TWELVE YEARS AGO AT THE CLEAR OPAL MANOR
Shimmer received a message from her children's school, informing all parents and guardians that the school was going to hold a career day. Every child was expected to go to school dressed as the person they wanted to be when they grow up. Shimmer had a free afternoon when she received the message.
"Iris! Let's go out shopping, I feel like going out today" she smiled.
"Yes ma'am", Iris responded.
Concerning Dylan, Shimmer did not need to ask what he wanted to be. Ever since he was a little boy of about three or four years old, he had always shown a great interest in airplanes. Almost all his childhood toys were either mini helicopters, hot air balloons and the like. In fact, the ones which were not airplanes were the ones that his parents had just bought in order to vary his toy collection, otherwise he hardly ever touched them.
As a preteen and an early teen, Dylan used to buy a lot of magazines, as long as it spoke anything about airplanes, he would buy it. He watched anything and everything to do with planes, and on his laptop and phone, his search history was almost filled with nothing else but issues of planes.
Shimmer and Iris spent the afternoon buying a lot of nice staff. In addition to getting a pilot's uniform for Dylan, Shimmer also got a lot of other things like videos on the making of and how to operate a jet, a helicopter and many more.
When evening came, as soon as the driver dropped off the children from school, Shimmer could not wait to talk to them.
"Career day is coming at your school. Ciera, you will have to make up your mind on what you want to be, and you let me know. I will get you the outfit and everything you need. As for you Dylan, follow me. I have a huge surprise for you."
Dylan smiled and followed his mother. Ciera and Arianna followed too, and they all entered their parents' room.
"Open the gifts, Iris," Shimmer smiled.
Iris unpacked the bags, showing an immaculately white pilots' uniform which was a perfect size for Dylan. She continued to pull out many other fascinating items. Everyone was highly mesmerized and enjoyed watching the items, yet Dylan remained silent and his facial expression did not change at all.
"Mamma, Dylan doesn't like the uniform", Arianna spoke out.
Shimmer, who was busy admiring the items that she had bought, had not for once looked at Dylan. She lifted her eyes to look at her son, and she saw his solemn face.
"What's wrong? You don't like them?" she asked.
"I…I do. It's just that I...I changed my mind", Dylan said lazily.
"You changed your mind? About what?" the mother asked.
"About what I want to be?" Dylan shrugged.
"When did you change your mind? From the day that you started to talk, you have always stated that you will be a pilot when you grown up." Shimmer was more than shocked.
"Not any more, mum!" he said.
Everyone was silent. Shimmer looked hurt, but she did not want to put too much pressure on her son. She calmly asked Iris and the girls to excuse them, and when she was left alone with Dylan, she asked him, "What is it, son? You don't look happy?"
"I don't want to be a pilot anymore" he stated plainly.
"Why is that? I am not forcing you to be a pilot. I just want to know what made you change your mind, and what do you want to do now, if you don't mind sharing with me." she smiled and stroked her son's cheeks.
Dylan sat down and started to explain, "I now want to be a pediatrician. One day I told dad that I want to work with children and help them, and he is the one who helped me to pick that profession."
"You love working with children? Well, I wasn't aware," Shimmer forced a smile.
Dylan blinked a few times and carried on, "Each time when we go to the orphanage, I have seen this girl who is very loving. She is always helping the other children out. She takes care of babies, she takes care of toddlers, and it seems like all the little ones love her. Even the older children seem to love her too. There has never been a time when I have not seen her helping someone. She rocks the babies to sleep, she gives them water, she allows them to sleep on her shoulders and to sit on her laps."
Shimmer was stunned. What she heard was not what she was expecting. She stared into space for a while before saying, "ok. So…this girl, have you spoken to her?"
"I have not" Dylan answered truthfully.
"Why are you mentioning her just now?" the mother did her best to suppress her anger.
"She…I want to help children, just like her. I think there is more joy in helping the helpless." Dylan explained to his mother.
"How does this orphan girl make you want to change your career path?" Shimmer struggled to control her surging fury.
"She is like a hero to me. I want to be like her. I want to help children, and I want to do it with love. I want to make sure that children are well and happy, and taken good care of. I will open my own hospital, for the children. I will be a pediatrician. I am no longer going to be a pilot. I need to help people, just like the girl at Olga Children's Home."
Shimmer stared at her son for a while and said "I understand you son. It is a noble profession".
"Sorry about the pilot attire and all the other staff that you bought. I will go to school dressed as a doctor. I will become a pediatrician, to be specific. I think it's what I really need to do. I want to take care of children." the boy smiled as he left the room.
As soon as he left, Shimmer summoned Iris in to her suite and she went straight to the point, "find out for me as much information as you can about this Anisha girl. I want to know about her character too. I need as much information as possible. Treat it as very urgent."
"I will do so, ma'am", Iris nodded and left the room.
And on the first Thursday of the following month, when the driver picked him from school, Dylan was overjoyed. Getting home, his mother was not there. Roderick was not at home, having travelled oversees with Carl. The children were expecting to visit Olga children's home with their mother and Iris.
"Where is mum? Are we not going to be late to go to the children's home?" Dylan asked Iris the moment he stepped foot inside the manor.
"Umm, I am not sure. I guess she got busy at work". Iris responded.
Dylan nodded his head sadly and went up to his suite. He tried calling his mother but the number was not answered. He called his dad and asked him about the visit, "I am not sure son. You mother said something about not going there today." The dad responded.
"We're not going there today?? Why not? You have been making donations there from as far back as I can recall. Why are we cancelling now?" Dylan's heart was pounding as he quizzed his dad.
"I'm not sure son, may I talk to you later? I am in the middle of something very important". Roderick apologised before ending the call.
The moment Shimmer walked in, Dylan ran to her. "mamma, why didn't we go to Olga today?"
"Because we are never going there anymore." Shimmer snapped.
"Why?" the boy felt like he was going to cry.
"We will send our drivers to deliver the goods. What's important is that the donations are sent; we don't need to be there!" Shimmer stated in irritation.
"But mamma, the children are already used to seeing us there. We can't just stop going there without an explanation" Dylan tried his best to persuade his mother.
"I don't owe those orphans an explanation, Dylan." Shimmer walked past Dylan, headed for the elevator. Dylan ran after his mother and entered in the elevator together with his mother.
"We are never going back there!. This is final. There will be no more discussions on this", Shimmer marched out of the elevator and into her and Roderick's private lounge. The maids who were cleaning the hallway watched in silence, and none dared say a word.
At the dinner table, Dylan did not appear.
"Ma'am, sir Dylan said he will not eat anything tonight", Iris reported.
In anger, Shimmer stood up and went to Dylan's room, "what's this that I hear, about you refusing to eat?"
"I'm not hungry" Dylan protested.
"You're not hungry? You think you can lie to me? Well, I can see through you. It's all about that children's home visit, isn't it? What's there at the children's home? What is there? Why do you NEED to go there?"
"I just want us to help the children there! I love visiting the home!" Dylan stated, his voice rising steadily. It was easy to see that out of respect for him mother, he was keeping his emotions under check.
"You don't raise your voice at me! What is there at Olga, besides those lousy rejected orphans? What is there at that home? Tell me what is there!? Why are you so excited to go there? You live your life eagerly waiting for the first Thursday of each month. Well you shall never go to that place ever again! It's just a miserable orphanage and you, if I must remind you, are a de Milo! You don't NEED to go to that orphanage! " Shimmer screamed in a loud voice.