Sitting in front of the fireplace with my cup of coffee in addition to the same scribbled notebook, he questioned me about something. I'm sure at some point you asked yourself a simple but complex question:

Let's imagine that on one occasion you had the opportunity to make a single request that would be fulfilled the next moment; after many reflections, what would you ask?

** Texas - 1998 **

Inside those walls, all the children learned important lessons, especially in the cafeteria, where the importance of sharing what was most received was emphasized. Perhaps another way of looking - in the eyes of Clara and Levy - I failed to repeat the meal, as everything was properly counted and measured through the eyes of the Headmistress and Mr Scott - the cook.

In the weeks around Christmas, the caretaker of the orphanage would unwrap the same dry, leafless tree where the children hung their letters containing the simplest wishes. As you can imagine; the tree inside the refectory was unattractive, but it fed the orphans' dreams. And so, after lunch, everyone was tasked with writing their Christmas wish.

Some of these children believed in the old man with the white beard and the red coat, while others, like Clara, distrusted an old woman with a rigid face and no beard, who was always in a bad mood, although she imagined herself reading the orphans' letters. .. Maybe that's why his wish would never come true.

And there they were both with papers in hand, thinking about what to write.

- What will you order this year? - Clara asked her friend.

"I don't know…" she replied with the tip of the pencil between her lips. - And do you know what you're going to write?

Clara looked at the blank paper on her desk:

- The same... a family... - she pushed the paper to her friend - You can write to me.

Levy was one of the few orphans who could read and write to some degree.

- What are you going to ask Santa Claus? - Ellie asked joining the pair with her letter in her hands.

Ellie was considered one of the smartest orphans at the orphanage, always independent and well-behaved, whom the headmistress referred to with her mouth full of praise.

- Santa Claus doesn't exist - Clara stated coldly.

- How do you know? - Asked the girl sympathetically.

- I just know...

- And you Levy, what do you think? - Ellie asked sitting on the bench in front of the two.

He looked at the two of them, undecided, until he was kicked by Clara under the table.

- Don't know… - He stammered, trying to keep his distance from the conversation.

- Who will you write to then? - Asked the girl, crossing her arms.

- For the Father of orphans... - Clara concluded, crossing her arms also on the table.

- Who? - Levy asked confused, but received another kick, cringing.

- Already finished? - Asked Miss Medellin joining the group. - Put your cards in the tree, and it can wait in the courtyard.

Ellie got up excitedly and placed her letter in a special corner. While Clara copied it after receiving her friend's scribbles.

Levy, on the other hand, was quiet, playing with his pencil on the blank paper.

- You won't write anything? - Asked Miss Medellín, sitting down beside her.

- I don't think so... - He replied absently.

- And for what reason?

- He never performs like other kids. - He looked at the tree thoughtfully.

- Why don't you try one more time - insisted the young woman. - Maybe this time you'll realize... what counts is not giving up if it's really important to you.

- Write to the Father of orphans ... - said Clara - He will read our letter.

Levy pressed the pencil between her fingers and slowly wrote her Christmas wish in her clumsy handwriting.

The young Medellín stroked the boy's dark hair, reading in silence, while her gaze took on a sad expression.

...

I wonder what little Levy wrote in that note that changed his thoughts over the years. But that's for another moment...

...

With the cards folded in their hands, the two placed them side by side, and in the same hand, on the stiff, disoriented Christmas tree.

- Very well, now you two wait in the courtyard. - Said the young woman.

The two sat by the wall, on the floor, watching the other children having fun.

Clara brought her legs together, bracing her elbows on her slender knees, and Levy beside her stretched her legs apart, throwing her weight against the wall. Your friend's attention wanders freely around the courtyard, lost in thought. In his hands, a small piece of paper was punishment from one side to the other, between his fingers. I could barely see the vivid gleam in her sky-blue eyes.

- What are you doing? - Clara asked looking at her fingers.

- My mother taught me how to make a fold when I went to see her. – She replied, directing her eyes to the paper.

 - Got it? - She asked curiously.

- Did the couple come to adopt one of us? – changed the direction of the conversation.

His best friend never talked about his parents, or, who brought him to that orphanage five years after Clara. In these situations, she respected his space, realizing she didn't want to linger when it came to something about her family.

- Let's get lucky, who will it be this time...

Clara closed her hand and he followed.

- Stone, paper and scissors - they said in a single voice until they opened their fingers, choosing their positions.

Her hand stopped closing, and his open.

- I won - commented Levy excited.

-It's not worth it, you took too long - he complained crossing his arms.

- It didn't take me long… - his companion affirmed, his voice hardening.

The two frowned for a brief moment. Until the boy took the floor again, but in a calm way.

He straightened up, crossing his legs:

- Will you miss me when it's my turn?

- I won't say if I don't answer first. - Said the girl firmly.

He opened a smile showing some crooked teeth:

"I'm going to miss you, Clara…" His cheeks took on a slight pink color. - Now it's your turn...

"I don't think so…" he said, turning his face away.

He blinked his eyes a few times, mulling over his best friend's response in that silence until his eyes darkened.

Clara opened a smile, and approached her companion, placing a kiss on his cheeks:

- Of course yes Levy, you're my best friend.

The rosy hue grew stronger on the boy's cheeks, and his eyes lit up, giving way to a bemused smile as well.

- Levy and Clara are dating!!! – One of the boys approached, calling the attention of the others in the courtyard.

The two got up in surprise, but Levy took the lead:

- Shut up Ryan… - he said facing the boy who had a few inches more than him.

His enemy approached with a sardonic smile, and I managed to knock Levy's Cap off with a light blow. Two others approached, laughing.

Clara grabbed her friend's shoulder, stepping in front of him, and vying for a look with the taller boy.

- Leave him peace, you idiots...

The other two surrounded leaving them in the middle of the circle. Levy wasn't intimidated, reaching down to pick up his beret, but it was just the right moment for one of the boys to deposit a small spider between his shirt collar and his bare neck.

- A spider!!! – Ryan shouted pointing his thin fingers at the poor boy.

Levy backed away waving his hands as they slapped his own body, trying to ward off that arachnid. Her frantic screams along with some tears caught the attention of the other children, who were now starting to laugh at the poor desperate boy.

Clara could barely get close to her friend, trying to calm him down, but it was impossible to look for the "bug" with him hitting himself like that. Until the object went down the collar of her plaid blouse, stopping between her bare back and blouse.

You might imagine that his anguish and despair was greater; so much so that the poor boy didn't believe the laughter, he just wanted to get the animal out of his shirt.

Ryan was laughing in such an irritating way, enough for Clara to unleash all her fury in the form of a punch to the boy's nose. She took it full, in the boy's fine cheekbone, so that even her fingers fell asleep for a brief moment.

- There My Eternal Father !! – The expresses to Miss Medellin entered the courtyard together with Mr. Scott.

The young woman helped Levy, who was twisting all over, tearing off his vest and plaid blouse. Ryan, on the other hand, was taken to the infirmary with his eyes full of tears by Mr Scott. We will never know if they will be in pain or shame.

- Calm down - Miss Medelin helped take off Levy's blouse, finding the guilty plastic spider that caused all that fuss in the boy.

Levy could barely speak, only sobbing, shivering like a tree branch in a gale.

- What is this shouting here? – she arrived at the director, seeing only the girl with golden hair in the middle of the courtyard – Another one of her...

- No, madam director – the young woman interposed herself in front of her – It was not her fault alone, I believe that the ...

- I already warned you to maintain a different posture, Miss Medeline, regarding these two - Complained the headmistress, raising the wooden ruler again. – They are guilty and don't defend them...

The young woman fell silent, losing her voice in front of the woman, even though that feeling of anger ran through her veins.

Clara helped her friend replace her plaid blouse over her bony body. He didn't look up, because of the weight of shame.

...

Fifth reason; if he shares a room with his worst enemies at the orphanage, he must learn to dream silently, even as nightmares drive him to scream out his fears like spiders.

...

- Miss Medellin, please - indicating the young woman one of the children who was on the wooden bench.

Everyone inside that red brick wall knew what it meant, when Headmistress Margaret dramatically waved the young woman. She had seen that scene many times before; the silent walk from the young Medellin to the girl on the bench; in which the director appreciated for her exemplary behavior and very well praised. Ellie. She was the lucky one this time, and from that moment on, her life outside the orphanage gates would completely change. That name that she carried for many years would be stuck in the four walls, and she would receive one so dreamed and awaited, that she would remain for years to come; "daughter".

...

Sixth point: Each year she spent, watching those who were leaving with their luggage, knowing that a home awaited them, others arrived occupying empty beds. But the impression she got was the same; she would never get her turn to walk hand in hand down the hall smiling and bouncing around like Ellie that afternoon.

*

- They stole my chocolate chip cookies, caused an uproar in the courtyard and hurt another orphan !!! – said the principal, raising her voice with each word – You are tired of knowing that I do not tolerate this type of behavior here at the orphanage...

Clara kept silent, listening to the headmistress beside her best friend, after raising her hand a few times but receiving a cold, fearful look that made her lower it.

...

Seventh: never dispute authority with the principal, even more so if you are an orphan.

...

- They're both grounded indefinitely - Headmistress Margaret said - As for you, Ryan... - She directed her narrow eyes to the boy a little farther away, holding the stained cloth close to her nose - If you get any more ready, you'll be in same position as them.

After the headmistress' scolding, tears, injustice – as Clara thought.

Miss Medelin first led the boys to their rooms, warning them to behave. And lastly Clara to her bedroom.

- It's not fair... - Said the girl crossing her arms.

Medellin opened the door, and led her to her bed.

The other girls were already in their places, and each one of them left a kiss good night, until it ended in Clara.

- Why does she always fight with us?

Medelin sat close on the edge of the bed, brushing the golden hair from the girl's face.

- You did, and on top of that, you young lady, hit Ryan.

- He was laughing at Levy and threw that animal on his clothes...

- Yes, but that's not how we solve things.

Clara rested her arms on top of the blanket, lying down.

- If you act on impulse, possibly you will lose your reason, and it will be your fault.

- I didn't understand what you said... - exclaimed the girl.

"What I mean is, next time, tell the headmistress, or Mr. Scott, including me." – The young woman caressed the girl's face – Or to her teacher.

Clara put her finger to her lips, in a sign of silence, and added in the same tone of voice, so that only the two of them could hear:

- You can't tell the principal, otherwise she'll ground me for eternity.

- But that's not how we decided... - The young woman opened a sad smile - We do not return evil with evil, but with good, because everything we sow, we will reap.

The girl looked away feeling a little guilty. Her expression was enough for the young woman to change the tone of the conversation:

- Promise you won't fight, not even here at the orphanage, much less at your school? - Medellin extended his little finger

Clara nodded, joining her little finger with the girl's:

- Promise

With bright eyes full of hope and joy she let out in a whisper:

- I have a Daddy, Miss Medelin.

The young woman caressed her little face tenderly, smoothed the blankets over Clara. Resting her hands on the girl's small, sensitive hands, which were purely distracted, playing with her pendant, she said:

- How beautiful. Who gave you Clara?

- My teacher - replied

"It's beautiful," Medellin tucked the little girl's hands under the blankets. – Go to sleep, tomorrow we will have a long day.

Clara closed her eyes, receiving Medelin's goodnight kiss, and waited for her to leave the room.

The door closed, and she sat comfortably on the bed, closed her eyes, holding the pendant between her small fingers. With her imagination, she brought the figure of a man to mind, sitting where Miss Medelin had been in her elegant suit and a huge smile on her face.

-Hi Father of the orphans-she whispered-My teacher said that you are my father too... -Words failed her -My name is Clara and I'm an orphan...

He paused thoughtfully, then continued:

- Dad, will you read our letters? – His eyes narrowed – I didn't write, it was my friend Levy who wrote it, I asked for his help, because I don't know how to write yet. But I ask you to read mine and his, because Levy is very sad, and he is my best friend.

The bedroom door opened and the light from the hallway found her eyes closed. Principal Margaret's voice echoed, waking up some children around:

- Clara, go to sleep so as not to wake the others up...!!

"I was talking to my father…" she replied in her own tone. - And you say that it is very ugly to interrupt other people's conversations.

Margaret approached.

Fearing punishment, Clara quickly climbed into bed and covered her face with the blanket.

-I'm already sleeping...-she said, closing her eyes.

- I think it's good - replied the director leaving the room.

Removing the covering from her face, she looked up at the window:

-Good night Daddy – and so she closed them, falling asleep.

...

In the Christmas letter, in her friend's clumsy handwriting; little Clara asked for a family.

I've thought it through and I know what I wanted; and you, what would you ask the Father of orphans?