"A package? For me?"
Kiel asked to confirm it. He had never received a package before.
'Like, as if I have someone that would give me presents...'
"Yes, I just saw it outside the gate of the orphanage and there's a note that says 'For Kiel', well there's no other Kiel here." says one of the staff in the orphanage who found the small box. Kiel examined the box, there was nothing else written on it but 'For Kiel'. He took it and decided to open it while he is walking going to school. Troy told him he would skip school today just so he can prepare for the couple that is going for a visit to the orphanage.
His left eyebrow raised as he opened the box and it revealed a small pendant. He opened it and saw red and green dots, moving and blinking around. He thought maybe it was a toy that was mistakenly sent to the wrong orphanage.
'Maybe there's someone named Kiel on other orphanages?'
It's possible. He decided to put it in his backpack and he immediately forgot about it.
The school was not very kind to him, especially as long as there's people like Kai, who is still on its daily routine of pissing him off. However, he just let things slide. Not that he's scared, it's just annoying for him, students like Kai are not worth his time and effort.
'Kai doesn't even hit hard enough to bruise me...'
Classes ended and Kiel has his free time in the afternoon. He decided to stay for a while at the school's vegetable garden located at the back of their school. It has been his quiet place because very few people come there, only when there are gardening lectures. Most of the time, it's free. He went to his favorite spot which is the bench, he lay there and thought to himself until he fell asleep.
.....
'There was a young girl sweetly smiling and waving at him. He smiled as he walks near her. She held his hand as she led the way entering the orphanage. They both ran happily until he noticed that it was not the orphanage where he is staying. His eyes widened as he realized they were on the mountaintop...
...and he was in his young self.
....
Kiel jolted a bit as he woke up, he looked around and saw a girl wearing their uniform standing in front of him. She looks unsure as she stepped back when he woke up, sat down, and stretched. The sun is almost setting, he wonders why the girl hasn't left her spot in a while now.
'Doesn't she know that it's rude to stare?' ...
She looks determined to approach him as it seemed like she recognized him. "H-hey! I know you! You're the guy I saw at the marketplace!"
"The marketplace? What are you talking about? What are you doing here?" he just woke up and he has no idea what is she trying to say. He has been on the marketplace all the time, and why does it matter if she sees him?
"I can't be mistaken! It was you!" she paused after that as if she was thoroughly thinking, he scanned her from head to toe, he does not remember if they met before or what. "The note says that this necklace will lead me to my past... so that means you must be connected to my past... you must be Lyndon!"
His lips parted in surprise after hearing the name, "How did you know about..."
"So it was you? I'm Jolene! We were friends in the orphanage."
His mouth opened wider, the young girl in his dreams earlier came into his mind. "You're the Jolene... from the orphanage?" Jolene smiled and nodded. His mind struggled on how to react but in the end, he decided that he must leave, "No, you got the wrong guy, I'm not Lyndon." he started to walk away from her. But Jolene did not let him slide, she followed him and reasoned out, which he did not acknowledge.
"I saw you break that old man's store in the marketplace."
He finally stopped, 'so she meant that incident when she says she saw me, of all the time I've been on the marketplace, it was the time I got humiliated...'
But one thing confused him, he looked back at her, "Break the store? I did not do that."
"Yes you did, well, you were gone so you probably haven't seen it but it did! And I saw your eyes glimmer in silver. You're like me, admit it." Jolene insisted. He looked away and clenched his jaw before looking back at her, "What do you want from me?"
Jolene explained everything to him, about the locket, which was actually a tracker. She was adamant that they must go and follow it. He looked at her, she was full of determination into looking out for this, while he was in the complete opposite.
'Isn't the past supposed to be just forgotten?' ...
The happenings twelve years ago were not very kind to a young boy he was. As he was talking to her, he gets to look back, but all he can remember is the isolated orphanage house.
The kids slowly getting fewer.
The darkroom where there's only one bright light in the middle.
The straps that were tied to him while he was on the bed.
Injections.
The night he tried to escape.
The young boy bathing in his own blood.
Kiel closed his eyes firmly and focused on the girl in front of him. "So tell me the truth, you're Lyndon, right?" her eyes were all hopeful. He looked firmly at her eyes, she was not one of the memories he mustn't look back, in fact, she is the one thing that remains a good memory from his past. He sighed heavily, "Y-you're right." he said in a low voice, "But I go with Kiel now."
To his surprise, Jolene hugged him in teary eyes, "You finally came back for me!" Now he wonders if he did the right thing. "But Jolene, I really think we should just lay it all to the past. We have different lives now."
"Our past is a part of who we are" Jolene replied, "I know you know we are different, and this locket is a sign that we must seek an explanation for what happened to us. Why are we like this? We used to be a family..."
"Family? But I'm pretty sure you have a new family now, as, for me, I might have." he defended, although it was clear for him that he would be by himself anyway, "The sun is almost setting, I have to go back to the orphanage."
"The orphanage?"
"Yeah... I will tell you more when we meet again," he said as he runs away.
"Let's meet again here tomorrow, same time!" Jolene shouted. He looks at her and smiled before he completely vanished from her sight.
She happily walked home, holding the fact that she finally met Lyndon again. Who would have thought that they were both in the same school all along? Although they do not share the same thought of going back to their past, she was really thankful to even see him again. As she was walking, she started thinking about the things she should have asked him earlier. It came as a surprise to her that he was in an orphanage.
'I was just really lucky I met granny...'
Tomorrow she will meet with him again, although he did not confirm he will come, she still feels giddy and excited.
Meanwhile, Kiel returned to the orphanage. He saw Troy outside the establishment as if he was waiting for him, "Troy!" he called him. His friend looked at him and waved. When he was able to reach him, Kiel wrapped his arms around Troy, "So how was it? Have you met the couple that was going to visit today?"
Troy nodded, "Yep. Very nice couple, you missed them just a few minutes." he said. Kiel expectantly looked at him for the answer to what he wanted to know.
Troy sighed, "...and they got a cute five-year-old girl who likes to sing."
Kiel brushed his hands along Troy's arms. I know his friend is disappointed for not being chosen again. He wanted to console him but he thought it's better not to talk about it. "Let's go inside now," he said.
"Wait, Kiel..." Troy stopped him. Confused, he asked, "Why? What's the matter?"
"There's another that came to the orphanage earlier."
"Who was it?"
Troy smiled, "It was my mom."
Kiel does not know what to feel about the news. He knows the story of how Troy got left in the orphanage. His father died and his mom had to work in the capital city for him. But she cannot bring Troy with her so she was forced to leave Troy to a friend. However, several months passed by and there was no sign of his mother anymore. The family can no longer take care of him without her mother's support and that is how he was left here. Troy had no news about his mother ever since.
"She said she landed on an abusive company where she was basically kept as a slave, took a while before she managed to escape and return here. But then, she can't find her friend anymore. She looked for them for years, until she finally found them and she was led here." Troy happily told him.
"You seem very happy now" Kiel commented. Troy chuckled a bit, "Yeah, I used to be angry at her, you know that. I didn't even want to listen to her when I saw her. But I figured that I need to face the past in order to move on, to get some answers..." Troy's smile never left his face, "And maybe, the reason why I never got a new family is because I belong to my original one."
Troy's words got Kiel thinking about what Jolene said earlier. Suddenly, a middle-aged woman came out of the establishment, they both looked at her, "That's my mom." Troy introduced as the lady come in his direction, she was holding a big bag which he assumes to be Troy's stuff.
"Aww come on, you're seriously leaving me?" Kiel joked, but he was really sad and Troy knows it.
"Relax, I will still go to our school," Troy said. They both hugged and bid their farewells to each other. Kiel entered the orphanage alone. He went straight to his room to think. Maybe Jolene and Troy were right. It's time he takes courage to face and accept his past.
=========
Jolene paced back and forth near the bench in the vegetable garden, classes ended about an hour ago already. "He should be here by now..." she uttered to herself. She sat down and tried to relax, she convinced herself that Lyndon would surely not disappoint her.
She hopes so.
She stood up and walked around, she busied herself identifying and fascinating herself with the plants and vegetables.
"I'm sorry I'm late!"
She immediately looked to where the voice came from. She was surprised to see Kiel in casual clothes, carrying a big bag that was obviously intended for travel, "I had to pack my things and formally say goodbye to the orphanage." Jolene gasped, she thought she would still need to convince him to come with her, "Wait! But I'm not yet ready to go! Why don't we go to my house and say goodbye to my Granny?"
Kiel sweetly smiled, "I would like that!"