Nevaeh

Seeing Richen smiling, Miss Mary patted his head and said, "Kid, you will live with these 5 now. They will be your friends or brothers from now on. You have already received this comic from one of your brothers, shouldn't you tell them your name?"

Richen looked up to Miss Mary with his dark green eyes, nodded after considering her words.

"Hello, I'm Richen Helen Morley. I'm four years old. Nice to meet you." The kid spoke gently in a smooth voice.

"Ouch! Mr Driver, please drive carefully." Miss Mary's voice broke Ray's trance and brought him back to the painful reality of today.

He turned to Miss Mary and asked: "Are you alright, Miss?"

The concern in his voice couldn't be hidden, if it was some other day, it might sound casual if came from a person like him who was full of life. But due to the turn of events which happened today, his cheerfulness was long gone.

She nodded, "Just bumped into seat due to sudden break."

"Okay." He replied to Miss Mary and turned to the driver, "Uncle, even though we are in hurry, please drive safe." After saying that Ray again put his hand on his eyes.

Miss Mary knew all 6 of them will change due to Richen's accident. It was a massive blow for teenagers like them. All of them were going to see the cruel reality of this society.

'I have taken care of these kids like their own mother for more than a decade now, I hope this harsh reality won't crush their dreams. In this society where power and money rules, these orphans have to make there own living and leave the orphanage soon.'

Miss Mary was one of the wardens of Nevaeh Orphanage. She has been with Madame Lily and Master George for 42 yrs now and has seen the once-powerful young lady turn into gentle old grandma for orphanage kids now.

Mrs Lily Watson created this orphanage for kid after she and her husband lost their daughter in miscarriage, loss of her daughter pushed her to these orphans. Even though her daughter went to heaven, she couldn't let go the maternal love for kids, so she brought heaven for these orphans and named it "Nevaeh" which was "Heaven" spelt backwards. Mr George Watson helped her wife in building this orphanage in the memory of their daughter.

'When I entered to this orphanage I was 13, that time Mrs lily was a beautiful and powerful woman in her thirties. I joined this orphanage family after seeing the cruel reality of this society. This orphanage was literal heaven to me. Later when I started getting mixed in this sweet family I saw how protectively Mrs Lily and Mr George took care of the kids who had no blood ties with them, no maliciousness or agenda was hidden under these actions of help and love given to these children. Kids were sent to school, meals were provided, they were motivated to find their interests, they were asked to work on their hobbies and hone their skills without asking anything in return. Who would believe this? That there is an orphanage which not only provides shelter to orphans but brings them into the mainstream using their own talents. No one, right? If I had not seen this and gone through this myself, I wouldn't have dared to believe either, and now that I have seen and lived in this heaven, how could I leave it? This was why applied for warden position in Nevaeh Orphanage. But today I was shown again how cruel can life be and these kids whom I bought up for years have to face this soon.'

Thinking about her past, Miss Mary couldn't help but look at the teenager sitting beside her. Once small kid running with basketball and comics asking for more chocolates for every achievement of his, has turned into an 18 yr old teenager, tall and proud. His frail body is now turned athletic and well built. He was the one who turned his once hobby into his goal.

Miss Mary patted Ray's head subconsciously.

Ray turned to look at Miss Mary, he could see her eyes going through a storm of emotions, love, fear, anxiety, joy, anger, adoration. He couldn't understand why she was going through these storm of emotions, all he knew was Miss Mary wanted him to smile. So he did, gave her a smile enough to tell, he was alright, and he could take it.

Seeing the smile on his face Miss Mary couldn't hold her emotions anymore, her eyesight turned foggy. "Never turn to the wrong part Ray. Be the name I gave you. Be the ray of liveliness and cheerfulness like always. Bad people and bad things happen to many people, but if you lost your way and turn to wrong path, you won't be any different from those monsters in the flesh of a human."

These sudden words of Miss Mary's startled Ray. He looked and miss Mary and said.

"I'm an orphan and was given the name "Ray" by my teacher, there is no way I would abandon the teachings of her even if go through bad times. If I do, Won't I lose my Identity. What will be the use to live such a life if I have to lose my Identity? So don't worry miss, what so ever happens, I will never let go of your teachings. For me, you are no different from my birth mother." Ray smiled brightly as he spoke.

Listening to his reply Miss Mary couldn't say a word, she nodded and smiled gently.

"Madam, you have reached First Cross hospital." The driver spoke after stopping the taxi at the hospital's visitors drop stand.

"Miss, You should leave first. I will pay the driver and catch up to you." Ray said and turned to the driver.

Miss Mary took hurried steps towards the hospital entrance. 'I hope my intuition is wrong, and Richen's life is not at risk.'