Chapter 12: Chapter 12

As a 6-year-old, I would always draw names and play alone near the persimmon tree beside the convent. Other children don't want to play with me, but my mothers will always find time to play with me when they are free. They always enter the big dark echoic hall but whenever I want to join in, they'll stop me.

I pout, watching and peeking at them behind a pillar, listening to their conversation before entering the big hall.

"Did he donate again?" Mother Teresa asked.

"Yes." The other sister answered.

"He never tells me why he would always leave money for Eva, and I almost thought that he was the father of that child. But he said he was just moved by her story."

Story?

I tiptoed to the other pillar closer to them so I can hear them more.

"Who wouldn't be? Why would a mother leave her child inside a box near the trash? That's just monstrous."

Box...Trash...? I thought my parents died in the fire?

I cover my mouth to muffle my sobs. I sat down on the ground behind the pillar, crying, aching, feeling lost. As a kid, knowing how you are left to die by those who bore you really aches, like a lot.

"Hush Miranda, someone might hear you. Don't let the kid know, okay? It will hurt her, she's a good kid. In fact, she should be experiencing more good things in life. But we will have to let her meet him someday, he has been supporting her since she is a baby."

He? Is he my dad? But they said he's not. Why would my mama throw me away? Aren't mothers supposed to love their children with their life?

Once I heard the footsteps go away, I ran outside towards my favorite place. Then and there, I let it all out, I sob my eyes out, thinking whether there's a reason why I should still be alive. Being a six-year-old should never be this hard, this awful. I should be running with other kids, playing in the park while my mother watches me. Then my father can fetch mama and I, then we will go to a restaurant, just like what I see in the movies. I was given an intellect that can understand things easily, and as a 6 years old kid, I was advanced, unlike all the other children, which is why they are wary of me.

I let out a deep sigh, I stayed in the persimmon tree before dusk appears. I sniffled and my eyes feel sore from my crying.

"Why are you crying?"

A man with a sweet voice comes at me, wearing a black hat, a black suit, and he was wearing a black glove.

"You look like a grim reaper."

The man smiles at me. His hair was whitish, like the color of the white horse I saw in the movie. He has a white complexion, and he looks like an artist. Not the average person I see at the convent.

"May I?" he gestures beside me and I sniffle before I nod, scooting to the side so the big man can sit down. He smiles so sweetly and I stare at him, he looks like a prince. Maybe he is a prince!

"Are you a prince from a big castle?"

He lets out a small chuckle and looks at the names I draw.

"Somehow."

"Wow! Can you take me there?" I giggle as he grabs another stick, drawing something on the ground.

"Do you wanna leave?" He sincerely questions me and I remembered the story of my real parents. I feel tears trying to escape my eyes so I pulled my knees to my chest.

"I heard my mothers talking, they said my real mama threw me away like garbage." I sniffle and I quickly sobbed again without restraint. The man goes to my side and caresses my head, like how my mommies do when they comfort me. I glance at him, but it was blurry because of my tears. His eyes are shiny, different in color, it was amazing. He has removed one of his gloves and he caresses my head.

"Do you want to see something cool?" I nod. The sun was setting and it was kind of dim under the tree, but his eyes shine in a color that I don't know. He shows me his bare hand and a leaf falls on it. "watch this." He utters.

The leaf starts to float from his hand and I watched it intently, amaze and marvel pounds in my heart. I turn my eyes to him and his smiles make me calm and peaceful. I turn back to his hand, and the other leaves that fall swirl around. He is like the controls the wind and it was awesome.

"You're a magician!" I giggle, still watching the leaves swirl and the air howl like they are talking to us. The leaves suddenly turn to dust when a blue flame devours them. I stare at it, my mouth opened, I reach out for the beautiful flame in his hand and wave my hands on it.

"It doesn't hurt," I whisper and he just keeps his calm smile. "How do you do this? Can I do this too?" I continue playing with the blue fire on his hand.

"It requires a lot of practice. Maybe one day, you'll be able to do these things." He pats my head with his magic and I feel so strange like it was healing me at some point and my eyes started to feel heavy. As much as I wanted to sleep, I bit my arm so I wouldn't.

"What is your name?" I narrow my eyes at him, and he looks at me like he was amused?

"Give me a name and tell it to me when we see each other again." He let out faint laughter and I nod as I drowse off to sleep under the tree.

After that night, I woke up and I was already in my room. I scrub my eyes and yawned. It's already morning. I wonder where Mr. Magician is. I felt it last night, the big brother carried me to my room but I was too sleepy to open my eyes.

Every day is the usual repetitive cycle. I eat, mothers play with me, but then the boring days turned out to be fun when Mr. Magician shows up himself every sundown after that day.

"Mr. Magician."

He laughs and I chortled, I stared at him and think about things to ask him. Aha!

"Can you be my big brother? I don't have one."

"Sure, dear." He just beamed at me again and my young heartfelt content. The next days, he would always bring food for me, my favorite--- grilled beef! It turns out, Mr. Magician loved it too. He would always play with me before the night, then show me some cool tricks which entertained saved me from the pain of my childhood.

For me, the big brother I've had was my angel, he saved me from despair. Although he only appears before the night, every sleep I'll have will be filled with nothing but happiness. He doesn't show himself to anyone else but whenever I fell asleep, he would always carry me back to my room so I could rest. I had a feeling that this big brother was the one who my mothers were talking about. He donated big funds to support me in growing up, but my mothers never brought it up to me. But I managed to steal something from my mothers' chest. A picture of my angel, which I hid in my room at the convent.

Until one day, after 2 years.

"No! Don't go!" I cried like hell, hugging his arm when he was about to go. "You said you'll stay and protect me until I grow up!"

He faced me again and I embraced him, burying my face on his tummy, the fragrant garden that can be smelled on his clothes filled my cloggy nose. As I held on tight, he lays his hand on my head and the other looped on my small back. I let go to look at him and he knelt on his knee so that he could face and talk to me.

"I won't be gone. I promise I'll be back. Even if you don't remember me the way you do now. I'll just be away but I'm always by your side." He wipes my tears with his big warm hands and I held on to it, sobbing still.

"I don't understand! We are family!" I shouted with my cries. He just smiled at me and he held out his pinky and I looped my pinky immediately.

"We will see each other again, I promise."

I gathered a lot of air in my cheeks to prevent my sobs and nodded, my pinky still looped on his.

"But I need you to promise me something, Eva."

I stared at him and waited for what he has to say.

"You have to make sure that you take care of yourself. Don't let anything define who you are."

As a child, I never understood what he said and I just cries again while I nod my head. He embraced me tightly and planted a peck on my little head. "I won't let anyone hurt you." He whispers then smiled at me, before he walked away, leaving me, the crying strong kid, alone.

The day after that, I've forgotten everything. And this is the only time where I remembered everything once again. That man—the hair, the body, the voice, resembled Adam. Although the character is somehow different, the appearance was his. And I can't believe I found, I can't believe he found me again, our promise.

My heart holes up and I opened my eyes seeing the green emerald eyes staring back at me. It was all blurry, but the eyes of my angel and the one looking at me right now are the same. Adam? But his eyes are blue...?

"Eva." I rubbed my eyes and the tears running from my eyes as I sleep and my eyes widened as I see Zach, holding my cheek, sitting beside my bed.

"Zach?" I sat down and he smiles, his eyes filled with too much worry, he held my hand and I grabbed it, feeling calmer. My eyes slide by the door, and there he was, staring and leaning by the door frame. The one my mind has forgotten, my savior, my angel. Adam.