Friday 23 December 2016

Hunger


Hunger 

My first week in the Home. A medical is what the young nurse says. No choice. I can remember the nurse weighing me. Just a point on a chart. My point so low. 
“You must eat more” the nurse said – like an echo of what she said to Eve. Eat more? Sometimes, in my former world, to eat at all was just a hope. 
A hope that perhaps this weekend I would have a breakfast, lunch and tea. “No lunch for you, you wicked girl and no tea for answering back.”  
Sit on the bed. Sit and smell my lunch. See my lunch thrown out the door. Luckily I have a store. A secret store of food. Not much, short rations. Eat more? No chance for Ella! 
 

Editor’s Note - When Ella arrived at the Children's Home she was in a very poor mental and physical state. It has proved impossible to ascertain why this particular home was chosen - perhaps it was just that there was a vacancy there and that it was located far enough away from Ella’s birth parents? Nor is it clear why Ella wasn't moved on to a foster family. It has been suggested that the close friendship that developed between Ella and Eve was seen as beneficial to both of them and that there was nothing to be gained by splitting them up?

3 comments:

  1. Thinking of you both and your families.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Eve and Ella, I don't know if this will work it's way through to you, but I had to try once more. This is Sally, Martin's daughter. As I hope you know by now Martin died last Saturday. He loved you two, and "Student Sally", so very much. I know he always worried about you ever feeling like "yet another grown up has abandoned me". And he'd have wanted us, his bio-family, to do everything in our power to reach out to you and let you know. I have to tell you, that the silence in response to our messages has hit us hard. All we ask is for an acknowledgment of receipt of the news.
    That being said, all of you would be made very welcome if you wanted to attend the funeral and the wake. It's at 10:45 on the 12th Oct at Shrewsbury crem, and afterwards in Ticklerton Village Hall.
    As I have said, dad was full of admiration for you all, and was so very pleased that you have managed to find happiness with each other, and with your sweet little girls.
    With my very best wishes for the future. xx Sally Nicholson

    ReplyDelete