"So...what's the kid's name again? John just stared at him blankly and dropped his shoulders.

Meanwhile the pizza kid sat in church enjoying the free lunch that was provided for the less fortunate like himself. It was his favorite; a classic tuna sandwich with just the right amount of crunch and creamy mayonnaise. Two kids he knew through the church youth choir had given him their share since they were allergic to sea food. He thanked them and made to devour it all but then he remembered the poor little girl from earlier. Oh no! He had rushed to work and forgotten all about her! What if something bad had happened to her back home? That thought alone was enough to make him jump to his feet; to the amazement of the others nearby. He went rushing out the door like a madman.

Upon reaching home, he checked the box they'd left her in. Save for her pink backpack, nothing else was in the box . He frantically searched around but the girl was nowhere to be seen so he went back inside his father's garage; which also served as their home. Something nagged at his thoughts; how could a girl that scruffy own such a clean, new and seemingly expensive bag? It just didnt add up so he resorted to opening it up and look up its contents.

There was a pink beautiful princess dress, white ballet shoes, a Princess Sofia doll, sleepwear, a water bottle and other convenient clothing. Everything in the bag screamed money. The bag had a tag with the name ‘Rainbow Summers’ written on it and what looked like an address of the owner but he couldnt make it up since most of the letters were scratched away, seemingly on purpose. He jumped to his feet at the sound of his father's truck. There was a hoot and the boy rushed to open up. He closed the door as soon as the vehicle was inside.

"Oh good you're home, we need to talk. Fetch me my beer will you?" the boy did as he was told and sat close but far enough to dodge when his unpredictable father decided to hit him as he always did.
"The girl in the truck, whats her name boy mhhh?" there was no answer, the boy just shook his head to the negative. The man was perplexed, "You go around sleeping with little girls now huh? You wanna go to jail, is that it?" his face was then redder than before and the poor boy's eyes darted around the garage. He was searching for a good spot to hide in case his dad went predator on him. To his surprise, his father did not hit him; he just gave a deep sigh and dropped his shoulders.

"Well, I guess we just gotta let her sleep the meds off and then send her back to where it all happened, huh?" The boy ruffled his hair in agitation and solemn confusion.
"She had a backpack on....maybe she was travelling somewhere or she was lost around there? And Dad…I wouldn't sleep around with little girls. Mom would come down from heaven and slit my throat herself."
At the mention of his wife, poor John gave another sigh and decided to let his son make whatever decision pertaining the little girl. After all it was him who brought food to the table anyway. He just needed a drink real bad and then, he would go to bed and forget all about that day.

She woke with a start. Where was she? Why wasn't someone waking her up and why was her mother so quiet to let her sleep until the sun was that much up? Oh no! What if her poor mother hadn't taken her medication yet? Rainbow jumped to her feet and came crashing down the car seat again after banging her head hard against the roof of the truck. She looked around; there was a scary, heavily bearded man asleep on an ancient ragged sofa by the corner and right at the center of the room by a door-less sedan was the pizza kid on a much comfortable car seat. He was asleep too. She sat still and focused. After a while the activities of the previous day started playing one after the other in her genius head until the very end where she had lost consciousness.

She smiled to herself and got off the truck. The boy was awaken by the sound of the car door slamming. He looked up and found the girl seated yoga style next to her bag. He cleared his voice to capture her attention but she just sat there; seemingly unfazed by him. It was when he moved over and tapped her shoulder that she actually turned and looked at him. Those large green eyes bored deep into his soul. It really made him uneasy but there were questions he needed answered.

"Oh good you're awake. So what's your name and why did you insist on riding with me to town yesterday? Your family will be worried sick by now. She just stared unblinkingly at him. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine. She was so thin and scary, and she reminded him of dead people and ghosts and all kinds of scary stuff. "Okay, I get it you don't talk to strangers or whatever but if I'm to help you then you gotta talk to me coz I can't be arrested for kidnapping, no." His voice registered a little desperation. It was so frustrating. What kind of a monster abused a kid to the point of no talking?! He touched her shoulder again and she just continued staring at him like he was some kind of god.

He remembered something from movies he used to watch; shed held onto him wanting to ride to town with him and whenever he touched her shoulder she did not flinch- maybe she trusted him. However, he could not count on that until...wait! He walked to his father and shook him vigorously, "Dad wake up! We gotta take the girl back remember?" the old man slowly staggered to his feet.
"My wife's dead, so wh...what girl are you referring to Peter boy huh?"he enquired drowsily. Peter just let him go back to bed then splashed some cold water on his face, which got the old man jumping back to his feet more steadily; seemingly fully awake at last. "Damn it Peter! Would you quit doing that?!"

The girl was then seated; facing the two. Her eyes were full of amazement but she wasn't scared, however; just really fascinated by the events which were unfolding in front of her eyes. The older of the two resembled a grizzly bear with his wet hair and large unruly brown beard. Back then she would have laughed or smiled but she just sat there, with her eyes being the only thing that was able to portray whatever emotion she was feeling.

"The girl! Dad you said to take her back home remember?" at that, his father looked around until his eyes rested on the little girl. Their eyes met for a split second and she seemed to shrink back into her shell.
"Oh that girl? Well, I found her with you, so naturally she's your responsibility don't you think? at that he shook his head vigorously to release the water from his hair. It just made the situation worse but after he had looked directly into her eyes; the girl did not find the situation funny anymore; she just found the man even more unsettling.

"Okay Dad I will see to it then." Looking at the girl, "Follow me, will you?" she silently obliged and quickly followed the boy outside where he gestured for her to get on his bike before taking off in the direction of the church. He parked at the entrance then walked her to the shelter for the homeless. There was a kind looking man who greeted them warmly, "Uhm Father Johnson, this is Rainbow. I'm sorry I have to rush to work...maybe you two will get along well. He rushed outside and the little girl ran after him. She grabbed at his clothes and refused to let go. The Reverend followed them shortly.

"It's okay my child, we will take good care of you here and take you home safely huh?" Tears welled up in her eyes at the mention of the word home. The man of God thought she just didn't want to be left in an unfamiliar place full of strangers. All lost and homeless kids brought to him always did that anyway. He consoled himself that she was going to be alright after a few days anyway and then he would take her to a kids' shelter or something. He gently urged her to come with him but she was very reluctant and kept on tugging at the pizza kid's clothes. The boy thought to shove her away but then remembered the events of the previous day... "Okay let's make a deal; I'll come check on you after work and then you can tell me all about it huh?" she looked suspiciously at him but her grip loosened. "Seriously dear I promise to come back...REJOICE remember?" at that she let go and gave him a vague smile. The Reverend looked from one kid to another in quiet astonishment. There seemed to be a rather strong bond between them, and what was that about rejoice Peter had mentioned to the little girl?!

The Reverend put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder on their way back inside and she shrugged it off immediately and hugged her bag ever so tightly. She looked troubled. There seemed to be a lot of work that needed to be done on her mental wellness and she looked malnourished too. Rejoice?!! Maybe taking her to the practice room could help?

"So...welcome to God's Children Worship Center!" They stopped next to an elderly woman, "Gracia, meet Rainbow here. She just came in with Peter Anderson a little while ago." The old woman smiled sweetly at the girl and extended her hand for a handshake of which Rainbow ignored and continued staring at the floor. The Reverend warned, "Oh careful; our little Miss here does not like physical contact that much. I do, however, believe that taking her straight to the Rejoice practice room could ease the tension around a little." He said; gesturing his head in the direction of Rainbow. The old woman did as she was told and took her where Peter and his friends practiced for their choir's performances.

"Here we are dear. Lucky you they won't practice until tomorrow so you can look around all you want. Come get me where you found me with Father Johnson if you need anything okay?" the girl looked at her but did not nod. The older woman hesitated before leaving the girl behind alone. The instruments were pretty standard;Rainbow had seen better than that. However, after such a long time seeing musical instruments, she loved it. It was amazing and...wait, was that a piano?! She dropped her bag onto the floor and started circling the piano, polishing it and smiling to herself. Yes, she was actually smiling for the first time in two years!

"Good Lord! Reverend, remember when I told you that I passed by the music room numerous times and that girl was still sitting by the piano holding the microphone like that?" the Reverend peered through the studios glass door and true to Gracia's words the girl was still there; like a singer ready to deliver the performance of a lifetime. The only problem was that instead, she had been seated like that for over five hours and when they tried getting her to move she had just glared at them. The old woman thought to call the social welfare services but the Reverend asked to wait until Peter returned, and so they waited for Peter's arrival like a woman waiting for her long lost husband to come home.

Peter was surprised to find everyone waiting anxiously for his promised return when he walked through the front doors. The Reverend was first to greet him, "Oh thank God you came back! We were worried sick by the girl you brought earlier. I get the feeling she loves singing but she won't talk to any of us around here; even the kids her age and she definitely distates any form of physical contact too." He led Peter to the music room and waited outside. He couldnt dare enter in case he frightened the little girl further. Peter walked in and sat right next to her. She didn't shift away from him. All eyes were on them outside the door.

"Hey there. So I gather you really love music huh?" silence, "So what's going on here? Wanna take a short trip to the bathroom?" Silence again. He stood up and opened an adjacent door, "Bathroom's that way Miss Summers."
To everyone's amazement the girl stood up and actually went to the bathroom. Peter stared back at their onlookers questioningly; he was confused as much as they were but why did they keep staring at him in such awe like he had just performed some sort of miracle?!

After a little while Rainbow re-emerged from the bathroom and sat back at the piano again. Peter felt disappointed that she was back there again but he hid it well and just talked to her like it was normal for her to be there for so long in one position doing nothing, "So, what's your favorite song huh? We will be having some sort of talent show in two weeks' time. There will be some celebrity of sorts. Their name hasn't been confirmed yet but apparently the winner will get fifty thousand bucks in cash and be signed by that celeb's recording label." The girl's emerald eyes sparkled at those words and there was color to her cheeks too.

They say just enough hope is powerful enough to overcome obstacles; no matter how great they may be. This proved to be true for poor Rainbow as her eyes glittered at Peter. His name was Peter. She looked at him and wondered if he had any idea just how much he had brought her back to life again; just how much it all meant to him and just how many blessings were coming his way at that moment, "Uhm...what? You are kind of staring at me in a very weird way and its a lot more unsettling than the usual also unsettling stare...oh wait, I know! You, my dear Rainbow, are interested in the talent show, right? for the second time since he'd talked to her, she nodded; much to the Reverend and Gracia's amazement.

After that Peter related the whole story of how he got to know the girl and everything that had happened including the accident to the Reverend and Sister Gracia. He begged the Reverend not to contact the police or the Social Welfare services department until after the day of the talent show. Somehow he was hopeful that the girl would come around then, and if not; then he would have tried his best to help a soul on this earth to prevent them from ending up like poor Gram. At first they were reluctant but after seeing how the poor girl looked at Peter, they agreed and just made up a story for the rest of the people who frequented the church about the girl being Peter's younger sibling.

She still did not talk to anyone or let anyone get close to her other than Peter but at least she was more responsible for her looks and everyone was amazed at how beautiful she actually was. Her body too was gaining most of its lost fat and her skin got much healthier. The counselling sessions she was attending at church did just about nothing yet; pertaining her social behavior. Everyone understood that she needed more time and effort because seemingly, her psychological scars ran a little too deep. In all that, there was one slight problem; she never sang nor played the piano; she just kept staring at it like she had done the first time. No matter how much Peter begged her to practice; she just shook her head no and watched him sing instead.

The day of the competition finally came. Peter brushed up his best outfit and gave Rainbow a tiny fluffy bear wearing an even tinier t-shirt with the word REJOICE hand-sewn to it. He had made it especially for her. It made her happy so much she actually hugged him. Somehow Peter had managed to ask Granny Adams to come too. However, he couldnt bring Rainbow's mother to come too due to her mental illness which was worsening by the day....

Soon it was Rainbow's turn on stage. All eyes were on Peter. Most of those who knew their relation were scared for him and some just openly mocked him about his silent sister. He was skeptical too. He thought to himself that it was madness; there he was backstage cheering on a girl whom he'd never heard sing; let alone hear her speaking voice. At her cue, she walked to the piano, took a seat and looked at the crowd in front of her. This was it; she had to do it for Momma, she had to do it for Peter and most importantly; she had to do it for herself. She smiled at the audience, cleared her voice and belted out Birdy's skinny love; hitting every note to perfection, completely pitch perfect.
There was complete silence even after she had hit the last note. People looked sad. A couple of judges were wiping tears. She turned and looked at Peter sorrowfully. He gave her a thumbs up, grinning from ear to ear and wiping a tear or two. Heaven knew she had tried. Her eyes were watering. Thats when it came; the cheering, the screaming. People were shouting her name and the judges were on their feet. One judge silenced the crowd and said one thing to her, "Thank you."
Everyone roared with happiness. She bowed before them and came crushing into Peters arms.
"Yes Rainbow; hug me even tighter because right now, I'm very proud of you!" He wiped her tears and gave her some water. They sat for an hour or so before it was time to announce the winners. Rainbow was shaking but Peter assured her that whatever the results were, she was already a winner in life.

The gorgeous music icon was the one who made the announcement, "Thank you everyone for such a wonderful evening. You gotta admit; there's lots of talent around here huh?" People cheered and clapped to the affirmative, "...unfortunately we only have a price for only the best today so its just one name and then we go home huh? Trust me, it was a very tough decision for the judges to make with so much talent showcased here tonight!"
Everyone was holding their breath... "Rainbow Summers...thank you my dear and welcome to Shining Stars Music!" She held out her arms and the girl walked skeptically into them. It seemed like a dream; a very beautiful one at that but when she secretly pinched herself it hurt: it was real, she had done it! She looked around and let the cheering sink in. She let the joy rush through her. REJOICE: it meant happiness and happiness opened the door to new hopes; that it was not the end, that she could be happy again. The judge queried, "So...my dear Rainbow, what inspired you to enter this competition?"
Rainbow lifted her doll and pointed the word Rejoice much to the singer's intrigue, "REJOICE? Why that word I'm curious?" The girl smiled and looked at Peter. Because of him her mother will be healed. They will regain their frozen millions, they will have a new proper home and poor Peter had no idea just how rich he would become.
"It gave me hope." She pointed at Peter, "He gave me Hope." The crowd cheered and she ran into Peters arms once more; yes it was true: just the right amount of hope is strong enough to overcome the greatest of fears*

© Elihle