I couldn’t remember how long we had walked on a seemingly endless road of Cypress hill. We were both winded when we reached the top of the hill. But as soon as I set my eyes on what Gabriel regarded as his favorite place, I had forgotten how tired I was. I immediately run to the magnificent field full of pink roses and carnations.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” Gabriel said, smiling. “My dad requested his gardener to plant this for the woman she loved a long time ago.”

“For your mom,” I presumed.

My eyes wandered through the vast land covered with magnificent pink flowers. At the age of twelve, I never had any romantic experience and my knowledge about romance and falling in love is solely based on romantic novels. But admiring the flower field before me, I could say that love can create wonders.

“How old are you?” I randomly asked.

“13,” he replied while touching a pink carnation.

“We’re the same,” I thought.

I wasn’t that interested with him as much as I was intrigued with the Villa but I didn’t know how to ask questions about this place so I decided to start with him first.

“So did you go to class today?” I asked, still thinking on how to ask him without sounding too curious.

“No,” he replied. “I didn’t feel like going to school today.”

“Typical rich kid,” I thought. But asked instead, trying to crack a joke. “What do you do during weekends? Don’t tell me you’re spending all your free time studying because I won’t believe you.”

“I’m watching over my dad.”

Right. How insensitive of me. “That’s great,” I told him.

“Just kidding. Your mom takes good care of him. I don’t need to be there all the time.”

“So where are you most of the time?”

“Here. Catching dragon flies. Taking care of the garden,” he replied, removing the petals of a pink carnation.

“Don’t you have friends?” I asked.

“I did. They used to live inside the villa but they moved out.”

I was surprised. I didn’t know that there were other people living here aside from the Mercedes’ family. But of course, a rich family wouldn’t live all by themselves. They need a lot of workers to serve them. There must be others who have lived here before us.

“Why did they leave?” I couldn’t help not to ask.

“Family problems. After that, my family was careful not to hire couples with kids. It complicated matter as the whole family has to leave when children get involved. As a result, we need to find new ones to replace them, train them all over again but even so, they won’t be as efficient as the one who left. So it’s hard for us. There was a time when we didn’t have a driver for a while at the same time, my mom was doing the laundry because the wife was working with us too and they have to leave all at the same time.”

“I see. But why do you think your parents hired my family if they don’t want to hire couple with kids?”

“Well, your parents must have impressed my dad. Besides, you’re an only child. You wouldn’t make so much trouble I guess.”

“Fat chance,” I said, laughing.

The heat from the afternoon sun started to give me a burning sensation. Gabriel asked me to come and rest under the shade of the old willow tree with a beautiful view over-looking the city.

“What happened?” I asked. Why did they leave?”

It took him a while to answer and for a second, I was sorry I asked him. But after a moment of silence, he replied.

“It was a long story. I still feel sad knowing that I’ll never see them again. They were my family.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I told him, and I felt genuinely sorry for him as he seemed sad even if he lives in a mansion. I could sense that he is living a lonely life and is seeking for love and attention.

“I never had friends and my parents are always busy. I could feel that they never really wanted to have kids. I do have toys to keep me company and sometimes I talk to the workers when they’re not busy. But Lucas and his family were my real friends. They treated me as their own. They loved me more than my real family.”

“How could you say that? I’m sure your parents are just busy but they’re doing their best to give you a good life,” I said, trying to make him see reasons.

“I’m sorry to tell you this but you weren’t here for long, you have no idea,” he said, a bit offended.

I nodded. “You’re right. I have no idea,”

I felt embarrassed for judging him so quickly.

I tried to change the subject and encourage him to open up about his friends.

“So the family that you were talking about, did they live in the same staff house that we are using now?”

“I don’t think so. Come, I’ll show you their old house.”

I was still tired and I didn’t think I could still go for another walk but my curiosity won over so I went with him in an abandoned wooden house.

“Be careful,” Gabriel warned me as he ducked from an almost falling post that used to support a part of the house.

He led me into a huge room that must be the living room as the old sofa was still there.

“This is where we used to hang out, watching cartoons while their mother cooked food for us. The house may be small but it was always happy and alive. I had the best time of my life.”

“It’s lovely,” I said. Even if there was nothing left of the lively house that Gabriel described, I could feel that it was once a home to a happy family. Weirdly enough, I have the strange feeling that I once lived in this house.

I looked outside a small broken window and saw that the house is also beside a cliff like our own. Above the trees, I could see a small tree house.

“That was nice,” I told Gabriel, pointing at the old tree house.

“Lucas built that for his kids. We’ll go there one of these days. It’s getting dark now and it’s difficult to go down the tree when it’s dark. Besides, I haven’t visited the place for a while. I need to check if the place is still safe.”

“Okay, you’re the boss,” I don’t like the idea of climbing trees in the dark too.

“They seemed to be a perfect family,” I exclaimed as I saw a drawing of a family on the wall.

“No family is perfect,” Gabriel said, softly.

“You’re right.”

“Is your family perfect?” he asked.

I chuckled as I remember how I always fight with my parents. “We’re far from perfect. But I’m happy.”

“Would you trade your family if ever you’ll have a chance?”

I looked at him, bewildered as I replied. “Probably not.”

I saw a smile on his face before he turned his back on me to check something written in the old cabinet.

I quietly stared at a half-destroyed painting of a brown horse.

Gabriel looked outside the house and I saw his forehead wrinkled.

“The clouds were unusually dark. It looks like it’s going to rain. Come on, we have to go.”

We went out of the abandoned house and a few minutes later, we were on the main road leading to the mansion’s gate.

“Gabriel, what really happened to them? Did your parents fire them?” I couldn’t help not to ask.

We stared at each other for a second and I saw him took a deep breath, as if he finally gave in to my inquisitiveness.

“No. Tragedy struck their family and they didn’t have a choice but to leave this place.”

I could feel a sudden chill as he spoke.

“Their stay came to its end when their daughter died in a car accident. It must be difficult to stay here and be reminded of the tragedy. But unlike them, I have to stay and will always be reminded of it.”

I could see the sadness in his eyes but didn’t know how to comfort him. I stared blankly at the road. The owl started to hoot and the place was covered with fog. I was a bit scared but I wanted to stay with Gabriel for a little while.

“She died right here. In this very road where we are standing now.” I was expecting him to laugh again but he didn’t so I figured out that he was serious. “And it was my fault that she died.”

I looked at him. Although there were no tears in his eyes, I could see the terrible guilt that he’s trying to hide. It must be hard to witness someone die, let alone be the cause of their death.

Soon, the rain started to pour and I got worried when I remember that I needed to be home before my parents come.

“I don’t have an umbrella,” I told him. “If I have, I will stay for a while.”

“You must leave now. We’ll talk some other time. Your parents might be looking for you.” he said.

“I’ll see you next time,” I started to walk but a few steps away from him, I turned back to face him again. He was still standing in the spot where I left him, staring at the old house. “Gabriel!”

He turned to look at me, confused.

“You can come visit us anytime,” I said. “We’ll be friends, okay?”

He laughed and shook his head.

“You don’t need to act nicely just to ask me to accompany you home.”

I felt my face turned red. Honestly, I really wanted him to accompany me as I was scared to go home alone in the dark.

“I forgot the way home,” I said, laughing at myself.

Gabriel walked with me until I recognized the place going to our small house. The light was open and I could hear my dad talking.

“Thank you for your company.”

“At your service, Ma’am” he said, laughing.

“Don’t you want to come inside?” I offered. “My parents will be happy to know that I made a friend today.”

“Probably next time,” he refused, looking so eager to leave.

“Okay then. Whenever you want.″

I waited for him to vanish before I went inside the house where my parents were having dinner. They were discussing about politics so I decided not to tell them anything about my encounter with Gabriel.

That night, I fell asleep soundly on my bed with the help of the cool breeze and the quiet sound of rain pouring outside my cozy room. It was when I had another dream that I remember how I forgot to ask Gabriel a very important question that I was dying to ask.