True to their words, Hugh and the building crew returned within the month. All were adamant – the project had to be completed within a few weeks. They had promised their partners.
While they had been away Joe had spent much of his time at the Orphanage. The Sisters were delighted at the prospect of a new building for the children – sturdy and insulated, with room for each child’s possessions and personal space.
Yet life at the Orphanage was not completely happy. The joy for some of end of war and return home was tinged with sadness for others, for whom there was no home to go to. Now, with the end of war some weeks past, distraught parents and grandparents sought orphanages for their lost children. Each week one or two of the charges left with their happy guardians.
It was while Joe was working at the Orphanage that Mary’s grandmother arrived. Joe would always remember the look of absolute love and relief as she spied Mary playing in the yard with a couple of her friends. As the grandmother called, Mary looked up and ran to the tall middle-aged lady. Immediately they were in each other’s arms, laughing and hugging.
As soon as Mary noticed Joe, she tugged on her grandmother’s hand and pulled her over.
“Father… my… grandmother,” she slowly and carefully introduced her grandmother.
She then turned to the tall lady and spoke in their native tongue, the nature of which conversation, Joe had no idea. (He was told later by an interpreter that it was primarily about him.) The grandmother turned to Joe, took both of his hands in hers and bowed. Not knowing how to respond, Joe nodded back.
As her grandmother packed Mary’s meagre belongings into the car and prepared to leave, Mary ran to Joe with arms outstretched. As he picked her up, she hugged him tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered. As quickly as she had run toward him, she jumped from his arms and ran to the car.
With a wave from grandmother and Mary, responded by Joe and the Sisters, the car sped off. Joe watched until it disappeared into the distance. He knew probably he would never see Mary again. But he also knew he would never forget her. He heard later that both Mary’s parents had been killed. The grandmother, who was quite financially well off, had legally adopted her and, apparently, was very fond of her. Joe also heard later that, on that fateful night when Mary had heard shelling in the distance, she had run from the house and become lost. In spite of her grandmother and servants searching for her, she was by then with the army and never found. She also noted that she liked the new name of Mary – it would remain.
Yes, he thought, Mary is one of the lucky ones. But we must leave something for those not so lucky.
With the crew arriving, all hands were on deck to complete the project successfully. Each day saw relatives happily finding and taking home their children from the Orphanage. With numbers now halved, temporary sleeping quarters were set up in part of the dining hall.
The old sleeping quarters were gutted – with little trouble! – and the new building begun.
Working all day and half the night, the crew met their time schedule. Sisters and children soon moved into their new quarters.
On their final night the building crew were entertained by Sisters and children. With help from the community, they were served an enticing meal, after which the children enthralled their guests with songs and national dances.
Perhaps I’ll return one day, perhaps not, thought Joe. But it’s a time and place that I will never forget.
With Hugh and the building crew, he joined the flight two days later to return to Australia and to a future he was not sure he could face right then.