Abandoned and alone, Jennine was taken into the foster system, where she bounced from one home to another and was sent to multiple orphanages before she had even turned ten. She had been left to fend for herself, a mere child lost in a vast and unpredictable world.

Despite these circumstances, Jennine was one of the smartest and brightest children in the orphanage and she was able to make friends easily. At such a young age she found herself at the mercy of others, and she understood that she had to fend for herself. From the tiny window of her room, Jennine saw other children, going for ice cream with their mothers, learning to ride a bike with their father, being loved by their parents. Jennine wondered what was so wrong with her that her parents never wanted her.The stability and love that other children took for granted were foreign concepts to her. 

She refused to let her past define her future. She realized that she couldn't change the actions of her parents or the circumstances that led her to this point, but she could choose how to respond and shape her own destiny. Jennine's resourcefulness and quick thinking proved to be valuable assets during these trying times. She knew just how to bribe the chef for an extra banana or another bowl of porridge. She even mastered the art of making other children do her chores. She had the chef, orphanage wardens, teachers, guards and her friends all wrapped around her finger. She had them dancing to her beat. Everyone found themselves willingly swayed by her charm and charisma. With such a life she faced, Jennine became more resourceful and resilient. She learned to rely on herself and her abilities to make her way in the world. 

Jennine, who was now 13 years old, had grown weary of the monotonous life within the confines of the orphanage. She longed to break free from this continuous cycle and to take control of her life. The allure of an extra banana or occasional favors had lost its appeal. She was determined to do something for herself to escape this constant struggle of living at the mercy of others. 

She found herself talking to her closest confidant, her best friend  at the orphanage, Roger. Like Jennine, Roger was also tired of this life and longed for something more. Much like Jennine, Roger possessed a clever and resourceful nature, allowing him to navigate their circumstances with ingenuity and adaptability.

“Hi Roger, how is it going” Jennine asked as she sat down next to him. 

“Oh you know usual, what can be new here?” He asked, smiling at her. 

“Roger, I am tired of this life, I want to do something else, do something for myself! I can’t live in this orphanage any longer, "she said. 

“But what can we do, huh?” He asked. 

“I think I am going to run away, see what happens, anything can be better than this right?” she said laughing. 

“Well true, but I will not let you do this, at least not alone, I am coming with you” he said smiling. 

As Jennine and Roger talked, they came to the realization that they shared the same goal- to break free from the strict rules of the orphanage, and to get freedom and independence of their own.  

“Just what I wanted to hear. Okay, so let's pack our bags and leave after lights out. Meet here at nine?” she said with a grin on her face.

“Let’s do it!” he shouted. 

On that cold winter night, as the winds blew fiercely in their ears, Jennine and Roger made their way out of the orphanage. The air was so cold that white fogs of air escaped their mouths with every breath. As they walked past several buildings, they could see snow settled on various roofs. They were uncertain about where they should go, but they headed towards the docks near the sea. They stood there, looking out into the unknown, unsure what lay ahead of them. However, they knew that they were never going to return to their past. That was not the life that either of them wanted. 

For days they were on the streets, struggling to survive. The little money they had was over now and getting food was a struggle. With each passing day, their physical strength waned, their bodies weakened by the relentless struggle to survive. And they understood that the most important thing was to fend for themselves on these dark streets. They knew that they needed food and water and they were willing to do anything to get it. 

The harsh realities of Jennine's and Roger's situation did not deter them from trying to make the best of things for themselves. They were determined to find food, water, and shelter for themselves and to start a life for themselves that would be better than what they had in the orphanage. 

Driven by their desperate circumstances, Jennine and Roger embarked on a path that began with petty crimes, motivated solely by the need to obtain the essentials for survival. They resorted to stealing food from local grocery stores to satisfy their gnawing hunger and clothes to replace the rags they wore. However, as they continued, the crimes they committed became more dangerous and not so harmless. The line between needs and wants became blurred.

Jennine and Roger saw these crimes as an easy way to get money and build a life for themselves. They started with pickpocketing, minor thefts where they targeted unsuspecting individuals in crowded places, discreetly swiping wallets and valuables to secure immediate cash. As time went on, their ambitions grew. They progressed to credit card frauds and conning people. They mastered the skills of manipulating the trust of innocent people and extracting money or valuable possessions through deceitful means.They began stealing electronics such as watches and other gadgets to sell in the black market. These high-value items provided them with a means to generate substantial profits by selling them through illegal means.They did not have a permanent home, nor the money to pay rent, so they bounced from one home to another fooling many landlords. They even worked at a restaurant to earn money and stole money from the cash registers. 

As Jennine saw children with their families, going to malls and getting love from their parents, she began to feel a dull ache in her heart. Her jealousy for these children grew, and before she knew it, she and Roger had kidnapped two children who were returning home from school. Although they meant no harm to the children, they did this for the money. They received a ransom of ten crores for the two children. What started with petty crimes, but their desire for money consumed them, making them do many unthinkable things. 

Jennine and Roger’s lives took a turn for the worse when they were caught stealing a car. What they didn’t know was that the car belonged to an undercover police officer, and they were caught in the act. Fearing the worst, they made every attempt to break free from the confines of the police, however, were powerless against the authorities. 

Due to their age, which was not more than sixteen years old, they were sent to the juvenile home. This was a facility designed to provide correction and rehabilitation to young adults below the age of eighteen who had committed crimes. Their time in the juvenile home was marked by strict rules, regimented daily routines, and constant therapy sessions. 

The facility where they were housed was very small and poorly managed, and little to no time for residents to spend on their own. Jennine and Roger lived in cramped quarters with many others like them, with no more than a thin mattress to sleep on during the cold winter nights. 

In the juvenile home, Jennine and Roger underwent a structured program designed to reform their behavior and help them reintegrate into society. They received therapy, counseling, and guidance to address the root causes of their criminal actions. With support from counselors and mentors, they had an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, develop important life skills, and explore new paths for a positive future. The juvenile home offered them hope and a chance to break free from the cycle of crime, paving the way for a better and law-abiding life.

There was a period of about a year in the juvenile home for them, until they finally felt like new people, those who did not want to go back to the lives in which they once lived. The night they were finally released from the juvenile home, Jennine and Roger went to the docks, the place they had started their journey from. 

As they looked out into the unknown, Jennine and Roger made a promise to each other to never return to their past lives haunted by the crimes they had committed. They resolved to create a better life for themselves, one that was marked with stability, good jobs, and a commitment to living a life free from crime. Though the road ahead would be difficult, they were determined to face it together, side by side, and to create a bright future for themselves. That was the night, Roger proposed to Jennine for marriage and they stepped into their new lives together.

As Jennine rose the next morning, she found herself sleeping on the couch, a blanket had been draped over her,( kind Roger would have put the blanket over her, she thought).  Events of the previous night came flooding back. The last thing she remembers was her sobbing on the couch, as Roger stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Only thinking about the night before, brought tears to her eyes. The house was quiet and weary. There was no sign of Roger. She felt terrible and suffocated. 

Trying to clear her mind from the horrible night before, she got up, picked up her coat  and headed for the docks. The only place she could breathe, the only place she could think clearly was by the docks, the same place Jennine and Roger went after running away from the orphanage. It had been a place where Jennine felt safe. It was the place where all new beginnings for Jennine and Roger started. From the night they left the orphanage and made a promise to each other to fight every battle side by side, to the night Jennine and Roger made the promise to each other about leaving behind the past with their crimes, and starting a fresh chapter in their lives. She and Roger knew the road ahead would not be easy, in fact it may be very difficult, but the only thing they had  wanted was the opportunity to rewrite their story, free from the constant shadow of their past.

Jennine realized she had to start forgiving herself for her past. She knew she had made mistakes, but she had learned from them as well. Jennine realized that life had given her a second chance when she had returned from the Juvenile home. While Roger had grabbed this chance and brought back his scattered life on track, she had given away the second chance. She had disappointed Roger, the only person she truly cared for, the only person she ever truly loved. 

She stood by the docks, with the sea breeze blowing in her ears, she found herself staring into the unknown. In that moment, a realization struck her with a mix of sorrow and determination: she couldn't bear to bring harm to Roger, the one she deeply loved. However, for his own well-being, she had to make the painful decision to leave him behind and vanish from his life. She knew he loved her too, and so initially it would hurt him,but she firmly believed that by removing herself from his world, she could give him the opportunity to lead a life not bound by the shadows of their shared past.As much as she loved Roger, she understood  that her absence was the only way to ensure Roger's chance at a better future.

As Jennine stood by the sea, taking in its beauty, she made a solemn promise to herself. Jennine made a heartfelt vow to dedicate her life to helping children who shared a similar fate as her own. She wanted to help children who, like her, had no family and were abandoned. She wanted to open an orphanage that would provide a nurturing environment to these children, one where they would be treated with kindness, unlike her own experience in orphanages.

She remembered her time in the orphanage, where she had always felt unwanted, unloved. She resolved to never let any other child feel the way she had once felt. She aimed to create a haven where children could flourish, knowing that they were cherished, valued, and never alone.

As she stood there, she decided to write a letter to Roger telling him about her decision. She sat down to write the letter. Her words flowed with a mixture of love, sorrow, and determination.

 Dear Roger,

 I have to leave, I have to leave your life because that is the only way you can live your life. You need to be free from the burdens of the past, the burdens I put on you. I don’t want to hold you back from living a great life. I have always wanted to be part of your life, for you are the only person I ever truly cared for. But I can’t, I have to leave to give you your best chance. I will open an orphanage for children like us, who were never wanted or loved. I will make sure no child suffers like we did, never feels like they don’t have a family. I want to be part of your life, maybe one day I will be, but for now, I have to leave, I need time.”

With love

Jennine

As she sat there signing off the letter, with all her love for Roger, she could feel a tear trickling down her cheek.