“Wake up, everyone,” Mrs. Hernandez’s voice echoed in the room. Lindsey and Ashley rubbed their eyes, stretched and yawned as Mrs. Hernandez draw the curtains revealing Mr. Sunshine. “Wake up, sleeping beauty,” shaking Angie, who did not move an inch.

“I think she was wasted last night,” Lindsey chuckled. “She will wake up. Let’s start our long day.”

“Let me check with the boys,” Ashley blurted out, coming out from the bathroom face washed and teeth brushed.

“Okay. You do that,” Mrs. Hernandez replied. “Our service will pick us up at 7 am. Let’s meet at the lobby then.”

A mini-bus was waiting for them outside the hotel. The heat from the sun greeted them with the warmth that filled the heart. Everyone was wearing a shirt with the logo they designed for the charity event. Tony sat next to the driver, acting as a tour guide for the rest of the group, albeit his first time to visit the place. His humor made everyone comfortable except for Angie. She was seated next to Mrs. Hernandez, who was silently praying, holding her crucifix in her hands. Ashley and Lindsey were behind her, and Vince adjacent to her. Her eyes fleeted from sheets of paper on her lap and the window looking for answers. Vince was observing her from afar.

“Hey, love, are you okay?” Mrs. Hernandez asked, brushing her daughter’s hair behind her head.

“Yes, mom,” she answered, leaning head on her mom’s shoulders. Mrs. Hernandez was worried as she woke up late and skipped her breakfast and only had coffee. But even after succumbing to her caffeine fix, she looked different.

The minivan with the orphanage’s name on it drove them from the hotel to the orphanage. Everyone was quiet with jet lag up in their sleeves and exhaustion from the previous night’s party. Even Tony has his share as he dozed off 15 minutes after the minivan hit the road. It was an hour’s travel time to their next destination.

The House of Angels was propped in the middle of a vast field. Palm trees and shrubs surrounded the property concealing the stone wall. A blue building revealed itself as the driver turned left. It was a rectangle structure with paint that’s chipping off. To its left was a pink building that looked like it was newly painted, unlike the first building. In front of it was the parking lot where the minivan picked them up that morning. Two ladies cloaked in all white and a lady in a blue shirt with a logo Angie recognized, and black pants stood next to them.

“Good morning,” a lady dressed as a nun greeted them with a cheerful smile as the group descended from the van. “Welcome to the House of Angels. My name is Sister Maria, the head administrator of the orphanage.”

“Good morning, Mother superior,” Mrs. Hernandez greeted her with open arms. “I’m happy to see you again.”

“Hello, Mrs. Hernandez,” she smiled back and wrapped her arms around her. “It’s been a while, and we are all happy to see you again.” Turning next to Angie, “And who do we have here?” Grinning at Vince.

“Good morning, Mother,” Vince replied, reaching out for her hand, bringing it to her forehead as a sign of respect. “I am happy to see you again.”

“Do you know each other?” Mrs. Hernandez’s brows arched, showing off the wrinkles on her forehead, looking at the two.

“Yes,” Mother Superior Maria replied.

“Let me introduce everyone else,” Pulling Angie next to her, “This is my daughter Angie. We have a long way back since our days in Mexico.”

Angie reached out her hand, “We finally meet Mother superior.”

“Oh Yes, I definitely remember you. Thank you for choosing our orphanage and going all the way to San Diego.”

“My pleasure. This is my friend, Lindsey, she is the owner of Boutique La Prague.”

“Hi Lindsey,” the nun reached out her hand, shaking hers.

“These are our power duo, Tony and Ashley,” Vince interjected.

“Oh, I heard a lot about you from Vince and Vicky,” They smiled back knowing Vicky would have given them a kind word.

“Welcome, everyone. Let me introduce you to my staff. This is Sister Ana, she has been with us for 20 years now. This is Andrea, the head administrator of our orphanage.

Let’s step inside so we can formally introduce you to the rest of the staff.”

Unlike the facade of the building, the interior has been well-kept with colorful murals painted on the wall and pastel-colored furniture from the sofa, tables, chairs, and decorations. The reception area was open and friendly, with pictures of angels on the wall. In the middle of the hall is a large circular column with the handprint of all the kids. They were the kids who have been there once and the current residents, with their names underneath their handprint. Looking at the handprints gave them pinched in the heart, knowing how many kids have been abandoned or lost on their own. And, how many were out there who did not make it through the orphanage like these children.

Andrea toured them around the compound which has existed for the last twenty years. In 1999, they only had one structure where everything was juxtaposed -- that was the main building. On the first floor of the main building was the office, clinic, kitchen where thousands of meals have been served for the past 2 decades feeding the mouth of these hungry children. And on the second floor, the nursery where toddlers and babies 3 years old and below were housed. This is where most of the volunteers and workers were designated. They have at least 10 staff to look after 20 babies and tots. The ratio of 1:2 was painstaking, knowing that these kids barely knew how to express themselves. They have been abandoned by their own parents and now had to share divided attention with the rest.

The main hallway consisted of a long corridor leading to a circular structure. It was perched in the middle of the compound, and it was where everyone would gather around. Children’s voices were heard as they walked from the corridor to the dining hall. The orphans lined up each with an aluminum tray on their hands, ready for the day’s breakfast. Volunteers lined up serving them with rice, egg, ham, one piece of banana, and hot milk, a special treat they say, which happens only twice a year. The orphanage has been merely surviving to make ends meet, especially without the aid of the government. They were now a private institution tending to the abandoned kids. To survive, they had to plant their own crops and breed their individual animals. Most of the ingredients they cook, according to Andrea, were homegrown. Whatever excess they harvest from the bounty are sold in a local market that helped fund their cause.

From the first floor, they climbed a spiral staircase to the second floor, which served as a recreational area for the kids where they can watch TV, play board games, indoor sports like table tennis and chess. They also have a dance room with a mirrored wall.

“What are they doing?” Angie asked, popping in her head inside the dance hall.

“Dancing. Rehearsing for tonight’s program,” Andrea replied.

“Wow! Really?”

“Yes. They love Kpop nowadays, and their favorite band is Gold Dust.”

“Gold Dust? Never heard of them.”

“Well, they are a Korean group that sings and plays instruments. But they are a bunch of nice kids as they donated the televisions that we are using in the orphanage.”

“That’s great then. They just earned my respect,” Angie retorted.

As the group toured the venue, a girl caught Angie’s attention. She was seated on the sofa alone in her ruffled pink dress. Leaned back on the brown sofa, she brushed her long curly brown hair resting two small hands on a brown object on her lap. Oblivious to the Kids around her were running around shouting and playing. Instead, she stared blankly at the TV’s blank screen.

“Let’s go downstairs so you can check where the kids sleep,” Andrea led the way down the plight of stairs to the structure to the left with JOSEPH scribbled on the entrance. “This is the boy’s dormitory, and this is the lobby.” Pointing to the sofa set in hues of blue and green.

On the right wall was a map of the entire compound together with the building structure. Meanwhile, the left wall has pictures of all the boys who have stayed in the orphanage. “To your right is the shower rooms and toilets. To your left and on the 2nd floor are the rooms of the boys,” she added. After touring the boy’s dormitory, The shower rooms and toilets were divided with cubicles with only curtains for privacy. The toiletries were on a cabinet with each of the boy’s name scribbled on each cub.

Andrea led them to the opposite building through the covered pathway that connected the boys’ dormitory to the dining hall and the girl’s dorm. On the entrance to the girl’s dorm was scribbled the name MARY. It was set up the same way with the boys’ place.

The moment Angie saw the picture on the wall, a lump formed in her throat and a heavyweight pressed on her chest. She made a choking sound as if she will puke any time. The picture of a girl wearing a ruffled dress in long socks and black shoes caught her eyes. It was taken in 1999 back when the orphanage only has a handful of children staying in the institution.

“Angie, let’s go,” urged Lindsey, who was walking towards the last structure, which was the kid’s classroom and Library. Each step, they saw the remnants of damage produced by the storm on the ground. Men and women alike were painting the walls, hanging the windows, installing the roof to rebuild what was once broken.

“Hey there. I have been waiting for you,” Mr. Hernandez waved at the group.

“Dad, you are here,” Angie said, wrapping her arms around him.

“Yes, I made it in time,” glancing around, nodding his head. “I am an old man, but for sure, they will need an extra hand.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hernandez,” said Sister Ana, “We do need all the help we can get. Such an honor for us to have you here.”

“Always my pleasure, sister,” Mr. Hernandez smiled.

Mother superior showed up and invited all the volunteers to gather in the dining room for a simple snack. They went straight to the dining room, which has already been emptied. A long table was set up to accommodate all the volunteers. The group was served with the same meal the kids had earlier that day. As they sat down to dine, Lindsey choked at the overwhelming emotions that flooded through her. The table and chairs cold were, and their meal was essential. They went through their to-do list for the day, which included the reconstruction of the Library and classroom, preparing a special Christmas luncheon for everyone, followed by a program for all the kids and volunteers.

For the rest of the morning, gentlemen, together with other hired helpers and volunteers, finished up the reconstruction of the Academic Building. Tony and Vince rolled up their sleeves, finishing up the installation of the roof. A piece of cake for both who have been accustomed to such laborious activities in the past. The academic building was completed in no time, leaving them free time before lunchtime.

Behind the academic building named David was a basketball court that was used for most of the outdoor activities like sports. A few meters away was the orphanage’s mini farm where the garden, greenhouse, and poultry can be seen.

Vince sat on a bench under an apple tree, next to the court. He wiped his sweat, stretched his legs and arms, marveling at their work. Looked up at the sky and chuckled, “No need to thank me,” he whispered. “This is all for you.”

The sound of children chattering and laughing broke the silence. His gaze fell upon a group of children with some adults harvesting vegetables in the mini-farm. He sniffed, blinking back the teardrop as his chest welled up, reminiscing how the mini-farm came to being. Victoria’s farm says the signage on the entrance. He sighed at how his fiancee has left her prints everywhere in the orphanage. After all, this was where she grew up.

“Hey buddy,” Tony snarled, throwing a bottle of water to his direction. Like a master pitcher, he caught it with a swift of his hands. “Yeah, that’s what I am talking about.” Vince chuckled in response.

Vince did not realize how thirsty he was until he downed the entire bottle in one gulped. “Woah! That’s refreshing,” he exclaimed.

“You bet after a hard day’s work. I must say, though, maybe we can be contractors one day when we don’t have anything else to do. Haha,” Tony spoke nudging at Vince, who just shook his head grinning.

“You wish to live a long life, buddy?”

“What?” They looked at each other and laughed. “But seriously, buddy, I am happy to see you are back to your old self.” Patting at Vince’s shoulders. “We like her,” pointing at a lady surrounded by little girls on the farm.

Vince looked at the direction where Tony was pointing to making him smirk. Just then, a group of teenagers showed up on the basketball court, “let’s play ball.”

“Sure. It’s been a while.”

Oh, they are playing balls. Can we watch them instead?

Sure. Go. I think we have more than enough in our basket. Angie replied.

It’s been a while since I saw these two play. It looks like they’re done for today’s work too. Ashley snarled.

“I guess so. Their work is pretty impressive though, look at the building. It made it on time. Unlike us, who need a lot of time to get things done,” Angie giggled.

The two ladies passed by the basketball court with all their harvest for the day to the kitchen. As they enter the room, the duo breathed in the aroma of different filling the air. Clanking of pots and pans, constant pounding on the chopping board, water boiling and array of vegetables, fruits, protein, and spices on the long table. The heat from the oven and raised the temperature, causing pores to open, breaking up to sweat. There are more than a dozen volunteers all in sync in Mrs. Hernandez’s magical hand. She was most definitely the queen of the kitchen who had years of experience serving in the soup kitchen in different states and countries. Helping more than 100 people is a piece of cake for her.

“Your mom is truly amazing, Ang,” Ashley blurted out, eyes wide opened at the fully orchestrated kitchen concierto in front of her. Everything was in a rhythm that magically titillates the senses.

“She sure is,” she answered her chest swelled and held her chin up chuckling seeing a different side of her mom.

An hour later, Angie left the kitchen together with Lindsey to help decorate the recreation area or the program. They set up a mini-stage in the middle and an area where the kids will take a picture with Santa Claus next to the makeshift fireplace and Christmas tree. And Santa Claus would be none other than Mr. Hernandez, who made his lunch early to prepare for the event.

The bell rang at precisely 12 noon, signifying that it was lunchtime. All the children, staff, and volunteers gathered in the dining hall to feast on a Christmas luncheon, which included asparagus and spinach, ham, pasta, and fruit bowl. The atmosphere shifted into joyful glee as Christmas jingle drowned the noisy chatter in the hall. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear, the plates filled to the brim, especially the boys who had been helping the adults in the repainting of the building.

With a full stomach, everyone proceeded to the recreation area on the second floor. Tony and Lindsey were the hosts for the event, while Vince and Ashley were in charge of the games. The children prepared to dance and song numbers to express their gratitude to the staff and volunteers. Everyone was laughing and cheering for each other. For that brief moment, all their worries and sadness dissipated in the air. The Hernandez family took over gift-giving, dressing up Mr. Hernandez as Santa Claus and Mrs. Hernandez as Mrs. Claus.

The second floor was filled with Christmas spirit and merry-making. All, except the girl in a pink ruffled dress who kept herself inside the dance room where the rest of the tables and paraphernalia were stored temporarily.

Vince saw her sitting on the floor with tears in her eyes, “Hi, little girl,” kneeling next to her, “Why are you here?”

The little girl looked up, said nothing then looked down.

“What is your name?” he added.

“Samantha,” she murmured.

“Come, let’s play,” offering his hand to the young lady who was propped up in the corner. Samantha took his hand, helping herself up. She followed him to where everyone else was and sat next to Vince.

It was 4 pm when the program finished with Mexican snacks by Mr. Hernandez. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, going back to their own business. Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez left to meet Father Pedro, who was the chaplain at the chapel in the compound. Tony and Ashley visited the babies and tots. They were considering adopting a child, which they have been contemplating for a while. Vince set off to meet Mother Superior while Angie and Lindsey were left to play with the girls.

Hi, beautiful girls, Angie smiled to the little girl in a pink ruffled dress who jerked in response, putting away what she was holding in her hand.

Pretending not to notice, Angie added, “Can I stay here with you? She looked up at her and nodded. I have something for you,” she said, pulling out a blue satin dress and a matching satchel.

“Thank you,” the lass whispered.

“Would you want to put it on?” Angie asked but the girl only shook her head. “What is your name?” she inquired.

“Samantha,” she responded, staring at the blue dress on her lap.

“Wow! This is a cute doll. Would you want me to dress it up for you?” Angie picked up the barbie doll wearing a paper dress that she suspected the kids cut up themselves.

“No. That’s my sister’s,” she snapped, yanking the doll away from her grasp and hugging it in her small arms.

“Sorry. You have a sister?” Angie looked around for someone who might have looked like her.

Samantha looked away, tears began falling from her eyes and wiping it so, “she’s not here,” she answered, stood up, and dashed away.

“Wait!” reaching out her hands, but the little girl ran fast, away from her grasp.

“Let her be,” Sister Ana approacher, she was one of the resident nun looking after the children. “She is quite sensitive since her sister was adopted just over a week ago. We rescued them from human traffickers who were trying to cross the border. Samantha is 10, and her sister was only 3 years old. We decided to look for their parents, but when we found them dead in a small apartment in Mexico. According to the police, the father killed the mom and then took his own life after.

At that moment, Angie felt her whole body froze, her eyes stung and suddenly became dizzy. She couldn’t utter a single word because of the lump in her throat and a heavy weight on her chest. The wall gave her a solid structure to lean on, but she lost her sight and passed out. Sister Ana asked for help to rush her immediately to the clinic.

Vince was with Mother Superior in her office at that particular time. Her office was on the first floor next to the reception area. When Vince entered the room, the scent of spring whiffed his sense, feeling the warmth in winter. The room was filled with flowers picked from the garden. And pictures of all the children and staff from the orphanage.

Mother Superior stood up when Vince walked into the room with a smile. She led him to the green couch next to her table, blending perfectly to the cabin ambiance of her office, which was so much like the personality of the mother superior herself.

“Vince,” she put her arms around him warmly. “I am so happy to see you again.”

“Me too, Mother superior,” he replied, blinking back his tears.

“Has it been three years since I last saw you?”

“Yes,” he smiled. “And a lot has changed since,” glancing around the room, nodding his head.

“A lot has changed since,” she replied, “especially the garden and greenhouse. Now, we are naturally sustainable. We have a lot to thank her for.”

“I am sure she is smiling now.”

“Yes,” pulling a box under the wooden coffee table in the middle of the sofa set and putting them on top of the table. “Here. I have been waiting for you to retrieve these things.”

Vince stared at the box, and suddenly he felt like an arrow pierced through his heart. Bending, he reached out for the table and gulped.

“She asked me to give this to you when the time comes,” she glanced at him, his head bowed, staring at the ground.”

His hands trembled as he opened the box. Inside was a handkerchief with embroidery and several notebooks, some of them worn out. It was Vicky’s diaries.