Chapter 4: A birthday to remember

My heart was filled with a mix of sad-happy feelings. I was so happy because it's finally the day I escaped the walls of the orphanage to find myself but I was also sad because I've lived here for 20 years of my life now.

The memories won't be easy to erase, everyone seemed so happy, only the mother superior looked at me with a bit of sadness. I wondered why, "don't be in a hurry to leave, you can do the packing tonight and leave tomorrow, just take your time. But in the meantime, follow me." she said, as she patted my back again,but this time twice.

I followed her as she left her office, and we strolled down the long flowering path of the orphanage entrance.

She told me about my birth mom and how I ended up at the orphanage."Don't be too hard on yourself Zara my dear." She said.

Apparently, my mother was a good woman. She brought me to the orphanage because that was the only option she had at the time of my birth.

She gave birth to me as a teenager after running away from home because she was asked to abort me.

She chose me over herself. And my dad? He was her high school teacher but denied the pregnancy.

I didn't know what to feel, I imagined what she went through as I put myself in her shoes.According to the mother superior, she wasn't even up to my age, but she chose me over her future. And she had promised to come back for me, so I wondered why I haven't met her even after 20 years.

At that moment I prayed to God to let me meet her just once, even if it's from afar, I just wanted her to be happy wherever she was.

Yeah, that was exactly how I felt.

"There's something else I want you to know." The mother superior said, in a whisper tone.

"She always comes here to see you, I once asked her why she doesn't want to meet you and she said she wants you to live your life without her, that way you'll be safe from her family."

"What do you mean safe from her family?" I asked, confusion written all over my face.

"You know," she continued

"After she got pregnant with you and ran away from home, no one knows whether she aborted you or went through with the pregnancy. In other words, her family doesn't know of your existence and that's the only way she can keep you safe."

"What exactly is her family that my existence sounds like a threat to them?" I kept asking questions upon questions.

She hesitated for a moment. "I don't know if I should tell you this or not."

I stared directly into her eyes." Tell me what? I want to hear everything, you promised to tell me everything,mother" I said, my voice trembling.