Swapped Fate

45: Fate's Heart

The visit to Fate's Heart was scheduled for Monday. Rebecca couldn’t come, for she had a painting to finish. Lea did ask Tristan to join us, but he claimed he had urgent work to do. I presumed it to concern ‘The List,’ that is to say, the suspects he and Mr. Vlad were to interrogate and or hypnotise in pursuit of the sorcerer.

And so since Ari had returned on Saturday, she accompanied us to the orphanage. It was a relief to hear that her mother was getting better and would survive the illness.

As the carriage strolled up the slope towards the orphanage, large iron gates and a stone fence came into view. These were both components that didn’t exist when I first came here twelve years ago. It seemed the building had also been expanded, its compound well taken care of.

With the orphanage located on a slope, it’s compound formed two levels. The upper level was all dirt save for a fig tree with two swings while the lower level flourished with grass, some flowerbeds and a maple leaf tree with another set of swings.

Most of the children recognised Lea and Ari immediately, attacking them with squeals and hugs. I wasn’t good with children. Without any siblings and a job requiring nanny services, my experience with the little ones was close to none.

Lea advised me to smile and flaunt the cheeriness inside of me with the younger lot, and treat the older lot like young adults. I performed better with the older lot, who ranged in the ages of eleven and twelve. They were all human save for one ten-year-old greftyr.

We learned that in Lea’s absence, a governess known as Adelaide had been giving the children lessons. Lea couldn’t wait to meet her, wishing to propose a schedule for the two of them. For now, the children all had to learn at the same time in one room—which was fine since there were only twenty of them, not including the two toddlers.

Ari wasn’t educated, but she made a mean cook with the ingredients we brought along with us.

So from reading and writing lessons was a musical interlude, followed by messy, frustrating but otherwise enjoyable baking lessons.

While some of the children remained behind to learn more kitchen skills with Ari, Lea and I watched over the toddlers in the learning room—which was the latest expansion to the orphanage.
It was equipped with a blackboard at the front, a bookshelf in the nearest corner and two desks with drawers underneath the large windows. There were no chairs, with reed mats covering up the floor instead.

If anyone saw the way Lea acted with baby Reece, one would have thought her his real mother. She was gentle when carrying him, and knew just the right face to make or action to take to have him in fits of giggles.

My attempts at cooing were only met with blank stares from both baby Lawrence and baby Reece. That is, until Lea taught me the simple trick known as ‘Now you see me, now you don’t.’ That was the only trick I was able to pull off to make them laugh, and I must say it was rather fulfilling seeing their happiness.

I immersed myself into the game, making a different exaggerated expression each time I exposed my face. It really tickled their bellies.

“See, it’s not as difficult as you thought at first,” Lea maintained as I sat beside her on the mat. The babies took to fussing about with some toys we had carried with us.

“Trust me, I am only calm because you are here with me,” I contended. “If you were to leave me alone with them, I would have a panic attack. Heavens forbid they start weeping, for I will weep as well.”

She chuckled and looked over at the toddlers with a doting expression. “How I would love to have children of my own.”

“I’m sure you’d be a wonderful mother,” I encouraged her, then clicked my tongue. “Adrian, I’m not so certain.”