Vincenty-Cole1

Answers

Drama. Stress. Nicholas’ first day of high school was chaotic. He quickly grew to hate the girls who

spent all their time complaining about work or gossiping about boys. He hated the jocks even more. He was

only a freshman so he still has a long way to go. Determined. Driven. Nicholas was tired of everyone looking

down on him, all the whispers as he walked by. The names written all over his things. “Orphan.” “Nobody.”

“Worthless.” He knew none of these were true. There wasn't ever a single second that he let what the other

people around him said, get to him.

Fantasies. Imagination. The summer before Nicks freshman year the truth finally came out.

Everything that children started saying began to make sense as he thought about it. It wasn’t just the

mocking from the children, but the looks from their parents. The look of sorrow and worry. It seemed that

everyone except Nicholas knew what was going on. He came home to his mother singing while cooking dinner.

His father was still at work.

“Hi honey!” Jessica yelled from the kitchen. “How was your first day?”

“It was alright, nothing out of the ordinary.”

“What’s wrong? You sound angry?” Jessica became concerned.

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Nicholas took a long deep breath and another moment to think before saying what he’d been waiting

to say for quite a long time.

“Answers. I want answers. i’m tired of everyone except me knowing what actually happened. I

want answers because people mocking me and calling me an orphan just doesn't make sense. Why are

people calling me an orphan mom?”

Jessica had no words. She sat there blankly staring into her son's eyes trying to process everything

he just said.

“I told you I would tell you when the right time came…” She got up and began to walk away.

Nicholas thought he had upset her so he got up and followed her with concern.

“Mom im s-” but before he could finish an article from the towns newspaper was placed in front

of him. His mother began to shake, choking back her tears.

“Drug addictions caused to loss of two lives.” He looked up and his mom, who suddenly bursted

into tears. Jessica ran out of the room, but this time Nick didn't follow her. He sat there, at the rickety old

kitchen table staring at the picture of what looked to be an old man and woman. Nick took a deep breath

again and began to read the article.

“Robert Rivers and Rachel Carter were attached at the hip. Whenever they were seen it was

always together. Sadly, they were never alone. They were always shadowed by drugs and alcohol. After
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reviewing the tox screens you could see there was a solid week where they were both intoxicated

continuously. The doctors had come to the agreement that that was the reason they both passed.

Rachel and Robert became addicted at young ages and couldn’t ever seem to let them go. They weren't

heavy drug doers. They took a little each day; a few sips throughout the day; thinking no harm would

come. But over time it built up doing serious damage to their hearts and brains. From what the doctors

have said when they passed there wasn't any pain, for they most likely died in their sleep. They were

found once the hotel manager came knocking on their door for missing check out three days prior.”

It kept going on and on but Nicholas couldn’t finish it. He still didn't have any of the answers he was

looking for. Confusion. Wandering mind. He got up to look for his mother. She was in her room sitting on

her bed, looking at pictures. From where Nick was standing they appeared to be baby pictures of him, and

then more news clippings.

“Why did you give me this? What does this mean?” Nick walked up to his mother’s side and put

his arm around her.

“Your father and I…” She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. “We aren't your real

parents. As you read from the article Rachel and Robert weren't fit to be parents. They were in no
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state of mind to raise a child, let alone take care of themselves.” She paused and looked up at her son

with fear of rejection in her eyes.

“One night your father and I were woken up by the buzzing to our room. He got up and went

down to the outside door to see who could possibly be wanting in at that late hour of the night. Once

he got down there he heard you, and saw you crying in a basket on the stairs. He picked you up and

brought you to me. From that moment all it took was a simple look and I fell in love with you. That

one look and I knew I would do anything in my power to take care of you; to protect you. David and

I were fearful at first. We had no idea how to take care of a child. We did the best we could. We

feared that if/when you found out about your real parents you would resent us, and try to leave to

find them. Which if you ever wanted to meet them we wouldn't have ever stopped you, just tried to

protect you. Once I saw the article you father and I didn't know how to tell you, because finding out

we aren't your real parents is one thing, but finding out your real parents already passed away before

you got the chance to meet them is another.” By this point Jessica was rambling and she stopped. There
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wasn’t anything else she could have said so they sat in silence for what seemed to be forever. Then they

simultaneously looked up at one another.

“I love you,” Nicholas said.

“I love you too,” His mother replied.

Nicholas finally got the answers he was looking for. Everything made sense. Well, not everything, It

didn't make sense that other kids would mock him and treat him differently because his past wasn't like

theirs, But, where they got those words from, all the stares from strangers, it all made so much sense now.

Strong. Independent. It's been three years since Nick learned the truth about his birth parents.

Most children who find out that who they think are their real parents aren’t lose control. They get into

drugs or drink. They do poor in school or try and run away to find their real family. For Nick, that was never

the case. Yes, it changed him, but in every good way possible. Instead of looking at the abandonment from

his parents negatively it inspired him. He knew that if they wouldn't have given him up, he wouldn't be the

person he is today. He may not have even lived long enough to make it this far. Others still mocked him but

that only drove him to do bigger and better things.

Sophomore year was easy. Junior year was long. By the middle of Nick’s senior year he’d applied to

many different law schools. His complicated past encouraged him to become a lawyer, to fight for kids like

him who were also abandoned but not so lucky to find loving parents. Senior year flew by, and was probably

his best year of high school. He graduated at the top of his class and decided to go to Harvard to become a

lawyer.
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Excited. Proud. David and Jessica new the great things that their son would accomplish throughout

his life, but they never thought that by learning the truth about his parents would drive him to do such

amazing things.