The Trading

Mallory walked in just as she saw her school mate, Tina, walk out. This was her 48^th home and she was only 10 years old. Although everyone knows that the first thirteen or so homes didn’t truly count because the ‘Child Trade’ often happens a lot the first 2 years. ‘But even without those,’ Mallory thought to herself, ‘that’s more than any other kid my age.’

          She walked in the doorway and stood up tall waiting for the moment that her new ‘parents’ would come in and find her. It was about five minutes before she saw a boy lurking around the opposite end of the room. “Are they even here right now?” she whispered, just in case her first initial thought had been wrong. “No but….” the boy said pausing to look around for the parents. “But these parents are really hard on kids when they first get here. They judge you on everything. I’ve been here a year and I’m really lucky. Just do what they say and maybe you won’t get Traded.” “But-” Mallory began but the boy had left.

          Mallory slumped down. You couldn’t find any nice parents these days and the nice ones kept with their true biological children so you never even got Traded into those families. “Not very respectful to your new mommy are you? Maybe I’ll just have to trade you with the new little girl across the street,” a cold woman’s voice said. Mallory jumped to her feet. “No ma’m. I-I-I’m sorry ma’m.” “Did I ask you to speak?” she snapped. “You can be expected to be Traded as soon as I get Harold to fill out the paper work.” The slouching boy, who Mallory had just learned was Harold, walked across the back of the room and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ to Mallory.

          Harold was right; this was a hard, judging woman. ‘And now,’ Mallory thought as the woman walk away and she held her tears in, ‘I get traded…. Again.’