Icing on the Cake

~64~

After driving us to our house, we brought the children to their room. They were clearly a little scared and out of their element, and Julia was speaking to them in Ukrainian. She said something to them and I picked out the words 'this' and 'home', so I was hoping she was explaining to them that this was their new home.

“You have beautiful home.” Julia said to us. “Thank you for bringing us.”

“Thank you.” I responded back.

I thought the children would be tired after the flight, but they were bouncing with energy and ready to play. We had another room upstairs turned into a big play room. Julia was mesmerized when she saw it. We had already filled it with many different kinds of toys.

“It’s so big!” Julia exclaimed. “And many toys!”

I felt guilty for a moment. Julia and her children had nothing, and we were here with huge play rooms full of toys. I then felt good, knowing that we were giving them all a life they could’ve never had in the Ukraine.

Calum showed Julia to her room, which was rested between the play room and the children’s room. Our room was on the other side of the children’s room. Julia asked if she could go to sleep because she was tired. We said of course and that we’d play with the children in the play room.

We had an assortment of toys, both what would be considered “boys” and “girls” toys. But we knew that we would let them play with whatever toy they wanted.

Anastasia was playing with a jewelry kit. Calum went over and sat next to her. Adam was standing next to some monster trucks and GI Joe action figures. He wasn’t doing anything, though.

“You can play.” I said to him, sat down to his level. I don’t think he understood me. I took out my translate app on my phone to double check what you can play was in Ukrainian. I said it in Ukrainian, then played the voice on the app. I then repeated “you can play” in English, hoping he would make a connection.

He still didn’t do anything. I picked up a truck and moved it around his feet. I then lifted it up to hand to him. He took it, but just held it in his hand and didn’t do anything.

After a minute, he walked over to the dollhouse and the Barbies. He just stopped about ten feet from them, looking at them.

I knee-walked over to him. I picked up a Barbie, and he seemed very interested. Almost shocked, like he couldn't believe I was holding a Barbie. “Do you want this?” I asked. I pulled it up on the app, asked in Ukrainian, played it in Ukrainian, then asked again in English.

Adam didn’t say anything, but nodded his head. I reached it out to him, and he took it in his hand.

“Barbie.” I said to him, hoping he would make a connection. “Barbie.”

“Barbie.” He said quietly and with a thick accent. I was so excited; I could tell a huge smile cracked over my face.

Adam then walked over and picked up a doll brush and started combing its hair.

“Brush.” I said, then repeated. “Brush.”

“Brush.” Adam repeated.

Notes

A little disclaimer: To anyone who may be fro the Ukraine, have family or any connections in the Ukraine, this is not meant to be offensive to the country or its people, I simply chose a country that would be far, far away from Australia. Negative things reflected about the country in this fan fiction are in no means a reflection of how the country or its people actually are or how I perceive them to be.