The rain and fog last night coated the Kandas' manor, front and back yards with morning dew. As expected, the sun rose early during this summer season as if attempting to dry up the dewdrops. Like a doll, a girl, with white, pale skin, a bluish tinged in her lips, and curly hair covering her long eyes lashes, that were more pronounced as she kept her eyes closed, laid in bed.
A woman wearing jeans and a white shirt gently opened the door to the girl's room. The woman took a glance at her wristwatch, '7:15 am'
She walked near the bed, sat at the edge of the bed and softly caressed the girls cheek, 'Jade…Jade..time to wake-up. You have to take your medications now before your breakfast.'
Jade half opened her eyes, trying to arrange her blurred vision, "Ms. Hannah…g-good morning"
Hannah chuckled from hearing the stammer. "It seems you slept late last night?"
Jade woke up, stretched her arms, regretting that she had to remove the lower half of her body from the warmth under the blanket. Jade nodded and gloomily replied, "I wanted to wait for Emy to return home."
Hannah stood up and walked towards a drawer where Jade's usual medications were stored. She took some capsules and a glass of water she was holding ago that she placed on the bedside table before she woke up Jade. She offered these to Jade who monotonously drank them.
"You were worried, weren't you" Hannah asked as she took the empty glass from Jade's hands.
Jade nodded. Hannah sighed. 'That is not good'- Jade heard Hannah comment without saying it to her personally.
Ms. Hannah was a private nurse that Sardon hired three months ago. Jade's cardiologist suggested they hire a private nurse for the girl after her last attack of difficulty of breathing that happened just two weeks after her surgery. She was at their family's home at the time that it happened. Unfortunately, Sardon and Marie was at work and Emy was at the main house, Ziron's manor, training. It was an early morning, and the only house helper was outside shopping for groceries. Jade gathered her strength and barely was able to hold up the conversation with her father over the phone. Sardon rushed home terminating a company meeting and when he reached home, he found the youngest twin unconscious on the floor. She was swiftly brought to the hospital.
Sardon understood the need for assistance, so he hired Ms. Hannah who was recommended by the cardiologist. A senior staff nurse who resigned from a prestigious heart center because of personal matters. After the matter was settled, she was looking for a job. The physician was happy to help such a talented nurse and a friend, thus he did not hesitate on offering her services to one of the wealthiest family in the region.
On the other hand, Jade was not a gullible person. Because of her "peeking" tendencies, she can segregate two kinds of people, those who are sincere and those who are not. She could tell that one is either envious, backstabbing or is trying to gain a favor. When she heard from her father that she will have a private nurse, she asked for the employee to be personally interviewed and she asked to be at the interview. Sardon complied willingly knowing how Jade could be suspicious of strangers.
As Sardon asked questions, Jade sat beside him silently. All the answers Hannah gave were true. From the interview answers and from Jade's "peeking', Hannah was, unknown to herself, found not guilty of any crime. Hannah was a gentle, soft-spoken woman in her mid-twenties. She was a proficient nurse. Jade wondered how in need she is financially since she is wasting her skills as a nurse and more to being a nanny of a grown-up teenage girl.
For the three months that Jade spent with Hannah, the girl had cultivated not only a patient-nurse relationship but her first true friendship.
Upon spreading the curtains, Jade's anxious mood lightened as she saw the scenery, this day is bright, and the smell of pine and pollen tickled her nose.
"Ms. Emerald came back with Sir Ziron around 230 am. They are still asleep. If it will make you feel better, I saw Ms. Emerald and your grandfather uninjured"
"I see. That's good. Thank you Ms. Hannah."
Within the three months that Hannah spent in the household, Jade knew that the nurse was keen enough to understand that there are things going on within the family. Jade need not explain as Hannah once told her, 'I heard stories from my grandparents. So, they were true.'. From then on, Jade was more comfortable with Hannah being by her side.
Hannah walked to the room's cabinet and took an old rose jacket made of wool and handed it to Jade, "It is an hour before breakfast. Why don't we take a walk in the greenhouse?"
Jade smiled brightly and wore the jacket above her jammies. She put her outside slippers on and headed outside the door.
Jade walked on the wet marble steps carefully. The greenhouse was beside the manor. Before reaching it, one had to walk for a while, guided by these marble steps beginning from the manor's front door. It is said that the matriarch of the house, Grandmother Mariela, was fond of flowers. And even though Ziron was known not to be fond of his arranged wife, Mariela insisted for a greenhouse to be built beside the manor in which Ziron complied, perhaps just to escape his wife's constant nagging.
As they reached the greenhouse, Jade took a deep breath to calm her pacing heart and to smell the flowers. She really enjoyed being in here. The ceiling of the green house was transparent, one could see the sky above and the branches of the pine trees that surrounded the greenhouse. The walls were made of glass and the whole floor was marble. As you walk the center aisle, from left and right there was an assortment of flowers that included varying color of orchids hanged in the glass walls.
Jade and Hannah's hearts skipped as they heard a mobile phone ring.
"I'm sorry.." the nurse said while she gripped her phone,
Jade shook her head, "Take the call Ms. Hannah, it must be important. I'll just stay here."
Hannah nodded and took the call privately, heading to the door.
Jade headed on to her most favorite part of the glasshouse. A small fountain was built at the edge. Jade felt her body more relaxed as she sat the edge of the fountain. She closed her eyes as she tried to listen on the sounds around her: water pouring from the fountain, the breeze passing through the pine branches and the flowers, and the birds resting on the ceiling chirping. But the peace was suddenly interrupted by a man's low voice.
"So pretty"
Startled, Jade searched for the owner of the voice. She looked at her left side, and in that corner, a man was leaning on the glass wall with his arms crossed. The hanging orchids covered his face, but she was able to note that he was wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath a black coat.
'It's summer yet his cold?' she thought to herself.
The young man laughed, "the breeze here is cooler even in summer."
Jade furrowed her brows,' It can't be. Was he answering my thoughts? Or was he coincidentally informing me?' she thought to herself, before calmly asking, "Who are you? You are not definitely Ivan. Present yourself." Ivan was the caretaker of the greenhouse. Knowing Ivan, Jade was fully aware that at this time Ivan wouldn't be in the greenhouse.
The man chuckled. He straightened his posture. He tucked his hands in his pockets. Then, he walked languidly towards Jade.
As the man neared her, Jade's eye widened. 'Dmitry'.
"Ivan was the one who brought me here. I asked for somewhere to stay while waiting for the old man to wake up."
"Then Ivan should have offered the living room. Does my grandfather know you call him that way, Sir Dmitry." Jade asked with eyes that judged the young man as rude.
"Spare Ivan, I insisted. I see that you were informed about me. Nice to meet you, cousin"
Jade did not reply the greeting. She saw the man smile. The same smile that she saw in the visions. She now understood what the smile made her feel, now that she saw it personally – a feeling of dread. She did not waste her time and started to "peek". At first she tried to read his thoughts, to her surprise she cannot at all. She focused more and she started having migraine. 'Just a little bit more'
She forced herself 'to see', and flashes of continuous memories showered her vision; a manor on fire, a dying man with blood coming out from the mouth, a woman burning, a creature kneeling and bowing his head, and four silhouette: two women and two men, standing in the dark. Seeing a lot of visions so fast and randomly, Jade felt that her head was about to explode, and a ringing in her ear made it worse. Because of the stress, her heart paced faster, so with her breathing that were becoming more shallower as seconds tick by.
She put her palm in her chest to settle her nerves, and without breaking her gaze on Dmitry she interrogated, "Wh..who are you? Are you a dang-dangerous man?"
As if Dmitry was amused, he grinned.
"I think you are more dangerous, little girl. It's bad manners to breech one's privacy"
Jade breathed deeply understanding the words implied. She started to feel faint.
"Jade!", she heard Hannah call. Jade saw Hannah ran towards her and a man trailing her.
"Are you alright?" Hannah asked calmly. Jade shook her head. "Can you please bring me back to my room. I feel nauseated and a bit out of breath Ms. Hannah."
Hannah supported Jade's body as the girl stood.
"Do you need my assistance in carrying the little miss?" Jade heard Dmitry casually offered.
Jade was thankful that Hannah rejected the proposition, "I was told that Elder Ziron is awake and is looking for you Sir. Ivan came here to fetch you. It is rude to make the Master of the house wait. We will manage somehow."
Jade saw a change in Dmitry's expression as he stared down at Hannah, "Is that so.." she heard his low voice resonate around them, "Then let this Ivan carry her. She looks like she's about to faint"
Hannah nodded and bowed her head. Ivan drew near and took Jade in his arms. Defensively, Jade's sight did not leave Dmitry's back as they walked towards the exit. She struggled to keep her eyes from closing but the throbbing pain in her head made her exhausted and she surrendered to sleep in the arms of Ivan.
"She fell asleep" the man carrying the girl informed Hannah who then heaved a heavy sigh.
As they reached the manor, they saw Ziron waiting for Dmitry just outside the door, "Have you been in the greenhouse?"
"Yeah. I was enjoying the view. Uncle, you have the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen"
Ziron noticed an indescribable grin on Dmitry's face. His observance was interrupted seeing Jade being carried by Ivan.
Then a usual yell was heard that woke up the whole household, "What happened to her?!"