Lost Gift

Her body was covered with colorful flowers of all kind- purple tulips, yellow centered Daisies, white Lilies, Red roses, pink Gladioli and Carnations.

         “Say some words to Garcia, if you want, Mr. Torres. Then we shall let her start her journey towards Jesus” the clergy said.

         “It looks like she is in her sleep. See her face, father. I never saw it So calm and blissful. How surprising, she stopped her breath with her mirthful smile. She must be so happy now” James Torres replied not lifting his dusky eyes from Garcia’s face.

The clergy gave him a pity smile. The coffin was closed with the lid and slowly kept in the burial pit. The priest let three handful of earth onto the coffin.

“In the name of the father, and of the son, and the Holy spirit. From dust you came, to dust you shall return. Jesus Christ, is the resurrection and the Life. God, our father, we entrust Garcia Torres into your hands”

“Amen”

The crowd assembled in the funeral offered their artificial condolences to Torres and left. It was the employees of “Garcia Torres Worx”. They never liked to have a conversation with Garcia whenever she visited the company. “Senseless lady” “Uneducated moron” “Useless woman” . That’s how they called her at her back.

The manager and long time friend of Torres came near him and handed some papers.

         “The documents are ready, James. The receiver’s space is left blank, as you instructed. Give in a check and sign it”

         “I trust you, Will” Torres smirked and signed the documents. James headed to the driveway and started his dark blue Bentley.

All along the way, he kept on and off glancing at the seat beside him. The place Garcia always sat when he drove her to the Museum and public gardens where she amused herself for a long time. She won’t drop a word while driving. “You must keep your eye on the road. You will certainly look at me if I speak” she used to say this to James when he pleaded her to talk with him. Rather she watches the trees and buildings passing by and smiles to herself like they are speaking with her. Only she knows what she is thinking of.

James imagined Garcia was still there, beside him looking out the car window. He didn’t feel the absence of her or may be he don’t want to let the loss of her touch his Heart. His mind was empty and his heart was undisturbed throughout an hour of travel to Brooklyn from NYC. When he entered the city, he was startled. He visits the city tons of times for his business. But now, it’s not the same. Nostalgia smashed his face.

 His car entered a crooked street and the entrance flashed his eyes. The car stopped. He took out his bottle and had a sip of water to wet his dry lips. Getting out of the car, he gave a grief filled look at the foundling home. James was happy and sad at the same time. His big doubt vanished.

         “It still exist” , his eyes dropped the first tear ever since Garcia left. He wiped it with the back of his hands.

He locked his car and went inside the gate. His head turned left in the side of play ground. The place where he met Garcia, his princess, for the first time.

It was 1977, 8^th of September.

He would forget any day in his life. But this day was more than special. It was his tenth birth anniversary. He was totally disappointed when his parents got him there to celebrate his birthday. He thought they were taking him to a theme park or something magnificient. James was born with a silver spoon. Mark and Sophie Torres owned a mechanical company.

“What am I supposed to do here, Mom?” Little Torres asked in dismay.

“Why are your keeping your face like this, James? Don’t make those little kids scared. You can make new friends here.”

“But I already have good friends!”

“We bought gifts for those kids. Give it to every child here with a smile on your face. That will make their day. You won’t regret this Idea” His dad summoned.

Little Torres was not at all interested. He planned to give it out all as fast as he can and leave that place. He went inside and presented small packed gift boxes to the children. They thanked him and gave back their smile. When he came out, he noticed some kids playing in the open ground with sand. A little girl came hopping towards him when she saw Torres.

“Who are you? You brought that gift for me, so sweet of you” she said.

“I’m James Torres. It’s my birthday, so I giving this to you as a token of love” Little Torres was surprised because she was the only child who talked with him “What’s your name?”

“I’m Princess”

“Oh…Nice to meet you Princess”

She looked at him with her beautiful blue eyes filled with love. Pure love to be exact. She didn’t taken the gift from his hand yet. She got hold of his hands and lead him to the ground.

“Come let’s play”

“No, No. I can’t. I have to go”

“It’s Princess here. It’s my order. No excuses. You will be punished if you dare to deny”

She was different. Torres thought. She was not like other children. They played together and made a sand house. It fell off the moment they lifted their hands from it.

“Ufff…It’s gone again, princess” Torres said. She laughed at him.

“We have to keep something to make it stable. Earth will always goes to earth. Like humans do. Nothing to stick to, All demolished. Boooom” She gave out broken sentences nodding her head.

“I can’t understand”

She shook her head and laughed again. Power of her soul attracted James the moment he saw her.

“Take this little gift, princess”

“I don’t want presents”

“Then, what do you want? Chocolates? Ice creams? Dolls to play with?”

“What’s inside that box?”

James stunned. He didn’t packed them. How do he knows?

“I…I don’t know”

“Then, I don’t want that. I need something you really know what you are giving. It should be with me for my lifetime…I should love it and admire it everyday with my heart”, she fondly kept her two hands on her chest.

Little Torres felt he had nothing to give. He himself felt nothing. His hands were empty. Suddenly, he felt a spark in his heart. He decided to give his heart, his love to her. He stood up and ran straight to his mom and dad who were watching them.

“Mom…Dad….Let’s take Princess with us to our Home”

They looked at each other.

“We can’t, James. She…Well…I don’t know how to explain this. We can adopt a little boy, if you wish” , his mom said.

“What? You mean, she can’t be with me because she is a girl. I know it’s difficult. But….I don’t know how to explain this to you. One, we can take her or else leave me here. I can’t change my mind” Yeah..Nobody can change James mind once he decided.

“Okay” His parents said without a whole heart to his decision. They approached the administrator to talk about his decision with some corrections.

“We would like to take that little girl called princess to our home for a week, if you permit, sir. Our son likes to play with her” Sophie requested.

“With due respects, Madam. Her name is not princess. She calls herself as Princess. She is Garcia. I will be happy if you take some other child and very happy if you adopt them. She is God’s special child. I’m telling it to you just as a my duty. We are taking care of her for eight years and we will in the upcoming years. If you like, you can sponsor for her medications and needs. We don’t want anybody to hurt her at any cost”

Sophie and Mark was surprised. They couldn’t find the reason for James request. Was he aware of this? Anyways, they pleaded to him and promised him that he can trust them and decided to make his wish come true. And, that was the greatest gift they gave in his life. They moved to New York within a year to develop their business. James and Garcia never visited the Home again.

All those happened swirled inside his mind when James entered the Orphanage forty years later.

He remained with her until she left this mortal world. She remained with him when his parents left him, when his friends betrayed him, when his business was down, she shared every moment with him. James thought she understood the world better than others. She lived in her own world. Garcia was a child when he met her, she remained a child when she left him. She was his mother, his wife, his best friend and his child. But People called her “mentally retarded”. The guests visited his home barely attended her and gives a fake smile when she showed her lovely concerns.

Garcia don’t know anything. Yes. All she knew was true Love which others didn’t. To love people around her. To make them happy. She doesn’t know about discriminated love. The love for others and the love for her own were the same. Rating scale for love never existed in her life.

James Torres seated himself on a wooden bench inside the Orphanage bringing back his Memories. He took out his phone and called Williamson.

         “Hey, Will!!”

         “James..Where are you?”

         “Fill the black space with “Angel Guardian Home, Brooklyn”

         “What? Fifty million dollars to an orphanage? Are you kidding me?”

         “Do what I say. It’s my Order” James Torres ended the call.

Now, there’s nothing left in his hands. All he had was Garcia’s Memories. He rested his heads on the wall gently closing his eyes. He lost himself in the place where he found the meaning of his life.

*********

There he stood watching the empty play ground. Someone holded his waist from behind.

         “Princess!!”

         “I missed You” she said with her ever smiling face.

         “Let’s go home”

He got hold of her hands and walked. The two souls found their lost Gifts.