Chapter 1

Valeriana

“Mom, I’m getting late! Goodbye!!” Valeriana said, walking hastily past the breakfast table. She then gave a bright smile and leaned to kiss the cheeks of her most precious human, “Goodbye , take care and don’t run around in the house!” she said. “Sure my Ana dear, take care, okay?” An old lady in her early eighties said, smiling ear to ear. That old lady is Valeriana’s paternal grandmother. Or the most important, precious person in her life! 

"Ana! You can’t do this every time! You always skip breakfast, if it goes on then you will become sick!” A pretty woman said. 

“Mom, sorry but I really have to go, the children must be waiting!” She said while taking a piece of bread. And added, “Don’t worry, I’ll eat this bread on my way!” And left the house in a running way to escape her scolding. 

“Josephine, calm down! She will eat something after she gets there.” Grandmother said. 

Josephine is Valeriana’s mother, but everyone says that she looks like Valeriana’s elder sister. She has really good skin, without any wrinkles, which makes her look younger. Nobody would believe that she’s in her late forties. 

“Outside food doesn’t suit her, mom,” Josohine said with a stressed face. 

Valeriana was walking down the street, sunlight falling on her face. She looked towards the sky, blinked her eyes twice and blocked the sunlight with her one hand, and said, “A sunny day it is!” And smiled brightly. 

Valeriana is the name of a flower in Europe. Just like the flower is used for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety and psychological stress, our Valeriana also helps people to get out of depression. Especially the children and old people.

Valeriana works in a NGO. Which helps millions of orphans, old people get their comfort place. Her beauty, her humbleness, her smile helps the people to feel at ease. 

Valeriana’s common trait is that she always smiles no matter what happens. Life has never been easy on her. Since her childhood she has been suffering. Be it her dad leaving her and her mom, when she was only six years old. Or be it the students in her school bullying her for being poor. She has always faced these problems with a smile on her face. No matter how many times these things tore her up, she didn’t let her smile fade away nor did she let anybody else get the hint that she’s sad or what’s going inside her. 

Valeriana reached the NGO and a girl of her age came running towards her. “Valeri! Finally you are here! Sam is not eating anything, he’s saying that he would only eat if you feed him” The girl said, slapping her (the girl’s) forehead. Everyone calls Valeriana, 'Valeri' in short form except for her mother and grandmother, they call her 'Ana' with love and affection.

Valeriana smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll check on him and feed him” And went towards the orphan’s sector. The NGO is quite big and quite spacious. 

The NGO wasn’t like this before, it wasn’t this big. But when the Evanson Enterprise started making donations here every year with a big amount of money, since then the renovations started taking place and it turned into a big well organized NGO. The CEO of the Evanson Enterprise is indeed very generous. 

Everyone knows the CEO except for Valeriana, because she just joined here a month ago, when she completed her studies, she was confused about her goal in life. She majored in marketing, but she didn’t know if this is what she wanted or something else. Then one day she saw a hiring post for the ‘HOME’ (name of the NGO). She applied here without having any second thought and guess what she realized this is the Job which gives her peace. The salary isn’t that much, but life has taught her well that it’s not always about money, rather it’s always about peace.

“Hi children” Valeriana greeted the orphans. Everyone was eating in Harmony but as soon as they saw Valeriana they got up from their chair and ran towards her, except for one child and that’s Sam. He was sitting far away with his untouched food, making a sad face. 

She noticed it. She smiled at the other kids and clapped and said, “Okay, babies, go back and continue your eating or else the food will get cold.” The children listened to her and went back to their seats. Valeriana narrowed her eyes, smiled and went towards Sam’s seat. “Well, somebody said that he will not eat without me!” Valeriana said, beaming at him. Sam is a boy who’s only six years old.

Sam didn’t say anything, just kept his head low. Probably because he was feeling low. He is new to this NGO. He came here a few days back. His condition was too vulnerable at that time. It was a rainy day when the staff of the HOME found him on the road, sitting all alone in a corner of the bridge, drenching in rain. 

He has a deep mental trauma. There are several bruises on his hand, which means before coming here, he was both physically and mentally tortured. He hasn’t said yet what happened to him. Because whenever he tries to tell, he tears up. That’s why the people here aren’t forcing him. Though there are doctors here who help the kids, old people to get rid of these traumas and he’s also getting those therapies. There is a hospital building in this NGO. As said, because of the donations of the Evanson Enterprise the NGO is much better now. 

Sam kept looking at the floor and finally got some strength to speak. “Yes, I want you to feed. I like you very much, that’s why” he said while scratching his hand. 

Valeriana noticed it and guessed that he probably was nervous. So she smiled and said, “Aww, I like you too, and I would love to feed you!” She said and took the plate of food in her hand, and gave a spoonful of food in his mouth.