Chapter Three

Life at the orphanage

As if it was not enough for Maria to go to bed dog-tired every night , sister Mary would make sure they woke up as early as possible every single day of their lives at the orphanage. Four o'clock in the morning seemed to be the ideal time for sister Mary to howl at the hall entrance every day for them to start their daily chores. Some of them would wake up half dozed to grab their coats, gumboots and big hats to make the queue that would lead them to their duty fields. Sister Mary would carry a huge roster book to call and call out their names and the duties assigned to each of them.

She would make sure that everyone had left their sleeping chamber. Should anyone happened to be still asleep when everyone had already woken up, such individual would face the serious consequences. A long whip would land between their shoulders and they would regret they ever slumbered when duty called. There were still those who would cry when they were called to cut their sleep short at such early hours. There was nothing they could do except to follow the orders. Sister Mary meant business and she had no time for sluggards as he would say. 

One morning Maria had overslept. She could not hear when sister Mary rang the bell. She was exhausted and she slept late the previous night because there was one toddler who was not well. He was crying the whole night and when she tried to calm him down he would scream making it impossible for her to sleep. By the time the toddler managed to sleep it was already the early hours of the morning. 

She was still dreaming when she heard a sharp voice calling her name. "Maria Sunday! M-a-a-r-i-a-a", the voice called. "Mother", she answered in her sleep. The voice called again and she jumped when she realised it was already the time to wake up. She was still feeling sleepy when a whip stroke infront of her. She jumped and fell on the other side of the hall. Before she stood up sister Mary was behind her. She ran down the hall way and to find the exit. Sister Mary gave her extra tasks that morning as a punishment. She was even late for school. She tried to go to bed early but the little boy she was looking after needed a special attention. He was still in breastfeeding when his mother passed away that is the reason he was her troubles, otherwise he was a sweet boy. Maria became attached to the little boy and he felt like she was his mother. He would even cry when Maria left for school. 

She would feel bad when David ( the name of the little boy that was given to him as a Christian name by sister Mary) was crying. She felt really bad at times especially when she saw how sister Mary was treating then including the young one. The only thing she used to do when David was crying was to grab him by his arm and took him to another side of the hall so that he could not see when Maria was leaving. He would cry himself to sleep with no one to sooth him down. Sometimes Maria would cry too and when she planned to bunk school to take care of David she knew she would get a good hiding. "No one was allowed to mop around when it was time for school", sister Mary stated it clearly. Even if one if the kids was sick, sister Mary would take her medical aid bag and treat them and send the m off to school afterwards. It was not a hospital but an orphanage, she would point that out. 

"Maybe it is the fact that sister Mary had never had children that she was so ruthless when it came to treating them", these were Mary's thought as she was carrying David in her arms. David was sleeping peacefully and was looking innocent. "Poor thing", Mary thought to herself. He is an innocent child and he doesn't know nothing about the circumstances he is living in. He needs to be loved that's all", Mary would even find herself talking to herself because of the pain she was feeling. She wished her mother was still alive. She would raise David as her own and Mary knew that for sure. Her mother was a kind and generous woman although she was not a devouted Christian while sister Mary on the other hand was cold and ruthless. "Maybe this was the reason her father did not want her mother to go to the church. He did not want her to meet the likes of sister Mary", this was what Maria thought sometimes when she saw sister Mary's character.