Capítulo 8: Our Benefactor

“Mister Helkins will be here today, so please be on your best behavior, everyone,” Lady Monica told us what we all had already anticipated.

“Of course!”

“Let’s clean up the place well,”

“If we’re good girls, this place will get more money for food, right?”

“That’s right, my dear…” Monica said in her gentle voice.

“I’ll help out, too,” I quickly volunteered.

“Don’t overwork yourself. You almost fainted last time,” Monica said before she turned to smile caringly at me.

“I won’t…” I muttered.

Soon after, Mister Helkins arrived, and we were all lined up in front of the orphanage to greet him, just like we always did whenever he came to visit us. Our benefactor got out of his shiny black car, which looked expensive. As always, he was dressed well in a suit that seemed very fancy.

“Welcome! We’re so happy that you’re here. Hopefully, the ride wasn’t too long…” Monica greeted him with a smile.

The other girls and I plastered a smile to greet him. Mister Helkins nodded in greeting to Monica before he turned to smile at all of us girls. His eyes scanned each girl as he smiled warmly. I felt his eyes on me, and I nodded a little in greeting. From what I heard about him from Monica, Mister Helkins was an incredibly kind man who was keen to work for the betterment of society. Our orphanage is one of the many others he funds to help unfortunate girls without parents or girls going through challenging periods.

“It’s always good to be here. You can all relax; there’s nothing to be so tense about. I’m just here to ensure everyone is doing well,” Mister Helkins said warmly.

By then, he had reached the end of the line where the youngest girl was standing. He touched her head, and she giggled and smiled brightly at him. Since I was the eldest now, I stood at the beginning of the line that progressed to the youngest of us here as we stood side-by-side.

“Mister Helkins will take a small tour around the place and then discuss it with me. As he said, there’s no need to be so tense. Please proceed with your day as normal,” Monica nodded firmly.

After smiling politely at Mister Helkins and saying thanks for his visit, we headed to our daily tasks. With Mister Helkins’ support, the orphanage managed to hire quite a handful of teachers, and thanks to that, we were getting some primary education. Unlike the other girls, few teachers worked here while I was growing up, so I mainly studied with Monica.

One day, it would be my turn to leave this place, too. If I can get a well-paying job, I’ll be sure to send back as much money as possible. Little Sally and the other girls can get more food, and perhaps they can even enjoy some snacks.

That evening, we had dinner typically together, except that Mister Helkins joined us. He chatted casually with Monica and the other more minor girls while they laughed at his jokes. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen preparing our dinner to make it palatable for our guests. Everything seemed to be going well, and I prayed that Mister Helkins would continue to support our orphanage.

…

Later that night, I was busy reading for my studies. I had no idea what job I wanted, and I wasn’t picky. For someone my age, my education was rudimentary at best, if not slightly behind the other girls in my age group. Working at the orphanage meant I couldn’t study full-time like regular girls who went to school. Not to mention that there weren’t enough teachers to teach all the subjects. Regardless, I wanted to study as much as possible in my spare time just in case it would help me land a better-paying job.

I’ve been staring at this question for a while and still couldn’t determine the answer. If I remember correctly, Monica taught me something similar, but it didn’t apply perfectly to this question. After a short while of thinking, a sigh escaped my lips. I got up from my seat after deciding to head over to see Monica in her office before it got too late into the night. It was evening, and all the young girls had gone to bed. Hopefully, I will not be too late, and Monica will still be in her office.

The hallway was dimly lit because we had a policy to save on electricity whenever possible to save costs and be environmentally friendly. I made my way down the familiar hallway towards Monica’s office. I’ve walked this hallway countless times before, so the lack of lighting didn’t bother me. I could navigate this hallway confidently with my eyes closed if need be.

When I turned a corner, I spotted some light at the end of the hallway where Monica’s office was. Relief rushed into me when I realized that I made it in time. She was still in her office. I heard some noises as I approached the door to Monica’s office. I quickly walked along the hallway towards the light that seemed to have leaked into the hallway from her ajar door.

The closer I got to the door, the louder the noises started to get. At first, it sounded like Monica was muttering to herself, but then it sounded like she was in slight pain. My brows furrowed as worry started to enter my mind. Did something happen, and is she hurt?

My pace quickened as I took faster steps toward the light at the end of the hallway. The closer I got, the louder were her broken cries.

--To be continued…

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