LONG LOST FRIEND

Heaven rushed to the old woman coming out the door. Her back bent to the hieght of the walking stick as she assist herself, her white hair packed in a bun and the long gown, long enough to make her slip and fall.

"Mama" Heaven quickly raise her gown up. "Why are you wearing something so long and why did'nt you send someone to wherever you're goung?" She pours out the questions to the old woman.

"He-heaven?" Her sweet and shaky voice calls out as she carress heaven's face with her left hand, straining her neck to see her clearly.

"Its me mama" heaven smile broadens.

Madam perry has being the owner and caregiver of the orphanage since ot was built. People knows her to be energetic, kind and knowledgeable woman. Her daugther patricia had to help her since she's too old to manage the orphanage herself.

Looking at madam perry now, heaven won't believe that she'll become this old ten years ago. Her beautiful fat cheek has now become skinny and full of wrinkles, her big shiny eyes is now small and sometimes hinders her from seeing clearly. "Well, we all we grow old one day. Thats what we wish for".

"D-did your eyes start itching again?, is it why you're wearing your black glass?" Madam perry ask worriedly. She strains her neck more so she can see heaven's face clearly not paying attention to her back pain.

"My eyes are'nt itching mama, i put it on because of the sun. See" she removes the glasses from her face and squants down so madam perry can see her clearly.

"Okay now lets go inside"

For some reason the compound is extremely quiet today, unlike before where she'll be welcomed by the kids playing outside or the ones playing by the gate. Which makes her wonder where everyone has gone to.

The two women got inside to see the living room empty of no person. Its alwaulys like it was, the spacious living room fill with toys and learning things for the kids and a small tv for the entertainment.

As if madam perry knows the question in heaven's mind "i don't know where they all went to this morning, i can't find anyone so i decided to go lokk for them" madam perry said slowly at the verge of crying.

Heaven can't hold it in anymore "okay, come out everyone" she shouts out.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear mama, Happy birthday to you, hurrrayyyy" the kids and patricia sings coming out of the kitchen with a big cake on patricia's hands.

Heaven planned the surprise party. It's being a long time since they celebrated mama's birthday and she wants to surprise her with tracy's engagement.

"Happy birthday mama, blow the candles" patricia stretch out the cake to madam perry. Her sparkling white teeth shines out to madam perry as ahe waits for her to blow the candles. People always say women work out so often so they'll get a manly built body but patricia got her's from birth.

"You little punk, how dare yoy scare me?" Madam perry said. She raise up her walking stick and hit patricia on her head which made everyone laugh.

"Ohh, calm down mama. I talked her into it" heaven said.

"You little...." madam perry snirls at heaven before turning to the cake and blow the candles.

"Yeahhhhhhh" they all shout out clapping their hands as madam perry blow the candles.

"Everyone chicken soup in the house" patricia shouts and the kids could'nt help but jump with joy.

Patricia chicken soup is the best food one will ever have, but it's rare because of how expensive chickens are in this part of flourish town.

As if they have being waiting for this day, the kids took out the floor mat and spread it on the living room waiting patiently for their chicken soup and cake.

"Mama is uncle gael coming?" A little girl ask. She crawls to madam perry who's being assisted by heaven to sit down.

"What?. Gael is coming?" Heaven turns to patricia who is already going to the kitchen. It's better to get answers from patricia than stretch mama to talk to her.

"Patricia you did'nt tell me gael is coming" she said. The smell from the kitchen would be worst if not for the chicken soup aroma. The utensils are old and the woods smells of exhaustion.

"What's the need of telling you?" Patricia let out a sigh "i'll be closing down the orphanage home soon so its better he come ennoy the little time of his home" she serves out the dish in the plates arranged on a big tray. Seeing her face nowb one will know she is'nt happy.

"What do you mean?, does mama know about this?" Heaven ask dumbfounded. The orphanage has being a home to kids like her who don't have parents and who have no where else to go if they grow up. What will happen to them after shutting down the orphanage, what will happen to her?.

"She'll find out eventually. The government have'nt been providing the needs for the kids, mama almost died from exhaustion while hawking rice cakes and...." Patricia did'nt know when her tears rolled down her eyes. Taking care of the kids with no support is so hard, most times they collect food supplies on credit just to make sure the kids have their meals.

"Am so sorry patricia" No matter how hard she try to tuck it in, the tears just keep dropping down her eyes. "I can't even help the orphanage, am so sorry" And from the bottom of her heart she meant it.

Patricia wipes off the tears on her face. She holds the two hands of heaven "it's okay, we all know how hard it is to survive in this town. It'll rain soon so am planning on delaying the shut down of the orphanage to see if we can grow crops for sellng and feeding she said.

"Thank you so much patricia, i'll try my best to help as much as i can" heaven said happily. Her grip on patricia's hand is enough to leave a scar.

"Where is our chicken soup?"

Gael was at her age when he was abandoned at the orphanage gate. She remembered how he cried day and night to meet his mum only to find out that she commited suicide, no body knew her reason for what she did but all they knew is that she was a good mother to gael. She had a crush on him then, but now its all gone.

Patricia quickly wipe her face "oh, our one and only gael. You're late though, we already popped the surprise" she said and gives him a hug.

"Its okay patricia" gael eyes did'nt advert from heaven's who won't look at him.

All this while, heaven did'nt turn to face him. They has a fight back then concerning mike before he went to the other side of the town on a scholarship. She have'nt contacted him since that day and he did'nt bother to do so, for sure he would have heard about the engagement because tracy told her they still keep in touch.

"Am so fuckin ashame of myself" heaven said to herself.

"Heaven, say hi to gael" patricia said. She holds heaven by her shoulders and turns her around to face them. "Don't you remember the person you were talking about?" She raise her eyes brows in wonder.

"She was talking about me?" The deep voice from gaels asks, his gaze not moving away from heaven whose head is lower to the ground.

"Of course gael, she has being so worried about you and always ask if call" patricia walks to carry the tray of soup as she starts to exit the kitchen. "I don't get it, i thought the both of you had eachothers number?, anyway that's not my business, chicken soup timeee" the voice odf patricia keeps echoing in the kitchen.

Right now she wish for nothing else but for the ground to open up and swallow her right now. How is she going to face the man standing in front of her?.

"Are you still mad at me?.... Come one you can't stay mad forever" gael tries to ease the stiff atmosphere between them.

That's right, but this tome it,s she can't stay embarrassed forever. Slowly, she lifts up her head to see her long lost friend. The gael she knew before was skinny but the one she seeing is a hefty and muscular gael, hos blonde hair is as short as she remembered. Those eyes staring at her now looks like that of a cat but he probably has a eye contact on, his nose is as straight as a pen and his face so smooth, just his semi dark and semi fair skin that makes it look rough.

"Hi" heaven puts on a faint smile, she raise her hand to wave and quickly drop it down.

"Hi.... How have you being?"