We are woken 20min before arrival and hurry off the train to catch a taxi. The Sakhalinsky express way is still under development, possible the same developers that are working on the highways in Mexico. The hotel is located in a very old five story building. Inside was nicely remodeled and clean. We got a short nap in and headed off to our girls orphanage around 10am. The orphanage home is very large around 250 children. The translation of the orphan home name is “Children’s home of the mentally defective”. Looking at the block walls and heavy locking steel doors my mind kept thinking of the State Mental Institutions you would see on TV. Only difference was who painted the cartoon characters on the wall.
We met the orphanage director a very helpful but not particularly warm person. And then some of the care takers, that take care of her. Next we turn around and there she is not at all what we expected of the experience. They were trying so hard to impress us with what they had taught her and that she had recently got a hearing aid. They were having her verbalize mama, papa. She did her best to perform in a week whisper. Sara and I both felt so bad for her but knew they didn’t understand, just doing what they thought best. Poor girl had a huge group of adults staring down at her. She had no idea why and still did her best to be brave and smile. Then they tried to make her hug us. This whole time Sara and I just wishing they would let her alone. Then they put a poorly fitted hearing aid on her which she calmly put up with. Sara showed her the hearing aids she wore and of course that sparked her interest. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that we had already made up our mind about the kids. We signed a little to her and she showed interest. They immediately informed us she wouldn’t understand. Somehow because she shook her head yes when they talked loudly to her she understood that. Boy did they quickly find out how wrong they were.
Finally they allowed Svetlana, and the observer from the dept. of education (Tatyana) Sara, myself and our tiny little cutie go to a private visit room. Svetlana said she has seen her for many years always quite, reserved and never smiling. She was described as shy, yet emotionally active in her paper work. Either they were big liars or she made a huge change within a short period of time with us. We started out playing shoots and ladders; she was more interested with putting the pieces together and cleaning up to put the game away then playing.
Then I pulled out the flash cards with pictures on them and we started showing her the signs for the words. With in minutes she realized she could communicate for the first time in her life. We couldn’t get those cards out of her site after that. Every time we left she would check to make sure I had got the cards. Lunch time came and we took her back into the orphanage to eat and her nap and headed to see brother.
Brothers’ orphanage was much smaller. Staff seemed much more personal and friendly. We went in to meet the director and discuss things, and then much in the same way surprise there he was. He had grown a lot since the picture we first received. He had lost all his front baby teeth and was starting to get his adult teeth in. We went out in the front yard of the facility and he showed us the puppies that had recently been born. And sat and talked with him through the interpreter for a short time and quickly found out what a story teller he was. For example when he had a recent visit to the hospital how he would sneak out at night. He had to be careful to sneak back in before lock up or he would have to sleep out side with the bums. Also how he had fought frequently with some of the older boys cause they would pick on him. Not sure if these were stories he had repeated from other boys or if they were real. I tend to believe them though, he seems to have a lot of street smarts about him. He seems to have seen a lot of things for his young life. The stories continued on later as we went in relation with what was going on or being said. He later told us that he would like to keep seeing his sister and it seemed to be far, to far to walk it would take him all night. So possibly he would take one of the men's bikes from the orphanage to she her. Again later when we had discussed his dogs Sausha and Sam in America he sat thinking for awhile, and then announced they must be waiting for him to come. I think I want to go see them right now. He asked about me being his father and how we would talk since I spoke English. I explained I would work hard to learn Russian as fast as I could. He sat and thought for a minute and then said when is he going to start. So in Russian I asked him, “Tea men-ya na-ooch-ish go-vo-reet po rus-ski?” Which is will you teach me some Russian? When then went over a list of various body parts in Russian, since it was easy to point at each and have him say it and I copy him. He decided I wasn’t hopeless after all I guess. Plus between my sad attempt at Russian and various body parts named I got several giggles. When we asked if he wanted to see his sister he said but she can’t talk! Crazy kid! I wish I could remember all the things he had come up with during our visit.
After a short visit with brother, the director offered to drive all of us back over to sisters’ orphanage. We had a brief meeting with brother and sister; they seemed to recognize each other but not really sure why. Possibly it had been some time away from each other. The group then headed back to our private room and gave him some Lincoln logs we all played with. Brother at first seemed to have some issues with touch, didn’t like a hand on his shoulder. He would however hold your hand. They quickly became good play mates. More and more we saw their personalities come out. She became the pushy leader and he calmly put up with it and went along with the flow. They both quickly came out of there shells and enjoyed more of our affection.
We tried the cards again and he seemed much more interested with sign when he realized sister could communicate. Sara and he had a great time signing to each other. Sister again ate up every minute of learning new signs. Now there’s a constant smile on her face and she is extremely expressive. I think we created a monster she’s a constant chatter box now.
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