I was staring at the wishing well, with dried flower petals floating across the blurry water. I wonder when was the last time it experienced cleaning. It looks like someone might come out anytime.

My day dreaming was interrupted when a cold hand touched my shoulder. It was a man I don’t remember meeting but he seemed to know me well.

“I know you’re still adjusting to your new life. It’s going to be fine.”

I didn’t pay attention to what he was telling me and stared blankly at the well. Is that a fish?

“Everything’s going to be alright,”the rugged man continued. “We’ll be one big happy family. I’m not forcing you to like me and I’m not going to try to replace your dad. We’re just going to be great friends.”

I felt a tinge of anger, although still clueless with the identity of the person and my relation to him. Perhaps it has something to do with what he said.

“You should be happy. You’re going to have a family. A real family. Let’s go, Helen. Everyone’s waiting.”

I looked around and saw a lady, wearing a long, black dress. She was encouraging me to come near her. Beside her was a little girl about four years old, she looks pretty and sweet but odd at the same time, with her long locks and black dress. Staring at them made me shiver. They looked sad and solemn as if they just came from a funeral. As they come towards me, I had the chance to look at the man who called me Helen. He was an old looking fellow, with long black beard and was wearing a black tuxedo.

The little girl held my hand with her own icy, hand and led me towards a familiar gate. Still confused, I allowed them to take me to wherever they were going. But before we left the place, I glanced back once more at the melancholy garden. A huge sign was engraved in the iron gate.

MARY KNOLL ORPHANAGE

I woke up calmly this time, unlike my first dream but still couldn’t stop wondering why are these dreams hunting me. Who was Helen?

I couldn’t wait to see Gabriel and asked him about Helen. I know he has the key to the treasure chest of mystery that is waiting to be unraveled.

It was still raining when I went out of the house to catch the school bus. My mom didn’t have the time to bring me with the car so I have to go by foot. My dad promised to buy me a bicycle on his payday so that I have something to use when they won’t be able to drop me in the bus station. Until then, I have to suffer walking a few meters to reach the bus stop.

Two girls were waiting in the bus stop, laughing hysterically while playing with the water droplets dripping from the roof of the waiting shed. They were wearing the same uniform as me and it was obvious that they were pupils from St. Jude Catholic school.

“Are you studying at St. Jude too?” the girl with a long, braided hair asked. She’s taller than the other girl and was wearing eye glasses.

“Obviously.” I thought. “Can’t you see my uniform? I think you need a new pair of glasses.” But instead, I smiled. I’m supposed be making friends, not being rude.

“Yeah. I guess you are too.”

“Are you new? It’s my first time to see you.” She gazed at me intently.

“Yeah. New student and also new in the neighborhood. I’m Denise, by the way.” I informed her.

“I’m Flora and this is Chloe.” She gestured to the other girl who seemed unfriendly and rude. She never even bothered to smile and looked at me suspiciously like I’m a robber trying to steal her friend.

“A pleasure to meet you, Flora. Hi, Chloe.”

“What’s taking Roger so long?” She asked, completely ignoring me. Roger is our bus driver. “He’s supposed to be here now.”

“He probably woke up late again. It happened before and our whole class was late for the school assembly,” Flora noticed that Chloe was trying to ignore me and tried her best to bring me into the conversation. ’Anyway, is your house far from the plaza, Denise?”

“Fifteen minutes walk from here.”

“Not that far then.” She gazed at me again. “I think I’ve seen you before.”

Then I remember how I sat beside a girl with eyeglasses on my first day of school. It must be her.

“We sat next to each other in the bus on the first day of school.” I reminded her.

“I don’t remember.” She said. “But no wonder you looked familiar.”

I tried to amuse myself by watching the cars passing by. I noticed that throughout my conversation with Flora, Chloe was giving me an evil stare.

The bus came and we quietly took our seats. Flora and Chloe sat beside each other while I sat at the empty seat behind them.

I was daydreaming, staring at the view outside the window when Flora whispered from her seat.

“Hey, Denise. Where do you live again? I couldn’t recall seeing a residential area fifteen minutes away from the plaza. I thought it was only mountains and cliffs.”

“Actually there is.” Chloe corrected her. “Well unless she lives in Cypress hill. There is no other house fifteen minutes from the plaza or they probably own a small hut at the foot of the mountain.” she laughed in a sarcastic tone.

“I do live in Cypress Hill.” Okay, maybe we don’t exaclty live in the mansion but our house is still part of Cypress Hill. And I didn’t like how Chloe underestimated me and tried to make assumptions that I’m a nomad living at the foot of the mountains.

I could see the sudden interest in their eyes even Chloe who obviously hates me followed Flora when she left her seat and transferred beside me.

“You really live there?” Flora asked. She was totally awed.

“My parents work for Don Marcelo and his family.”

Chloe made a triumphant grin as if telling us that her assumptions were true. “See, Flora? They’re just slaves.”

“But it’s still a privilege to work there. “ Flora told me, ignoring Chloe. “My dad who has ten years of gardening experience didn’t pass the interview when he applied for a gardener. Imagine that. He graduated with a bachelor in Agricultural engineering but they didn’t accept him. Your family is really lucky.”

“I guess so.” I replied, grateful for her taking my side and ignoring Chloe.

“But I heard the story about the Villa being cursed.” Chloe hadn’t given up pissing me off.

“What are you talking about?” I asked with great interest.

“It’s haunted. I heard stories about children of workers dying of unknown reasons. The boyfriend of Don Marcelo’s daughter died at the age of sixteen when his car fell of the cliff while driving around Cypress Hill.”

“He was drunk. Any sane person would know better than to drive around tricky road without even passing his driver’s license.” Flora snorted.

“What about those children who died mysteriously?”

“Mosquito bites, duh? My uncle told me that most of them died from Malaria.” I could tell that Flora was getting impatient

“Yeah right.” Still, Chloe was not convinced. “Those deaths were hidden for unknown reason and older Don Marcelo just expressed his deep sorrow when the local press interviewed him without even answering the real cause of their death. The families didn’t want to speak either. They must have been paid handsomely.”

“Well, if you’re about to be appointed as regional director of Department of Labor wouldn’t you hide it too knowing your negligence towards the health of your workers?”

Chloe didn’t speak but I could see in her expression that she wasn’t convinced with Flora’s explanation. Neither was I, as the face of Gabriel telling me about the family who used to live there flashed in my mind.

We were quiet until the school bus reached our destination. Chloe got off the bus without even saying goodbye to us. Flora looked at me hesitantly as if she wanted to go with me but doesn’t want to leave her friend alone.

“Go ahead and follow her. I’ll be fine.” I reassured her, smiling.

“Sorry about that.” She apologized. “Don’t believe whatever she said. It was just old stories they used against the Mercedes family. Anyway, I better go. Chloe will be really upset and will start spreading lies about us. I’ll meet you after class. She will be dismissed earlier than me so we won’t be going home together.”

I waved at her as she went inside the campus to find Chloe. I was left outside the school gate, staring at the students, lining up for the flag ceremony. I tried to convince myself that Chloe was just trying to scare me but I know that there was a part of me who believed her.

I almost fell of the ground when a ball hit my head. It was so painful I wanted to smack the face of whoever owns that stupid ball. Then as the owner picked up his ball, I froze as his eyes met mine.

He was the guy who caught my attention in the cafeteria. All my anger was replaced with a strange feeling of recognition. “I’m sorry.” he said, while staring at me with a familiar gaze. I could tell that he was also confused as much as I was . He took his ball and left without waiting for me to speak.

I am not a religious or spiritual person and I don’t believe in ghost, dead spirits and reincarnation but could it be that I was reincarnated? That he was a part of my previous life? Because there was a part of me who knows him.

Somewhere in my past, I know I’ve seen this boy.