, as his heart skipped a beat. This was the last thing he wanted to do.

“In this house we all do our share,” Tom said, and that is when Michael had a hidden suspicion that phrase was directed on him. “I want you two do the dishes,” he said again. He just looked at Tom for a second, his expression changed. He felt it wasn’t his job since he didn’t make the mess. Tom gave him a questioned look for a second before pulling out a chair into the middle of the kitchen floor.

“I don’t want to do those,” Michael said in a low voice. He didn’t want too and he felt damned if he had too. “I didn’t make them,”

“It doesn’t matter who made them, because you are going to do them,” he said

“I won’t do them,” he said leaving the room. Tom grabbed his shoulder. It wasn’t violent but it was firm enough to stop him right in his track. From the grip he knew Tom was stronger then him. He didn’t try to get away. Tom sat Michael onto the chair that he took out.

“You will sit here until you decide you want to do them,” Tom said as let go of his shoulder. Michael jerked, still sitting on the chair. He was mad, and felt it wasn’t fair that he had to do chores. He had been here less then a day and they were already treating him like a slave. He was shifting back and forth, anger continuing to build.

“This isn’t fair,” Michael shouted

“Life isn’t fair,” Tom said, “You can sit here and pout about it or you can just do it and get on with other things,”

“You are going to do it if you want to or not,”

“What if I don’t?”
“I already answered that,” he said, “You will sit here until you do,” He continued to look at Michael.

“Stop looking at me,” he blurted out. Tom looked away, and seemed to respect his disrespectful comment. Megan couldn’t believe how rude he was being but she did suspect it would happen, but not so soon. “I hate you both,” he shouted

“I like you,” Megan replied, when Michael looked at her. It looked as if he was going to say sorry, but he spit on her. Tom went and grabbed Michael by the shoulder standing him up facing Megan. Michael was struggling, but the grip was getting tighter so he eventually stopped.

“You apologize to her right now,”

“Sorry,” he said meekly. Tom let him go, and he sat down again.

“I’m going to check on Sarah,” Tom said, “You better not give her any trouble,” he said sternly leaving the room down stairs. Megan finished wiping the spit off her.

“Are you going to sit here all night or you just going to do them?” she said after a few minutes of silence.

“Fine,” he said storming up going to the sink. He grabbed a plate dropping it too the ground to Megan’s shock. It shattered to a million pieces, “That is what I think of those,” he smirked going to drop another but he noticed Tom so he set it back on the counter. Megan looked like she was about to burst into tears in any minute. Michael felt like he won for a minute there before he found himself back on the dreaded chair. Megan went to clean the mess up when Tom stopped her.

“No Megan, he is going to clean it up,” Michael was shocked at what he was hearing. He already refused to do the dishes and he said he was going to clean up that mess too. He must be dreaming. He saw Sarah coming upstairs with a big smile on her face.

“I’m finished,” she said

“Good,” he said, pulling out his wallet. He pulled out a twenty-dollar bill handing it to Sarah. “Here is your weekly allowance. You did very well this week. Just don’t forget to vacuum all the corners in the living room,”

“Thank you Tom,” she said her smile on her face. No wonder she was so happy. This was the first foster home he had been too that anyone got any allowance with the exception of one, when he got a dollar a week for doing a million chores a day. Sarah ran out of the room excitedly. Michael quickly looked away when Tom looked at him. He felt that he saw him staring at the twenty he gave the little girl. Sarah returned a couple minutes later.

“Can I go down the street to the confectionary? Lucy is just outside my bedroom window and wants me to go,”

“You go right ahead but come back right after,” Tom said, Michael remembered seeing the little store down the road. “Put on your jacket those,” Tom said in a stern voice. She did and then she left outside the house.

“Fuck you people are dumb,” Michael shouted, “You are treating me like a baby,”

“You are acting like a baby so we are treating you like one,” was Megan’s reply to him.

“Fuck you,” he said, Tom just stared at him. He had plenty of experience with foster kids like him but so far, he was the least troubled. “You don’t know me,”

“I’m getting to know you those,” Tom said,

“I know that you and your stupid wife are fucking pricks,” the boy shouted

“How do you know that?” Tom said, “Have you’ve been stalking us before you came here?”

“No,” he said meekly

“Well, I have all night,” Tom said, “You can get the dishes over with now, and come watch a movie with us when Sarah comes back or you can sit here, eight o’clock comes you go to bed, and then we continue this process tomorrow. It is your choice,”

“You two are unreasonable,”

“I think we are really reasonable,” Megan, “We expect a little effort from you and we will reward you like you seen with Sarah,”

“I didn’t get anything,” he blurted

“That is because you haven’t done anything to earn any,” she replied to his question. Michael sat there feeling stupid, but everything they said was true. He still didn’t want to do the dishes. “Will you do the dishes?”

“I won’t do them,”

“Fine, you can sit here,”

“Why don’t you just call a social worker and they come and get me,” he finally said hoping that they would let him get out of doing the dishes. Megan looked at him with no emotion.

“Tomorrow if you still want to go, we will call. As for right now you are going to sit here until there done,” Tom said, as he, and Megan just sat there. Megan felt that Michael didn’t mean it when he said he wanted to leave. She knew he was mad because he wasn’t getting his own way. After about twenty minutes, five minutes after Sarah returned and was already downstairs getting ready to watch a movie Michael stood up, looking at Tom.

“I’ll do them,” he said heading over to the sink. Tom looked at him to see if he was going to break another plate but he didn’t. He took the dish soap that he saw on the counter. He held it as he let the water run. He slowly added the soap, bubbles forming. He slowly but thoroughly washed the dishes putting them gently into the sink. He remembered one time when he was cleaning the floor at Anita’s house and he spelt some bleach on her mat; she was so mad she called up Joseph at work. That night he was beaten by his belt for a good ten minutes. He was surprised that these people didn’t whip him, especially after he spit Megan in the face.

He finished cleaning the dishes, draining the sink. He then looked at the broken glass by his feet then he glanced up at Tom who was holding a broom. Michael took it from him, when he unhappily swept up the mess. He didn’t want to be made to sit on that chair again. He must have sat on there for a good hour and a half before he did the ten-minute chore. He wished he would have just done it but he refused and he must have looked like a spoiled little disrespectful brat. He also knew the social worker must have told them a little bit about his past so they new what to suspect.

A few minutes later, they were all in the basement, family room.