Mistaken Identiy

 by Moriah Long 

Ages 13-17 Runner Up

Fall 2023 Writing Contest

                             

   "I'm so bored!" Andi wailed to her family. They were all seated around the table eating lunch. It was a dreary and rainy Saturday, and Andi had been planning to go on an all day ride with Taffy. Even Taffy, Andi's golden palomino horse was gloomy because she couldn't go out into the sun.

   "I hate when it rains! It ruins all of my plains!" Andi continued, " I had a perfect day all planned out and look, look what it did! Rain!" 13-year-old Andi's voice raised a notch.

   "Andi, a young lady never raises her voice unnecessarily, especially about things she can't control," Andi's mother scolded.

   Andi sighed, "Yes Mother." 

   "You could always clean your room," Andi's big sister Melinda suggested.

   Andi stayed quiet hoping that remark passed unheard by her mother.

   "You could go rummage around up in the attic," Mitch reached for seconds of potatoes.

   "Oh, yes! Remember when we would go up there and play?" Melinda asked her brothers.

   "You were always the fair lady in distress Melinda, Chad would hold you hostage, and Mitch and I would be your Knights in Shining Armor!" Justin laughed. The three siblings continued to reminisce about the times they play acted in the attic.

   Andi rolled her eyes, you wouldn't catch me being a princess in distress, she thought. But on the other hand, maybe poking around up there isn't a bad idea. You never know what I could find.

   Out loud she said, "I think I will go up to the attic. Thanks for the suggestion."

   "Your welcome," said Mitch, and he asked to be excused.

   5 minutes later found Andi rooting through a wardrobe of her mother's old clothes,a trunk of baby clothes among with things Elizabeth Carter's children had made for her. There were lots of interesting things to look at, but a chest in a far corner had piqued Andi's curiosity. The chest was made of lovely oak wood and was beautiful although it looked old. Andi walked over to it and tried to open it.

   "It's locked," grumbled Andi. "I wonder if the key I found in Father's old desk fits it?" She hurried to her father's desk across the room. But in her haste Andi accidentally tripped over a trunk, banging her knee in the process.

   "Ouch!" Andi cried but continued on. She got the antique key and went back to the chest. Andi was delighted to find that the key turned smoothly and the lock sprang open. 

   In the trunk Andi found crocheted doilies, a polished horseshoe and other odds and ends. But at the bottom of the chest was a stack of papers and the paper on top caught Andi's eye. It read,

                                                Mountain View Orphana

                                                Mountain View Californ

                                              Name: Andrea Rose Kent

                                                   Born: May 26  18

                                               Adopted: Aug. 14  18

                                             Adopted by: James an

   "What!" shrieked Andi, "I was adopted?"

   Unfortunately the adoption certificate had sometime gotten wet, and part of the whole right side of the paper was unreadable.

   Andi sat on the attic floor stunned.

   "I can't believe this. I'm adopted? Why did no one ever tell me? Nobody ever tells me about things like this," Andi decided to forget looking around the attic. The afternoon had been ruined again for her.

   As she slowly made her way to her room she tried to piece it together.

   "This can't be me," she said, throwing herself on her bed. "I wish that water mark wasn't there, the dates would tell me for sure if it was me. But then again who else would it be. My name is Andrea Rose. My father's name was James," her voice trailed off. "Then they changed my name from Kent to Carter. Uhh, I wish I could see the smudged out names and dates!"

   Then Andi thought of something else, " No wonder Chad always bosses me around, he must know im not his real sister, so im not as good as Melinda," Andi was horrified by this thought. "I can't let anyone know I've found this," said Andi locking it in her chest and hiding the key under her mattress.

   "I wonder how old I was when they adopted me?" Andi sniffed the air. It was soon going to be supper time, Andi could already smell the delicious aroma. But she dreaded having to act as if everything where normal. Nothing was going to be normal anymore.

   During the meal Andi's family noticed that she was way more quiet than usual.

   "Did you have a good day rummaging around through the attic Andi?" Justin asked. 

   "Yeah," Andi mumbled putting another bite of steak in her mouth.

   Justin gave his mother a look that said, somethings not right with Andi. Elizabeth returned his glance, agreeing.

   "Are you feeling ok honey? Your not acting like yourself," Elizabeth asked,  "Are you sick?"

     "No I'm not sick. May I please be excused Mother?" Andi had finished the food on her plate but ever bite seemed to stick in her throat. Now she slid the plate back.

   "Ok," Elizabeth sighed, there's something she not saying, she thought as Andi bolted for the barn.

   In the safety of Taffy's stall, Andi told her horse all about her day, but mainly about her new-found information.

   "It just doesn't make sense Taffy, I've always felt a belonging  here. There's no place I'd rather be, but why didn't they tell me. That's what I don't understand!" 

   Later after telling Taffy all her fears about finding the adoption certificate, Andi went to be and fell asleep.

   The next morning Andi woke up feeling great, until she remembered what had happened the day before. 

   "Oh," she groaned, "Another day of faking happiness." So with a fake smile pasted on her face, Andi walked downstairs to greet the day.

    Wow, she thought, for once I walked down the steps. Wouldn't Aunt Rebecca be happy. Well, Andi thought with a sly grin, I just won't tell her.

   All throughout the day Andi was miserable. 

   "This secret is just eating me up," she said later to Taffy. 

   "What's eating you up?" Asked Mitch walking into the barn. 

   Andi jumped, "I didn't k ow anyone else was here." She told Mitch.

   "No one else was, I just came in. So what's eating you up?" He said repeating the question.

   "Nothing," Andi put her head in Taffy's mane.

   "Andi if something's wrong you should tell someone, if not me then tell Justin or Mother," Mitch told her gently.

   "I'm fine Mitch, really." 

   Mitch turned not looking very convinced, "Alright," he said, "Suit yourself."

    "I need to think about something else for a little while," Andi told Taffy, "Lets go for a good hard ride out to our special spot before supper." Andi went to get Taffy's tack. 

   A couple of minutes later they were galloping hard towards Andi special spot at the creek. But try as she might, Andi could not get the pestering thoughts out of her head. This time though the questions turned to, why did my parents leave me? Are they dead ? Why was I put in an orphanage in the first place? Didn't I have relatives who wanted me?

   "Ugh, this ride did not help to clear my mind!" Andi unloaded her frustrations onto Taffy. "Sorry girl, I shouldn't give you my problems."

   Talk to your mother, a quiet voice told Andi.

   "But I cant let her know that in know. If she hasn't told me, then maybe I'm not supposed to know about it." Andi countered back.

   "But she can help you." The still voice in Andi's head continued. "Just tell her."

   On the way back to the barn, the battle in Andi's head raged on. But by the time she got back the still small voice had won.

   "I'll tell her after supper," Andi reasoned to Taffy, while brushing her.

   All through supper Andi rehearsed what she was going to say. But after supper instead of just her mother or her mother and one of her siblings relaxing in the parlor, her whole family decided to relax as well. Since no one had much of anything to do, they decided to take the opportunity to relax with their mother.

   Oh boy, thought Andi, now I'll have an audience. Working up her courage, she approached her mother.

   "Uhh, Mother? Um, I think I know something I'm not supposed to know " here Andi faltered.

   "Go on dear," her mother looked up from her needlework.

   "Well when I went up to the attic the other day, I found well, I found something in an old locked trunk. I found the key in Father's old desk. It was a certificate that had water spilled on it, but I made out enough of it that said I'm adopted by you and father. And my real last name was Kent, and, and," this last part came out in a rush, Andi drew in a deep breath, prepared to start again. But just as she opened her mouth, she heard a chocked laughed from across the room. Andi turned, Justin had his paper in front of his face, but his eyes twinkled with amusement. Chad's face was growing red from trying to contain his laughter, and Mitch was doubled over, making a strangled sound. Even Melinda was making a strange choking noise into her handkerchief.

   Andi was getting mad hat they were laughing at her expense. Then she heard something behind her. Andi turned back around, she couldn't believe her eyes, her mother was laughing too!

   Suddenly no one could contain it anymore. The whole room burst into laughter, except for Andi who was about in tears. After a minute with Andi looking shocked at one family member then another.

   Mother wiped the tears from her eyes. "Oh dear. Sit down honey, I didn't realize that you didn't know."

   "Know what?" cried Andi. "It's got my name on it and everything!"

   "The dates on that certificate are 1802 and 1803." Elizabeth continued, "Your grandmother was Andrea Rose Kent. Not you. Your grandmother Andrea was taken to an orphanage when she was less than a year old. Both of her parents had died from the flu. After a couple of months, she was adopted by James and Amber Reese, your Great-Grandparents. She grew up and married your grandfather, David Carter. They had your father, who they named after her adopted father James. Your father and I got married and had Justin, Chad, Mitch, and Melinda. Then we had you, you were born on you Grandmother Andrea's birthday. So we decided to name you after her. Andrea Rose Carter. 

   Your older siblings knew about their grandmother's adoption story. But then she passed away when you were little Andrea, and I guess nobody really wanted to tell her story again." Elizabeth reached out to hug her daughter. "I'm so sorry you've been carrying that weight around with you.

Please believe me dear, if you really were adopted, we would of told you."

   "No wonder you've been acting strange lately," put in Chad. Elizabeth gave Chad a look that said, don't tease your sister

"But I am sorry I laughed when you first thought you were adopted. Please forgive me Andi," Chad looked so sorry, Andi forgave him on the spot. And she also forgave the others too when they asked forgiveness for laughing.

   "Well," Andi said a couple minutes later, "Since I am now feeling better, I seem to have my appetite back. Could we please have more desert Mother? Please?"

   Elizabeth laughed, "Ok, but you will need to probably need to bribe Luisa, especially since she's put everything away."

   As it turned out Luisa didn't say anything, maybe she was glad to see Andi happy again.

   "All's well that ends well," said Andi, forking a bite of chocolate cake in her mouth. I just wish my appetite had known that I wasn't adopted, a little sooner, I wouldn't of left so much food behind then!"

Everyone laughed, and Andi realized that even if she was adopted, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.