I walked into the living room and plopped down on lazy boy chair and looked out the window. The holiday seasons were near, but you’d never know by the warm weather. I lived in sunny LA, where the sun always shines.
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts when my friend Veronica came up behind me and leaned over my chair. “Hey girl, where did you go?” she asked me. “I turned around and you were gone.”
I cocked my head to the right to see Veronica. “I’m sorry I just had to come in.”
She nodded her head understanding. “You think after so many years it would get better but it doesn’t.”
“No it doesn’t, but I’m happy for everyone who gets a family.”
“Yeah me too,” she said in a dry tone. I gave her a look. “I’m serious.” She smiled at me. “Everyone deserves to have a family and a home.”
I returned her smile and turned my attention back to the window. “What time is it?”
“Almost lunch. Are you hungry because I’m starving.”
“I can eat.” I stared across the room at the brand new furniture set. “You know how this time last year the orphanage was in such bad shape because there was no money that we almost closed down.”
“Yeah what about it?”
“Do you ever stop and wonder how Mrs. Cynthia all of sudden got the money to keep the orphanage open?”
“No not really. I figured Mrs. Cynthia got help from the bank.”
“Nope.”
Veronica gave me a strange look. “What do you know that I don’t?”
I looked back at Veronica. “After everyone went to bed last night I came back downstairs to get a drink of water. I over heard Mrs. Cynthia talking on the phone last night to Mrs. Barbara. Mrs. Cynthia knows a guy who knows a guy who knows JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. If I understood correctly JC and Justin gave a LARGE donation to this orphanage.”
“Amanda, do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Mrs. Cynthia knows a guy who knows a guy who knows JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake?” She laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.
“Veronica, look around you. We didn’t always have such nice stuff.” I shook the chair I was sitting in. “This chair wasn’t here a year ago. Your jeans, you didn’t have those a year ago. Mrs. Cynthia wouldn’t have been able to buy you those a year ago.”
She glanced down at her jeans. “These jeans weren’t that expensive.”
“They were expensive enough.”
“Okay. So, what if I was to believe what you were saying does that mean JC and Justin know who I am?”
“Probably.”
“So does that mean…?” Veronica looked at me scared. “Amanda, we’re 18. If JC and Justin gave a large donation to this place...Mrs. Cynthia let us stay here because we had no place to go.”
“I didn’t think of that, but we’re still here so maybe…”
“If they ask, you’re 16.”
Both me and Veronica turned around and saw Mrs. Cynthia, the lady who ran Hope Orphanage standing in the doorway of the living room. She walked in and said, “If Justin and JC were to ever come over and if they were to ever ask you how old you are, you are to tell them you are 16. I lied to them about your ages. We didn’t want to risk it.”
“So it’s true?” asked Veronica. “JC and Justin gave the orphanage a large donation?”
Mrs. Cynthia nodded. “Yes, and thank goodness because since this is a private orphanage I have to rely on charity donations to keep open and they weren’t coming in.”
I nodded my head. “When did JC and Justin come to you with the donation?”
“After New Years. I had gone to one of my friends with my money troubles and he told me he knew a guy who knew a guy who worked with JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake and maybe, just maybe they could help me. I knew the thought of my friend actually knowing someone who knew JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake was way out there, but I was desperate. I was fixing to lose the orphanage and you girls. Weeks went by and I didn’t hear anything and just as I was about to lose all hope Justin and JC called and we set up a meeting. We met and I told them about the orphanage and how it was left to me by my Great Aunt and I told them about the 30 girls that I take care of and about the money troubles the orphanage was having. By the end of our meeting, JC and Justin were willing to give the orphanage a large donation. I THOUGHT it was just going to be one large check and that’s it, but every month I get check from the both of them both.”
Veronica looked at Mrs. Cynthia and then at me, and then back again. “So how much do you get?”
She chuckled softly. “That’s none of your concern. But I’ll tell you this. This Christmas we will have a tree.”
I turned to Veronica and I smiled at her. She smiled back and high-fived me and said, “No decorating me as a Christmas tree this year!”