I woke up earlier than usual because of a terrible nightmare. I was out in the woods again, looking for Helen and calling her name but instead I ended up in the river, finding three strange kids, with mosquito bites all over their bodies. They were crying hysterically, looking for their parents.

I felt so scared and confused, I didn’t feel like going to school and would rather stay home, watching T.V. or hang out with Gabriel. But I was certain that he would be going to school too.

Flora was waiting alone in the waiting shed, looking tired with her huge backpack. She was carrying a small lunch box and a huge umbrella, which looked odd as the sun was shining brightly and there was a small chance that it would rain.

“Chloe went ahead with her father’s car.” Flora informed me, relieved that she was free from her over-bearing friend.

I was glad to hear that she wouldn’t be riding the bus with us today. We sat next to each other, talking about our classes and the upcoming class trip.

“I don’t want to join the class trip.” Flora complained. “Whoever organized this trip is stupid for including Mary Knoll’s botanical garden in the potential places to visit when we all know that the garden is free and could be visited anytime. Could they just think of anything better?”

I sat still upon hearing the Mary Knoll’s garden. I’ve been there once but it was my dream that made me suddenly interested with the garden.

“Flora, is there an orphanage inside Mary Knoll’s garden?” I asked her.

She thought for a second. “It used to be an orphanage until it closed down around thirty years ago but the house is still there and is now serving as the office of the nuns and a museum.” she replied. “Why? Are you planning to adopt a baby?” she said, teasing.

I smiled and shook my head. “No way!” I exclaimed. “Do you think we could pass there one time and check it out?”

“Of course. I’ll be happy to go with you but behind Chloe’s back of course. I don’t want her spreading gossip about us just because she’s jealous that I’m going out with other people.”

“We’ll be the best secret agent. Don’t worry, she wouldn’t know anything.” I promised.

Unfortunately, Chloe was already outside the gate waiting for us. She looked furious upon seeing me with Flora. She came towards us, with her arms folded across her chest and her eyebrows furrowed.

“Why are you trying to steal my best friend?” she yelled at me which made everyone turned to us.

“Come on Chloe, don’t make a scene.” Flora begged, her face was red from embarrassment, trying to avoid Chloe’s tantrums.

“No! shut up, you little traitor!” Chloe told a shocked Flora and grabbed the sleeve of my polo. “Come here, mean girl, let me tell you something, I don’t care if you want to hang out with that stupid four-eyed girl. You can have her for all I care but don’t ever think that I will forgive you for stealing something I own.”

She pushed me so hard I almost fell off the ground. Flora was trembling, obviously afraid of Chloe. I wonder how could a small kid, tinier than me could scare a tall girl like Flora.

I wanted to run after her and make her feel terrible but Flora tried to stop me and told me that it isn’t worth to have a fight with Chloe because she was very good in twisting things.

“You know what, Denise. Let’s meet after class and go to Mary Knoll’s garden. You wanted to visit that place, right? I can ask my dad to pick as up after so that we wouldn’t have to see Chloe in the bus.”

“Good idea.” I replied. I was glad she thought of that because I don’t want to ride with Chloe either.

I waited for Flora in front of the guard’s house while chatting with Victor, the school guard. He was in his late fifties but still chatty and has a very good sense of humor.

“What do you call an alligator in a vest?” He asked.

“I have no idea.” I replied, enjoying exchanging jokes with him. “What?”

“An investigator.”

I laughed not because the joke was funny but because he has the most hilarious laugh I’ve ever heard. The school bus left and Victor looked puzzled as I didn’t ride with the bus.

“What are you waiting for?” He later asked.

“I’m waiting for a friend. She’s still practicing with the choir.”

“I see.” He looked inside the school compound. “You should be careful of the people you meet in the street. Are your parents going to pick you up?”

“My friend’s dad is going to drop me home.” I told him. “We’re going somewhere after her practice.”

“Girls nowadays.” He shook his head. “You remind me of my grandchildren who never stayed home after class. In our time, children were supposed to be home after six if you don’t want to receive a beating.”

“You have grandchildren?” I asked. He must be a very cool grandfather.

“Four.” He admitted. “Where do you live?”

I was hesitant to tell him because I was pretty sure that he was aware of the stories about Villa Mercedes. But after a second, I replied. “I live inside Cypress hill. My parents work there.”

The always cheerful face of Victor became serious, forcing his wrinkles to become visible.

“Cypress Hill.” He told softly as if he was whispering to himself. “My parents used to work there too.”

“Really?” I was surprised and couldn’t help thinking what else does he know about the Villa.

He smiled. “A strange place. I was barely five when we left the Villa but I still have a vivid memory of that place.It’s funny because old folks like me usually forget memories from our early childhood but memories like that are not easily forgotten.”

“How was your life before?” I asked.

“I had the best childhood living with my family, until the malaria broke out. We had to leave the place not to endangered our lives. I lost two brothers because of the disease.” Victor’s expression was blank but his eyes seemed to be looking far away into a distant memory when he was still a five year old boy.

I felt sorry for him although I wouldn’t completely understand the feeling of losing a sibling, it must be difficult for him to lose a brother at a young age.

“Losing them must be hard for our parents although I could no longer remember how it felt during that time. They must be over sixty now if they survived.” He added.

Suddenly, I saw Flora coming towards us with a few members from the choir group. She waved her hand as she saw me and I waved back at her.

“That’s my new friend, Flora.” I told Victor. “The tall girl with eye glasses.”

“You better get going.” He said.

“It’s been a pleasure talking to you.” I said. “I hope we could share stories again next time.”

He smiled. “We will. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about that place. I’ve been waiting for someone who will listen to my old boring stories.”

I laughed. “They’re not boring if you live in that place.I might as well know all the secrets before it starts hunting me.”

Flora bid goodbye to the other choir members as she approached me and Victor.

“Hi, Mr. Victor.” She greeted him with a smile.

“Hello too, friend of Denise.” Victor smiled back. The others girls from the choir waved their hands at Victor too as he smiled at them.

“You girls take care of yourselves, okay?” He reminded us.

“Yes, we will. See you tomorrow.” I told him as we left to catch the bus going to Mary Knoll.

Mary Knoll Botanical Garden is only a few blocks away from our school so Flora told me that it wouldn’t make sense if we will wait for the bus when we could practically be there by the time the bus arrived. My feet were tired from standing the whole time I was waiting for her but I didn’t mind as I was grateful that she took her time coming with me.

We passed by a coffee shop to grab a few cookies to nibble on our way and a cup of coffee each. While walking, I noticed that Flora was surprisingly quiet.

“Hey, anything wrong?” I asked in the middle of biting an oatmeal cookie. I was worried that she wasn’t that eager to come with me but did it anyway out of politeness.

“A girl from the choir told me that Chloe was spreading gossips about me. How could she be so mean?” Flora said, looking very upset.

I shrugged. “Who would believe her anyway? You know the truth. Your friends know the truth. Don’t let her get into you and ruin your day.”

She sighed. “Anyway, let’s forget about her before she ruins our whole afternoon.”

I didn’t want to spend the afternoon talking about that mean girl either.

We were walking on the street going to Mary Knoll’s Botanical Garden when I felt a sudden chill, with the cool breeze brushing against my face. I ceased from walking and stood still, staring blankly at the quiet road ahead me.

“Hey, let’s go.” Flora took me by the arm. “Are you scared?” she asked, smiling as she finished her coffee.

“No. I just remembered something.” I told her, still staring at the road.

Finally, we reached the huge gate of Mary Knoll’s botanical garden. I frozed again. It wasn’t my first time to be here but coming again after dreaming of it gave me a bizarre feeling.

“Flora, do you believe in reincarnation?” I found myself asking.

“I’m not sure.” She replied. “I believe in ghost though. What made you asked?”

I faced her. “You have to promise not to laugh at me.”

“ Pinky-promise.”

I took a deep breath, uncertain if I should tell her about it but I decided that I shouldn’t keep a secret from her. After all, she is my friend now.

“Ever since we moved in Villa Mercedes, I’m having strange dreams and nostalgia. As if I’ve lived there before. I’m feeling the same thing with this place now. It felt as if I’ve walked in this street a long time ago.”

Flora looked amazed, although I wasn’t sure if she really believed me. “Of all places!” she exclaimed. “There must be a reason why you have to be here now.”

“Well..” I fell into a deep thought as I remember my bizarre dreams, Helen and the strange children.

Flora continued. “Like an unfinished business, you know. Some ghosts refused to leave a place when they have something that was left undone because of their untimely death. Once they transferred to another body, they will still be reminded of that place and will return one day to finish that thing, may it be a broken promise or a revenge.”

I shuddered at the thought of doing something horrible in my previous life and be lured back to Villa Mercedes by the vengeful spirits of the people I killed.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She apologized when she saw the scared expression on my face. “I just love horror movies so don’t take it seriously.” She tried to comfort me with a cheerful laugh but it didn’t help a bit. I wanted to leave the Villa as soon as possible.

The stillness of the afternoon added to the gloomy atmosphere of the garden, making the place even more sad and mysterious. My eyes went straight to the wishing well, the same well I had a wish the first time I came in this garden, and perhaps, the same well where Helen came to meet her family.

We sat quietly in the wooden bench, admiring the beautiful scenery. Flora put out a couple of ten cent coins and threw them one after the other, making a wish.

“What are you girls doing in here?” boomed an old voice from behind.

We turned around to see an old nun in a white cassock , with a wooden rosary hanging on her neck. She looked solemn but friendly.

“Hello, sister.” We greeted her in chorus.

An old woman, about seventy, was walking behind her, her head was covered with black shawl and she was holding a bouquet of white daisy picked freshly from the garden. She sat in the wooden bench while the nun stood beside her.

“We just wanted to breathe some fresh air.” I replied, nudging Flora. She looked at me and immediately understood what I meant.

“Oh, yeah. We just wanted to breathe some fresh air.” She told them and looked around, pretending to admire the garden. “This place is so pretty and relaxing.”

The old woman smiled, smelling the bouquet she was holding. “I love taking some time to relax in the garden too.” she told us.

The nun smiled too then turned to the old lady. “Are you going to be fine here, Lucia? Should I leave you for a while?”

“Oh yeah. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be happy to accompany this two lovely girls.” She replied, smiling at me and Flora.

“Okay then.” She replied, then turned to us, cracking a joke. “Take care of this old lady, okay? She might bore you with her stories.”

The old lady laughed. “You always embarrass me.”

“Don’t worry, she’s old but not cranky.” the nun told us, still laughing. She then turned to the old woman, whom she called Lucia. “I better go. Just shout for my name if you need me, okay?”

“Take care, dear.” Lucia replied.

We were left alone with Lucia, looking old and weak but her cheerful attitude was still palpable. I found it hard to look at her, knowing that one day, I will be as old and weak.

“So what are your names, young ladies?” she asked with a sweet voice.

“I’m Flora,” Flora replied and introduced me. “ And this is my friend Denise.”

Lucia,still smiling, extended her thin and papery hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lucia. but you can call me Lucy.”

We shook hands with her, as if meeting in a formal gathering. I felt awkward talking to an old lady aside from grandma. It reminded me of the first day I formally met the Mercedes family.

“We wanted to come because my friend is interested to know more about the orphan---” Flora abruptly stopped as she felt my elbow nudging her.

But some words had already slipped before Flora could stop, enough for Lucia to hear.

“Orphans?” Lucia asked with a sudden interest.

There was no way I could lie so I nodded. “She meant the orphanage.”

“What made you interested in the orphanage?” she asked.

“I didn’t know that there was one before I came here. Flora just told me so I got curious.” I told her.

Lucia smiled. “I spent my whole life in the orphanage until they closed it down. Now there’s nothing left from what was once a happy home .”

I was surprised to know that the old lady before me used to live in the close orphanage and I could see that even Flora began to take interest in the orphanage’s story as well.

Lucia continued. “But all is well as the children went into lovely families. I still have fond memories of the year I spent in the orphanage.” she said, dreamily.

“Why did they close it?” Flora asked.

She thought for a few second as if trying to recall a distant memory. “We didn’t have sufficient fund to continue running the orphanage. Donations from the rich were scarce so the mother superior decided to close it down. The family who owned the land decided to turn it into a botanical garden but later on donated the land to the church. We remained in this place but it’s kinda lonely without the children. I was an orphan myself.I came here when I was fifteen.”

I couldn’t help not to stare at her old face and imagined her as the young orphan in her story. Then I decided to ask if she could let us visit the convent that used to be the orphanage.

“I’m sure Sister Martha will be happy to show you around. If only I’m not this weak, I would have accompany you myself.” She said. “Sometimes, I wander in the corridor, just reminiscing the time when children were happily running around the house. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with my stories. Let’s go inside and have a tea party. Sister Martha bakes the best sugar cookies.” Lucia stood up and we slowly followed her to the old building not far from the wishing well.

Deja Vu

Entering in the old building that once accommodated a hundred orphan children gave me a strange feeling. It was like going home after a long years of being away. The living room which according to Lucia has never experienced a renovation since the first time she came in the orphanage, was filled with antique, wooden furniture that seemed to be handed from one generation to another. My heart stopped when I saw a small door underneath the stairs.

“It was my bedroom before.” A voice was telling me.

“Is everything alright?” Lucia asked when she noticed that I wasn’t following them.I was just standing at the door, staring blankly at the locked room.

“Yeah.” I replied as I glanced once more in the close door.

We sat in the worn-out sofa, drinking tea, served with Sister Martha’s home-baked cookies. After a few minutes, Lucia excused herself and apologized for going early to bed. She told us that she was looking forward to our next visit and promised to tell us stories about the orphanage.

We were left with Sister Martha, who was quietly sipping her green tea. I’m glad you came to visit us.” She told us. “Lucia needs someone to talk to. I feel guilty sometimes because I couldn’t be with her all the time due to my responsibilities. I hope you’ll come again.”

“We will.” Flora promised and I nodded in agreement.

“She’s my only family.” Sister Martha continued. “We grew up together in this orphanage. I was seven when she came here. She was almost fifteen and everyone’s older sister. Then I decided that I wanted to be a nun and she stayed with me. She didn’t get married. I have no idea why.”

Suddenly the telephone rang in the corner and Sister Martha went to pick it up.

“I wonder who that is. Excuse me, girls but I have to take this call. Make yourself comfortable and feel at home.”

When Sister Martha left, Me and Flora busied ourselves by checking the photo albums underneath the coffee table. They were photos of the activities inside Mary Knoll botanical garden like cleaning programs, educational tours and religious events. An old photo album dated back 1968 caught my attention. It was filled with photographs of the old orphanage and the orphans. They were taken during the children’s first communion, inside the classroom and while doing various activities. It was like traveling from the past. I felt nostalgic staring at the old, black and white photographs. In the middle of rummaging through the photos, I spotted a group picture of the children taken at the orphanage’s garden. My heart stopped as I jumped from my seat.

“It’s her!” I screamed, alerting Flora.

“Who?” She asked.

“Helen.” I replied. Looking at the close-up photo of Helen felt like staring at myself in the mirror, although we looked so different,

Before Flora could ask who Helen is, Sister Martha came back carrying a tray of raisin bread.

“You know her?” Sister Martha asked, over hearing my conversation with Flora.

“I’ve heard of her.” I replied, not wanting to tell Sister Martha about my bizarre dreams.

“She came here when she was about thirteen after her adoptive parents died. Few months later, she was taken by her real mother. That was the last time I saw her as she didn’t keep in touch with us. She was never close to any of the children. “Sister Martha looked outside the window as she reminisced the past. “She was always alone. But one time, I saw her crying, so I approached her and asked her why. She told me that she regretted running away from home. After that, she never spoke to me again. After she had left, I found out from a nun that her adoptive parents met an accident while looking for her. “

I was quietly thinking as Sister Martha and Flora talked about the other children who used to live in the orphanage. I couldn’t help not to think that the dreams that I had was Helen’s way of trying to send me a message. But what does she want? Are we bound to have the same fate?

Sister Martha thanked us for the visit and waited with us outside the garden’s gate for Fiona’s father to come and fetch us. We promised to visit again when we have time. As I looked back at the huge gate of Mary Knoll’s botanical garden, Deja vu strikes again. Then I remember the scenario in my dream when Helen left the orphanage to be with her family. Strange but I felt that events that took place before are happening again.