Where I’m belonging
A little girl whose parents had died lived with her grandmother
and slept in an upstairs bedroom.
One night, there was a fire in the house and the grandmother
perished while trying to rescue the child. The fire spread quickly,
and the first floor of the house was soon engulfed in flames.
Neighbors called the fire department, then stood helplessly by, unable to
enter the house because flames blocked all the entrances. The little girl
appeared at an upstairs window, crying for help, just as word spread among
the crowd that firefighters would be delayed a few minutes because they
were all at another fire.
Suddenly, a man appeared with a ladder, put it up against the side of the
house and disappeared inside. When he reappeared, he had the little girl in
his arms. He delivered the child to the waiting arms below, then disappeared
into the night.
An investigation revealed that the child had no living relatives, and weeks
later a meeting was held to determine who would take the child into their
home and bring her up.
A teacher said she would like to raise the child. She pointed out that she
could ensure her a good education. A farmer offered her an upbringing on
his farm. He pointed out that living on a farm was healthy and satisfying.
Others spoke, giving their reasons why it was to the child's advantage to live
with them. Finally, the town's richest resident arose and said:
"I can give this child all the advantages that you have mentioned here, plus
money and everything that money can buy.”
Throughout all this, the child remained silent, her eyes on the floor.
"Does anyone else want to speak?" asked the meeting chairman.
A man came forward from the back of the hall. His gait was slow and he
seemed in pain. When he got to the front of the room, he stood directly
before the little girl and held out his arms. The crowd gasped. His hand and
