The Lie I Lived

– Why did you come here? Eleanor recoiled, looking around to make sure no one saw her in such company. I asked you so many times not to.

The girl told everyone that she lived with her grandparents, and her parents were in the military, which is why no one ever saw them.

– Eleanor, your father and I were passing by, going to the Post Office to collect our pension. This weekend we are going to the market, and we will buy you anything you want.

Eleanor’s mother was an elderly and very thin woman; her father looked better, but age was catching up with him.

They never skimped on their daughter, buying her the best of everything and fulfilling her every whim.

According to Eleanor, her parents were already old when she was born.

– It is so disgusting to be old and do things like that, Eleanor complained to her friend.

Only Ann knew that Aunt Mary and Uncle George were not Eleanor’s grandparents, but her parents.

– You are so lucky, your parents are young; you can go out, go to cafés, go to the cinema. I am ashamed to even go out on the street with mine. Pimples are not enough; I also got old folks for parents.

In reality, Eleanor was a quite attractive girl, and her parents did not look that bad either.

– Where did you get that beautiful thing? That skirt is gorgeous! Will you let me try it on? I should ask my mum for one, too.

– Mom bought it; it is called a stretch fit, I think.

Eleanor took off her light trousers and began to pull on the black mini-skirt. Ann caught a glimpse of large scars on one side of her behind.

– Damn it, the scar will show, Eleanor swore. Thank you, Mother, now I cannot even wear this skirt.

– Do not exaggerate, you can barely see it, her friend comforted her.

The scar was indeed large and deep, whitened with time, but still noticeable.

– You are taller than me; buy a bigger size, and it will be perfect. What does your mother have to do with this anyway? Where did the scar come from?

– I was little; a dog attacked me, and my mother was not watching.

On Monday, Eleanor did not come to school, and only in the evening did she bother to call her friend, asking to meet.

– Why are you cutting class? Do you want to go to vocational school? Ann challenged her.

– What does school matter now? I found something out. Let us go for a smoke, and I will tell you everything.

– You smoke?

– I just want to try it; I bummed one from the neighbor.

– What did you want? I am not going to smoke; my folks are home, and they will kill me if they smell smoke.

– Then I will. Remember when we studied all those counts in history class? Do you remember Mr. Harrison?

– Well, I remember him. So what?

– So, I am not Smith, I am Harrison! A Countess!

– Have you been drinking or something?

– I did not believe it myself at first. My mother and I were doing some renovations, and we moved the cabinet. There was a pile of different papers there, and Mom said she would sort them out later. I put them down, and then I looked again, and there were old photos and adoption papers. I am adopted, can you believe it!

– That is crazy talk. Maybe it is just an old piece of paper.

– Right. After I threw a fit, my mother told Dad to tell me everything and then left. And he told me that my young mother was only fifteen years old. Can you imagine! I have young parents too! Anyway, it turns out they just took me from her and brought me here. I am going to see her!

– Wait, stop, where are you going? You are crazy! What about school? What about the address? How will you go alone?

– My father told me the address. I have money, and it is not far. Only an hour’s drive. My poor mother, they stole me, it turns out.

– Eleanor, do not go. Stay here; they love you, after all.

Ann failed to change her friend’s mind. The next morning, Ann’s mother woke her up and said Eleanor’s mother had come and announced that her daughter was missing. The girl told her mother everything she had learned yesterday, and a dull thump sounded in the hallway. Eleanor’s mother had fainted.

– Mom, will Aunt Mary be okay? Eleanor is such a fool…

– The doctors say it is just a nervous breakdown. Everything will be fine.

In the evening, there was a knock on Ann’s window; Eleanor was standing in the yard.

– Mom, I will be quick, Ann shouted and ran out into the yard.

– Where are you going?

– Eleanor is here.

– Let her come in.

Eleanor stood there in tears, sobbing.

– Do not cry so much; it is just a nervous breakdown; she will recover, Ann quickly comforted her friend.

– What are you talking about?

– Come inside, Eleanor, Mom called you.

– Wait, who had a nervous breakdown?

– Aunt Mary. Did you not know?

– I need to go to the hospital right away!

Ann’s mother appeared in the doorway:

– Now, both of you get inside immediately. We will all go tomorrow, but it is too late tonight; you need to sleep.

They sat down to drink tea, and Eleanor began her story.

In the morning, before dawn, she ran away from home, bought tickets, and left.

Eleanor was sure that even if her mother had moved, someone would remember her and give her the new address.

Finding the right house was not difficult—a semi-dilapidated barracks. Apparently, her mother had moved. A woman came out of the house, and Eleanor decided to speak to her:

– Good morning. By any chance, do you know if Darya Harrison once lived here?

– She still lives here, the woman tossed out. She drinks and she breeds. Are you from Social Services?

– You do not understand. She is very young. She also has a daughter named Eleanor.

– She has so many daughters… The woman swore. Come on in, since you came all this way.

There was a knock on the window.

– Dasha, get up, someone is here for you. Social Services.

A rustling sound came from behind the shabby window with the broken glass, and a young but degraded woman appeared on the doorstep. A red, puffy face, the smell of stale alcohol, and unsteady movements instantly overshadowed her youth.

– What do you want?

– I am looking for Darya Harrison. I must have made a mistake.

– Well, that is me. Wait, you are not from Social Services. You are my oldest daughter. Look at that, you look like me. What do you want? I will not take you in. I do not need you badly. They should have given you an apartment at the children’s home, so go live there.

– I just wanted to see my mother…

– You have seen me? Do you feel better? Look how they dress you up at the children’s home, spoiling you with gold. Maybe you can share? The woman advanced, breathing out the smell of stale alcohol.

– Dasha! A voice rang out from the barracks. Where are you? The kid is screaming.

– I am coming. Oh, what is your name again?

– Eleanor, the girl quietly pronounced.

Suddenly, memories flooded over her.

She had lived in the cold, hunger, and filth during her first years. Some man threw her out into the yard in the frost. It must be warm in the kennel. The dog is barking and lunging, biting, tearing, it hurts. The dog was hardly fed, but on that day, it got something.

Eleanor understood the source of her nightmares. Her memory had allowed her to forget that day, but now she had to recall everything.

– I did not have a name.

– I did not have time for you, you understand? I wanted to go to you, but I never made it.

– Right, Eleanor sneered. The bottle was more important to you than your daughter. Do you know who my father is?

– Do not try to make me look like a prostitute! I have been with the same man my whole life; we have love! Wait, you are not from the children’s home; you are well-cared for. I hate people like that. I am from a children’s home; a street cleaner found me under a bridge. His name was Mr. Harrison. They named me Dasha and considered registering the surname Bridge, but decided to make it Harrison. He was the only one who came to me, and then he died.

Eleanor was silent.

– I loved you, truly, I loved you. It was all Alex, my husband. He said we had to hide you; I was underage, and they would take you. I was not even drinking back then. I should have run away, but I was a fool; I was afraid to leave Alex. He was the only one who loved me, besides the old man.

– Where are the other children?

– He gave them all to the children’s home. He allowed me to keep one girl.

– I have to go.

– Why did you come here?

– Nothing. Goodbye.

– Mrs. Foster, what should I do now? Eleanor looked at Ann’s mother and cried. My parents will never forgive me now. I am so ungrateful. I am so stupid.

– Eleanor, your father told me how you came to them. They had wanted children for a long time, but it never happened. One day, he was walking home from work and noticed a dog tearing apart a doll in the yard, only to realize later that it was not a doll at all, but a child.

The animal was apparently not being fed. Your father rushed to you and covered you with his own body until help arrived. His whole arm was badly torn.

They will forgive you because they love you.

– I have such bad heredity…

– Do not talk nonsense. Being a good person does not depend only on heredity.

Eleanor’s mother and father forgave her. Since then, she was not ashamed to be seen with them, and she told the whole class the truth. The girl only wanted one thing: for her parents to live a long time.

Eleanor could not find the other children; they had all been adopted. But she did manage to ensure that Social Services removed the youngest girl from the dysfunctional family. Due to their age, her parents were not allowed to adopt the girl, but they found a good couple who adopted Nadia.

Eleanor tried not to upset her parents and remained friends with Ann all her life.

Together, they got an education, got married, and their children became friends.

Her parents passed away long ago, but Eleanor never forgets them, unlike her biological mother, whom the girl vowed never to think of again.