Social Services not to separate us, that they couldn’t do that , as we all belong ed together. We knew all to o well that once we were separated we would never see each other eve r again. T hat was the norm, and we had heard so many similar stories, we just did not want to be one of those stories.
We starte d the long walk to Sears’s Hall. I t was dark but thankfully dry and not too cold. W e both had our pajamas, slippers , and dressing gowns on because there was no time to change into proper clothes. We got many funny looks from strangers along the way; one or two concerned people stopped and asked if we were ok ay. W e just kept our heads down determined to make it to our destination. If we saw a police car on route we would just duck behind a tree or hedge.
Finally , Sears Hall was in sight and we picked up our pace, linking arms. We reached the car park and stopped to look around. T h ere seemed to be many entrances; the building was lit up , but it was clear that it was all locked up. We were both excited, the adrenalin was coursing through our veins, and we held o nto each other very tight while deciding which way to go.
We made our way to what looked like the main entrance, pausing before pressing the buzzer to our right. W e waited, and then a voice said, “ H ello , how c an I help you?” I cleared my throat and said, “ M y name is Amelia and I want to see the boss urgently .”
We waited for a moment but there was no reply from the man in the box. I tried pressing the buzzer again but still no reply. Then Jake said , “ Look, someone’s coming.” A nd Jake was right; there was a tall m an in a uniform walking toward us along the corridor from inside the building.
He unlocked the door and said , “ M y , oh my , you are very young to be out on your own at this time of ni ght, and in your pajamas too . ” I proceeded to tell him our plight and he was gracious enough not to interrupt me. On completion of my story , he beckoned us in and took us up to his office. He assured me that the boss would hear our story ; however, he was unavailable at present. The man turned out to be the Security Guard for Sears Hall and he was ver y polite and very understanding. H e called Breeton House to let them kn ow we were there safe and sound, and he called our Social Worker too. While we waited to be picked up , the Security Guard bought us a bag of chips wrapped up in newspaper, and they were delicious! He told us funny stories about the old Sears building and made us laugh.
It was not long before we had to face the re ality of what we had done. W e were taken back to Breeton House, and our Social Worker , Sarah Golding , explained to us that it would be impossible for all four us to stay together , as they were not abl e to find foster parents willing to take all four of us together. However, it was decided that this was the best chance Jenny and Susie were going to get.
We were told that it was very hard to place older children in permanent foster care as prospective foster parents were looking for younger children. Jake and I broke down in tears. W e were too young to understand why someone would want to separate us, we could not bear the pain we were feeling, and we knew we would never see them again.
I tried to convince my Social Worker that we would be really well behaved and the foster parents would not even know we were there most of the time. I went on to say how good I was at vacuuming and cleaning and that I would be a great help to them. My Social Worker just smiled and said , “Oh , Amelia , you are too young to understand right now , but one day you will see that this really has been the best decision made for Jenny and Susie .” Right there , right then , I knew our bat tle to stay together was lost . . . that much was easy enough to understand.
It would only be a short while later that we had to say our goodbyes to Jenny an d Susie. Our hearts were broken; we all hugged and
We starte d the long walk to Sears’s Hall. I t was dark but thankfully dry and not too cold. W e both had our pajamas, slippers , and dressing gowns on because there was no time to change into proper clothes. We got many funny looks from strangers along the way; one or two concerned people stopped and asked if we were ok ay. W e just kept our heads down determined to make it to our destination. If we saw a police car on route we would just duck behind a tree or hedge.
Finally , Sears Hall was in sight and we picked up our pace, linking arms. We reached the car park and stopped to look around. T h ere seemed to be many entrances; the building was lit up , but it was clear that it was all locked up. We were both excited, the adrenalin was coursing through our veins, and we held o nto each other very tight while deciding which way to go.
We made our way to what looked like the main entrance, pausing before pressing the buzzer to our right. W e waited, and then a voice said, “ H ello , how c an I help you?” I cleared my throat and said, “ M y name is Amelia and I want to see the boss urgently .”
We waited for a moment but there was no reply from the man in the box. I tried pressing the buzzer again but still no reply. Then Jake said , “ Look, someone’s coming.” A nd Jake was right; there was a tall m an in a uniform walking toward us along the corridor from inside the building.
He unlocked the door and said , “ M y , oh my , you are very young to be out on your own at this time of ni ght, and in your pajamas too . ” I proceeded to tell him our plight and he was gracious enough not to interrupt me. On completion of my story , he beckoned us in and took us up to his office. He assured me that the boss would hear our story ; however, he was unavailable at present. The man turned out to be the Security Guard for Sears Hall and he was ver y polite and very understanding. H e called Breeton House to let them kn ow we were there safe and sound, and he called our Social Worker too. While we waited to be picked up , the Security Guard bought us a bag of chips wrapped up in newspaper, and they were delicious! He told us funny stories about the old Sears building and made us laugh.
It was not long before we had to face the re ality of what we had done. W e were taken back to Breeton House, and our Social Worker , Sarah Golding , explained to us that it would be impossible for all four us to stay together , as they were not abl e to find foster parents willing to take all four of us together. However, it was decided that this was the best chance Jenny and Susie were going to get.
We were told that it was very hard to place older children in permanent foster care as prospective foster parents were looking for younger children. Jake and I broke down in tears. W e were too young to understand why someone would want to separate us, we could not bear the pain we were feeling, and we knew we would never see them again.
I tried to convince my Social Worker that we would be really well behaved and the foster parents would not even know we were there most of the time. I went on to say how good I was at vacuuming and cleaning and that I would be a great help to them. My Social Worker just smiled and said , “Oh , Amelia , you are too young to understand right now , but one day you will see that this really has been the best decision made for Jenny and Susie .” Right there , right then , I knew our bat tle to stay together was lost . . . that much was easy enough to understand.
It would only be a short while later that we had to say our goodbyes to Jenny an d Susie. Our hearts were broken; we all hugged and
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