EDWIN

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!!

"Okay. Relax your shoulders.

Say cheese.""That's it.

"CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!!"Wow!!" I exclaimed after looking at the picture.

"You look so beautiful, dear. Want to see your picture?""Yes, uncle!" She came running towards me.

"I'm not an uncle. Do I look that old? I'm just 27, you know. So call me Brother Edwin."

"No, you look a lot like my father. Should I call you my father?"

"If you want to, you can... So what's my sweet daughter's name?""My name is MIA, Daddy." A sweet six-year-old girl. So adorable, I thought.

"Alright, Mia. Here. See the pics. Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes, Daddy, these look so beautiful. Will you give them to me when you come here next time?"

"Of course, darling. I'll bring them when I visit next time. Now, give a kiss to your daddy."I saw the director of the orphanage approaching me, sadness and guilt clearly etched on his face.I picked up Mia and she kissed me on the cheek. I gave her one on the forehead and put her down.

"Daddy, can I go play with my friends now? I'm gonna tell them that I have a very cool daddy who takes beautiful pictures of me."

"Of course you can. Tell them that your daddy is a famous photographer named EDWIN RODRIGUEZ."

"Yes, bye Daddy."

"Bye, sweetie. Take care.

"The director waited for me as I chatted with my "daughter." She is so charming, with a natural, heartwarming smile that could melt anyone's heart, even though she has endured so much at such a young age. When I came here yesterday, learning that this small orphanage had a mysterious benefactor investing substantial amounts of money, I was intrigued and amused. So, I requested the director to share the details, but he declined. I asked him again, but he still refused. Then, I asked for the details of the children in the orphanage. Within minutes, he emailed me the information. I read every little detail about the children, and Mia was the one who captivated my interest the most after the mysterious benefactor.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Edwin Rodriguez. I apologize for not welcoming you properly," said the director as he approached me.

"No, no, it's okay. I had fun with the children while you were busy. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Charles."

"It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Edwin. The request you asked for was impossible, but I still approached that person. The answer is 'No,' as I expected. So, how is your visit going?"

"It's good, and I enjoyed it," I said, looking at the children playing around.

"Well, Mr. Edwin—""Come on, Mr. Charles, you still call me Mr. Edwin. Drop the 'Mr.' and just call me Edwin. You are older than me, the same age as my father."

"Okay, Ed—Edwin," he said, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

"So, you were asking something?"

"Nothing! I just want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead, ask," I said, curious.

"Well, you are a famous photographer. Why would you come here to take photos of children for just a few grand, especially at a very unknown orphanage? I even searched for you online. I saw that every piece of yours sold for millions, and each work indicates that you are quite interested in wildlife and nature. This orphanage is the total opposite of your interests." He talked as we walked to a table in the garden.

"Well, Mr. Charles, at the beginning of my career, it's true that I was quite interested in wildlife and nature. I love animals and nature. The animals we see outside and the animals I photograph are very different. The animals others see are scary and might harm us; they see them in a very wrong way. That's what everyone thinks of animals, but to be honest, animals are not that scary. They are beautiful and amazing. Nature, on the other hand, is what makes animals even more beautiful. I risk my life to capture these beautiful and amazing moments in a photo and frame them. I want everyone to see animals the way I do."

"That's quite an explanation, Edwin. So, what is the reason you came here?"

"It's because it made me curious." He was about to say something, but I interrupted him by completing my sentence.

 "It made me curious about the children living here," I said, looking at them and pointing towards the direction where they were playing, laughing as if nothing tragic had happened in their lives, even though they had lost the most precious people in their lives. I saw Mr. Charles smiling wholeheartedly upon seeing them. I don't know how he can protect the children from the danger that may come as I enter this orphanage.

 "Mr. Charles, I read every detail of every child you gave me. They have endured so much, yet they still have those smiles on their faces that will never fade away. Each child here has a story that feels heartbreaking just by reading it, but they lived through it. Initially, I felt pity for them, but after seeing their photos, witnessing their laughter and playfulness, it made me curious. Very curious."

I finished speaking, my eyes on the children, and noticed Mr. Charles staring at me with his deep brown eyes, clearly wanting to say something.

"Do you want to say something, Mr. Charles?"

"Edwin, you are not arrogant and snarky like the tabloids make you out to be. You are completely different from what I've heard and seen. You are the one making me curious now," he said with a hint of guilt and amusement in his tone. After that, we chatted for a while. When it was time, he bid me farewell and took the children inside for dinner. I lingered at the exit for a moment, took out my phone, and called the person I hated the most.

"Don't you dare ruin this orphanage. Even if I get a hint that you're planning something malicious, or if you've already concocted a scheme to sabotage it, you better banish those thoughts from your mind. If you think I pose no threat, believe me, I will show you a level of retaliation worse than hell itself. I'll dismantle the empire you've built, the one you cherish the most. Remember that—it'll be worse than hell." 

I cut the phone before he could respond, got into the car, and drove home