Friday, May 9, 2008

Mommy's Little Girl-Chp8

CHAPTER 8: BROTHER

Throughout Isabella’s recovery over the loss of the baby, Arlene spent a great deal of time with her. Although Isabella didn’t respond much to whatever Arlene said, Arlene didn’t mind. As long as her Mama was by her side, she was contented. She didn’t mind helping out the housework, she didn’t mind bringing breakfast in bed for her and she certainly didn’t mind helping her with the anti-depressant pills Paulo got for Isabella.

It wasn’t easy, but Isabella finally was quite over with the phase. In order not make Isabella remember the past and be upset about it again, Paulo told Arlene to lock up the nursery room and never open it again until he gets it all sorted out again for other uses. Arlene did as she was told.

Later that night, while Isabella sat on the bed looking—not exactly reading—a novel, Paulo wrapped his arms around her and asked, “Are you OK, Isabella?”

Isabella just nodded.

“I was thinking…our application for adoptions are still open. If you don’t mind, I think next month we’ll go and…”

“No. I will not hear about it,” Isabella protested almost immediately.

“Why not? You always wanted to adopt, why not do it as soon as possible?”

“Paulo, are you out of your mind? I don’t want to have another child anymore!” Isabella was beginning to break down into a verge of tears again. “Nothing can replace Baby Angela! Nothing! I have Arlene and that’s enough.”

“Isabella, Arlene is a mecha. She’s not a real child. You know that.”

“At least she will not die. At least she is not as vulnerable as we orgas do. At least I can have her forever.”

“Isabella, you cannot have her forever. She can’t die but you will. She will never grow up, she will never change and she will never be the real child we would always want. You said before that you want a child you can watch grow up and have a career and have a family and all that. You said it before. Arlene cannot do that. She will always be a little child and she will forever be that way. She is programmed to be one.”

Isabella looked away, trying to ignore her husband’s words.

“Isabella, please. Try to consider. Now, I’m not rushing into things. We can do it anytime we want, but we have to do it somehow someday. Don’t fight this. Maybe we’re just not ready for a child of our own yet, or maybe we’re just not destined to have children of our own flesh and blood at all. Whatever happens, we can have a child no matter what. If this doesn’t work, we can always try another way. Besides, I don’t really have much of a liking to Arlene anymore.”

Isabella finally responded, “What do you mean?”

“She thought I didn’t know it, but I saw it in her eyes when we went to the nursery room at the hospital when Angela was born. She didn’t like Angela.”

“Don’t be silly! Are you accusing her of having something to do with Angela’s death?” Isabella asked in disbelief.

“I’m not suggesting anything.”

“Bite your tongue, Paulo! She is just a child, like you said she was programmed to. Sure, children can get jealous when a new family arrives, but she is programmed to love. She wouldn’t even hurt a fly! Arlene would never do anything to hurt Angela. I know it!”

“Alright, maybe I’m jumping into conclusions,” Paulo said finally, “but as I said, you cannot have Arlene as your daughter forever. She is a mecha, you have to remember that. You cannot take care of a child forever. And you definitely cannot let a mecha which is programmed to have a child’s mind to depend on you forever.”

Isabella sighed and muttered, “You’re right.”

“Next month we’ll try out the applications again, OK? I know this great orphanage where they have great kids. You’re going to love them, I promise. Give it a try, OK, my sweet mocha?”

Isabella contemplated for a while, then nodded and snuggled herself in her dear husband’s arms.

Outside the house, at the backyard, Arlene was burning Baby Angela’s Super Toy along with the rest of the gathered autumn leaves.

Isabella and Paulo stopped in front of Everlasting Love Orphanage and got off from the car. They could see a number of children running around playing tag at a vast playground. They were children of all races, including some Chinese, Indians, and even some of the South American race. They looked all perky and nice, and most importantly, well-fed. They all looked so innocent and pretty. Isabella couldn’t help keeping her eyes a second longer on all those children.

Inside the orphanage, in the office, the Santonios sat in front of the Head of the orphanage to go through a small interview. Finally Ms. Hershey (the Head) decided to take the Santonios on a tour around the orphanage. On the way, she explained of her orphanage’s services and the care they provided to those orphans and also the history of her orphanage. She then took the Santonios to have a close look at the children playing at the playground.

There, Isabella could feast her eyes to each and every one of the children there. She felt herself unknowingly drawn towards them. Somehow, her troubles about Arlene and the death of Baby Angela just drift away like sand in her palms. Her mind, before, was contemplating about declining Paulo’s decision to adopt for fear of hurting Arlene’s feelings and fearing that she would utterly be tagged as a careless, heartless mother who forgets her baby immediately after her death—but now, at the sight of those lovely children waiting for someone to pick them and give them a loving family seemed to become Isabella’s priority in her mind.

And when she saw a child playing alone on the swing, she knew what she wanted.

Arlene was playing hide-and-seek with Kitty until she heard the sound of the sliding front door open. She immediately got out of her hiding place, running past Kitty and ignoring him saying “Found you” and rushing towards the front door, waiting anxiously for her loving Mama and Paulo.

When she was halfway down the steps, a boy greeted her. He was about a few years younger than her programmed age—he was maybe about 5 or 6 years old—and he was a Chinese, with black ebony hair and a pair of cute dark brown eyes. He smiled innocently at Arlene and reached over to hug her arm.

“Mama,” Arlene turned to her Mama and Paulo who were all smiles, “who is this boy?”

“Sorry, Arlene. I should’ve called you but I wanna make it a surprise,” Isabella replied apologetically. She tore the boy away from Arlene and made him face her mecha daughter. “This is Chang. But from now on, he’ll be named Roberto Santonio.”

“Mama, who is he?” Arlene’s eyes stared straight at her Mama’s.

“This is your new brother,” Isabella replied before rushing over to Paulo’s call. Chang, now Roberto, followed behind her, laughing gleefully.

Arlene’s innocent aquamarine eyes just became flamingly deadly.

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