Chapter 10

10

2023

Janelle settled on the park bench next to Jonas. Across the lawn, she could see the statue of King Charles II and a small black-and-white Tudor-style building. A few people strolled past, some with dogs on leashes and others with children in tow. It was a peaceful spot with tall trees, curving paths, and a gentle breeze.

She took her container of Chinese food from the bag and opened the top. The mingled scents of vegetable noodles and lemon chicken rose. "Mmm, this smells delicious."

"Wait until you try the teriyaki beef." He opened his container, then glanced at her. "Do you mind if I say a prayer before we eat?"

Her heart warmed. "I'd like that." She lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Father, thank you for this day and this food. We pray for Amanda and the twins and ask you to watch over them at the hospital. Thank you for Janelle and her work at the Foundling Museum. Please guide her and give her wisdom as she leads her staff and carries on all that's needed while Amanda is away. And please help me make this film the most effective tool possible. Thanks for this food. We pray in Jesus's name. Amen."

Gratitude flooded her heart as she lifted her head. "Thank you. That was kind of you to pray for Amanda and for me. I definitely need God's wisdom to try and fill Amanda's shoes."

"From what I can see, you're doing a great job."

She smiled and dipped her chopsticks into her lemon chicken. "Thanks. I never realized all that's involved, especially staying on budget. That's the only way our staff can hold on to their jobs and we can continue offering our programs for kids in care."

He sent her an understanding nod. "I'm sure it's a challenge."

They ate in companionable silence for a couple minutes, then she said, "Now that you know how to access the museum's records, I suppose you'll go back to working at your office?"

He shifted on the bench and looked her way. "My office is actually the spare bedroom in my flat."

She blinked and glanced at him. She'd imagined him working in a modern office with a receptionist out front and a production studio, as well as an assistant or two.

"You look surprised."

"Oh, no ... it's just that I thought..."

"It's okay. We're a young company, and it's just me and Howie right now, so working from home makes sense. But you won't find anyone more committed to making an impact than we are. That's why we took the name Vision Impact Films."

She nodded. "The Bible says we shouldn't despise the day of small things."

Interest sparked in his eyes. "Right. And Jesus said the one who is faithful with a little will be given more." He grinned. "That gives me hope."

Delight swirled through her. He not only prayed—he knew his Bible. "Being faithful with what you've been given is an important principle."

They both took a few more bites of their food, and she could tell he was as pleased with her comments as she was with his.

She took a sip from her water bottle. "Tell me about some of the other films you've made."

"You saw part of the one we did for the British Wildlife Federation."

She nodded, recalling the beautiful images of the countryside, birds, and animals.

"And I've done a few for a youth theater group called Rising Stars. Then I filmed one for a manor house in Berkshire that's owned by the National Trust."

"Oh, I love visiting National Trust sites. Anything else?"

He nodded. "Last year we started working on a documentary for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, but the grant for the funding fell through. We had to stop work and shelve the project." He huffed and shook his head.

"Sounds like that was disappointing."

He grimaced. "It was painful. I probably shouldn't have invested so much time in the project without being certain we'd secured that grant, but the need is so great."

"That is an important cause."

"It is, and it's personal for me."

She sent him a questioning look.

"When I was fifteen, there was a girl who lived two houses down from me. Her name was Sarah. We'd known each other since we were six. I used to walk to and from school with her and her older brother. But one day, I got in trouble and had to stay after school. Her brother had football practice, so she walked home alone, and that's when she was taken."

Janelle stilled. "I'm so sorry. Was she ... found?"

"She escaped seven days later." He stared off across the park. "That was the longest week of my life. I barely slept. Couldn't eat. I kept thinking if I'd been with her, it wouldn't have happened."

Janelle's throat tightened. "You were only fifteen. It wasn't your fault."

"That's what everyone said, but I knew it wasn't true. If the two of us had been together, that man would've driven on by. But on her own like that, she was an easy target."

"Thank goodness she got away."

"Yes, but it was traumatic for her. Ever since then, I've looked for ways to support efforts against human trafficking. Then last year, I met a man who works for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. When I heard about their programs to educate kids and help find missing children, I knew I wanted to make a documentary to help get the word out. I applied for two grants, and I felt certain I'd get at least one of them." He shook his head. "But it didn't happen."

"How far were you into the project?"

Jonas blew out a deep breath. "We'd gotten the script written and started filming, but there was a lot more that needed to be done."

Janelle shook her head. "That must be frustrating to have to stop in the middle of something that was so important to you."

"Yeah, it was. But it's helped me learn more about trusting the Lord's timing, even when there are delays or canceled projects."

Janelle nodded, her admiration for him growing. How many times had she struggled and complained when her plans changed or her hopes were delayed? "I need to take that thought to heart."

His smile returned. "Maybe we can remind each other."

Jonas lowered himself onto the couch and scrolled through the photos he'd taken at the museum. When he reached the photos of the tokens, he slowed and studied them once more. Each one had been left by a mother who felt desperate to retain some connection with her child. Every token represented a story of love and loss, heartache and sacrifice. How could he do justice to those children and their mothers in a fifteen-minute film? Maybe he could stretch it to twenty, but even then, it didn't seem like enough time to tell the full story.

Howie squinted and rubbed his eyes. "I'm getting eyestrain trying to read these old documents." He shifted on the other end of the couch and turned toward Jonas. "What do you think about focusing on the story of a mum who was reunited with her child? I read a couple of those."

Jonas tapped his fingers on the armrest. "That could work, but that wasn't the usual outcome. Most of those kids never saw their mums again."

"Yeah, but that's so harsh. Don't we want to make this film upbeat and show the positive side of things? After all, we're trying to raise money for the museum."

Jonas's thoughts spun back through the children's stories he'd read in the last week. They were often unsettling and sad, but those children probably would've died if their mothers had not turned them over to the care of the Foundling Hospital. In the 1700s and 1800s, when a woman had an illegitimate child, she became a social outcast, and it was nearly impossible for her to find a position to support herself and her child.

Their stories tugged at his conscience, and he shook his head. "I've been thinking about doing a longer film, a true documentary that could tell more of the history."

Howie sent him a puzzled look. "Do you think they'd pay us to do that?"

Jonas grimaced. "Probably not, but we're doing all this research. Why not use it twice—once for the fundraising film and then an extended version that tells the rest of the story?" An idea rose in his mind, and he straightened. "We could enter it in the British Documentary Film Festival. They have a category for historical pieces. If we won that award, it could really boost our reputation."

Howie scratched his chin. "Winning is a long shot."

"We're good at what we do. This is just the opportunity we need." Jonas typed in the film festival and checked the dates. "Yes! The deadline for entering is November third. That gives us plenty of time. We can fit it in around our other work."

Howie cocked an eyebrow.

"Or I should say, I can fit it in."

Howie's mouth tipped up on one side. "I'll help. Half the battle is finding a good topic that will grip the judges, and this could work if we find the right angle."

Jonas nodded, appreciation for his friend lifting his spirits. "Thanks, Howie."

Howie grabbed his notepad from the coffee table. "Why don't I look for some other sources besides the Foundling Hospital documents—maybe we'll find something else online."

Jonas nodded. "Go for it." He'd done a brief search after his first phone conversation with Amanda Preston, but there were probably more articles that could inspire themes for their films.

Howie lowered his head and typed on his laptop. "The Foundling Hospital is listed in a lot of articles. I'll scroll through and see if there's anything interesting."

"Sounds good." Jonas rose, walked into the kitchen, and filled his electric kettle. Maybe a cup of tea would give him a new wave of energy. He liked the contemporary angle Janelle had suggested, but he needed a solid idea that would have an emotional impact for the historical portion of the film—one that could be expanded for the documentary.

"Hey, come and see this," Howie called.

Jonas returned to the living room and stood behind Howie's chair. "What did you find?"

"It's a blog post with excerpts from an article in the Pall Mall Gazette . Look at the headline—‘Child Snatched from Foundling Hospital. How Girls Are Bought and Ruined.'"

"What?" Jonas leaned closer and scanned the first few lines quoted from the newspaper article. "That's crazy. Send me the link."

Howie nodded, and Jonas returned to his chair and picked up his laptop. The tea could wait. Howie's email appeared, and Jonas followed the link to the article. His heartbeat picked up speed as he continued reading.

This excerpt is taken from the series The Maiden Tribute to Modern Babylon , which exposes the sale, purchase, and violation of children in London and the international slave trade of girls.

Jonas stared at those words. He glanced at the date of the article, and his eyebrows rose. He'd thought human trafficking was a modern problem, but this article was published in 1885.

Howie looked up. "Check the fourth paragraph. That's where they mention the Foundling Hospital."

Jonas skimmed down and read aloud, "‘Through a careful investigation, we learned that girls in residence at the Foundling Hospital, as young as eight years old, have disappeared from that institution and been secretly sold to brothel owners in White Chapel.'"

Howie made a frustrated noise in his throat. "How could they sell little girls to a brothel?"

Jonas shook his head. "I have no idea." He read further, and disgust turned his stomach. Everything Janelle had told him about the history of the Foundling Hospital had made him believe it was a reputable children's home. How could this have happened?

Howie frowned. "Do you think this was an isolated incident or something that went on for a long time?"

"I don't know." Jonas leaned back and stared toward the ceiling. Did Janelle know the Foundling Museum had this kind of skeleton in its closet?

"Have you seen anything about this at the museum?"

Jonas sat up. "No. I've spoken to the acting director several times, and she never mentioned it. I can't imagine she would try to hide something like this. Maybe she doesn't know."

"You better ask her."

Jonas glanced at his laptop once more. "We need to find out if this is true."

"How are you going to do that? This article is one hundred and fifty years old."

"If this really happened, there has to be more written about it."

Howie sent him a doubtful look. "Maybe, maybe not. We don't know what kind of newspaper the Gazette was. Maybe it was written by some journalist who was trying to sell more copies by stirring up a scandal."

Jonas nodded, but he couldn't deny the uneasy feeling sweeping over him. He'd told Janelle how committed he was to fighting human trafficking. She wouldn't keep this kind of information from him on purpose, would she?