Chapter 2

Flashback 1

Clarence shuffled down the cracked sidewalk, backpack slung over one shoulder, eyes fixed on the ground. Another day, another foster home. He’d lost count of how many he’d been through since his dad died. As he approached the weathered house where he currently resided, he noticed an unfamiliar car parked out front - a sleek silver Audi that looked wildly out of place in this rundown neighborhood. His foster mother, Mrs. Grayson, was waiting on the porch, wringing her hands nervously.

“Clarence, dear,” she called out as he trudged up the steps.

“There’s someone here to see you.” Clarence’s heart sank. Probably another social worker with more bad news. He followed Mrs. Grayson into the cluttered living room, where a petite woman with auburn hair sat perched on the edge of the sagging couch. Mrs. Rodriguez, the social worker, was ambivalent about her job. One thing was to get endangered children out of unstable situations, and another was to tell a boy whose world had suddenly crumbled that his future was uncertain. But in this case, she hoped it would be a good day.

“Hi, Clarence. I’m Mrs. Rodriguez, your case worker.” Clarence nodded with a timid “Hi.” She looked at the file in her hands.

“Clarence Evans. Age 15. Father died in a car accident. No relatives known, he has been living in foster care for six years now.” The photo showed a scrawny boy, looking at the camera with frightened eyes. Under normal circumstances, the procedure called for keeping him in foster care until he became of age and then releasing him to the world. The system tried to give him an education so he could fend by himself at that time, but as with so many other government programs, the theory didn’t match the practice.

“I have good news for you, dear,” she started. We have received a message from your birth mother.” Clarence was astounded.

“My mother?” As far as he could recall, his father has never mentioned his mother. He knew she had abandoned them when he was only months old, to never be heard of her again.

“How, I mean, how can it be?” The social worker smiled gently, trying to soften the blow of the unexpected news.

“Yes, your mother. She has reached out to us. She only recently discovered what happened to your father.” Clarence’s mind raced, a whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. Anger, confusion, and a tiny spark of hope all battled for dominance.

“But why now?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Why after all these years?” The social worker hesitated, choosing her words carefully.

“I don’t have all the details, Clarence. She didn’t provide many details. But what I do know is that she’s expressed a desire to reconnect with you. Her name is Evelyn Carter, she’s living in California now and ... well, she’s offered to take you in.” Clarence’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. He tried to picture his mother - a faceless woman who had been nothing more than a vague concept for his entire life. Now, suddenly, she was real. She was out there, wanting to see him.

“I ... I have a mom,” he said, incredulous.

“And an older sister,” the social worker said. The revelation hit Clarence like a thunderbolt.

“A sister?” he repeated, his voice cracking.

“I have a sister?” The social worker nodded, her expression softening further.

“Yes, her name is Lydia. She’s 17, about to start college.” Clarence slumped back in his chair, overwhelmed by the flood of information. In the span of a few minutes, his world had expanded exponentially. A mother, a sister - a family he never knew existed. The loneliness that had been his constant companion since his father’s death seemed to recede slightly, replaced by a whirlwind of questions and possibilities.

“I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head.

“Why didn’t my dad ever tell me about them?” The social worker sighed.

“I’m afraid I don’t have those answers, Clarence. Your mother’s message didn’t go into much detail about the past. She seems more focused on the future - on getting to know you now.” “What ... what happens now?” he asked, his voice trembling. The social worker’s warm brown eyes met Clarence’s as she leaned forward in her chair, clasping her hands together. She spoke in a gentle but firm tone, giving him options to consider.

“You have a choice, Clarence. You can stay in foster care here in Ohio, or you can choose to meet your mother and sister who are waiting for you in California.” “I suppose I’ll go to California, then.” Although Mrs. Grayson’s home was okay compared to other foster homes, Clarence didn’t want to stay one more day in foster care.

“Excellent,” Mrs. Rodriguez beamed.

“I will inform your mother and she will do all the travel arrangements.” As Mrs. Rodriguez walked out the door, Clarence’s mind was racing with conflicting thoughts. He needed to sort through them in solitude, but he shared a small bedroom with two other boys. The garden seemed like the perfect escape, yet even there he couldn’t find true solitude. He retreated to a secluded corner, but his mind was still buzzing with doubts and uncertainties. Clarence sat in the garden, his mind swirling with questions. Why hadn’t his father ever mentioned his mother and sister? What had happened to them? And why had they suddenly resurfaced now? He leaned back against the tree trunk, gazing up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the garden. But Clarence felt anything but warm. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of betrayal that simmered within him.

“Why, Dad?” he whispered to the wind.

“How are you holding up?” Mrs. Rodriguez asked gently. Clarence shrugged, unable to put into words what he was feeling.

“Confused?” Mrs.Rodriguez offered.

“Yes,” Clarence admitted with a sigh. Mrs. Rodriguez sat down next to him, her presence a comforting anchor in the storm of his emotions.

“It’s okay to feel confused, Clarence. This is a lot to take in.” Clarence nodded, grateful for her understanding.

“I just ... I don’t know how to feel about any of this. My mom, my sister - they’re strangers to me. And yet, they’re supposed to be family.” Mrs. Rodriguez listened patiently as Clarence poured out his heart. He told her about the loneliness he’d felt growing up without a mother, about the deep bond he’d shared with his father, and about the fear that gripped him now at the prospect of starting over with people he didn’t know.

“What if they don’t like me?” he whispered, voicing his deepest fear.

“What if I go all the way to California and it doesn’t work out?” Mrs. Rodriguez tried to reassure him with a smile.

“Don’t worry, it’ll all work out,” she said gently.

“They wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of finding you if they weren’t willing to embrace you as part of their family.” “I suppose you’re right,” Clarence smiled back.

“I’ll be here tomorrow to take you to the airport, so please be ready.” “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready.” Clarence saw Mrs. Rodriguez leave.

“She’s right,” he thought.

“If they didn’t want me they wouldn’t have bothered to find me.” With that thought, he stood up and went to gather his few belongings.

As Clarence lay on the soft blades of grass, he struggled to make sense of the words that had shattered his world. His own mother, a slave? He couldn’t fathom it. How could a human being be reduced to mere property? And yet, as he thought about her unwavering obedience, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger and betrayal. How could she leave him behind without a second thought? How could she give her own daughter to become another slave? The conflicting emotions churned inside him, leaving him feeling lost and unsure of what to do next.