A little boy from India finds a family of his own in the United States.
(I will get back to Kendra tomorrow. Stay tuned, Michelle [and others]!)
Kennedy Harminder Ryan Morganstern is, for all appearances, a typical three-year-old little boy with a killer grin that lights up his entire face, a shock of wavy, thick black hair, and ever-sparkling dark eyes that are fringed with rediculously long, lacy, blue-black lashes. He is an adorable little boy who is well loved (and spoiled) by his parents, Ron and Nancy Morganstern.
But Kennedy's story has a darker, more sinister turn, a story most people aren't even aware of or know about. Kennedy was born near an orphanage in a remote village near Calcutta, in India, and when it was discovered that the little boy (then known as Harminder) was born with possible brain damage that affected his limbs, his young mother immediately abandoned her newborn son, and she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
In addition, tiny Harminder also suffered from breathing problems that nearly threatened to take his life twice while he was in the orphanage; but somehow the little boy rallied, and he slowly recovered from his respiratory illnesses.
Once he was strong (and well) enough, Harminder was placed on a list to be adopted, in the hopes that a family somwhere would be interested in adopting a sickly little infant from India who had possible brain damage and suspected other special needs.
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Enter Ron Morganstern, a consultant, and his wife, Nancy, a homemaker, who lived in Palo Alto, California, in the United States of America. The Morgansterns had one daughter already, a little girl adopted from Vietnam when she was a baby, named Sweet Harmony, now two; so they were experienced with the challenges that adoption so often brings. Sweet Harmony Morganstern had been adopted when she was just an infant of about ten months, and under her adoptive parents' love and guidance, she flourished beautifully, and she grew into an adorable, talkative little toddler with an inquisitive mind.
The Morgansterns first heard about little Harminder from an adoption magazine they had picked up somewhere; and in the magazine happened to be an article about special-needs adoption, and included in the article was a picture of a bright-eyed little boy with black hair (then nearly two when the picture had been taken) from India who was suffering from possible physical and neurological problems and was in desperate need of a home and a family that could love him as their own son.
"When we first saw those dark eyes filled with tears, fear, or pain, we were immediately drawn to them, and we couldn't get the image of this precious child out of our minds", Nancy muses as her eyes grow misty at the memory, "And it was then when we--my husband, Ron, and myself--made the decision to try to adopt this little boy, whose name was Harminder. We knew that Harminder needed a family, and he seemed to be the little boy for us--and the possible brother to our other child, our daughter, Sweet Harmony, whom we adopted from Vietnam when she was just a little baby."
So the young couple proceeded in getting the necessary steps in getting Harminder to America; and during the long and tedious adoption process, they cried and wept over the little boy, whom they now referred to as their son; but they never once gave up on their faith. "In fact, it was our Christian faith that got us through whatever hurdle or roadblock that got in our way", Ron says. As he talks, Sweet Harmony sits in her daddy's lap, her head resting on his chest, as she sleeps peacefully. He glances over at his wife, who is looking at her son, now known as Kennedy Harminder Ryan Morganstern, who is busily hammering some nails with a toy hammer. She grins at her son, and she then continues to proceed in telling the rest of his story.
(To be continued.)
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Reviewed by Simon Thurlow
3/30/2004
I don't normally read that many short stories but you always have a way of captivating me and I am continually drawn to what you write...regardless of how much time I have available. Wonderful
WOW! extremely well written, descriptive piece--the following sentence stands out: "...with a killer grin that lights up his entire face, shock of wavy, thick black hair, and ever sparkling dark eyes fringed by ridiculously long. lacy, blue-black lashes..." o, what a beautiful child this little boy is, just in the power of his profile! :) BRAVA!
the rest of your story is as compelling a read; well done! well done!
(((HUGS))) and look forward to reading more about kennedy :)
A beautiful start to another wonderful short story, by the short story teller queen of AD...I look forward to further renditions of this wonderfully sounding & astounding short story...Peace thru the Written Word, Ed & Rufuz
In "A Touch of Your Presence" are words that would inspire, encourage and strengthen one's soul when faced with challenges and difficulties and to know the awesomeness of God's power.
In "A Touch of Your Presence" are words that would inspire, encourage and strengthen one's soul when faced with challenges and difficulties and to know the awesomeness of God's power.
