Mother and sister Regina finally arrived at around noon. Mother left an hour later off to another orphanage, leaving us at the mercy of a beast.
The girls and I had to behave the same way she'd always wanted us to, like complete strangers. The girls locked themselves in their room, and me alone in mine, pretending like we weren't from the same world, all to please Regina, so as not to provoke her before we executed our plan.
We stood on our toes staring through the window, like bats searching for sight.
"Is she gone?", I asked, struggling to see Sister Regina walk through the large garden.
"Not yet", Kate whispered to me.
I turned to the clock, 11:21 PM, Sister Regina was walking slowly in the dark, with the rain beating heavily on her umbrella, as she made her way to the church for night prayers.
"Go!" Beatrice said immediately as Regina got in.
Kate ran into Regina's room, rushing to her bed stool. With the four of us by the door waiting, she pulled out a drawer and picked out a flashlight.
"Hurry!!" We whispered loudly, gesturing to her. She skipped out of the room. "Let's go!"
"Wait!" Beatrice stopped us at the door "Someone has to stay at the window upstairs, to keep a lookout just in case she comes back before we're done".
"Oh good idea", Anna nodded.
"But who?" Beatrice added.
With no answer needed, we all kept staring at Beatrice, waiting for her to answer herself. "What? ... Why are you all staring at me?..." She looked at each of us confused.
"Ooo", she slapped her forehead, "I get it now!"
Kate, Grace, Anna, and I ran down to the basement floor. Anna halted at the end of the stair, turning to Grace, "Grace, could you please stand guard at the stairs, just in case Beatrice wants to signal us, you'll notice it first and tell us".
Grace nodded, running back up the stairs.
We walked into the small room before the basement, with me in front. I stood still by the door, hesitant to push it open the door.
"Lola?" Kate called behind sounding worried.
"...We're here for you..." Anna placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Yes, Lola..." A voice echoed behind us from the corridor.
"Huh!?" We flinched in fear. Dianne stood by the door, staring at me.
"Dianne?" Kate called out softly yet surprised.
"You're not gonna try and stop us are you?" Anna asked taking a step back. Dianne gave her a dull gaze then turned back at me.
Without another word, she walked back upstairs, leaving us stuck in the conversation. "Grace's right... That girl is a creep", Kate whispered.
I shook my head, trying to pull back my thoughts as I turned to the door. Without thinking twice, I pushed open the door. It creaked loudly.
"Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you, Lola?" Anna asked.
"Yeah... I'm sure", I answered.
I switched on the flashlight, taking a step in. The water level reduced drastically; now ending at my waist. I pointed the light from the water to the ceiling, staring at the rope feeling uncomfortable.
I shut my eyes, weaning beneath my breath, as I stepped forward. I slowly walked to the bed, pointing the flashlight at the spot I thought Grace dropped the box. With the water being muddy and dirty, seeing through it was almost impossible.
I placed the end of the flashlight between my teeth, dipping both my hands into the water. Scared and hastily, my fingers ran around in the water, till luckily, I felt something.
Extending my hand further, I held the box, slowly pulling it up. I walked closer to the bed, gently placing it. Removing the flashlight from my mouth, I thrust my right hand into my pocket, pulling out the key.
I stared at the key, rolling it in my palm. I took one more look at the box, and then let out a sigh.
CLICK!
I slowly pulled it open. My eyes widened as I noticed what was in it.
Three torn out pages, a small photo, and two half-used scent candles.
My attention was immediately locked on the papers. I stared at the page title, matching it with the other attached to the diary, it all made sense.
The title spelt out, My Dear Daughter.
I slowly picked up the pages, running my eyes through them. Most of the letters and words were either washed off, stained or scribbled out.
I ran my eyes through the sheet, reading as fast as I could with my eyes watering.
In a few minutes, I froze, staring at the papers shocked and heartbroken as tears fell from my eyes. I fell to my knees.
It was a letter from her—As my mother. It was a three-page long poem about how much she loved and loves me. She couldn't face the world after the terrible incident that brought about my existence, alongside the shame of being removed from the convent. She couldn't handle being a victim of rape by one of the sons of a foreign visiting pastor to the church.
She explained she never wanted to abort me because of her undying love for me. Unfortunately, she wasn't emotionally strong enough to raise me. She left me under the protection of her older and youngest sister—their names weren't written.
And to cover it all up, my name was wrong as well. She had already picked the name she wanted before I was born. "Shalom", was what she wrote. It meant "Peace". I didn't know who named me, and why he or she didn't respect my mother's last wishes, but I took that as one of the least of my problems.
I clutched my thighs together, sobbing in the water. I felt so terrible and worthless, seeing as I was nothing but a product of pain and evil. I shook my head in my spot, as tears ran down my eyes.
I suddenly heard steps from the door. I shot my head up. "Dianne?"
Dianne slowly walks towards me, with our eyes locked. I got up as she stood a few feet away from me. She dragged her eyes to the open box and the papers on the bed, then back at me, "You found out...."
I nodded.
She stretched her hand, picking up the blurry old photo in the box, which I had ignored. She turned the picture to me and then back at herself, she stared at the picture quietly. It was a picture of the three girls, similar to the one in the album, but in that one, Regina was already a nun.
"... Her name was Gabriella... Was suppose to be Sister Gabriella", a weak smile stretched on her face, as a drop of tears fell on the photo.
"She was my sister"