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Tale Of A Prince

Saint Theresa Orphanage, Boston MA

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“Ever since we found out from the doctor that we wouldn’t be able to have our own children, it broke our hearts but now, we’re trying to move on and have decided that this is the way.” The woman said to the sister in her office.

“I completely understand and I assure you that he’s a wonderful little boy and I’m sure you’ll instantly fall in love with him when you meet him, Mr and Mrs Johnson.” The sister said to the couple.

“What’s his name again?” Mrs Johnson asked.

“His name is Joseph, although he prefers to be called Joe,” The sister said.

“Well, then. Let’s meet him.” Mr Johnson said excitedly.

“Now? O…ok, of course. Please follow me.” The sister said nervously.

She got up and took the nice couple outside to meet their potential new son. As they walked along the corridor, another nun called out to the sister and scurried over to her.

“Sister Agnes! We have a pro…” She was about to say when she saw the “keep quiet” look on Sister Agnes’ face.

“Please, hold on just a second while I speak to Sister Mary,” Agnes told the Johnsons.

She walked over to Mary and pulled her aside, “Please tell me this has nothing to do with Joseph.” She whispered to Mary.

“I’m afraid it does, Sister,” Mary replied.

“No, no, no, this can’t be happening today of all days. This couple, they’re desperate and they’ll most likely take any child which is why this is the perfect chance we’ve been waiting for to finally get rid of that rotten child but they won’t take him if they see how rotten he is. I asked you to make sure he didn’t do anything crazy today, Sister Mary.” Agnes said in frustration.

“I tried but you know no one can control him when he starts his insanity,” Mary replied.

“What has he done this time?” Agnes asked.

“He’s climb on the roof of the church and he won’t come down. I don’t even know how he got up there.” Mary said.

“Is there a problem, Sister Agnes?” Mr Johnson asked from where he stood.

“Oh, not at all, sir. It’s just that…the children were playing and Joseph has gotten stuck on the roof. But, don’t worry. We’ll get him down safely.” She lied.

“What?!” Mrs Johnson exclaimed in shock.

“We have to go and help him immediately. Where is he?” Mr Johnson said and he and his wife were already running to aid the stuck child.

“We have the situation under control…” Agnes called out to the couple but they didn’t stop to listen to her.

“O God, help us all.” Agnes prayed and ran after them.

They arrived at the church and could see Joseph sitting on the roof with his eyes glued to a book. All the nuns were asking him to come down but he didn’t listen to any of them and kept reading.

“Joseph! Get down from there this instance…” Sister Agnes screamed at him and immediately remembered that the Johnsons were present so she changed the tone of her voice, “…so you can meet the nice couple that wants to adopt you.”

“I’m not interested. Tell them to go away.” Joe said to Agnes.

“He’s not usually like this.” She said nervously to the couple.

“Yes, I am. Adopting me will be the worst mistake of your lives so I suggest you take my advice now that it’s not too late.” Joe said to the Johnsons.

“He’s just nervous and he’s acting out,” Agnes said to the couple with a fake smile.

“She’s lying to you.” He said to the couple, “Sister Agnes, we’re not supposed to tell lies. I suggest you practice what you preach.”

The Johnsons were starting to change their minds about adopting Joseph, Sister Agnes could tell. She didn’t know what to do to get Joe to behave so she impulsively yelled at him.

“Joseph, if you don’t come down right this second, I swear to God you will regret it. I will lock you up in solitary for days without feeding you once and don’t think I’ll spare the rod, you snake from Satan.” She said.

The Johnsons had seen and heard enough so they decided to leave.

“I don’t think Joe will be a good fit for us. Thank you, sister.” The man said and the couple basically ran away, got in their car and sped off.

Sister Agnes was fuming and she intended to take out all her anger on Joe tonight.

“Get down here, now!” She snarled and Joe jumped down from the roof, content that he scared another couple from adopting him.

“That was the eleventh couple that wanted you and you ruined it again.” She said as she walked over to him.

“One would think you’d have given up by now, Sister Agnes!” Joe said defiantly.

“I’ll break you before you break me, child.” She said, “Take him to solitary, take off all his clothes and lower the temperature of the room. Leave him there until his fingers are about to fall off.” She ordered the other nuns and they grabbed Joe and took him away.

It had been two hours since Joe was put in the freezing room which was set below 50 degrees. Joe loved being in solitary because the cold temperatures didn’t bother him and he never felt cold inside but the nuns didn’t know that.

Joe hated the orphanage and the nuns that ran it. He also didn’t like any of the children except Kurt, his only friend. They were both about the same age and had lived in the orphanage their entire lives so they were more like brothers rather than friends. Although Joe had been in this orphanage for the entire twelve years of his life, he never once felt like he belonged here and he didn’t want to be adopted by anyone for reasons unknown to the sisters. The first time he tried to escape was when he was six years old but he was caught and since then, Sister Agnes has kept a close eye on him. She wanted him gone but not because he ran away, she wanted him to be adopted instead. Joe had always felt alone, different and misunderstood. He knew there was something different about him compared to the other kids and it made him an outcast. The only person that understood him a little was Kurt.

“Boy, you must really like it in there,” Kurt said from outside the small room.

“What can I say? It’s home sweet home.” Joe replied and they both laughed.

“Why didn’t you want to go with them? They seemed nice.” Kurt asked as he sat down and leaned into the metal door.

“I told you, Kurt. The only family I want to be with is my real family which is why one day, I’m going to escape from this place and I’m going to find them,” Joe said.

“But no one knows who they are! How will you find them?” Kurt asked, wishing he could understand his friend.

“I don’t know Kurt, but I will find them.” He said.

Kurt heard the sounds of footsteps which frightened him so he stood up to leave. He slipped a slice of cornbread through the food slot for Joe.

“I brought this for you since we don’t celebrate our birthdays here,” Kurt said.

“Thank you, Kurt.”

“Happy birthday, Joe. And a little bit of advice; spending too much time in there is going to limit your growth. You’re thirteen now but when people look at you, they’d think you were five.” Kurt teased.

“Get out of here, Idiot!” Joe laughed as Kurt got up and left.

After Kurt left, Joe ate the cornbread and lay down to go to sleep. He would escape this place, he thought to himself. One day!

.Joe fell asleep and while he slept, he began to shiver as he started to feel the cold around him which was weird because he was never bothered by the cold before so, why now? He woke up shivering, clad in nothing but his underwear. He needed to get out of the room, he couldn’t take the intense cold. He began hitting the door and called for help but no one answered his cries.

Joe fell to the floor and was starting to lose feeling in his muscles. He held out his hand in desperation and touched the door with his finger. His touch seemed to somehow unlock the door from inside. The bolts clicked open and the padlocks broke off and the door creaked open.

Joe got up and ran out of the cold room. He ran along the corridors and whenever he got close to a door, it would open by itself. His palms were as bright as the sun and he looked at them with confusion. Weird things had happened to Joe before but nothing as weird as this. He didn't think too much about it but instead saw it as a golden opportunity to finally escape. Thankfully, it was past sleeping curfew so the nuns were all asleep, making it easier to move around without being seen.

He ran outside and wanted to run out through the main gate but then he remembered Kurt and decided to go back for him.

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"Kurt? Kurt, wake up!" Joe whispered as he shook him awake.

"What? What's happening? Joe? How did you...?" Kurt asked.

"No time to explain. I'm about to escape. Do you want to come with me?" Joe asked.

"But...where will we go?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know but we'll figure it out together."

"I don't think this is a good idea, Joe." Kurt told him. He was scared to leave because they knew nothing about the world they would saunter into if they escaped.

"This is our chance to finally be free. Don't you want that? Come on Kurt, let's do it. Let's be free." Joe said with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Alright. Let's do it." Kurt said, bought in by Joe's excitement and enthusiasm.

Joe put on some clothes and the both of them ran out of the sleeping quarters and out the orphanage, into the night and the unknown to begin a new phase of their lives.

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