Lance
"Thank you very much, Brother Lance!" Leah said while we were sitting on the swing.
Mikaela and I were at Saint Angel Orphanage today. After our meeting, we headed to the mall to buy gifts for the children. We also visited the other orphanage and gave some help and gifts to the kids before coming here. I need to make sure that the orphanages I am helping are doing well. When an orphanage is doing well, that means the kids are safe too.
After playing with the kids and giving them the gifts we bought, I sat on a swing to rest. Leah sat beside me, since the swing is for two or three people.
"You're welcome! Are you happy with our gift?" I asked her, and she gave me a big smile on her face while nodding.
"It is a shame that our big sister is not here yet. She wanted to meet you too because you are helping us." she answered, fidgeting her hands.
A kid told me about their big sister before, but we didn't even meet once.
"Are you talking about your sister, who is in college?" I asked.
Leah nodded her head excitedly and replied, "Yes. Big Sister is kind and pretty."
I smiled at Leah, remembering Aera as the first person who came to mind when I heard the words "kind and pretty."
"What is your big sister's name?" I asked, getting curious about their sister, whom I had not been able to meet after a few visits here.
"BIG SISTER!"
We heard the other kids yelling in excitement.
"She is here! Let's go! I will introduce you to her!" Leah said while holding my hand to pull me over.
"Big Sister! Brother Lance is here, he even gave us gifts!"
"Yes! We also played a while ago."
Leah let go of me and ran towards their sister. "Big Sister!" Leah said.
This is the second time that we have met unexpectedly. Is God playing with our faith?
She is their big sister who they were talking about all along.
I came back to my senses when I felt someone's finger pointing at my cheek. Maybe Aera is confirming the truth if it is really me, again.
I will probably do that too, because this is so unexpected.
"I-it's me." I told her that made her smile at last.
"Do you know each other?" Sister Ailee asked. "She is the one I mentioned before. She is studying at her college in Stratford." she added.
"Really?" I asked back.
I can't help but think that the world is too small for us.
"Aera, go and change. I will talk to Sister Ailee for now, let's talk after okay?" I said.
She nodded her head before going inside.
I turned to my secretary, "Mikaela, I will leave Aera to you," I said and turned to Sister Ailee. "Sister Ailee, can we talk in private?" I asked her.
We headed to her office.
"Is it about Aera, Mr. Guevarra?" Sister Ailee asked, and I nodded immediately. "Do you happen to know her?" she added.
We sat on the couch and I fished out my phone, unlocked it, and showed it to Sister Ailee.
"She is the reason why I am doing this. I've been looking for her for the past six years. She was a victim of child abuse," I shared, making Sister Ailee clasp her hands tightly. "How did you find her?" I asked.
"One of our staff here saw her on the street, unconscious and burning with fever. We can't help but to pity her before, she is full of scars and wounds on her body, she also has chains both her hands and feet," Sister Ailee shared. "We sheltered her because no one tried to find her. We also tried to find her parents, but to no avail." she added.
"Her mother did those to Aera. I also tried to save her, but I failed. I tried to search for her and her mother, but we did not get any leads. I thought she was still in her mother's hands," I answered. "My sister saw her studying at Stratford. She mentioned her new family, fortunately it is you and the other kids,"
"I am thankful that you helped her and made her life like this. You do not know how happy I am to know that she is okay and even studying to pursue her dreams."
"I guess you are the one she was talking about before," Sister Ailee said, smiling gracefully. "After a few months of staying here, we made her feel comfortable. We asked for her name and she wrote Aera,"
I helped her before by spelling out her name. It was a good thing that I did that back then.
"She also wrote three letters, and they are letters L, A, and N. We thought that it was the name of her parents, but it looks like she was referring to you." Sister Ailee shared.
I was not able to complete the spelling of my name before. I was in a hurry to leave when I heard some noises from the outside of their house when we are doing that.
"I thought I had already lost her, Sister Ailee. Because of the burden I am carrying, I started to help people in need, especially the kids in orphanages, to ease the burden." I also shared.
There was no time that I forgot about her. Whether she is doing well or not, I am also having nightmares about her every night.
"You don't have to worry too much. She has become more happy and close to the children since then. One of the adults like her was adopted two years ago, leaving her alone as the oldest here." Sister Ailee added.
After talking to Sister Ailee, I went out of the office and saw Aera busy playing with the children. together with Mikaela.
"Aera." I called her.
She quickly got up before pointing me to them and telling them that she would talk to me for a while.
"How's your day?" I asked her when she reached me.
Her expression turned to a flustered one.
"You forgot to bring your pad paper? Here, use this for a while," I said and handed her my phone. "Don't give me that look, it's okay." I added.
Before she can even touch my phone, I quickly overturn my phone.
She is my wallpaper! She will find me creepy if she happens to see it.
After changing it to a new one, I gave her my phone back again. She slowly typed what she wanted to say.
'It's good. You, how's your work?'
"After my meeting, we headed here after buying gifts for the children," I answered. "I also heard the story about you from Sister Ailee." I added.
'Thank you for helping us. You really did help Sister Ailee'
'Lizzy, Bricx, and I met a while ago'
So, they really went to talk to her friend?
"Did they harm your friend?" I asked and she immediately shook her head. "What was his reaction?"
She turned to my phone to type her reply. As I remember, she was using a keypad. How is she doing her assignments, especially when they need to research?
I forgot to buy a gift for her.
'Lizzy said that he was her ideal man. She never thought that Leus was my friend, while Bricx seemed to know each other'
Lizzy's ideal man? He must be handsome. Lizzy has her own standards and it must be handsome or model-like. If Bricx knew him, then he's not a normal one.
"Ahh, do you remember your house before?" I asked, and she answered me with a nod. "Someone bought it already, and it is a colorful one. Do you want to go and see it? A while ago, I asked Sister Ailee. I also wanted to buy you some gifts, since I forgot yours." I shared.
"I don't have to buy you a gift? I don't want a no from you. We are friends, right? Think of this as my welcome gift." I told her, since she was not agreeing already.
After sending Mikaela off to the company, we went to their old house.
"Don't be scared, they are good people." I told Aera, who was hiding behind my back.
"Lance, is it you?" Aunt Andrea asked from afar.
I waved my hand at her. "Aunt Andrea, good afternoon." I greeted.
"Let's get inside our house." Aunt Andrea invited.
I faced Aera, who was also looking at me.
"They are all so kind. I am here. I won't let the others hurt you. Okay?" I told her and held her hand to guide her.
"Lance! Hello!" Princess greeted me as soon as she saw me.
She is now more approachable than the last time.
"Hello, where are your brother and sister? I bought you some donuts." I said, and I handed her the box of donuts we bought on the way here.
"They are still in school. Who is this beautiful lady with you?" Aunt Andrea said, while handing us a juice.
"She is Aera. She is the one I told you about before." I slowly shared.
Aunt Andrea turned her body toward Aera and held her hands. "I am happy that you are fine. We are the ones who bought this lot, I hope it is okay with you." Aunt Andrea said.
Aera quickly wrote her reply on her pad.
'Thank you very much. The house became pretty because of you and your family'
"You are very pretty. Do you know that? I am sure that you have many suitors?" Aunt Andrea teases her, and she immediately shakes her head.
Come to think of it, no one can deny her beauty. Even before the first time we met, I saw it already. I won't wonder if someone will actually like her or ask her on a date.
"She's living at the Saint Angel Orphanage. They are the ones who found and helped her." I shared the news.
"Good to hear that you are in a good place―Princess, do not scare her." Aunt Andrea said, when Princess approached Aera and put a sticker on her hands.
"I will give you my princess sticker, you are both pretty," Princess told Aera, making her to smile back at her. "Come here always. We will play with my Barbie dolls. Let's go!" she added, pulling Aera over to their room.
"I am happy that you have already found her." Aunt Andrea said.
"Thank you, Auntie. Actually, I found her a few days ago because of my sister. I was hesitating to bring her here because I did not want her to be uncomfortable. I also didn't know that the orphanage I am helping is the one who helped her." I replied.
Aunt Andrea smiled at me and said, "God wants you to meet each other."
If it is, then I am glad that God gave me a second chance to help her. I promised to myself before that once I found her, I would do everything to help her. Next time, I will be the one who will save her.
I'm not the old Lance who will let her go. I promised to stay with her and make sure she was safe.
"Who would not let you be happy? When all you wanted was to find her and help her. You are also helping their orphanage. That is not common for rich people; it is rare to see someone like you." Aunt Andrea said.
I smiled at her. "Thank you, Auntie." I told her. "Visiting here is a great choice, I want her to know that she does not have to be scared. The new house is better. I am really glad that your family decided to buy the land." I added.
"Look, mommy and Lance, I let her borrow my doll. They are both pretty, right?" Princess asked, while she was pulling Aera out of the room.
Aera was holding a doll, wearing the same color shirt as her.
"We changed her clothes like Aera's, and I curled her hair a little to make it look like her." She added.
Upon looking at the doll, not just their clothes color are the same but their hairs too. Aera has long curly hair, and the doll's hair was curly too.
"Aera is pretty. She looks like a doll too." Aunt Andrea commented.
"Then Lance must be Ken, because he is handsome. Aera and Lance look good together!"