First Meeting

(Angel, stop crying, princess)

Angel's father, Henry, said with tenderness as he looked at the latter, who sat next to him on the back seat of the car. Her eyes didn't stop shedding tears as she turned her face to look out the window in pain.

Her father went on to say in a calm voice: "This is not the first time I have traveled, Angel. Don't cry like that, my little girl, as if I won't come back to you."

Angel said between her gasps: "But this is the first time that you has left me for a long time."

He stroked her hair and said with a smile: "I want to at least see a smile before I travel so that I can feel comfortable while traveling. I don't want to leave you while I'm worried about you."

She turned to him and said with eyes full of tears: "How can I smile when my heart is crying with tears of blood for parting with you, dad, How?"

Her father picked up a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping her tears gently and tenderly, and said with a smile, changing the tone of the conversation to make her forget a little of her sadness: "Do you still insist on going to your uncle's house?"

Angel said with childish stubbornness: "Certainly, at least there will be someone to talk to, someone I can tell my feelings, my desires. not to be like a lost person, not knowing who to talk to or to whom to complain about my concerns."

Her father said as he patted her on the shoulder: "I will call you daily and you can complain to me whatever you want. Tell me what you want me to bring for you."

She sighed and said, looking at him: "What matters to me is your safety, dad."

He said, smiling slyly: "Don't you really want anything?"

She found herself smiling and saying: "Yes, I want."

She added: "I want you to bring me a bird with you."

Confused he said: " My little girl, You can buy whatever you want from here. I will give you the amount you want and..."

She interrupted her, shaking her head in denial: "No, I don't want to buy it from here. Rather, I want it to be to your taste and special, so that I will remember you whenever you are gone."

Her father said lovingly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him: "You can have whatever you want, my little girl."

After he said that, the car stopped and they heard the driver's voice saying: " We have arrived, Mr. Henry."

Angel quickly turned to her uncle's house and her mouth opened in astonishment a sparkle of admiration shone in her eyes as she said: "Is this really my uncle's house?"

What was in front of her did not resemble the houses she had seen often. rather, it was more like a palace with its large gate and the large building and the splendor of its design and its garden, of which she could see only a little, even though she felt its large area and she salivated to overcome her astonishment she pointed to the house. With slightly tense fingers: "Is this really my uncle's house??"

Her father said with a faint smile: "Don't be fooled by appearances, my little one."

"What do you mean, dad?"

He said quietly as he turned away from her: "The house may look beautiful to you from the outside, but what about the inside?"

He meant the owners of that house but she did not understand him and thought he meant the house with its interior furnishing and she said with a smile: "More beautiful for sure."

He smiled and said, speaking to himself: "(You will never be able to understand what I mean, my little one because you have never had any relationships except with me and with Ms. Charlotte I feel afraid for you about everything around you and everything that surrounds you How can you face the world? If I wasn't around, How would you face the greed and cunning nature of your uncles. How would you face the malice of the people around you. Did I make a mistake, my little girl, when I kept you away from people for fear that they would hurt your feelings. Is this my mistake? )"

He looked at the house, wishing with all his heart that his brother and his children would treat her as he wished, or as this little angel wished. If they hurt her feelings once, what might happen to her? If they tried to insinuate her disability one day. How would she react?

He found himself hesitating to leave Angel with his brother.but Angel's sudden enthusiasm made him retreat when he heard her say happily: "Dad, I want to see the inside of the house too. When will we get out of the car?"

Her father said with a slightly faint smile as he opened the door next to him: "Now, my little one."

He added while talking to the driver: "Open the trunk of the car."

The driver quickly carried out the order. Henry got out of his car and went to the back of the car to pick up the wheelchair that had become Angel's constant companion. He unfolded it to move it next to the door next to Angel. He opened the door to say with a smile: "May I help you?"

She said smiling: "I'm used to this, believe me."

She said this as she lifted herself slightly from the seat of the car using both of her arms. She directed the weight of her body to the chair placed next to the car. She settled on it. Her father smiled as he pushed the seat a little and closed the car door. He turned to the driver and said: "Wait for me here until I return."

The driver nodded again. Henry pushed Angel's seat in front of him. And absent-mindedly smiled as he looked at the house in front of him. He stopped for a moment and said: "Come on, Ms. Charlotte."

Charlotte was a woman over thirty-eight years old. She had a kind heart and took an interest in all of Angel's affairs. This was his consolation to his daughter's plight: to find a heart that sympathized with her and to be like a mother or sister to her.

Mrs. Charlotte got out of the car carrying a medium-sized bag and said quickly: "Immediately, Mr. Henry."

Angel smiled, a smile that was between happiness and anxiety. Worry about what might happen to her behind the doors of that house. She pulled her coat close to her body and wondered despite herself, speaking to herself: "Will living in my uncle's house be as I imagined and wished for? Or will I be shocked by the harsh truth?"