Architect of paradise (PART I: Out of the Ruins)

10. Realizations

      One week before Christmas, the goods of jewels, pottery and furniture are now displayed at the shop in the centre of Harrisonburg. Its name is New Leaf, too. The day of the opening we tried to attract a lot of people. We made it clear that the profits of the shop are for charitable purposes.

      I must admit that, the purpose was not so important. People were attracted more from the beauty of the goods. The ladies bought a lot of jewels and pottery. As the furniture concerned, they were also popular with those who were wealthier or those who wanted to renovate their offices. In other words, the shop became popular from the quality of the products that are sold. This is the first step. I believe that a factor of charity will also play a role in the future.

In the meanwhile, Jane Taylor arrived a few days ago. She moved in Mrs. Locust house and she started school immediately. Her look was like those kids in the big city. Revealing clothes that expose a lot of the body parts, make up and modern hairstyle is the look of the modern kids. Of course, her attitude was bad. She is snob and arrogant. She wants to do whatever she wants without thinking her surroundings. In her old school was part of a little gang who was bulling the weak. However, one of their joke took serious turn and the whole gang was expelled.

The first few days, Justin was coming to the library to complain about her. I know that for him, Jane is one of the bullies that make his life hard. But I want to experiment in relationships. With some patience, maybe the calm and shy character of the boy can change Jane for the better. The beginning will be difficult. The girl believes that her parents want to get rid of her so they sell her to the organization. Her attitude will be rebelling for some time. Of course, I know that Jane has the choice to leave Justin and fit in the company of the famous of the school, but I need to have faith.

At the same time, the preparation for the festival are coming to a closing so in Christmas Eve, everything will be ready. For time to time, Mr. Arnolds comes to the library to inform me. With my attention to the organization, I can't take an active part to the festival. According to him, everything are running smoothly.

-"I can't believe how you made this organization."

-"I didn't do it alone. I just gave the idea and Mr. Jackson was willing to make it true luring me in the centre of everything." He laughs.

-"Well, I knew you were special." He says and I furrow my eyebrows.

He is the second one who tells me something like this, but they don't know how my life was in the past. I wasn't anything special but a common child that fought to survive. Now I am a lot calmer that before but I used to be like Jane and worse. What I do right now, it is just part of the job that I chose to do.

-"No, I am not. I just do what I must."

-"You are humble, but that doesn't change anything. You are the wind that will change the area." He tells me and he touches my hands over the desk. My heart is beating fast.

-"I know that you are hesitant and I don't know why. However, if you decide to trust me, I will be really happy." My whole body goes numb from his words and touch. He was just confessing to me. He smiles at me warmly and leaves. My hands are trembling. No, I am not ready yet.

That moment, my phone rings. It is Mrs. Locust. After I hear her, I sign. I close the library so I can go to school. There, I find her with Jane and Justin in front of the director's office. The two kids are in a mess. Their hair are a mess, they have bruises on their faces. In that moment, the door is opening and Stefan Barton with his mother and Amanda Fritz with hers are coming out. We are the next ones. Justin's parents are at the fields so they could come. The director tells us everything. The four kids fought but the first two didn't say the reason. However, Jane and Justin are remaining silent too.