Clarisse drives a big and old van, one that was probably fashionable and cool back in the seventies and that today is labeled as vintage. The engine is loud and distracting, but she keeps the stereo on, trying to drown the sound coming from the engine. It's mostly classical or old ballads I don't know, but that are soothing enough for me to relax.
"Instead of telling you how everyone is, I rather let you figure that out. You need to meet them in person and get your own impressions," Clarisse mentions as she drives us to the Dream House.
I've finally been cleared up, and although I'm still in casts and clumsily move around, I'm just glad to be out of the hospital. It's not that I hate them, but it'd hard to keep my mind busy in a place like that, and with all that time just lying in a bed, my head can only go over and over all the possibilities and unanswered questions.
In the Dream House I will, at least, be busy trying to memorise name, getting to know the kids and helping in any way I can. I don't want to be a burden and although I've never done anything for myself, I want to help. I don't want Clarisse to regret ever helping me, I want her to be grateful with my presence there. It's the least I can do for her.
Besides, Nora will join us soon. I last heard that she will go to the local police first, in behalf of Louise, with a lawyer, to explain what's happening and what, with advice and control from the investigation team in London, has been decided in order to keep me safe. Because of discretion, only few people can know about this, but someone in the police station has to be informed to ensure my safety in town.
The Dream House is quite away from the town centre, more into the countryside and it's big. Clarisse has told me this isn't a government institutions and it's run by the town church, the other orphanage is run by the government. All the cases in the Dream House are through the church, girls that got pregnant being too young and not prepared to have a child, so they gave it to the church where they could take care of the infant. All the kids have been given up by their parents, contrary to the other orphanage were some kids have just been taken away from their homes due to the conditions in which they live. As in the Dream House they don't receive much help, they try to keep the kids in the best conditions possible, so they try to be self-sufficient, hence why they have their little farm.
I'm not sure what I'll be doing there, maybe milking the cows? Of course, once I'm recovered and can move around freely. In six weeks I get my casts removed, so until then I'll have to manage. I'm sure I'll find something, maybe I can help with the management of the Dream House. I certainly have experience and training in that.
My thoughts are focused on that as the landscape blurs outside the window. It's mostly green, trees and bushes everywhere, flowers and other kind of plants. I can't differentiate one from the other, they are just green and pretty for me. I only notice a difference when the space become more open and we enter a property. It's big and there's one old and big house in the middle, we are driving towards it. There are other constructions, like a barn and a greenhouse, but I'm sure all that it's all meant for the animals and vegetables they grow here.
"We're here," Clarisse announces. "This will be your home until you can go back, Blanca. And don't worry, everyone will be nice to you."
I nod my head and try to smile back, but we don't have much time, soon I can hear screams and when I look at the big house, I can see three kids running full speed towards us. Clarisse chuckles next to me before getting out, kneeling and opening her arms to let the kids run to her. None of them can be older than five and they seem to adore the lady.
I feel nervous for a reason, afraid of how these kids will react to me and how my life for the following months will be. The whole situation makes me anxious, but seeing some of the kids there makes it all more real to me. I'm actually here, I'll be living in this house with all these kids, hiding from the people who want to harm me.
I see the kids pulling apart and making Clarisse questions, then she motions to the van with me inside and tells them something, probably who I am and such. The kids nod and watch me with big, curious eyes. There's a girl and two boys, and she seems to be the oldest as she is taller than them. The three dress in simple clothes, quite all and a bit baggy for them, probably clothes that have been given to the orphanage by people that go to the church.
I wave at the kids, nervously, trying my best smile and they wave energetically back, wide smiles ad bright expressions that make me feel a bit more at ease. Then the little girl is running next to my door and opening it for me.
"Hi!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her black curly hair in two thick plaits, her hazel eyes look at me warmly and her smile is missing one tooth. "You're our new friend. Mamma Clarisse says you're Blanca, I'm Samantha! Welcome to the Dream House!" She is full of energy, raising both arms in the air in her best theatrical reception.
I chuckle, feeling touched that she is so happily welcoming me here.
"Thank you, Samantha. It's really lovely to meet you," I intone, offering her my good hand for a proper handshake that she accepts joyfully.
"Do you need help?" she asks me next. "It must be hard to walk with that... boot?"
"It's a cast," I tell her. "I got my leg broken so yes, it's hard walking like this. Can you help me getting the crutch?" I motion with my head to the back of the van and she nods, understanding.
As I slide off the seat, Samantha comes back with the crutch and helps me until I'm correctly positioned and I can move on my own. She stays close, watching me carefully.
"How old are you?" I ask her, surprised to be a kid being so helpful and attentive.
"I'm five," she replies, her eyes still watching me closely. Maybe she's just curious, though. "But Mamma Clarisse says I act as if I were older. Not sure how much older. Maybe five and a half?"
I chuckle at her rambling as we join Clarisse and the other kids.
"Hi there," I greet them, noticing the smaller one seems quite shy, hiding behind the other that keeps a straight posture, as if he were collecting all his courage to protect the other. The one that is almost glaring at me has light brown hair and almost black eyes, his skin is a bit darker than mine, and he stands protectively in front of a ginger head.
"Boys, you know what to do," Clarisse instructs and the oldest looks at her with distraught, near pouting. He doesn't seem to like me.
"Welcome to the Dream House. I'm Danny and this is Liam," the oldest introduces, motioning to the little kid behind his back."
"I'm Blanca and I hope you're not angry I'm coming here to live with you, right? I don't have anywhere else to go."
"You're not going to bully us for being older, right?" Danny asks then, looking at me suspiciously.
"Of course not! Why would I do that? You're all helping me, I'm only grateful."
He keeps staring at me, measuring me with his eyes, assessing whether to trust me or not.
"Okay. If you make Liam cry, I won't forgive you," he warns me. "And it's okay, everyone in the Dream House doesn't have anywhere else to go, so you're just like us, but older."
It breaks my heart a bit knowing these kids don't have a place to go, that an orphanage is their only home. The realisation this is a reality only really strikes me when I'm here, standing in front of them. Right now I have to stay here, not because I don't have a home to go back to, not because my parents gave me up, but because of other crazy circumstances. I feel bad for pretending to be like them.
"I hope we can become friends," I mutter, feeling a lump in my throat.
"We are friends already," Samantha says. "I like Blanca. She can be our big sister! All the older ones are boys, we don't have an older sister."
"I'd like to have little siblings," I confess, which is true. I was always an only child, Nora being my best friend and like a sister to me, but I never really had younger siblings, although I wanted. I would really love to be like a big sister to them.
"Yay!" Samantha cheers. "You have to meet the other, but they are in school and haven't come back yet. They'll be here, soon."
I look at Clarisse, noticing her smile as she watches us interact.
"Shall we go inside? I'm sure Blanca is cold and hungry." The kids nod and voice their agreement, running inside, except for Samantha that stays to walk next to me, making sure I don't trip or anything like that. I appreciate her company as we walk together.
I don't have anything with me, Louise said Nora would bring some clothes and more with her, for now I'm just wearing some big jeans, jumper and boots that are too big for my feet that Clarisse brought for me, probably that belonged to one of the older kids here.
The house is big and old, but it looks clean despite the mess around. Old and ragged toys lie everywhere, they surely belong to the kids. There's a big main room, with many chairs and sofas, cushions all around for the kids to lie in them. Potted plans give colour and life to the room. In the ground floor there's also the dinning room, big as well with a large table, the kitchen, some offices like Clarisse's and the psychologist's that comes three times a week, and the social worker's that also visits them three times a week. Clarisse is the director of the orphanage, and the only other adult there to help is another lady, Margaret that went to pick the kids at school, Clarisse tells me. There's a man that looks after the animals, a retired teacher that helps the kids with their homework when he can.
Upstairs there are all the rooms, two large ones with bunk beds, one for the boys, one for the girls and I'll be sleeping in the latter with all the other girls, Nora will also share the room. There also are Clarisse's and Margaret's rooms. Samantha is the one giving me the tour, telling me which bed is whose and so, where the bathroom is and more. I ask her about the other kids.
"We are the youngest ones, but the others aren't much older. Except for Derek, Graham and Paul, they are in college right now, their last year so Mamma Clarisse says they'll be leaving when they finish."
"Are they preparing to go to university?" I ask, not sure if Samantha knows that.
"Only Graham. He's super clever and will get a scholarship. That's what everyone else says. He wants to be a doctor, but for people, not for animals like Will, but he wants to be as awesome as Will."
"Who's Will?" I ask, making calculations in my head. Clarisse said there are seven kids and three teenagers, and no one has mentioned a Will before.
"Will is the best! He's in university but he was here before. He comes to visit us and cure the animals. He always plays with us and helps everyone even if he left many years ago."
"Oh, you like him, then."
"We all do!" she exclaims ever so excited. "He's the best, like a superhero. He fights to make the world better."
"He sounds like a good person. I hope I get to meet him," I mutter, smiling to myself. This Will is clearly the kids' hero, and I think it's wonderful they have someone like that.
"Me too! I hope he comes back to visit us, soon."
"SOMEONE ELSE IS COMING!" A kid screams downstairs, probably Danny because Liam doesn't talk much, according to what Samantha has told me. "Someone new!"
My heart races, thinking immediately of Nora. She is supposed to arrive today, to stay with me. Could it be her?
I look at Samantha and she shrugs before she tells me to follow her, so that is what we do, carefully going downstairs, towards the door, but this opens before I can even make it to the last step. I look up and I see her, the familiar Asian features, the lovely long dark hair and the teary eyes that can only look at me.
"Blanca!" She screams next, dropping the bags and running to me, wrapping me tightly in her arms. I don't care if my ribs are fractured and I'm in pain right now, I'm just happy Nora is with me, that she's hugging me.
I start crying right there, in her arms, leaning on her and I know she's crying, too, I can hear her and feel her tears landing on my shoulder.
"It's okay, I'm here now. It'll be fine," she whispers in my ear and I just hug her tighter, damn my ribs, I just want my best friend right now. That's all that matters. I'll deal with the rest later.
❅ ❅ ❅
Yay! Nora is back, our Blanca won't feel so lost now. Oh, and more people will keep coming. I have to introduce you to the other dwarfs *giggles* I hope you liked the chapter, I adore Sammy (: she's cute.
Dedication to kaijad3 Happy birthday and I hope you feel better. It's sad to hear you feel so low but I'm glad my updates help you feel better. Cheer up, love!
Bel, xx
PS: Contrary to how things used to be at some point, there aren't that many comments so I've decided to do my best to reply to some of them. Let's use this to grow closer and have fun. It'll be like when I began on Wattpad. Oh, the good old days!
~updates every Friday~