The Wedding Night

“I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.”

Audrey Hepburn

*********

Melody POV

“I’ve finally gotten a chance to prove myself,” I told Lorena after arriving home that evening.

“They should have just given you the post. Why her?” Lorena asked.

She was right because the project was initially mine but it’s their company principles and I needed to follow them.

“It’s the company’s principle Lorena. I just need your help on what to do. ”

“You need my help?” she scoffed and touched the bag I was holding. “what’s this?”

The bag contains my new DReam phone and laptop that was given to me by my boss. Lorena grabbed the bag from my head and peak into it and bought out the phone and laptop that was still brand new.

“Oh, oh, oh, tell me something I don’t know?” Lorena raised her brows in confusion as she removes the phone from the package. “Wow! This is lovely,” she commented as she touched the phone. It was a 6. 7 inches sleek silver phone and I knew it was going to be worth a lot of money.

“This must have cost a fortune”

I nodded my head at her because I didn’t know the price neither did I bother to ask.

“My boss gave them to me for business purposes,” I tried to explain to her but Lorena rolled her eyes and quickly nodded her head.

“You’ve only been working there for a week and he gave you this? I hope it’s not what I’m thinking?”

“Nope, it’s not what your thinking. It’s just for business purposes and you can stop with your stupid thoughts,” I told her.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night but this phone is lovely mehn and I’m happy for you babe,” she rushed over to me and hug me.

“Thank you, babe,” I replied with a smile and wrap my hand around her waist like we were a couple.

“Mummy,” a little voice called from the door.

“Hey my little angel,” I bent down to her level and gave her a tight hug.

I missed her a lot even though I see her every morning and night but it wasn’t enough for me.

“I can’t breathe Mummy,” she protested as she tried to get out of my grip.

“Sorry my love,” I said to her and let her go. “So guys, I was thinking of eating out tonight at the restaurant in front of the motel,” I informed them and I could see a smile grew on Lorena’s face while my daughter jumped up.

“Yay, yah,” she clapped and hugged my leg.

“So I’ll go change my dress while you two wait downstairs for me”

“Okay we will be waiting for you downstairs and please bring your new phone along with you so we can take pictures with it,” she said and walked out of the room with hope.

I inhaled deeply as I laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I needed to come up with a proposal that would move the directors and most especially my boss but what was I going to present.

*****

“So I’ve been thinking of visiting the orphanage home I grew up in,” I informed Lorena as we had dinner in LAS restaurant.

Weird name right? Yes, the name was weird but the restaurant was cool and moderate. It was a small restaurant but their menus were amazing.

“Why do you want to go there?” Lorena asked as she munch on food.

“I felt I could see something that might help with my proposal.”

“Proposal? Going to your orphanage home is going to help with your proposal?”

“Yeah,” I replied but I wasn’t certain because there was nothing I could write about from my orphanage home.

“You are delusional babe . sei pazzo e Anche stupido (You are crazy and also stupid as well.)” She said angrily in Italian.

Lorena likes talking in Italian when she is angry or probably joking.

“I’m not delusional Lorena, it’s just that I’m trying to… Erm..” I stuttered which I was not supposed to but in this kind of situation with Lorena, you’ll always forget what to say. “We would be going there together Lorena,” I informed but she pretended she didn’t hear. “Lorraine,” I shouted her name and I knew everyone in the restaurant faced our table. I muttered a sorry and glared at Lorena.

“You do not have to shout Mel. I heard you the first time.”

“Sunday it is,” I smiled and drank the water on the table.

*****

Sunday came and here we are standing at the front of the two-story building of save me orphanage where I grew up in.

“This is where you grew up,” Lorena asked as we walked into the gates of save me orphanage.

“Yes,” I replied with a smile.

I looked around the orphanage and didn’t see changes since I left. The only thing that changed was the paint on the wall which was peeling. From the gate of the orphanage home, there was a long path that leads to the two-story building. On our left side was a playground that was meant for the kids and on our right side were beautiful trees and flowers of different kinds.

“I must say that this place ain’t bad,” Lorena commented.

“Mummy, where is this?” Hope asked because she wasn’t familiar with the place and anytime she goes to an unfamiliar place, she tends to ask questions.

“This is where I grew in baby”

“Your home?” She asked and I nodded. For a four-year-old, hope was smart and she talks clearly unlike other children. “Wow!”, she exclaimed. “It’s beautiful mummy. Look at all those flowers, “she jumped and clapped her hands.

” seems like hope is happy with this place,” Lorena said beside me. “So tell me Mel, how many children stay here?”

“Well….” I trailed off because I didn’t know the exact numbers of the children staying in the orphanage home. “About 250 children stay around my time.”

“250? That’s is too much for this tiny building.”

“Yeah. At least 10 children share a room during my time and we all sleep on the ground”

“That’s must have been terrible for you but I bet it not as terrible as staying with my aunt’s family,” she said with sadness.

Lorena had told me what happened before she was sold off to madam Samosa. How her aunt’s family used and abused her. Lorena had been through the worst and I was lucky to find her because, without her, I wouldn’t be standing here today.

“Welcome you two, how may we help you?” The receptionist who was a young nun welcomed us as we entered the building.

“Hi, I’m…”

“Melody!” A voice called from my back and I turned to face the person that knows my name. “Melody!” Miss Mary, the sister who bought me up rushed to me and hug me.

“Sister Mary, you are still here!” I exclaimed because I was surprised that sister Mary who was probably around 85 years was still alive and still in the orphanage.

“It’s so nice to see you again. Come, come,” she pulled my hand and lead me into a small study room while Lorena and hope trailed behind us.

“I thought you died Melody,” sister Mary began her story on how she heard from the news that I died inside a fire outbreak on my wedding night. Sister Mary was among the few people that came for my wedding and franklins.

“It’s so hard to believe that you are alive Melody.” She said and grabbed my hands like she was having a hard believing that I was alive.

“Is this your child?” Sister Mary pointed to hope who was sitting on Lorena’s lap.

“Forgive me for not introducing them. This is my daughter Hope and my friend Lorena.”

“Hello, pretty child,” sister Mary waved at hope who waved back at her. “It’s so nice to have you here,” she said to Lorena.

“Thank you..” Lorena tried to sound formal but she wasn’t that good at it.

“Sister Mary was my mother here. When I was just about two months old, my mother dumped me in front of this orphanage home, she found me and took me in. She nurtured me till I grew old enough to take care of myself. Sister Mary is a mother I never had.” I told Lorena my adventure with sister Mary and Lorena stared at sister Mary with awe.

“You ain’t a bad child either melody. You were a sweet child as your name,” Sister Mary said proudly. Someone knocked and entered the study room with a tray filled with chocolate cookies and juice.

“Cookies!” Hope clapped as she was given a cookie. “Thank you,” hope said to the lady that dropped the cookie on the table.

“You are a welcome cutie,” the lady pinched her cheek and left the room.

“So melody, what about your husband? I always see him on the TV and even the billboards, “sister Mary asked me a question I was trying to avoid.

Sister Mary had a fragile heart and telling her about what happened to me would break her heart and she might even collapse.

” Franklin is fine,” I said with a forceful smile while Lorena looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

“That’s is so nice and I’ll hope you will bring him one of these days.”

“Yes, sister Mary.”

After our discussion, sister Mary showed us around the orphanage and I felt the place needed improvement but who was I to complain when I had nothing to offer. Hope met with some kids and made friends with them so I promise sister Mary that hope would always come to the orphanage on Sundays for visitation. She was happy and promised to treat her well.

When it was getting late, I left the orphanage with Lorena and hope. The ride back to the motel was in silence until Lorena decided to break the silence on the lie I told sister, Mary.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?” Lorena asked.

“Sister Mary is an old woman and I don’t want her to know yet”

“That is why you should have told her the truth. She is your mother Mel and you lied to her.”

“Come on Lorena.” I shifted on the car seat and face her. “Sister Mary has a fragile heart and any bad news could lead to her heart failing.”

“But you should have tried and come out straight”

“But what if Franklin didn’t die? What if he is alive and he is closer than I thought?”

“Then I guess you must be getting sick. This is reality Mel,” she said and touched my hand. “Look Mel, Franklin died in that fire and he is not coming back. Wake up from your dreams and face the whole point. You saw Franklin getting shot right? How can someone who dies, suddenly resurrect from the grave?”

“You are not getting this Lorena. Franklin’s death is a mystery and I’m going to uncover the truth of what happened that night. Someone was behind that night and it must have been someone from my past or his.”

“Don’t play hero for something you have no idea on. Let’s it go Mel and face your future.”

I nodded in agreement because I was tired of arguing and faced the window. My mind suddenly drifted to my boss who I couldn’t help but think about. Could my assumptions about Franklin being my boss, right? Or was I only thinking about that because they looked like it? Someone, please tell me something I don’t know before I lose my mind.