Chapter one - new home

Chapter one - new home

EDITED.

José's life changed as everyone one of his age mate mocked him, laughing at his inability to stand human touch and also because when he talks he doesn't seem to pronounce some words well; like the word 'stop' he pronounces it as 'thop', his 's' becomes 'th'. Sadly as the days passed, José grew to hate life. He hated Chester, he hated himself for not being able to talk normally or stand human touch and he hated the fact that nobody liked him enough to stand him or stay around him.

José had been adopted twice, but brought back due to his silence being unbearable. The first couple who adopted him believed they could help him, but he didn't seem to believe he could be helped. They tried taking him to a therapist who couldn't help because José refused to talk. After a month of struggles, the couple returned him and exchanged him for another child.

The second couple who adopted him tried really hard to make him feel loved, but he believed no one could show a pathetic person like him love. Every now and then he would wake up screaming, and when hugged, he cries and claws away. Some weeks later, he was returned and exchanged for another.

He turned fifteen years old on that day, the 22nd of July. The day theorphanage was being shut down. José was ready to move to another orphanage and remain in one until he turned eighteen so he could fend for himself. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his name, he looked up to see a woman smiling down at him.

"Why is she smiling?" he thought to himself. As if in answer to his question, the old matron of the orphanage spoke up.

"Well.....José, this is your new mom, Amy Sanders, be nice and do not by any chance trouble her the way you did the others".

José just shrugged, trying his best not to roll his eyes, he turned to look at Amy who stretched her hand for a hand shake which he stared at till she dropped her hand changing the topic.

"Are you packed already?" the matron asked, looking tired and worn out. José nodded slowly, pointing at his bag pack. He had little clothes so there was practically nothing to pack.

"OK....Shall we be on our way?" Amy asked, pointing to the door still smiling while Jose carried his bag pack and walked behind her.

-_-

Amy Sanders was a single mother with two kids who were both twelve but, she felt the need to adopt a male child who was either younger or a little bit older than her little girls.

She just had the need to adopt a boy, so she decided to check the orphanage on the outskirts of town which was known as St. Lewis orphanage, to adopt.

When she got there, she saw piles of boxes outside with the nuns standing beside a large bus. Rushing inside to meet the matron, she smiled while they exchanged pleasantries.

"Why are those boxes out there?" Amy asked.

"Oh well, our funds have run out. We have to pay the bank the money we loaned from them, which we couldn't pay and now the bank is taking this place from us" the matron said, looking tired and fed up. Amy shook her head a little before going back to why she was here.

"Please I want to adopt a boy child" she said, looking at the matron who nodded before handing her a profile of the boys in the orphanage. She saw lots of options while checking each profile.

"Well... Who is this cute young boy?" Amy asked pointing to the profile.

"Ma'am, I don't think it would be a good idea to adopt him"

"Why? If i may ask that is".

"He hardly talks, and worst of all, he freaks out when he gets touched. Can you live with that?" the matron asked as Amy nodded with a smile. The matron looked at her strangely but brought out some papers, one of which was a form that the matron filled before handing it to Amy to sign.

"Follow me " the matron said as she walked out of her office with Amy trailing after her.

When she saw him standing at a corner, she noticed he had a slight dimple which looked like it was fading. His bangs laid flat on his head, he looked so fragile. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard his name.

-_-

They drove to Amy's home in an awkward silence, but it seemed peaceful to him as he stared out through the window, watching houses go by fast.

Amy broke the silence saying "Jose I'm sure you're going to like it in your new home". Jose just shrugged not turning to look at her, she just kept on smiling, looking straight ahead as a peaceful silence settled in the car.

Suddenly, the car turned a corner to show a huge house by the corner. It had a garden in front, its color was so extraordinary, he sighed silently as the car came to a halt in front of the large house. He came down silently, clutching his back pack tightly to his back and looking around in awe.

"I told you you would like this place" Amy said with a wide grin, staring down at Jose who stared back at the house.

"Well let me show you around" she said, leading him into the large house as they walked down the hall, with different doors at the side before coming to a staircase leading up to another hall with rooms at each ends.

Jose walked behind her as she led him to one of the doors at the right end of the hall, opening the door and giving Jose space to enter the room;

Jose stared at the room. It had a large window and also a four poster bed, a chair and a table with a laptop on it, a Ward rope at the corner with the window on the right and the toilet on the left, he turned to look at her, then she smiled.

"Well, I would be right back. I need to pick your new sisters from school, so whatever you need just alert the cook and she would serve it. For the meantime, get settled." she said before living the room and closing the door behind her.

-_-

Secretly, he was glad he got adopted and by a rich woman. Unpacking his clothes, he looked at the closet door, walking towards it and opening it only to notice it was a walk in closet which already had clothes for his little body. He just shrugged and kept his old clothes from the orphanage neatly folded at a corner. He then kept his shoes on the other end of the closet, he was pleased with himself.

An hour had passed since he got to his new home. He laid on his bed fast asleep. Amy was back with the two little girls; Julianna and Juliette, rushing in after her.

"Mom! Where is he?" they squeaked--

"In his new room".

"Is he a baby?" Julianna asked as they dropped their bags on the chair in the living room rushing after their mom.

"No, he is fifteen years old love" she replied the girls, leading them to his room. "Let me warn you girls, do not by any chance touch him. Got it?".

"But why mommy?" Juliet asked.

"Its because you might freak him out if you touch him. My best advice is just to smile" she said as they nodded, before she opened the door, only to see he was fast asleep on his bed.

The little girls entered, wanting to see him. Smiling... they silently walked out of the room giving their mom a thumbs up before they ran to their rooms talking about how they would boast about their new brother.

Amy smiled at that, before she closed the door silently and walked down the hall towards her study.

Opening his eyes and looking around his room, he noticed the sun was setting. Stretching and yawning, he heard slow and calm footsteps coming towards his door.Juliet was walking slowly and quietly so as not to wake the sleeping boy up, it was just 5:30 pm and she wanted to take a picture of him and upload it on her blog. She opened the door slowly. While peeking into the room, she saw Jose was awake on the bed with his legs to his chest looking at her. Clearing her throat, she walked in closing the door behind her gently.

"Hi!!" she waved a little, but he was silent as he stared at her through his lashes.

"Hmm.... OK! Well I am Juliet and I'm a twin. Well... I'm also your younger sister" Juliet said seating at the end of the bed. Jose wanted to talk but he didn't want her laughing at him,so he just nodded.

"I really want to hug you but mom said that would freak you out if we do that, and I don't want to freak you out obviously, heheh" she paused "can i take a picture of you?".Jose nodded again as Juliet happily brought her phone out and took a picture of him. His bangs were flat on his head as usual, his silvery blue eyes peeked through his lashes at the lens.

"Thanks." she moved to the door before looking over her shoulders at him, "By the way, dinner would be ready soon so get dressed and come down stairs". Then she walked out, closing the door behind her gently. Standing, he needed a shower, a cold one to calm his nerves. When he was done, he wore his black PJ trouser and a grey coloured top, then he walked out of the room standing at the lit up hallway. He didn't know the direction to the dinning room or the kitchen either, so he just walked down the stairs. Julianna pulled Juliet into the living room and asked in a hushed voice, "So tell me what happened when he kissed you".

"It was nice i guess... But I'm not into dating him right now or at all" Juliet shrugged.

"But come on! Max is stunning and hot, did I forget to mention he is HOT?!" Juliana whined.

"Then by all means date him" Juliet retorted.

"Ewwww No!" exclaimed her sister.

"Oh I see what you are trying to do..." Juliet pointed her finger at her sister.

Julianna scoffed, and shook her head, "Stop being paranoid, you drama queen".Hearing some whispers, he walked into the living room staring at the two girls who were now grinning.

"Hi big brother!" Juliet quickly spoke standing still while Julianna walked towards him, grinning like a mad woman.

"You know mom said we shouldn't touch him or he would freak out" Juliet said but Julianna ignored her and continued walking towards him.

"So... Tell me why you would freak out when I touch you? Not that I'm a monster or any horrible thing" Julianna raised her hand to touch Jose, but Juliet slapped her hand away before grabbing her ear and pulling her to the hall way.

"Ouch ouch! Ear, ear" Julianna struggled from her sisters grip.

"Stop being a pest for one second will you"

"I will if you stop pulling my ear, ouch!."

"OK fine" Rubbing her ear, she let a scowl move to her face, before huffing a breath and walking away leaving Juliet in the hallway and Jose looking at her. Clearing her throat, she looked at her phone screen before smiling and looking up at Jose.

"So I'm guessing you don't know your way around... I could show you if you want, because we have fifteen minutes left before dinner. Shall we?" she asked before Jose nodded.

-_-

They all sat at the large table with Amy opposite Jose, Juliet beside him and Julianna beside her sister. Jose ate his food, slowly enjoying the flavor that lingered in his mouth as he took another bite of the delicious food.

"So, Jose, how is the chicken casserole? Do you like it?" Amy asked as Jose nodded. Julianna huffed a breath and scowled at Amy.

"Mom?!" Julianna shouted partly more as a question, Jose ate more of his food knowing its been long since he ate any tasty food.

"Yes?", her mom answered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Can I talk to you after dinner?" Julianna suggested more than requested.

"Shut it dweeb" Juliet said pinching the bridge of her nose. Jose was just listening to Julianna and Juliet argue. When he was done, he stood up pushing his chair back and picking up his plate.

"Mom? Could Jose and I be excused from the table?" Juliet said quickly standing up.

"OK but Jose, honey, drop the plate back on the table. The servants would clear it." Amy said sweetly as Jose obeyed. She didn't see anything bad in his silence, it was his choice but she would have loved to help him.

"Wait! Jose, I processed your admission online and bought your books while you were asleep so by tomorrow you could start school" Amy said proudly as Jose nodded and walked out of the room. Then she remembered something about it being Jose's birthday today, but it was too late to say anything, so she would ensure to buy something for him tomorrow from work.

-_-

Jose walked up the stairs to the second floor where his room was located. Walking through the long hallway towards his room at the end

"Psst! Jose" he heard his name as he got close to the door of his room, he looked back to see Juliet walking towards him. "So when is your birthday big bro?" Jose shrugged knowing it was today.

"OK lets do it like this, I will call the twelve months and you will nod when its the right month of your birthday" Jose shrugs again while relaxing on the door.

"January?" she begins.He shakes his head no.

"February?"Shakes his head again.

"March?" she's met with the same reply.

"April?"

"May?"

"June?"

"July?" he nodded.

"OK! now the day of birth"

"1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th,19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd....." Jose nodded.

"Today is your birthday?!" she gasped in shock while Jose shrugged.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!" She said in a high pitch voice making Jose roll his eyes "Well I will get you a present tomorrow. Good night." she giggles and rushes back to her room. He smiled inwardly at that, no one in the orphanage remembered his birthday, but he was glad at least some one cared.

-_-

"Mom seriously, why did you adopt a freak and dumb boy?" Julianna said pacing around the room.

"Julianna he is not all that, he is just facing some difficulty that's all I guess" Amy said calmly with a sigh.

"Well return him mom"

"No! Julianna leave it at that and if you talk about this again you will be grounded for two months"

"Ha! Like that would freak me out" Julianna said with a smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

"Well, we would see about that without your technology made available" Amy said standing up about to leave the room. Looking at her phone, she saw the time on the screen. She had to get some rest for work the next day.......