Arabella Garcia

Arabella Garcia

Clad in her plain white ankle-length dress, Arabella Garcia walked the quiet alley of the church. Her moistened eyes lit up when they found the familiar statue situated at the far end of the lane. She hastened her steps and halted before the statue. She kneeled down and tightly pressed her eyes closed, causing tears to squeeze out. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head in front of the holy cross. She started murmuring in her soft angelic voice.

"Father in heaven, I thank you for giving me such a beautiful life. I am grateful to you for all the blessings and kindness you showered on me. I ask you for just one more help. Please, make Ruby get well soon. I found her today outside my room all drenched in rain. She was stiff and barely breathing when I took her in. She hasn't opened her eyes since then. Sister Teresa says, she won't be able to make it. Please, god...Please bless her with your kindness. I will sweep clean the front of the church twice a day, I promise," tears streamed down her cheeks as she prayed ardently to the almighty.

Today, in the morning when she opened her room's door to head to the church to do her prayer, her eyes clapped on a bundle of soaked fur lying in front of her room. The bundle wasn't moving. She crouched down and started stroking the fur. The tiny kitten was as cold as ice. Her kind heart reached out for the stray kitten. The indiscernible rise and fall of her body worried her to no end. She gathered her in her arms and brought it inside her room. Arabella gently laid the kitty on her bed and swathed her tiny body with her warmest blanket. She tried to feed her but the kitten didn't open her mouth.

After several attempts, she ran outside and called for Sister Teresa who was one of the physicians of the orphanage. Sister Teresa was in her office when Arabella burst in with a concerned look and requested the older woman to accompany her to her room and tend to the ill kitten.

Sister Teresa rose from her chair and followed the 17-year-old girl who was famous in the orphanage for her kind soul and pure heart. Sister Teresa couldn't help but wonder how the kitten knew where to go for help.

The kitten was in critical condition. Sister Teresa deduced that the kitten had suffered the whole night in the rainstorm yesterday. Regret immediately washed over innocent Arabella. She would have been alright, had she not shut her door. The kitten had come to her in search of shelter and now was fighting for her life. The notion brought tears to her eyes.

Sister Teresa wasn't surprised at all when she saw tears in her eyes for the poor fellow. She and everyone in the orphanage were used to her too compassionate nature. The older woman left after giving her some suggestions.

And that is how Arabella found herself inside the church, seeking his blessings for the almost life-less kitten lying in her bed.

She came back to her room. Her stomach grumbled many times on the way as she had skipped her breakfast in her desperation to get help.

Ruby as she had named her, was still sprawled in her bed. Only her head was peeking out from the blanket. She slept next to her on her side and started stroking the pooch.

"Wake up, Ruby," she whispered and, call it a miracle, the kitten stirred slightly. Her hand froze and she jumped up into a sitting position. A bright smile crawled across her lips as she watched the kitten with hopeful eyes.

The kitten stirred again, this time with more strength.

Arabella sprung off her bed and rushed over to the bowl in which she had poured water for her. She fetched it in a matter of a second and kept it in front of the pooch. The kitten crawled towards it and started lapping the water.

Arabella was happy beyond measure. She managed to save a life.

As far as she remembered, Arabella had been living in this orphanage. She has no memory of life outside this orphanage. Sister Mary told her that she was three when the cops had handed her over to the orphanage. Her parents were drug addicts and died of an overdose.

From gardener to Sister Violet, who was the head of the orphanage, she had endeared herself to every soul that she came across. Her purity and innocence were her biggest attraction.

She wasn't on the gorgeous side. She wasn't a head-turner. She was just beautiful both from inside and outside. She was the type who grows on you slowly but surely.

Her skin was light-colored and her brown hair reached her mid-waist. Her best feature was her blue eyes that resembled the stars in a dark night. But what made her special from others was her smile. A smile that can brighten anyone's days.

Ruby also had recognized Arabella as her savior. She showed her gratitude by nudging her head against her leg. Since that day, Ruby would visit her every evening and Ara had made it a point to give her a warm welcome with her favorite biscuits.

Her eighteenth birthday was approaching fast which meant she had to find herself a job to secure a roof above her head before moving from the orphanage. Arabella didn't have many options as she wasn't a bright student and didn't know much about the outside world. She had assisted Sister Teresa with her patients but that was it. She had no other experience. What was she going to do?

If you need a helping hand in your chores or have to take care of someone, the whole night, call Ara, she is always ready to lend a hand of help. But the teenager lacked severely in the education department.

The girl sent out her ill-designed resume to many companies but there was no revert from any of them. She wasn't a brilliant student to win a university scholarship, hence her only option was to find a job.

"I have decided. I am going to try my luck in Modelling," Freya revealed her plan as she munched on the chocolate that her third favorite boyfriend had bought her. Ara and Freya were lying on Freya's bed with their hair dangling on the side of the bed, discussing their future plans. They both were best friends but pole opposite in nature. Whereas Ara was soft-spoken and sweet by nature, Freya was a spitfire. She was known for her ear-reddening cuss words and middle finger. However, her beautiful face compensated for her loud mouth. She was gorgeous. That is why Ara believed that her friend would easily make it into the modeling industry when she disclosed her plan to her. Their friendship was an enigma for everyone.

"You are going to London?" Ara queried mildly surprised

"Yes. James has seen a space for both of us and he will also get me a part-time job," she licked the chocolate off her thumb.

"James? Your second boyfriend?" Ara asked, confused

"Naah...he wants to be my boyfriend," Freya replied with a smug smile. Ara chuckled and shook her head.

"What's your plan?" Freya turned to her side and plopped her head in her hand

"No plans yet. I've sent mails to some companies but they haven't reverted so.....," she trailed off. Freya knew what she wanted to do but Ara had no idea. She had no ambitious dreams like Freya, she just wanted to live a peaceful life and have a family.

"Come with us, Bell. James will get you a job," Freya wiggled her brow

Ara smiled and shook her head. She turned her gaze at the ceiling.

"I am good here. I don't want to leave this place," Ara admitted. She hated change. She was an emotional person who could easily get attached to anyone or anything. She was emotionally attached to this town and didn't want to move from here. Freya settled back on her back.

"You haven't seen the world, that's why you are saying this. This place sucks ass. No good club, no sexy boys, nothing," Freya draped her arms over her eyes. Ara smiled at her friend's reasoning.

"I feel at peace here. And that's all that matters to me," Ara explained plainly. .

Peace. That's all she wanted.

A month later, Freya left for London with her still-in-que boyfriend, leaving many broken hearts behind. Ara was alone now. Although she had many other friends, most of them had left already. They all had a plan to pursue except for her.

One day she went to sister Teresa to help her in her duty. The older woman asked her about her future plans. Having no response, Ara clammed up. Sister Teresa understood the meaning of her silence and gave her a pep talk that she very much needed.

"You need not to worry, child. He is watching over us. This darkness is temporary. He loves you and he will light your way and give you only what is best for you," Sister Teresa told her, that she wholly believed. She believed in God with all her heart. She knew he would not let anything bad happen to her.

The familiar purr when she reached her room snapped her out of her thoughts. A smile crossed her lips when she looked down at the kitten, adding to her beauty. She giggled when Ruby nudged her nose into her ankle. The girl bent down and picked the kitten. She opened the door to her room and brought her inside.

"You are hungry, Ruby? I've brought you your favorite food," she feigned excitement as if she was talking to a child. Ruby purred in approval. Ara laughed at her excitement.

She put the feline down and made her way to the shelf where the food was kept. She took a plate as well and placed it in front of the hungry Ruby. After fixing Ruby her dinner, Ara slid back into her bed and grabbed her book from the table. She parted the book from where she had left and started reading.

A few days passed by uneventfully. She hadn't gotten any revert yet. Every time she got worried she reminded herself that she wasn't alone, he was with her. God would find her away.

One day, she was returning to her room when the orphanage Gardner stopped her and informed her that Sister Teresa wanted to see her in her office.

It was nothing out of the blue. Sister Teresa often asked the young lady for her help.

She turned her way towards Sister Teresa's office.

"You sent for me?" she asked in her soft voice, causing the sister to look up from her diary.

"Yes, Ara. Come take a seat," she motioned towards the chair across from her own.

Ara quietly made her way towards the chair and plopped down on it.

"Did you get any response for your mails?" Sister pushed her spectacles up her nose and gave Ara her full attention.

A shadow of sadness fell over her ever bright expression. Ara hung her head and shook her head in no.

Sister Teresa hummed and nodded thoughtfully.

"I have a job offer for you," Ara snapped her head up with a force that could have given her whiplash.

"Job. Here?" she wrinkled her brows in confusion.

"Not here in the orphanage. An acquaintance of mine is looking for a caretaker for a girl about six years old," she started in her professional tone. Ara gave a single nod in understanding.

"The girl lost her parents a year back and is currently under the care of her uncle, Mr. Killian Serrano. The man is too busy in his business to stay around the girl......" she was going on with the details about the girl's uncle but Ara wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes lit up with hope. She can definitely take care of a child. She loves kids and they love her.

"I'll do that," she interrupted without realizing. Sister Teresa kept her expression neutral.

"Before you say yes. There is one more thing that I want you to know. The girl can't walk. Which means you will have to stay by her from dusk till dawn," Ara didn't know the girl but she felt for the little kid. She lost her legs at the tender age of six. She loved God but sometimes she hated him for not being fair and just. Now, this revelation only strengthened her will. She will look after the kid.

"I will love to take up this job," she said with her signature smile. Sister Teresa nodded and smiled in approval. She already knew Ara will not step back.

"What's the name of that little angel?" Ara asked curiously

"You almost got it right. It's Angela," both of them chuckled thereafter.

Ara was happy beyond measure. She finally had a job. Alright, she didn't have it now but she was about 99% sure that she would get it. Sister Teresa told her so. Whoever the person called Sister Teresa seemed to have great faith in the middle-aged woman. The only hurdle was the interview that was scheduled to happen tomorrow.

Everything was going to be fine, with that thought she closed her eyes in hope of catching sweet dreams.