When the day that felt longer than eternity ended, Oriel and Collin woke up together in their new home. They felt unfamiliar to open their eyes in that room and they looked at the clock."Oriel! get up, it's 9 am already," Collin told her.She didn't know how to read the clock, and while stretching her little arms the air, she rose and sat up on the bed. "My school is at 8 am. How much time is remaining?" she asked."You can't even tell time?" Collin asked in bafflement. "You say that moon is bigger than the sun, and you can't read time also, what do you even study in school?"All of a sudden, Bella barged in through the door. "Collin," she shouted as she fervently marched to him. "What are you doing here? Come with me, Roger wants to meet you."Collin was dragged by Bella, holding his hand to take him outside of the room, "Oriel!" she called. "You should come too."Oriel went nervous, reluctant to get up from the bed. But she didn't have any other choice except following what Bella h
Bella visited the hospital in the suburb again, taking Oriel with her. On reaching there, Oriel once again attracted towards her queries and pitiful gazes. "Do you not have anyone else in your family?" they asked."Poor girl, orphaned at such a young age," they pitied."What happened to her father? I heard he was driving under influence to smash his car against a tree," they speculated.Bella was giving her attention to the formalities at the desk, while seating Oriel on the bench inside the corridor teeming with some people ill from all kinds of diseases and some bleeding from wounds and impaled skin. Oriel couldn't stay still; she swung her legs from one side to another while waiting for Bella. She was expecting to see her father once again, not knowing that the pen in Bella's hands had just allowed the hospital to cremate him.She was unaware of the ways the world worked, not told of the things that a signature on the paper was capable of. Bella was signing as a guardian of the ber
Bella had received a fervent plea from Bob: to identify the dead body of George as his, so that he could emerge out of the dangers and threats that circled that name. Bella, although reluctant and unyielding at first, wavered at what Bob offered her in return: he convinced her that he would never try to find Collin."Are you telling the truth?" she asked taking the first step toward consenting to do as he was saying. "I won't leave you alone if you're lying."Bob talked Bella into his plan and she gave in to the conditions profiting for both of them. "Okay! now all I have to do is to identify him as my ex-husband, which means you."After hanging up the call, Bella went inside the hospital and approached the same desk, asking for an alteration in the documents stamped by her. "The body belongs to my ex-husband Bob Hastings," she changed her claim from the one she made previously.The nurse at the reception was suspicious when she saw Bella flipping from her words, "Mam, didn't you say
Roger came back home with delightful treats for the kids. He brought chocolates, candies, toys, and some pretty outfits in several bags that the hands of the servant carrying them were getting tugged down by their weight. He gestured for the house helper to place the bags on the table, and he put them down."I don't know if you will like any of these but I just thought of you and bought them on my way back."Neither Collin nor Oriel seemed any excited or uplifted on receiving those gifts. Roger was awkwardly looking at them, accepting the gifts with straight faces. Bella was also beside them, prodding them to act pleased. "Wow! Collin, you love this superhero figure, don't you?" she took out from the bag a plastic model of a character and showed it him, trying to stimulate a reaction out of him. "Oriel! a barbie doll for you."Collin took the notice of her mother's actions and realized that even if he was feeling uncomfortable accepting those gifts, he was not supposed to show it on
After the sun went on its short hiatus, Bella returned home by herself. She had walked out taking Oriel but seeing her coming back without her, Collin poured his queries out."I was able to find someone from her family: I think it was her uncle. They told me that they had been out, finding her for the last two days. They took Oriel with them and were very happy to see her again. They also told me how grateful they are to us for taking care of her," said Bella, smiling till her teeth flashed and a voice that didn't waver while spewing the lies."It is great that she has returned her home, back to her family. Although, I really wanted her to stay with us," Roger spoke in a slight letdown.Meanwhile, Harry was not convinced by her story, "It's not possible. She told me that she didn't have any relatives or friends in this town. She had only recently moved here.""Collin," Bella spoke. "Are you saying that I have lied to you?""Honey! Collin didn't mean that. He was just trying to clear a
The night that Oriel had put her hopes in, ended. That night she had almost gotten kicked out of the party, been the date of the handsome host, and also stumbled upon a face from her past. Nothing of this was ever fathomed by her. At the end of the night, she was left with Rever, who was brimming with alcohol down his throat. He needed her support to even walk out of the farm house. Oriel became lifeless even at the thought of bearing him till she manages to find a cab. "Lord! will there ever be a day when I won't regret being alive?" she muttered to herself while Rever leaned on her shoulder that was too frail to handle his weight. She tried walking straight and coordinated his steps with hers. She collected the stares of the guests who were on their way outwards. Just as her mind veered to the embarrassment that she was facing because of him, she couldn't maintain her balance and Rever almost tripped with his head on, but Collin came lifting him from the other side and saved his sk
"The garden with long strings of little bulbs hanging on its bushes, fell into silence after the party was over. The dew had already started to collect on the leaves and the guest house was put under darkness until the next time invitations were sent. Moon was at its zenith, and Collin stood beside a tree looking up in the sky. His mind wandered as he stood in the garden quietly."Is it over?" came from behind, Mr. Bruce, with his footsteps getting muffled by the grassy ground. Collin turned behind to face him and smiled. "I'm sorry that you had to see off the guests in my place, do you look tired because of that?" he asked, assuming the reason behind Collin's daze.Mr. Bruce slowly walked toward him and put one of his arms over his shoulder. "What's the problem, my boy?""I won't have any problem, if you stopped making one, someday," said Collin."Come on! not like I want any of this," Mr. Bruce explained. "I wish I could just end it with her. She is the biggest mistake of my life."
Roger gently tucked little Oriel in a fluffy bed, set the room's temperature to her comfort and let her sleep in peace after a long time. She had sunk into a serene slumber when she fell weak on the soft and bouncy mattress.Collin didn't leave her side the entire time she was sleeping. He rested his head on her bed and gazed at her, reflecting on his incapability to protect her. He slowly moved his hand and lifted his pinky finger and crossed it with hers to make a promise while she slept calmly. "I know I have failed once but I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you again."Roger came downstairs to attend to the little guests from the Orphanage, and to proceed with the event. "You all look so beautiful today." He went to the adorable children, who rejoiced at the event that was solely held for them."Let's have fun today, all of you are the stars of this party."They were served delicacies that most of them had never seen before, let alone having tasted them. "You don't eat