Double personalities

I hadn't realised when my eyes started feeling heavy and my head hit the soft pillow. The moment I heard the door creak open, I yawned and parted my eyelids ever so slightly to see who is at the door.

It was Hazel,  on her wheelchair with a glass of juice in her one hand and a pair of jeans and shirt in the other. She greeted me with her usual signature smile and invited herself in. I tried to shove my sleepy self aside and rubbed my eyes as I let my back lean against the wall. 

I watched her as she inched closer to the bedside and handed over the glass to me. "Looks like you slept well. Do you feel fine now?" 

"Yeah, I feel better than before. Maybe I was just too exhausted.. what are those for?" I ask, after taking a sip of the refreshing juice. The corner of my lips raised into a satisfying smile as it filled my body with it's coldness and refreshes me inside - out. 

"I'll come to collect you after 15 minutes. Wear these and come out." She handed the clothes over to me. I quickly examined the clothes to see if they'll fit me and then looked back at her after I was satisfied.

"What for?" 

"I'll give you a quick tour of the orphanage and then I'll introduce you to the other kids of our age." 

I nodded in response and she left the room to give me some privacy to 'fix myself'. I kicked the blanket aside and got out of the bed. I slipped into the black jeans and white shirt in a jiffy and admired myself from top to bottom in the mirror. "Hmm...looking good, Rai. Time to go!"

I took a deep breath before leaving the room and shutting it behind me. My eyes searched for Hazel and found her in an open room amidst the little orphans who were hurdling close to her to listen her play the grand piano with  enthusiasm shining brightly in their eyes. I stood near the door and listened her play it. Her pale and slender fingers pressing on the keys of the piano were so gentle and precise that it seemed like she'd been doing it for years.

I immediately recognized the  familiar piece she was playing. It was the song that my Dad had taught me when I was little. Several emotions bubble inside my heart when I recalled those days - anger, regret, guilt, sadness. I tried to shake it off and approached the room to call her out but something stopped me in my track. 

For some reason, she had an empty and sad smile plastered on her face— I didn't understand why, though. The notes of the song seemed sadder and sadder every minute and it felt like she was trying to convey her emotions through the piece. The kids obviously didn't get it, they just like how she played — and so do I. 

"She indeed is mysterious.." I sighed and gently knocked on the door to call her out. I wonder what's the story behind all of it...

*knock knock*

She stopped playing and turned around to see me standing at the door. I smiled at her and motioned her to come back. The kids around her whined and sulked when they saw her leave the piano behind.  

"When will you come by again?" One of the kids asked her. 

"Hmm...maybe tommorow? Next time I promise I'll stay longer." She smiled at them and ruffled the kid's hair.

 The kid's face brightened up instantly, "See you tommorow, Hazel!" 

"Sorry. Lost track of the time." She smiled at them once again before approaching me.

"It must be tiring to roll these wheels all by yourself. Here, let me help you." I gripped the rubber handles and pushed the wheelchair forward. 

"You're really good to others. It doesn't even seem like you could kill someone at all." She smiled.

"That's because I didn't do it." The little smile that I had on my face, now disappeared in an instant when a sudden image of the corpses flashed across my mind.  

She tilted her head up to look at my face  which was hovering over her and noticed that my smile was no more there. Guilt filled her expression, "I didn't mean to-" 

"No, it's fine. Okay, so, where are we going exactly?" I cut her off mid sentence and quickly change the topic. I noticed a hint of realisation on her face and naturally assumed that she took the hint that I was trying to avoid talking about it.  

"Take a left turn from here." She instructed me. I turned the wheelchair around and push it into the left path. By the time we reached the other end of the path, my mouth was already hanging open. 

"What in the world....!" I looked at the place around me in awe. It was the very definition of beauty. I could see a golden gate with a royally designed signboard which read "Peace Blossoms Orphanage"  

Behind the gate laid  hundreds of vibrant green trees and flowers swaying in the wind. Butterflies flapped their beautiful little wings around the flowers, and the ground is enveloped in colours of soft green grasses. A small pond brimming with coral fishes dancing in the water laid at the centre. It was coated with a layer of pink and red flower petals which made it look even prettier.

"Amazed? Believe me, this is not even the complete beauty of this Orphanage." She chuckled.

"Wasn't the room I was in supposed to be a part of the orphanage? Why is the entrance gate here instead?" I asked.

"That isn't a part of the orphanage but a small land owned by the director. He built it into a guest house." She answered. 

I was speechless at this point. The only thing I could think of was, "Just how rich is this director!? Anyone would be sleeping on the streets if they gave away that much money!"  

The place was insanely beautiful and it seemed like something out of a fantasy. At this point, I couldn't imagine anything that wouldn't be possible by the so - called 'director'.  

Just when I was lost in my thoughts, I heard Hazel's voice calling out to me. But it sounded more like a scream—

 "Aahh! Are you trying to kill me, you idiot!?!"  

I snapped back into reality and notices that I was so drawn by it's beauty that I unknowingly kept pushing the wheelchair forward and forward until it was at the edge of the pond. I lost the grip on the rubber handles and it slipped out of my grasp. 

"AHHH!!" She screamed so loudly that it would have bursted my eardrums if I hadn't covered my ears. I saw her horrified face touching the layer of water in slow motion like a movie.  

*Splaashhhh* 

She, along with her wheelchair fell into the pond with a mighty splash and I protected my face with my hands from the water that had fallen all over the place. I quickly went over to her and pulled her out of the water.  

She started panting and gasping for breath as soon as she was out. Her body was completely drenched in water as expected and her wet hair stuck to her shocked face. 

I didn't know what to say — I had no excuse. 

"A-Are you okay..?" 

"You....!" She caught me by my collar and glared at me, "Do I look like I am okay?!"

Well, that was stupid of me. Her murderous look made me believe in two faced people today — She was sweet like sugar a moment ago and now she gave off the vibe of a monster that could bite off a person's limbs.

I gulp nervously, "I-I am really sorry..."  

"Help me up, damnit!" She glared at me again.

I hurriedly pulled out the drenched wheelchair from the pond and helped her to sit back on it.  

"Take the right! The hostel's there, you idiot!" She yelled at me and I flinched.

"How am I supposed to know that?!" I thought but didn't dare to tell it out loud.