Next to me, on a park bench, sat a little girl, about five years old. Her feet swung back and forth as she shared stories from her life with me:
Ive never met my father because he left me and Mum when I was very small. Mum passed away a year ago. The grown-ups told me she died.
She glanced up at me and went on:
After the funeral, my aunt Janet, who was Mums sister, moved in with us. They told me she did the right thing by not sending me to a childrens home. Now Aunt Janet is my guardian, and I live with her.
She grew quiet for a moment, peeked under the bench, and continued:
When I moved in, Aunt Janet started tidying the house. She put all Mums things in a corner and wanted to throw them away. I burst into tears and begged her not to. She let me keep them, so now I sleep in that corner. At night, I curl up next to Mums things. Its warm there, and I feel almost as if shes right beside me.
Every morning, my aunt gives me something to eat. Shes not the best cookMum was much betterbut Aunt Janet asks me to finish everything on my plate. I dont want to upset her, so I eat it all. I understand shes making an effort, and its not her fault she cant cook like Mum did. Afterwards, she sends me out to play, and I cant come home until dusk. Aunt Janet is ever so kind!
She loves talking about me to the ladies she knows. I dont know any of them, but they visit us quite often. Aunt Janet sits with them over tea, tells funny stories, says nice things about me, and treats usand the ladiesto sweets.
After saying this, the girl sighed and added:
I cant eat just sweets all the time though. Aunt Janet has never scolded me for anything. Shes gentle with me. She even gave me a doll onceas youd expect, the dolls a bit poorly, with a bum leg and an eye thats always squinting. Mum never gave me a doll that wasnt in good health.
The little girl hopped off the bench and started bouncing on one foot:
I have to go because Aunt Janet said the ladies are visiting today, and before they arrive, I need to dress nicely. She promised I would get a proper cake afterwards. Goodbye!
She jumped from the bench and rushed off to run her errands. I sat quietly for some time, lost in thought, letting all my musings revolve around kind Aunt Janet. I wondered, what is the purpose of such a good aunt? Why does she want people to think shes noble? Can someone really look with indifference at a child who sleeps on the floor, hugging the clothes of her departed mother?
I realised, sometimes goodness is more about appearances than true care, and it reminded me to always look beneath the surface, to see what children truly need.
