Abandoned to Care by Norah Fitzcharles
It was in Glasgow, Argyle Street, near Anderson. The pavements were wet and sparkling reflecting the street lights. It was around dusk and we had been walking in the rain for ages. We were all cold and my wee sister was crying. I was holding on to my Daddy's hand and wee sister was holding on to his other hand. My big brother and my twin brother were holding on to his coat tails. We went up a lot of closes and then came down them again until the last close. There were dark green tiles on the close wall and we went through a big brown door.
Ladies took us away from our Daddy and we were all crying except my big brother. He had blond hair and was wearing denim dungarees and a red cap. He was four and a half, too young for school but the oldest there. He bit the lady and she put him in a cupboard. The rest of us were stripped to our vests and put on potties in a big room with lots of other children. My Daddy had left us. I didn't know where my wee sister and my twin brother had been taken, I knew my big brother was in the cupboard and I had no idea where my Mummy was.
The feeling of abandonment was overwhelming. The potties were white enamel with a navy blue rim which was chipped. I was mortified to be doing a pee in front of my brother and other children and as well as that I was far too big for a potty. Then they took us to a big room with babies’ cots with sides that slid up and down. They were metal and grey and chipped too. There was a big fireplace in the room but no fire. The next morning we were given watery porridge. I had never tasted porridge before and didn't like it. A woman held my nose and I couldn't breathe and when I opened my mouth to breathe she put a huge spoonful of porridge in - it smelt awful, and was lumpy and choked me. At night we were given big crusts to chew and a nice lady told me that it would make my hair curly. My wee sister and big sister had curly hair and so did my twin, but mine was straight with a fringe and I chewed the crust until it became soft and tasty and hoped my hair would curl.
I didn't know where my bigger brother and sister were, they weren't with us in this place. Someone put down thick tarry stuff in the fireplace at night to catch the mice and told us not to touch it - I was terrified that a mouse would get its legs caught in it and would squeal and I wouldn't be able to help it. I don’t know how long we were there but one night I was very sore all over and couldn't swallow and was crying in my cot. It was very dark and a big fat lady with a huge chest told me to shut up.
The next thing I was lying in a brown ambulance looking through brown windows at the tree tops passing. They told me I was in a place called Ruchill and put me in a side ward by myself and there was a lovely nurse looking after me. She waved at me every day she came on duty and then when she left I waved at her through the window. She had shiny short brown curly hair and a grey short cape with red lining and she giggled with friends with their heads close together. She gave me a wee small grey furry teddy which I loved with all my heart.
After that I was put in a big long ward, still in a cot but I didn't mind because I saw my twin brother who was in a cot up the ward. I called to him and gave him a comic but he looked at me as if he didn't know me. Then my Mummy and Daddy came for us both and took us home. My Mummy told me that the Doctor wouldn't let me take my grey teddy home as it would have to be burnt - I was very sad about this and my chest hurt about it. When we got home there was a fire in the living room and the house was warm and quiet, I could hear the clock ticking. There was just me, my twin brother, my Mummy and my Daddy. It was very peaceful. My Mummy bought the four of us cakes from the Peacock van and I wished it could always be like this, safe quiet and warm with just the four of us in the house. I didn't ask where everyone else was and I don't remember them coming home, but they did.
