Shattered Pieces can Still Shine

Georgie’s stomach lurched as she followed PC Sandy, the packed cloth bag in hand, downstairs still holding her sister’s hand tightly. Sergeant Carter introduced PC Sandy, Georgie and Daisy to the man and woman standing inside the front door as he picked up Georgie’s duffle bag. The little procession walked up the garden path, Children’s Officers first, followed by Georgie and Daisy, and then the two police officers at the rear. Georgie felt like she and her sister were being guarded in front and behind so they could not escape. Her heart was thumping hard against the inside of her chest, filling her ears with a loud throbbing sound. She felt a little light-headed. They reached the open wooden gate and approached the waiting car, at which point Georgie turned around, looked pleadingly into PC Sandy’s eyes, and burst into tears. Daisy immediately followed suit. PC Sandy rushed towards the two little girls and pulled them towards her until all three were in a tight huddle and all three were crying. After a few seconds, the policewoman withdrew her arms from around the girls, quickly wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Georgie could see PC Sandy was trying her best to smile as she spoke.

“Don’t cry, Darlings. You are going to a big house where there will be lots of other children to play with, and lots of toys that you’ll never have seen before. How exciting is that? The time will fly and before you know it, Mummy and little John will be back home as right as ninepence, and you’ll all be one happy family again.”

PC Sandy then removed a clean white hankie from her pocket. Georgie noticed the initials SB embroidered in one corner. After she had gently wiped the tears away from Georgie’s and then Daisy’s eyes, she held the hankie out to Georgie who put it in her pocket.

“Whenever you feel sad, Georgie, you just look at this hankie and remember that you’ll be coming back home soon to return it to me.”

Georgie nodded. She felt so touched by the kindly policewoman’s action that she reached out to her and gave her and Sergeant Carter a final hug each. Then catching hold of her sister’s hand again, she turned towards the open back door of the awaiting car.