The CobbWebb Tales

It was a cold, near freezing 4am morning, January 14, 1947, at St Mary’s orphanage. There was so much to get done, the laundry needed washing, drying, and pressing for Father O’Brien, before that mornings 8am mass. Breakfast and afternoon lunches were already being prepared by some of the other nuns that also lived and worked at the church and orphanage. Deliveries of the goods that the nuns had for sale for the market, needed to be loaded up and taken into town. So much needed to get done. The nuns shuffled through the hallways without saying a word more than Good morning sister. Barely glancing up as they passed one another.

There were 15 children altogether, 7 boys and 8 girls. Five of the boys are 11yrs old, the other two are 15yrs old. Four girls were 10yrs old, two girls were 1yrs old, one was 16yrs old, and one was 17yrs old. The older children are tasked with assisting with the younger children, with school work, as well as chores, if they are not in class, doing homework, at work, or sleeping. All of the children had chores they were entrusted to do every day, such as assist in laundry every week and dish duty every day. Each child had to make sure to make their own beds before breakfast, and teeth brushed after breakfast. The nuns believed that if you learned life tasks early, it ke pt you true to god, and gave you the ability to survive on your own.

The nuns were always concerned with the children's survival after they left the orphanage. As they grew nearer to eighteen years old, the nuns would take them out into the world and help them find work. They would often take the older children into town when they took deliveries to the market, to teach them how business was conducted. Trying to prepare them for the realities of life in the real world. You know, gaining and maintaining employment, paying bills, maintaining a checking account, the basics of being a productive adult. The nuns would help them find and apply for jobs, get and maintain the job and made sure they were earning a fair living, to pay for the things they needed and wanted.

For the younger children though, basic classes like reading, writing, math, cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening all the things that a person needs to know to survive on ones own, were taught by the nuns that also lived in the orphanage.

But, on this day, as things bustled along inside the church and dormitory, the church doorbell rang three times in succession then two more times. Which was the signal that a package outside, left by the delivery man. When sister Theresa opened the door, all she saw was a small child, holding a baby. Shivering with snow stuck to her eyelashes, the little girl struggled desperately to hold the baby up out of the snow, but he kept slipping. The sister’s reflexes kicked in like a ninja, she leaped forward, sliding her hands beneath the baby, just before he hit the icy sidewalk.

As she turned to scream for help, Father O’Brien appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the baby boy, rushing him inside out of the freezing cold. Sister Theresa, then grabbed the little girl by the coat sleeve and tugged her forward, “Come child, come inside where it is warm. You’re safe now.” She said as she closed the door, behind them.

“My goodness, you’re freezing. Let’s get these cold wet clothes off and a nice warm blanket next to the fire.” The little girl was rushed over to the fireplace, where a roaring fire was emitting a comfortable warmth, that warmed the whole church. Also putting off a golden glow that lit the entire room and half of the entry way. “what’s your name, sweetheart? How did you get here?” sister Theresa asked.

“Surely you didn’t carry this baby, far and alone!” She exclaimed. The little girl just sat curled up in the blanket, shivering and shaking. Another nun, named sister Martha, brought the young girl a cup of warm milk thistle tea and a loaf of bread. While the baby boy was taken to the infirmary, to be checked out by sister Ingrid, who just so happens to be a nurse practitioner as well.

"N n n n no Ma'am, my momma just left us outside. She said she was coming back but....." the little girl said with a cold shivering voice. "You poor thing" sister Theresa exclaimed as she rubbed little Juliets arms. "What's your name, sweetheart? My name is Sister Theresa, it is very nice to meet you."

"Juliet, I'm six and my brother is baby Richard, he's three." she replied. "It's lo lo lovely to meet you" Juliet replied in a softer still shivering voice. She gently sipped at the tea, as she warmed by the fire. Looking around, with bright brown eyes, wondering when their momma was coming back for them, Juliet began to cry with fear. "Where is my brother?" She cried out. " I want to see my brother, my momma will be back soon!" Panic began to grow inside her. She grew more and more afraid that if her momma came back and her brother wasn't with her, she would get in so much trouble for letting him get lost. Juliet threw the blanket to the floor and ran into the entry way, with panic growing she ran down the first hallway she came to screaming for baby Richard. "Richie! Richie where are you? Mommas gonna be mad! Please Richie" she cried out as she slowly ran down the hall searching frantically for her baby brother.

Just as she reached the end of the hallway, Out came Father O'Brien from the shadowy hallway to the left, "Hey, hey ! your brother is ok, little one, no need to panic, you both are ok." he gently said in a soft voice to comfort the little girl, as he placed his hand softly on the girls shoulders grasping her gently, as if to catch her.

As the Nuns and Father O'Brien, gathered the children and their things. They prepare a bed and closet space for the new arrivals. Set a extra space at the table for breakfast. Then as the rest of the children began to stream slowly into the dining hall, they each caught a glimpse of the new arrivals as they sat quietly in their chairs. Each one took their seats, slowly filling the table with soft chatter. Everyone wondering who the new kids were. When did they get here? Then all of a sudden, "Hey! Who are you?' rings out, silencing everyone, to a deafening quiet.

"Allright children, settle down, This is Juliet, and this is her brother baby Richard. Now once we have all eaten and brushed our teeth, and are ready for class, we will make introductions then, understood?!" Sister Theresa announced. "Yes Ma'am" the children all replied at once. As each bowl was filled with porridge, the children couldn't help but stare and whisper. They just couldn't wait to know who these new kids were. They all ate as if they hadn't eaten in days, constantly glancing up with curiosity in their eyes, inspecting every detail of Juliets hair and clothes, wondering was she and her brother orphans or just throw aways. Children can be quite the judge and jury.

The children each made sure to follow the strict rules. After eating, they each were to take their own bowls and scrape leftovers into the trash or compost, then were to wash, dry and put away their own bowls and utensils. Once they were finished they were to go directly to the bathrooms and brush their teeth and get dressed, then prepare for the days classes.

On this day though, things were going a little differently, as they always did when new residents of St Mary's came. When class started everyone was allowed to introduce themselves, stating their names and ages, one by one. Juliet politely introducing herself and her brother in return, with each one that passes. The faces eventually became a blur, as they passed by so quickly. A look of panic begins to grow on Juliets little face, she frantically looks around as if she were searching for an escape route.

"Juliet, are you ok?" sister Theresa asks as she touched Juliet's shoulder. Pulling Julie back into the moment. "Yes, yes I am ok." she replies.

As the last of the children introduced themselves and found their seats. Juliet was then directed to a seat of her own. She was also given her own math book for the days class. "Ok class, open your books to page 242." says sister Magna in her heavy Spanish accent. As she was originally from Spain.

As sister Magna droned on and on about numbers and adding and subtracting, Juliet couldn't help but wonder if her momma had come back for them. Or if she ever was. Had she just left them to find another family to love them? Did Juliets momma just stop loving them? What happened? What had she done to make her momma and daddy not want them any more? The more Juliet thought about it, the bigger the tears welled up in her eyes, as sister Magna tried desperately to get her attention, to ask her if she could solve the question on the board. Finally the sister slapped her ruler against the desk in front of Juliet, with a loud snap Juliet also snapped back into the moment. "Oh I'm sorry, I'm sorry....." she just kept repeating over and over. "It's alright child, do you know how to solve this question?" the sister asked again.

Juliet looked at to the board, saw the equation read 17+15=, and without another thought she blurted out "32 ma'am". Sister Magna looked at young Juliet, very impressed that this young girl, only 6years old could add so fast and with such a politeness. "Gracias, Juliet" sister Magna said, and just as quickly Juliet replied "De nada Hermana Magna." Sister Magna turned and looked at the girl with such surprise. "You speak Spanish, Juliet?" she asked. " yes ma'am" Juliet replied in a soft voice, almost scared to answer, as if someone would punish her for speaking other languages. "How did you learn little one?" the sister asked. "Momma, and gran."

Though the Nuns did not teach Spanish at the orphanage, if a child came through that spoke Spanish, sister Magna would often take them under her wing. She would teach them of her Spanish upbringing, along with other Latin cultures. She would teach all of the children about their cultures food, clothes, religions as best as she could, not just Christianity and math. Sister Magna was well versed in the world, as she had travelled to both of the America's, Africa, and some parts of eastern Asia, doing missionary work, before coming to St Mary's to teach math. So she knew a lot about everything, especially numbers. Sister Magna work as a Bookkeeper for several different types of business throughout her life as a missionary as well, so it made her the best suited to be the bookkeeper for the church and orphanage.

As the days past, Juliet began to relax and become more acquainted with some of the younger children, closer to her age. They all began to play games and become great friends, they were to be a great distraction from the idea that, maybe her momma wasn't coming back at all. Making the orphanage, Home.

To be continued.........