Emily hated everyone. Especially her mother.
She knew with absolute certainty that once she grew up and got away from this place, shed find her.
No, she wasnt planning to fling her arms around her neck and cry, *”Hello, Mummy!”*
She was going to watch her first. Then make her pay. For all the years Emily had spent in the orphanage, for all the tears shed shed while her mother had been out there, living happily. Somehow, she had no doubt that was exactly how her mothers life had gone.
Emily had always been in the orphanage. As far back as she could remember, thats where shed been.
Theyd moved her to different homes a few times because she kept getting into fights. She didnt care who was in front of herboy or girl.
They punished her, locked her in isolation, took away sweets, but she still hated the carers, hated the other children, hated the entire world.
By the time she turned fourteen, she stopped fighting. Not because shed suddenly learned to love anyone, but because everyone was already terrified of her.
Emily got bored. Shed wander off to some far corner of the orphanage grounds and just sit there, dreaming of the day shed track her mother down and take revenge.
One day, she heard a strange melody. She listened closely. It was like nothing shed ever heard before.
She loved music and always froze when she heard something beautiful. But this tune it was lovely, a little sad, even mournful, yet she couldnt place the instrument.
Emily stood and moved toward the hawthorn bushes, pushing them aside carefully. Well, wellit was their new caretaker. Shed already had some fun tormenting him.
What was he playing? She couldnt see. As she stretched forward, she lost her balance and tumbled straight into the bushes.
The man stopped playing and turned toward the rustling branches. Emily scrambled up, dusted herself off angrily, and turned to leave. But then he spoke:
“Want me to teach you?”
She froze. *Her?* And she could learn to play like that? Was it even possible?
She took a step toward him. The caretaker looked about fifty-five. It wasnt clear why a man his age was working as a caretaker.
Emily started visiting him every day. At first, he just showed her how to play the flute. The funny thing was, he carved them himselflittle, delicate things.
When she finally managed to play her first proper notes, she threw her arms around him before she could stop herself. Thats when they first really talked.
His name was Nicholas, and he lived in a small cottage on the orphanage grounds.
“Why?” she asked. “Dont you have family? A home?”
“I had everything once, Emily. A home, a family Ten years ago, my Catherine passed. Thought I wouldnt survive itif not for my son”
Then hed remarried. A pretty woman, but greedy. “Well, as long as my Alex liked her, thats what mattered.”
Five years later, Alex died in a car crash. The flatalready signed over to himwas gone too. A nice three-bedroom in the city centre. His daughter-in-law packed him a suitcase and sent him on his way.
“Why didnt you fight it?”
“What for, Emily? No one left to fight for. Everyone I loved is gone. Im just waiting my turn. I want to be with themnothing else matters now.”
For the first time, Emily felt hatred stronger than what she held for her own mother. She even considered taking revenge on Nicholas daughter-in-law first.
When he found out what festered in the girls heart, he was horrified. How did she bear such rage?
They talked often. Nicholas sensed Emily softening. She stopped cutting her hair like a boys, grew gentler. The urge to prove herself with fists faded.
One day, he asked, “Emily, youll leave in a year. Decided what youll do?”
She stared blankly.
“No Never even thought about it. Always just thought about revenge.”
“Suppose you get it. Youll have to find her firstnever mind the moneybut say you do. Then what?”
She left in silence. Didnt return for a week. When she did, she said, “I want to build things.”
They spent the next year preparing for her to enter a construction college. She knew university would take too longmaybe later, someday
On the day she left, they sat for hours on their usual bench.
That evening, Emily boarded a train to another city, where shed study and live for now. She criedfor the first time in years.
“Nicholas, Ill come back. Once Ive graduated.”
“Lets make a deal. Im not going anywhere. But you finish your studies, stand on your own feet. Then you can visit an old man.”
“Youre not *that* old.”
At the station, he pressed a flute into her hands.
—
Nearly fifteen years passed. Emily married lateshe never found someone who truly understood her.
At thirty, she had a daughter, Kate, and soon after, divorced. All her joy was in that little girl.
Now she could afford anything. And when she finally earned enough, she filed a search request for her mother.
The truth came faster than she expected.
Her mother had been a poor, lonely woman whod wanted a child for herself. Two months before the birth, shed been diagnosed with cancer.
They had treatments back then, but the prognosis was grim. The doctors said her body was too weakshe had a year at most.
She made the hardest choice: to give her baby up at birth.
None of the doctors had judged her. Emily even found her gravea grand headstone with an angel.
She often thought of Nicholas. But when she returned to the town years later, he was gone.
The orphanage had a new director, most of the old staff replaced.
In her free time, Emily took Kate to the park. Her daughter, with a heart too big for the world, always wanted to save everyone.
By six, she was a clever girl who somehow convinced Emily to buy treats before they even reached the parksweets for the children, bread for the ducks, ice cream for the heat.
This time was different.
“Mum, can we get some sausage, bread, and juice, please?”
Emily stared.
“Do I even want to know why?”
“Mum, maybe you shouldnt ask. No need to worry.”
“Kate, were not going anywhere until you tell me.”
“Its for a man. He doesnt have a home.”
Emilys breath caught. Kate just smiled*told you so.*
“Mum, why are you upset? Hes just an old man. No family, nothing. He never begshes too proud. He knows so many stories and poems, more than anyone. What, you grudge him some sausage?”
Emily, a grown woman, a key figure in a major construction firm, had no answer.
Silently, she bought what Kate asked, and they headed to the park.
Kate perched on a bench.
“Wait here, Mum. Hes by the pondsee?”
Emily spotted a shabby old man. Children surrounded him, so she relaxed. At least Kate was in sight.
That evening, Emily stretched out with a book. Kate was in her room. Thena familiar melody.
Silence. Nothere it was again. The same tune.
Emily bolted to Kates room. Her daughter looked up, startled.
“Mum, did I wake you?”
“Kate! What was that?”
“The old mans teaching me the flute! Ive almost got it, but this one part”
Kate sighed. In her hands was a flute. Emily stared, tears welling.
“Let me show you. That bit took me ages too”
Emily played the whole melodythen broke down. Memories crashed over her. Kate panicked.
“Mum, why are you crying? Did the music upset you? I wont play it at home if”
Emily shook her head. She left, returning moments later with another flutedarker with age.
“Kate where does that man live?”
“By the pond, Mum. His things are in the bushes.”
“Get your coat, love.”
They found him at once. Kate called out, “Grandad!”
He emerged, blinking.
“Whats wrong, little one? Shouldnt you be home?”
“Nicholas. Hello.”
He flinched as if struck. Turned slowly. Stared at her face for a long moment.
“Emily it cant be.”
She hugged him tightly.
“It *can* be. Enough feeding the mosquitoesyoure coming home.”
“Where?”
“*Home*, Nicholas. If not for you, Id have nothing. So my house is yours.”
All the way back, Nicholas wiped his tears. They wouldnt stopwhere were they even coming from?
If not for Emilys
