A Home for Jessa by Robin Delph Page A

had promised herself that she would never let her heart be broken like that again, she would never become attached to anyone ever again.

                               Chapter Two
     
     
         “Hello Jessa, welcome back,” Miss Nancy spoke as Jessa came through the door.
            “Hello Miss Nancy,” was Jessa’s reply as she headed toward the stairs to go to the girl’s sleeping quarters
           Once upstairs Jessa found a bed and a small chest waiting for her, she placed her backs next to the bed and began to unpack. The thought of being back here caused tears to well in her eyes which she quickly wiped away, “No sense crying,” she told herself. And with that she finished unpacking, made her bed and headed back downstairs to see what class they had put her in.
          It came as a shock to no one that Jessa loved school especially her English class. She loved to write stories, poems and she loved the books she got to read. Although she loved school her favorite thing to do was to go to church. A pastor came around to hold services at the orphanage at least once a week and a bus came on Sundays to take any of the kids that wanted to go to church.
         The days at the orphanage were long and dreary especially for Jessa. She had no friends and made no attempt to make any. She had been called in twice to speak to the counselor about why she chose to stay to herself and she always told them the same thing, that it was easier for her that way. If you didn’t get attached to anyone it wouldn’t hurt when they left. Jessa knew this was the wrong attitude to have but she just couldn’t help it.
         “Jessa it’s time to go see the counselor,” Miss Nancy said stepping into the room.
         “Okay,” was the reply Jessa gave as she turned away from the window and headed downstairs.
         Once in the counselor’s office Jessa sat waiting for Mr. Henson to come in. While she waited she looked at all the books that were in the bookshelf. As she looked threw them she noticed that they were mostly children’s books on how to handle and cope with different things.
        “Well hello Jessa. How are you today,” Mr. Henson asked as he entered and took a seat.
          “I’m fine Mr. Henson.”
         “Have you made any friends yet?” he asked
          “No and I don’t want to.” Was her only reply.
         Jessa sat for half an hour and listened to Mr. Henson tell her the importance of friendship and why it wasn’t good for her to spend so much time alone. She tried to tune him out as best as she could. She didn’t want or need any friends and that’s how she saw it.
         “Jessa I think it would be good if you kept a journal. You don’t have to show it to anyone and you can write whatever you want in. Does that sound like something you would like to do?”
          Jessa thought for a moment, “Could I use it to write stories in?” she asked.
         “You can write whatever you want in it. It will be yours and for your eyes only.”
         “That would be nice Mr. Henson, but I don’t have a journal or a notebook to use as one. All I have is the ones I use for school and Miss Nancy said not to use them for anything else.”
        “How about this what if I gave you one, would that work?”
        “Yes. But do you think Miss Nancy would let me keep it?”
         “I’ll talk to Miss Nancy, I’m sure she will. Jessa come back by this evening I should know something by then.”
           “Thank you Mr. Henson.”
         Jessa raced back upstairs with a smile on her face. How wonderful it would be to have a something to write it stories in she thought as she plopped down on her bed.
        At five o’clock she decided to go and see Mr. Henson. She wanted to barge in his door but deciding that would be rude she took a seat and waited outside his door. Thirty minutes later Miss Nancy