Invisible

Chapter 56

Three days afterwards, the band had some sort of a reunion when the twins and Hannah went to the house without any warning. The place was filled with hugging and laughing when the four of us met each other again. I don't know what's up with them. We were just apart for days, barely a week and they act like they haven't seen me and Parry for more than years.

Hannah handed the shirts we would be wearing for the orphanage project we would be doing for the day. It was a collared green shirt with a logo of the orphanage we would be going to. After freshening up and saying my good byes to my mother and auntie, I went with the rest of the band. Hannah allowed me and Parry to use my car on our way to the orphanage since they used the small one and there's no chance that all of us would fit in the car without squishing each other to death.

I waited until the AC of my car in up and then Parry and I strolled our way to the orphanage, Parry despising the idea of just living the windows open for open air. "There would be smoke around the place and it's so yuck!" she complained over the idea.

The drive to the orphanage wasn't really that long, so Parry didn't suffer in the scorching feel in the outdoor. We went out of the car and went to the van that was with Hannah and the twins. I rolled my eyes. Why didn't we just take the van for a single vehicle?

"Okay, well, the supplies we bought are in the van." Hannah says and answers the question that was rambling in my mind. "Let's carry it out, the staff and the kids are waiting." She says. The mention of the kids made my heart swell in the best way. I love being surrounded by kids!

Few of the boxes in the van were foods and the others were school materials for the kids who were sent to schools. The place itself was amazing. The only thing that I am thinking of is that if there is one thing that could have been good through my stay in this country, it would be being able to help those kids that were in this orphanage.

I carry the boxes in the van and made back trips to finish up everything that was in the van. A nun came out of nowhere and went to us and approached us with a smile on her face. The nun wasn't really that old. I have a feeling that she was just a couple of years older than my mom.

"Hi, Ms Hannah, I'm Sister Connie," she introduces herself. "I'm so happy to see you all at last." She smiles.

Her warm smile seemed to creep into my system that I seemed to forget every bad thing that's happening in my life, whatever that meant. Hannah shakes Sister Connie's hand and so did every one of us. "Hi, you're so pretty," she says to me and my cheeks flare while my friends elbow me with smirks in their faces.

"Thanks," I meekly said. "So, Sister, is there something we'll be doing already?" I asked her and she nods her head with a smile.

"We were just about to start a show to the kids for the afternoon." she smiles. Do people ever get tired to smile warmly like how this woman does? "And I've heard that you were the ones giving them some stories?"

"Yes, we'll be that." I confirm.

-

The rest of the day was spent in constant story telling to the kids. The three of my friends being the awemazing ones, they volunteered to act as the characters in the books I would read for the kids. They would even call out some kids to act with them, and it was so much fun. I never thought that doing small things like this would cause so much joy in me.

After a few books, the kids decided that they don't want to do the stories anymore and they want to play. So before allowing them to the playground in the orphanage, we distributed the snacks we had for them.

The kids were having a good time with Parry and the twins while I was helping Sister Connie to rearrange the small room we used for the story telling just earlier. "The kids in here are amazing." I told her as I folded the table cloth.

"They are," she agrees with a smile, "I enjoy watching them as well. You know, when you watch kids having fun, they seem to have the power to erase the uneasy feeling in you." she says and I nod.

"I agree," I laughingly agreed with her. "People like us usually miss being a kid, being careless." I told her and she was the one who nods right now.

A small little boy approached me and tugged at the hem of my shirt. "Ate Nicole?" he spoke, his voice too tiny and it was cute.

"Yes, darling?" I asked.

"I have a wound." He pouted and showed me his wound on his elbow, "Ate Parry accidentally tackled me and I fell."

I winced at the mention of Parry. When she's having too much fun, she sometimes turns to be in her clumsy personality. "Okay, well, we should clean that don't you think?" I asked him and he nodded, his eyes glassy. "Now, I want you to be brave while we're trying to clean that wound okay?"

He nods and the two of us went to the clinic that Sister Connie instructed us to go for some first aid. Luckily, there was a nurse in the clinic so I won't have troubles rubbing his wound with alcohol and ending up having him crying like crazy. I wouldn't want to hurt the cute little thing because that would be merciless.

After the nurse took care of the kid, I went to him and gave him the single lollipop I have in my pocket. "For being brave," I told him with a smile and he reached up to take the candy from my hand, smiling as well. "What's your name?"

"Darren," he says and my heart nearly drops. "I am Darren!" he says with a smile, too happy when he mentioned his name and not knowing how his name affects me from deep inside.

I force a smile, "Wow, what a good name you have, huh?" I ask him and held his hand to help him get off of the tall chair he was sitting on.

"Okay, so what do you want to do?" the two of us exited the clinic and went back to the playground. But Darren seemed to be a little afraid to play again. I bet his wound was pretty painful for him to take. I made a mental note to scold Parry for tackling him.

"I don't want to play anymore. This is too ouchy," he whines and points to is wound. "Ate Parry was strong." He laughs and I join him.

"She sure is," I agree.

"Ate Nicole, look!" he says out of a sudden after sitting in silence with his lollipop now in his mouth. "My name sake is here!" he says and you could probably imagine how my heart seemed to have the plan to get out of my chest.

"Who?"

"Darren, of course," he says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I turned to where he was pointing and saw that he was pointing to a guy wearing the same shirt I was wearing. The hair was identical and I nearly sighed in exasperation when I noticed who it was.

Sister Connie walked with the guy and towards me. Really? Until here, we would see each other? What the actual hell is going on with my life?

"Darren, are you friends with the other Darren?" I asked the kid and he nods at me with a big grin on his face. "Why?"

"Like you, he volunteers here to play with us." he says simply. "He's my best friend!"

"Nicole, this is Darren Espanto, he is one of the regular volunteers in this orphanage as well." Sister Connie introduces him, oblivious to the fact that I already know him all too well. "I suppose you know each other with the way you two stare at each other?" she laughs and I snap back.

Darren, the kid, went to Darren and hugged him with his small arms. "I missed you!"

"Of course, we know each other." I told Sister Connie.

"Yes, we know each other," Darren says as he smiles while looking at me.