TROYE: His Past [PART 1]

8 years ago...

A ten-year-old boy named Troye just finished washing the dishes to cover up for the other kid's cleaning task. A kid named Franco who's the same age as Troye asked him to do the dishes instead because he said he is not feeling well.

Knowing that Franco is lying, Troye still didn't mind. In fact, it is an advantage for him because he likes being able to do something to make himself busy. He likes the kitchen because he is often alone there. No one will bother him because all the other kids in the orphanage are playing at this hour.

After putting the dried dishes in their right places, he dried the sink using old cloth, and then after that, he gets ready to leave the kitchen.

On his way to the hallway, he met sister Paloma in the hallway and greeted her. The nun was surprised to see him and wasn't very please about his presence.

"Good evening. Go to your room." She immediately said and left. She's one of the nuns who are indifferent to me. They are all uncomfortable to me except for one.

Troye bowed at her and continued walking to the boy's room.

The room was filled with noise and he could hear the other kids laughing chatting to each other because the door was slightly open.

When he opened the door, they stop and looked at him surprised.

Troye looked at his bed and saw three of the boys pouring something to the vase of rose in his bed's nightstand.

They hid it on their backs and run to their beds. He didn't say anything and went straight to his bed. Troye picked up his book that fell on the ground and laid in his bed while reading it.

The kids started murmuring to each other and it's obvious that they are talking about him. They never liked his presence. To them, he is a weird and scary kid because he was different.

Troye has been here in the orphanage since he was a baby. He never met his parents nor experience having one. No one dared adopt him because he is different.

Troye actually agreed with them. He doesn't think normally just like other kids that he easily understands things mature people do but he still wonders what it feels like to be a kid just like them.

He shook his head to wash away his negative thoughts. Ignorance might be a source of happiness but it will keep you from reality and that is what he believes.

He closed his book and put it inside the drawer and tried to sleep.

***

Troye looked at the group of kids running around the spacious garden of Miracle's orphanage from the window of the room he's in. He couldn't help but envy them. They are running and playing around freely as normal human beings.

He wanted to wish to be just like a normal kid but he knows that will never happen.

Troye was busy watching other kids play outside when he heard someone came inside the room.

"Troye?"

It was sister Rina, one of the nuns that are taking care of the kids that were left in the orphanage. She's the oldest yet the kindest of them all. Everyone respects her because she's the superior nun.

A smile formed on her lips as she gently walked towards Troye. She's getting weaker every week because of her age and she's worried about what will happen to Troye if she dies. The old nun is aware that the kid is treated as an outcast.

She sat on his bed and tapped the space beside her for Troye to sit.

"Come here and sit beside me, Troye," she spoke.

Troye didn't say anything and followed her order.

"You're always here inside this room and never played with others. Is there something you want to tell me?" She said and took a glance outside the window.

She's the sweetest and only nun who doesn't treat Troye unfairly, but Troye doesn't believe she understands him. She won't, she can't, and she'll never understand. People who haven't gone through what someone else has will never understand.

Troye turned his gaze at the dried white rose in the vase on my nightstand and spoke.

"Everyone will say that that rose dried faster compared to the others but no one can really tell how and why it happened." He paused and looked at all the roses in the nightstands of the other beds inside the room.

Sister Rina returned her gaze to Troye after inspecting the dried rose and the other healthy roses in its vases. She couldn't read what's on Troye's mind. Until now, the boy is still a mystery to her.

"They are like you, sister Rina," Troye continued as he looked at her in the eye. The old woman was surprised by what the boy said.

They just stared at each other for seconds until she finally heaved a deep sigh and spoke.

"You're right. No one can really guess what happened unless someone can explain it." She paused and smiled. "So, if there is something you want to tell me—"

"Sister Rina!" A nun came running to the room interrupting sister Rina's speech. She's a young nun that is only in her 30s.

Sister Rina frowned and asked, "What's the matter sister Amalia?"

"We got a call from a police officer," she explained. The nun is sister Amalia who is the second hand of sister Rina.

Troye helped sister Rina stand up so she mouthed "Thank you, son" before turning to sister Amalia.

"What did he say?" the old woman queried.

"They said that they will bring a boy here." Troye looked at sister Amalia when she said that.

Sister Amalia sighed and said, "The boy was caught for stealing in the market. The boy is only 14 and they can't put him in jail so they asked me if they can let us take care of the boy."

Rina curiously asked, "What did you say to the police?"

"I told them that I will ask you first." Amalia sighed before continuing. "We can't take the boy in right sister? After all the kid was a theft—"

"We will take him in," Rina said interrupting Amalia.

"But sister! We can't let him in. He might be a bad influence to the other kids and we can't risk that again." Amalia protested. She doesn't a commotion that might cause sponsors to stop donating to their orphanage.

Troye knew that. They want to keep the name of the orphanage clean.

"Sister, I know you are afraid for that to happen again we have to give the boy a chance. He needs a home. He needs us." Sister Rina explained and started walking to the hallway out of the room.

"But sister!" Sister Amalia protested again.

"Don't worry. We just have to watch him. And if he needs to be rehabilitated, they will bring him there." Sister Rina said while walking.

"Alright." Sister Amalia said feeling defeated and followed sister Rina.

Sister Rina remembered something and immediately turned her back to the room.

"Oh, by the way, son." She spoke.

Troye stood up and walked towards the old nun.

"Yes, sister Rina?"

"I want you to go out of the room and come with me in the living room to meet the guests later so take a bath and wear your nice clothes." She said and smiled.

Troye immediately knows what she wanted to do so he shook his head.

"I don't want to be adopted sister," he said opposite to what he actually feels. He wanted to be adopted too and have a family but he's sure that they won't like him.

"Son, don't you want to have a family?" she asked with a sad look in her eyes.

"Is it essential?" Troye asked and making her smile.

"There are no better things in Earth than family." She paused and smiled. "Just wear something nice tomorrow and meet people okay?" She said and tapped his head before leaving.

This is the least she can do for the boy, she thought.

***

Visitors arrived later that afternoon, just as Rina predicted. A man who appeared to be 40 years old arrived and claimed to be the person who had been funding the orphanage for the previous five years. He's with another man who appears to be a friend of his. They are conversing with the nuns.

The moment Troye saw them, he decided to leave the living room but sister Rina noticed him and called his name.

He had no choice but to walk towards them while the two visitors were looking at him. Troye looked at sister Rina who's smiling at him. She seemed so excited. She might get hurt later if no one liked him, he thought.

"Mr. Hundrel and Mr. Del Valle, this is Troye. Troye, this is Mr. Hundrel and Mr. Del Valle. Say hi to them," sister Rina introduced him.

The other nuns started gossiping. It is obvious that they don't want Troye to be adopted because they are afraid he'd ruin the reputation of the orphanage. They think that he's a monster and if it weren't for sister Rina, they would've kicked him out.

Troye slightly bowed his head at them to greet them with respect. He tried his best to smile. When he looked up he noticed that one of them was looking at him seriously as if he knows the boy. It was Mr. Hundrel, the sponsor of the orphanage.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Hundrel?" Sister Rina asked because she noticed that the man is staring at the boy.

He shook his head and smiled. "N-no. Nothing. I just thought he looked like someone I know," he explained.

Sister Paloma suddenly spoke changing the subject. "Ahm I think we should talk about the important matters, right? Mr. Hundrel and Mr. Del Valle?" She stood in front of Troye and took the attention of the two.

She and sister Rina clearly don't have the same goals for she doesn't like Troye as well.

"Right," Mr. Del Valle agreed.

"Let's sit here." Sister Paloma pointed to the sofa in the living room and smile.

"I'll go ahead sister Rina," the boy said and slightly smiled at her.

Before leaving, the boy caught Mr. Hundrel staring at him again.

***

End of Chapter.