How Could This Happen To Me?

         I breathed slowly.  How could they do this to me?  I'm only seventeen and yet they're sending me away.  I have a lot of life left to live; and yet they're sending me away.  “Mom, you know this is wrong,” I said bitterly as she watched me pack.  I had stopped three times already and she made me keep packing each time.  It wasn't fair; I can't believe that evil woman was sending me away to, God I don't even know where I'm going.

“Yes sweetie, I know you think it is wrong but it's what's best for you and our family,” she said for the millionth time. 

         So, my family is dirt poor, and there's five of us kids, mom didn't have to send me away.  I mean so my brother's basically ate everything in the house and then some, why didn't my sister get sent away.  “But why me mom, I don't even know where you're sending me.”  As if on cue a guy no older than thirteen waltzed into the small room. 

“Not now Benny,” mom hissed at him.  He raised a brow at her, and left as quickly as he came in.  Benny was the third oldest child.  I am the oldest, then my sister Abigail, then Benny, then Gregory, then last but most important is little Paul. 

“Mom, why me?  Why not Abby?  Why not Benny, for Christ's sakes, mom?  You can't stand the boy,” I said in a whiny tone.  I knew I was pleading as I slowly threw the few good clothes I had into a small suitcase.  I didn't have that many things, so all my stuff would fit into one bag.

“Maddie, it's time I told you, I suppose you deserve to know,” she sighed and looked at the floor.  I continued my packing in hopes she would keep talking.  After a moment of silence she began again, “Sweet heart, I know this is going to be hard for you to hear, but you know we are so poor.  We can't afford to feed this entire family.  So, you're father went out in search of ways to get money.  He found a sign in a window that was something about an arranged marriage.  Darling, your father and I have decided it's best if you’re married to this boy.  We haven't met him, but his father seemed charming over the phone.”  I looked at my mother as if she had three heads.

“You sold me, mom!  You sold me into a marriage!  Is that legal,” I hissed.  This is insane.  No freaking way am I marring some, oh my gosh who am I marring.

“Honey it's for the good of the family.”  She was pleading I could hear it in her voice. 

“How much,” I whispered.  I couldn't do this.  I wouldn't cry not over her.  How could she sell me?  I am her daughter.

“Madeline,” she started but I cut her off quickly.

“I said how much,” anger seeped through my teeth that even I could hear as I tried to bite back my words.

“Enough to get a new house and for your father to start a small business.”  She looked to the ground again. 

“I hope you're happy mother.”  I didn't look up at her again. 


         I finished packing as quickly as I could and got away from my mom.  How could she sell me out for a new house and a job?  My dad would do something like this.  If he could he'd get rid of Abigail too.  His boys were his pride and joy.  I needed to be away from them for a while, but I couldn't leave.  The man would be here soon to pick me up. 

“Maddie, okay,” a small voice asked.  I hadn't realized anyone was in the small living room with me.  I glanced up to see a little boy about five years old.  He had shaggy brown hair and beautiful electric blue eyes. 

“Paulie, what are you doing in here,” I said as I held out my arms for my favorite sibling.  Paul was a cute little boy, he hated to see anyone in pain or angry, all he wanted was his family to be so warm and loving.  He climbed onto the chair and sat in my lap.

“You, mad, Maddie?”  He was so cute with his little sentences.  He never said more than a few words in each sentence.

“Just a little sweetie.  You know, I'm going away for a little while.”  I hated to be the one to tell him, but he wouldn't know until I was gone if I didn't.  Paul nodded.  “Mommy is sending me to live with a new family, so I probably won't see you for a very long time.”  His face developed a look of sadness that broke my heart. 

“You come back, right?”  I smiled. I didn't know if I was coming back or not.  I didn't want to ever see mom again, but I'd do anything for Paulie.

“I'll try sweetie, but I don't know.”  He put his little arms around me and hugged as tight as he could.  I smiled as I enveloped him in a hug as well.  This would probably be the last moment between us, and I would miss it dearly.

         After a half hour of rocking Paul, he finally went to sleep, and I took him to the room he stayed in with Benny and Gregory and put him to bed.  “So, you're really going,” Benny asked, as I tucked in Paul.

“I have to, mom hasn't given me a choice, and Mr. What-his-face is coming soon,” I answered my brother sadly.  I know he was annoying, but I did have some good times with him.  Like the time we almost caught the school on fire, or the time when he saved me from getting whipped.  I loved my brothers, and I hated to go.

“Mom is crazy, she can't split us up,” Gregory hissed.  He was the most caring.  He was the bookworm too.  He always had his nose in some book, and he had a big chance to get out of this place.  I always envied him with his dirty blond hair, and those green eyes of his.  He didn't look like the rest of us for some odd reason, but that didn't stop me from caring.

“Well she's going to.  I just want you guys to take care of Paulie.”  Benny looked at me as if I was crazy.  He was no doubt the strongest out of all of us.  He had muscles on top of muscles, but you couldn't tell if he didn't hit you.  He looked a little muscular, but that kid could knock a grown man out if he wanted.  His silky dark brown hair always flowed when he walked, and his electric blue eyes reminded me a lot of little Paulie.  Gregory was only two years younger than Benny, but Benny had to look out for his little brother.  Everyone picked on him for being somewhat of a nerd.

“Maddie, don't say that.  You'll come back; we'll see you again.  No matter who’s got you,” Benny said sadly.

“Well just look out for each other while I'm gone.  Especially Abby and Paulie, you know they are weaker than us.”  Benny smiled at that.  We'd saved Abby from a few whippings from dad, and Paulie is so little he doesn't really know wrong from right.  Gregory and Benny nodded, and I walked out of they're room. 


         I headed towards the room I shared with Abigail once again to get my things and sit them in front of the door.  I couldn't help but think about Abby.  Now she was the only girl left in this crazy little family.  What would she do with out me?  I zoned out, and didn't notice my dad until his hand was tightly around my arm.  “Girl you answer when I'm talking to you,” he hissed.

“I don't see why, I'll have a new master soon,” sarcasm seeped through my words.

“Don't you ever,” he raised his hand to hit me.  I prepared my self for the blow to my cheek when someone banged on the door.  I smiled.

“Better answer that sir,” I said with a smirk on my face as I went to get my bag. 


         I opened my door to hear sobs.  Strange I thought I was the only one that would be in this room today because Abby, my thought was lost as I looked in the door.  There sat Abigail on our bed with her head in her hands weeping monster tears.  “Abby,” I whispered slowly.  She wiped her eyes and looked at me.  Before I could do anything she was hugging me and sobbing again.  “Abigail it's going to be all right,” I tried to reassure her.

“No, it's not because they're taking you away,” she whined.

“No, Abby, Mom and Dad sold me to some rich guy to get out of poverty.”  She looked at me as if a chicken flew from my head.

“They what?”  She looked so angry for a few moments, then that sadness came back over her eyes.

“Yeah they sold me.  Don't worry as soon as I get settled I'll make sure they let me invite you to stay with me.”  She sighed and hugged me tighter. 

“I don't want you to go at all.”

“I have to, but don't worry.  I'm tough remember.  No one can break me.”  We laughed and she loosened her grip on me after a few moments.  I gave her a tight hug back before our mom stood in the doorway.

“Madeline, Mr. Grayson is here,” our mom said politely as we walked out of the room.  I had my bag in one hand and Abby's hand in the other.


         I walked with my sister to our small living room; our dad sat in one chair and across from him stood another man.  He was probably the most handsome man I had ever seen.  He appeared to be in his early thirties, he had short blond hair and the most beautiful deep brown eyes.  Usually brown eyes gave me the creeps because they reminded me of mud, but his were pretty.  He was a little muscular and very tall, as in 6'4 tall.  I heard Abby sigh.  “I'm jealous.  If the dad looks like that, I wonder what the son looks like,” she sighed again.  I laughed a bit too loud and we were noticed.

“Mr. Grayson.  This is my troublesome eldest daughter Madeline, and this is the second eldest Abigail,” our father introduced us.  I could see the smirk as he called me troublesome. 

“Hello, girls.  It's nice to meet you.  Now I presume Madeline is the one coming with me,” Mr. Grayson said.  His voice was like none I'd ever heard.  It was smooth, and sort of musical.

“Yes sir,” I answered with a defiant look.  I would not be down graded by any, not even my own father.

“Well, at least my son should be happy with your beauty.”  He circled me like a vulture.  I don't know what he was talking about beauty?  What beauty?  He must be looking at Abby.

“Thanks, I think,” I stuttered.  Abby giggled.

“What, like you would have said anything at all,” I hissed at her.

“Well he does like a good challenge,” Mr. Grayson nudged my father.

“Oh, he'll have a good one with her.”  I glared daggers at them both.


         “Maddie,” a shriek came from the back room where Paulie was asleep.

“Excuse me,” I said politely to Mr. Grayson, “Benny, if you hurt him I'll hurt you more,” I shouted down the hall.  Abby winced visibly and I laughed. 

“Maddie that was rude,” my mom said as she entered the room. 

“Okay, I'll go kill my brother in there then,” I said sarcastically as I marched down the short hall. 


         I opened the door to see Benny rocking Paulie, which he never did, and Gregory freaking out trying to find a way to calm him.  “What happened,” I cried as I grabbed Paul out of Benny's arms.  Tears streamed down his face. 

“He woke up and we told him you left,” Benny answered innocently.

“Paulie, I'm here sweetie.  Come on calm down,” I cooed as Paul hugged my neck. 

“Don't leave me Maddie,” he begged.

“Did you just say a whole sentence?”  He nodded in my now wet shoulder.  “Come on I want you to meet the man I am going to go live with okay,” I sighed.  He nodded and sobbed a few times.  I hugged him tightly as we covered the distance of the short hall.  Mom was staring at me like I was insane.

         “Hey, look at me,” I asked my brother.  He shook his head.  “Come on, sweetie let me see those beautiful baby blues,” I cooed.  He turned his head so that only a slit of one eye was facing me.  “Come, on let me seem 'em.  Where are those pretty eyes?”  He lifted his head off my shoulder and looked at me.

“Don't go,” he said suddenly.  I smiled.

“Well darling, that's up to mommy, and this nice man of course.”  I turned him so he could see Mr. Grayson.  He had a look of shock on his face as he gazed at Paulie. 

“Wow, he looks just like you,” Mr. Grayson said in a small voice.

“You should see Benny, you'd think Paul here was him reincarnated or something,” I laughed.

“He looks more like you Maddie,” Benny said from behind me.

“No, he doesn't see, my hair is darker, and his eyes are prettier.”  I pointed out my black hair to Paul's brown, and his electric blue eyes to my blue gray ones. 

“He kind of looks a bit like both of you,” Mr. Grayson said as he raised an eyebrow.  Ewe, he did not think that.

“We'll he should, look like them, he's their baby brother after all,” Gregory said as he came to try and take Paul.  He just hid his head in my shoulder and clung to my shirt.

“Greg leave him alone, he's fine,” I sighed. 

“Fine, what are you going to do take him with you,” Greg hissed.  Mr. Grayson looked horrified.

“Of course not, but he will come visit me very soon,” I said as I bounced him on my hip.  Mr. Grayson still looked stunned.

“I'm afraid that can't be Madeline. Once you come there's no turning back,” He said calmly.  I seriously thought he grew another head.

“You must be out of your freaking mind. I am not leaving these kids here with them,” I hissed as I gave my parents a look of pure disgust.

“Madeline,” mom hissed, as dad jumped from his chair.

“You ungrateful little,” he raised his hand and backhanded me so hard that I dropped Paulie.  Luckily, Abby was standing beside me too catch him.

“That's enough,” Mr. Grayson yelled.  I glared at my father.

“I feel for my brothers and sister.  Especially little Paul over there, but you can't hurt me anymore.  You've tried to kill my spirit all these years just because I wasn't a boy like Benny, well I don't care,” I hissed.  He raised another hand and I prepared myself this time.  I would not be caught off guard.  He went to swing but a hand wrapped tightly around his arm. 

“I said that is enough,” Mr. Grayson growled.  Seriously, he like growled, as in that rumbling noise that comes from the pit of your stomach that some times sounds like a dog, he did that.

“Don't tell me how to punish my daughter,” dad hissed.

“She's not yours anymore sir.  If you'll recall,” he paused to take out a piece of paper, “you signed all your rights over to Mr. Vaara.”  I smirked. 

“Does that mean I can sue him for hitting me?”  Mr. Grayson glared.

“Hey, I'll stay here and take the beatings if my siblings can't visit me.  I want nothing to do with them,” I gestured and he took on a look of understanding.

“Since you and your siblings are close I'll allow you to see them, but I request you wait a month to get better acquainted with your fiancée.”  It was my turn to be stunned.

“Um, sir.  I appreciate you letting me see my siblings but for the first month do I have to call him my um, my,” I trailed off as I tried to get the word out.

“I guess not child, but you do have to have a relationship with Master Kegan.”

“How about I call him boyfriend instead?”  He nodded.  My parents looked ready to kill.

“I don't want my kids with her,” my dad hissed.

“Watch it, I know you're my father, but you will not stop me from seeing my older sister,” Benny said glaring at our father I smiled.

“Thanks Benny, don't worry.  It'll work out,” I said soothingly as I hugged him.  He hugged back, and then Gregory joined us.  Soon it became a family 'goodbye for now' hug.

         “God, I'm going to miss you guys,” I sighed as we parted from our five-minute hug.  Our parents glared at me, and I returned it. 

“We'll miss you for a month, and then you'll have to deal with us all again,” Benny said with tears forming in his eyes.

“Say goodbye, we must go now,” Mr. Grayson interjected.

“I love you all,” I said through my own teary voice.

“We love you too,” they chorused.  I grabbed my bag, and hugged them once more, and then Mr. Grayson was pulling me out of the door.  I thought it would have been different, with more kicking and screaming, but all I wanted to do was go back and cry with my brothers and sister.