Chapter 129
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Sixteen years ago.
The sun's rays were penetrating through the dense crown of green trees. The girl lifted her head and narrowed her eyes from the light that had fallen into her. There was something tickling in her nose, and a loud sneeze burst out,
"Ahchoo!"
"Bless you, baby," a kind female voice was heard from above.
Elena raised her head and saw the smiling face of her mom. Her mom smiled rarely and was thoughtful most of the time, so such moments always pleased a small child.
"Mom, where are we going?" Elena asked.
"We are going to meet with one lady, dear. Mommy has known her for a long time, she is a good person," Amelia answered and stroked her daughter's head, "She has a little son, a year younger than you. I want you to be friends."
Elena nodded her head. They walked along a narrow path into the depths of the park and saw a woman and a boy sitting on a bench. He was playing with a small clockwork helicopter, and his mother closely followed every step of the baby, like a tigress guarding her offspring.
She noticed Amelia and the girl, got up from the bench and waved her hand, welcoming them. Elena noted to herself that the woman was very attractive, her delicate facial features gave her oriental beauty a special elegance and nobility. Elena's mother was also very beautiful, but especially the girl liked her radiant smile, which she showed, though very seldom, but always sincerely and with love.
"Hello, Liu Yang. Good to see you."
"Hello, Amelia. Yes, indeed, we haven't seen each other for a long time." The woman answered and smiled at her friend, there was sadness in her eyes.
"Is this your son? He looks like Chen Lee very much," Amelia crouched down and looked at the boy attentively. Jun pressed his toy to his chest and threw a frightened look at his mother.
"Junie, this lady's name is Amelia. And this is her daughter, Elena. Tell them 'hello'," Liu Yang hugged her son by the shoulders and led him to Amelia.
The boy was taken aback under the gaze of an unfamiliar woman, but as she extended her hand to him and smiled, all the worry and fear evaporated instantly. He held out his little hand and put it in the palm of the woman.
Amelia thought for a moment, and then she smiled even wider and stroked the boy's head, "Well done, you're a great fellow, Jun. Mom and dad will be proud of you. You will grow up to be a strong and good person." The boy was delighted at the words of this lady and looked at his mother with a satisfied smile.
"I'm already strong! And so big! Almost like dad!" He raised his hands up and stretched, demonstrating how "tall" he was.
"Ahaha, of course, you're already big. Then can I entrust you with an important task?" Amelia leaned toward the boy and narrowed her eyes slyly.
"Yes, ma'am! Jun will do everything!"
"Well done. Jun, when you are already a big boy, tell your dad many thanks. Tell him that I am very grateful to him that he-," the woman hesitated, swallowed a lump in her throat and continued in a quiet voice, "He will understand everything. Here, and you will give it to my Elena," she took the pendant from her neck and hung it around the boy's neck. "Can you cope with this task?"
"Of course I can handle it! My dad knows you too?" The boy asked, looking at the new thing around his neck with interest.
"No, baby, he doesn't know me. But I know that he is a good and strong person, so I can trust him with the most precious thing I have." The woman looked in the direction of the girl playing nearby. "Go play together and your mom and I will talk a little bit."
Amelia patted the boy's head, and he ran towards Elena.
"Elen, look, look what your mom gave me!" Jun began to happily show off the medallion. The girl looked at the boy with offense and turned away. Although she had heard their conversation, she was hurt that her mother's pendant was hanging around the neck of another child when she herself had never had anything like it.
Jun did not notice her frustration and began to pester her even more insistently, "Do you want to play with my helicopter? Let me show you how to start it!" He handed her his toy, but the girl pushed his hand off and turned away.
The boy pouted his lips and intentionally moved a few steps away from the girl to play alone. He squatted with his back to her and began to poke around in the ground, with his head down and snuffling. Elena noticed that he raised his hand to his eyes several times and wiped them with the sleeve of his jacket. She was ashamed of her rudeness.
Elena climbed into her pocket and found a little pipe in it. "Can you play that?" She asked Jun, squatting next to him.
"No, I do not know how," he answered, and wiped his reddened eyes. The girl brought the pipe to her lips and the cheerful melody immediately burst from the musical instrument.
Jun's eyes glittered in admiration, he immediately forgot about his offense, "How did you do that?!"
Elena frowned, trying to remember how she knows this melody, "It seems that one boy played it to me once, I don't remember when, but I remember that there were a lot of fireflies there."
"Fireflies? What is it?"
"These are such bugs that fly at night and shine," the girl explained.
"Eeew, bugs. I don't like beetles," Jun wrinkled his nose. His first meeting with the beetle was not the most pleasant one, he thought that the beetle almost ate him, although in fact, it was the opposite. And if his mom hadn't snatched an insect out of the hands of a boy in time, it would soon be in his mouth.
Elena smiled as she watched Jun's reaction. She had little contact with children since if she and her mother were walking outside then it was usually already dark and all the children were at home. In addition, they often moved from place to place, and even when she heard cheerful children's voices from the window of the apartment where they lived, each time it was a new apartment and a new, unfamiliar language.
She was very glad that she could now communicate with another child. Maybe if she tried, he would agree to be her friend? After all, she has never had friends.
"Do you want me to show you how to play?" She asked the boy, hoping to interest him.
"Of course I do!" Jun grabbed the pipe and began to examine it.
"So you need to blow here, and to close this little hole," she showed him what holes there were on the pipe.
"Elena! It's time! We are leaving!" Amelia called the girl, which caused a lot of resentment in both children.
"Sorry, my mom is calling me," the girl got up from her knees and turned around.
"Wait! You haven't taught me yet!" Jun grabbed her dress and frowned in displeasure.
"I am sorry but if my mother calls me, I have to go right away," she unhooked his hand from her dress, "But, if you want, I will give you this pipe as a gift. You go and get some training, and the next time you will show that you can play it, okay?"
"You are giving it to me?! Wow, great!" The boy jumped from happiness. This little thing that makes different sounds seemed to be the coolest toy he had ever seen.
Elena smiled and walked toward Amelia. Passing by Jun's mother, she wanted to say goodbye to her, but the woman wept bitterly and did not notice the girl. Elena accelerated her step, grabbed her mom's hand, and they walked away.
"Mom, why did that lady cry?"
"When you part away with your loved ones, it hurts a lot," the woman replied quietly. Elena noticed that the recent smile had completely disappeared from her mom's face, and she seemed even sadder than usual.
"And who does she part with? With Jun? Or with his dad?" Amelia swallowed the lump that came up to her throat, but did not hide the truth from her daughter, "With both."
"But why? Jun will be sad if his mother leaves. I would be very sad if you were lost," the girl replied.
The woman stopped and squeezed her daughter's small palm in her hand. She leaned over and took her in her arms.
"Mom, I'm heavy!" the girl was surprised. For her to be in the hands of her mother was like a miracle, it was so unusual.
"It's okay, your mom is stronger than you think," the woman reassured and pulled her daughter to her even stronger.
Amelia left the park and sat in a taxi parked at the entrance. Even when they got into the car, she did not let the girl out of her hands and sat Elena on her lap. Then she told the taxi driver the address she needed, which made the cab driver extremely surprised.
"Madam, this place is three hours away. Are you sure you can pay? It's quite expensive," the man looked at the woman with a skeptical look. She was wearing simple clothes, she didn't even have a handbag with her.
"Do not worry, sir. I'll pay for everything. If you don't bore me with your conversations on the way, I'll add you a tip, half of the total amount," Amelia said coldly.
"Understood, as you say, madam," the taxi driver started the car and they drove off. It would be stupid to lose such a generous client.
Houses of different heights and styles were quickly flying along outside the window, alternating with trees and other buildings. Amelia pressed her daughter to her chest while she was sound asleep on her lap. Three hours later, they stopped at the foot of a small hill, next to the sign "Orphanage named after St. Magdalena."
The woman paid the fare and the taxi driver drove on with a satisfied face. She sat with Elena on the bench. The girl was rubbing her eyes, just as if she had just woken up.
"Mom, I am hungry and thirsty."
"Be patient for a little while, one man must come soon. He will treat you to something delicious," Mom smiled and straightened her daughter's slightly disheveled hair.
"Hello, Amelia. Have you been waiting for a long time?" A low male voice caught their attention, and mom and daughter turned around.
Elena saw a tall and stylishly dressed man in front of her. He was wearing a long black coat and a hat, so she could not see the colors of his hair. As well as his face, hidden behind a mask.
"No, we just arrived. You are just in time," the woman answered him. "I hope you came bearing gifts, didn't you?"
"Do not worry if I do not have children, it does not mean that I am so stupid as not to think about buying food for your daughter."
"Who knows you, everything happens at your age," the woman grinned.
"Tsk, be glad that, as a gentleman, I do not respond to such statements when they come from a woman," the man ignored her impish joke and approached the girl, "Elen, hello. I know your mom. Here, look, I bought you various sweets, help yourself, whatever you want." He handed her a grocery bag containing delicacies, ready to tempt anyone, even the most disobedient child.
"Thank you, sir. What is your name? Why are you wearing a mask? Are you sick?" Elena asked innocently, picking at a bag of sweets.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, the mask hid a smile on his face, "No, dear, I never get sick, even if I would like to. I can't tell you my name. For the same reason, I can't show you my face. But when the right time comes, I will find you again, and you will immediately recognize me."
"But sir, how will I recognize you if I don't know how you look?" The girl genuinely was surprised.
"You will because I am your friend, and we will always know friends. No matter how many years it takes." Elena, not quite understanding what he had in mind, decided to end the conversation and focus on eating the contents of the package.
"She is completely unlike him," the man turned to Amelia.
"Yes, you are right," the woman replied and looked at her daughter, eating another candy like a wolf.
"Amelia, are you sure you weren't followed?"
"Sure. I do not know how much time I have left, but I know for sure that no more than a day. According to documents in Europe, we are considered dead, so he will have to try hard to find us."
"Sorry, you know that I cannot act in the open now," the man added bitterly.
"You do not need. I have known this since the age of fifteen, so you have nothing to do with it."
"How can you talk about such things so easily?! Have you thought about her?"
"That's why I'm doing this! I can't let him find her now. It's not time yet." The woman clutched her head and cringed in pain.
"Amelia!" The man jumped up to her and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you OK?"
"Everything is fine, this is normal, do not pay attention," the woman caught her breath and glanced at the frightened girl. Elena was looking at her mother with wide eyes as if she understood what had happened.
"Sorry, baby, you saw everything, right? Anyways, you're my beloved girl," Amelia looked at her daughter sadly.
It turned out that she had even less time than she thought.
"I just saw him. He is already in the city. I have to hurry, so I trust the rest to you. A man will come here in a year, his name will be Chen Lee. When they call you from the shelter, you will agree so they will be able to give Elena to him. Then do what you think is right," Amelia told the man in a serious voice.
"Understood, you can trust me. I'll do everything. Anyway, your visions are so accurate that I can mark this day on the calendar in advance," the man grinned, the tones of sadness were in his voice.
Amelia smiled. No wonder she was considered one of the strongest clairvoyants. The accuracy of her visions was so high and detailed that one would have thought that she described events from the past, and not from the future. That was her strength, and that was her weakness. If she were a simple girl, she would never have attracted the attention of that man.
But fate is fate. And she knew her future as good as she knew the future of other people. And no matter what she wanted, some events could not be avoided.
And now she had to make the most difficult and painful decision in her life.
"Elena, come to your mommy, please," Amelia crouched down and hugged her daughter.
"Mom, I don't want to. Please, I don't want to," the girl clutched at the woman's neck. She was afraid of what will be happening next.
"Sorry, my dear. Mom does not want this either, but things can't go other way. Otherwise, many people will suffer, many children will lose their moms and dads. And we can help them. Will you help mom?"
The girl nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she tried to hold back so as not to cry.
Amelia brushed a tear from her daughter's face and gently stroked her cheek, "Elena, listen to me carefully. Even if mom is not around, you have to be strong. You must learn to see what is good and what is bad. You will not be alone, there will be people who will love and protect you. Therefore, you will surely be happy, grow up a beautiful and intelligent girl, even if...," the woman's voice broke for a moment, "Even if mom is not around."
She pressed her daughter to her so that Elena did not see that tears came out in front of her mother's eyes.
Amelia stroked her head and whispered, "When you remember this, remember that your mother loves you very much. You are the most precious, the best, the most important thing that has ever been in my life. Mom loves you more than anything else in this world and will always love you. Remember this. Now please close your eyes..."
"NOT! I DO NOT WANT!" The girl began to break free from the hands of her mother, but their forces were not equal.
Amelia grabbed Elena by the face, and the woman's gaze fixed the girl's body. They were looking at each other, and tears were streaming down their cheeks.
The woman's lips were trembling, "I love you, daughter. Close your eyes..."
"Mom..," Elena whispered from the last bit of her strength, her eyes closed, and the memory of the girl plunged into complete darkness.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Sixteen years ago.
The sun's rays were penetrating through the dense crown of green trees. The girl lifted her head and narrowed her eyes from the light that had fallen into her. There was something tickling in her nose, and a loud sneeze burst out,
"Ahchoo!"
"Bless you, baby," a kind female voice was heard from above.
Elena raised her head and saw the smiling face of her mom. Her mom smiled rarely and was thoughtful most of the time, so such moments always pleased a small child.
"Mom, where are we going?" Elena asked.
"We are going to meet with one lady, dear. Mommy has known her for a long time, she is a good person," Amelia answered and stroked her daughter's head, "She has a little son, a year younger than you. I want you to be friends."
Elena nodded her head. They walked along a narrow path into the depths of the park and saw a woman and a boy sitting on a bench. He was playing with a small clockwork helicopter, and his mother closely followed every step of the baby, like a tigress guarding her offspring.
She noticed Amelia and the girl, got up from the bench and waved her hand, welcoming them. Elena noted to herself that the woman was very attractive, her delicate facial features gave her oriental beauty a special elegance and nobility. Elena's mother was also very beautiful, but especially the girl liked her radiant smile, which she showed, though very seldom, but always sincerely and with love.
"Hello, Liu Yang. Good to see you."
"Hello, Amelia. Yes, indeed, we haven't seen each other for a long time." The woman answered and smiled at her friend, there was sadness in her eyes.
"Is this your son? He looks like Chen Lee very much," Amelia crouched down and looked at the boy attentively. Jun pressed his toy to his chest and threw a frightened look at his mother.
"Junie, this lady's name is Amelia. And this is her daughter, Elena. Tell them 'hello'," Liu Yang hugged her son by the shoulders and led him to Amelia.
The boy was taken aback under the gaze of an unfamiliar woman, but as she extended her hand to him and smiled, all the worry and fear evaporated instantly. He held out his little hand and put it in the palm of the woman.
Amelia thought for a moment, and then she smiled even wider and stroked the boy's head, "Well done, you're a great fellow, Jun. Mom and dad will be proud of you. You will grow up to be a strong and good person." The boy was delighted at the words of this lady and looked at his mother with a satisfied smile.
"I'm already strong! And so big! Almost like dad!" He raised his hands up and stretched, demonstrating how "tall" he was.
"Ahaha, of course, you're already big. Then can I entrust you with an important task?" Amelia leaned toward the boy and narrowed her eyes slyly.
"Yes, ma'am! Jun will do everything!"
"Well done. Jun, when you are already a big boy, tell your dad many thanks. Tell him that I am very grateful to him that he-," the woman hesitated, swallowed a lump in her throat and continued in a quiet voice, "He will understand everything. Here, and you will give it to my Elena," she took the pendant from her neck and hung it around the boy's neck. "Can you cope with this task?"
"Of course I can handle it! My dad knows you too?" The boy asked, looking at the new thing around his neck with interest.
"No, baby, he doesn't know me. But I know that he is a good and strong person, so I can trust him with the most precious thing I have." The woman looked in the direction of the girl playing nearby. "Go play together and your mom and I will talk a little bit."
Amelia patted the boy's head, and he ran towards Elena.
"Elen, look, look what your mom gave me!" Jun began to happily show off the medallion. The girl looked at the boy with offense and turned away. Although she had heard their conversation, she was hurt that her mother's pendant was hanging around the neck of another child when she herself had never had anything like it.
Jun did not notice her frustration and began to pester her even more insistently, "Do you want to play with my helicopter? Let me show you how to start it!" He handed her his toy, but the girl pushed his hand off and turned away.
The boy pouted his lips and intentionally moved a few steps away from the girl to play alone. He squatted with his back to her and began to poke around in the ground, with his head down and snuffling. Elena noticed that he raised his hand to his eyes several times and wiped them with the sleeve of his jacket. She was ashamed of her rudeness.
Elena climbed into her pocket and found a little pipe in it. "Can you play that?" She asked Jun, squatting next to him.
"No, I do not know how," he answered, and wiped his reddened eyes. The girl brought the pipe to her lips and the cheerful melody immediately burst from the musical instrument.
Jun's eyes glittered in admiration, he immediately forgot about his offense, "How did you do that?!"
Elena frowned, trying to remember how she knows this melody, "It seems that one boy played it to me once, I don't remember when, but I remember that there were a lot of fireflies there."
"Fireflies? What is it?"
"These are such bugs that fly at night and shine," the girl explained.
"Eeew, bugs. I don't like beetles," Jun wrinkled his nose. His first meeting with the beetle was not the most pleasant one, he thought that the beetle almost ate him, although in fact, it was the opposite. And if his mom hadn't snatched an insect out of the hands of a boy in time, it would soon be in his mouth.
Elena smiled as she watched Jun's reaction. She had little contact with children since if she and her mother were walking outside then it was usually already dark and all the children were at home. In addition, they often moved from place to place, and even when she heard cheerful children's voices from the window of the apartment where they lived, each time it was a new apartment and a new, unfamiliar language.
She was very glad that she could now communicate with another child. Maybe if she tried, he would agree to be her friend? After all, she has never had friends.
"Do you want me to show you how to play?" She asked the boy, hoping to interest him.
"Of course I do!" Jun grabbed the pipe and began to examine it.
"So you need to blow here, and to close this little hole," she showed him what holes there were on the pipe.
"Elena! It's time! We are leaving!" Amelia called the girl, which caused a lot of resentment in both children.
"Sorry, my mom is calling me," the girl got up from her knees and turned around.
"Wait! You haven't taught me yet!" Jun grabbed her dress and frowned in displeasure.
"I am sorry but if my mother calls me, I have to go right away," she unhooked his hand from her dress, "But, if you want, I will give you this pipe as a gift. You go and get some training, and the next time you will show that you can play it, okay?"
"You are giving it to me?! Wow, great!" The boy jumped from happiness. This little thing that makes different sounds seemed to be the coolest toy he had ever seen.
Elena smiled and walked toward Amelia. Passing by Jun's mother, she wanted to say goodbye to her, but the woman wept bitterly and did not notice the girl. Elena accelerated her step, grabbed her mom's hand, and they walked away.
"Mom, why did that lady cry?"
"When you part away with your loved ones, it hurts a lot," the woman replied quietly. Elena noticed that the recent smile had completely disappeared from her mom's face, and she seemed even sadder than usual.
"And who does she part with? With Jun? Or with his dad?" Amelia swallowed the lump that came up to her throat, but did not hide the truth from her daughter, "With both."
"But why? Jun will be sad if his mother leaves. I would be very sad if you were lost," the girl replied.
The woman stopped and squeezed her daughter's small palm in her hand. She leaned over and took her in her arms.
"Mom, I'm heavy!" the girl was surprised. For her to be in the hands of her mother was like a miracle, it was so unusual.
"It's okay, your mom is stronger than you think," the woman reassured and pulled her daughter to her even stronger.
Amelia left the park and sat in a taxi parked at the entrance. Even when they got into the car, she did not let the girl out of her hands and sat Elena on her lap. Then she told the taxi driver the address she needed, which made the cab driver extremely surprised.
"Madam, this place is three hours away. Are you sure you can pay? It's quite expensive," the man looked at the woman with a skeptical look. She was wearing simple clothes, she didn't even have a handbag with her.
"Do not worry, sir. I'll pay for everything. If you don't bore me with your conversations on the way, I'll add you a tip, half of the total amount," Amelia said coldly.
"Understood, as you say, madam," the taxi driver started the car and they drove off. It would be stupid to lose such a generous client.
Houses of different heights and styles were quickly flying along outside the window, alternating with trees and other buildings. Amelia pressed her daughter to her chest while she was sound asleep on her lap. Three hours later, they stopped at the foot of a small hill, next to the sign "Orphanage named after St. Magdalena."
The woman paid the fare and the taxi driver drove on with a satisfied face. She sat with Elena on the bench. The girl was rubbing her eyes, just as if she had just woken up.
"Mom, I am hungry and thirsty."
"Be patient for a little while, one man must come soon. He will treat you to something delicious," Mom smiled and straightened her daughter's slightly disheveled hair.
"Hello, Amelia. Have you been waiting for a long time?" A low male voice caught their attention, and mom and daughter turned around.
Elena saw a tall and stylishly dressed man in front of her. He was wearing a long black coat and a hat, so she could not see the colors of his hair. As well as his face, hidden behind a mask.
"No, we just arrived. You are just in time," the woman answered him. "I hope you came bearing gifts, didn't you?"
"Do not worry if I do not have children, it does not mean that I am so stupid as not to think about buying food for your daughter."
"Who knows you, everything happens at your age," the woman grinned.
"Tsk, be glad that, as a gentleman, I do not respond to such statements when they come from a woman," the man ignored her impish joke and approached the girl, "Elen, hello. I know your mom. Here, look, I bought you various sweets, help yourself, whatever you want." He handed her a grocery bag containing delicacies, ready to tempt anyone, even the most disobedient child.
"Thank you, sir. What is your name? Why are you wearing a mask? Are you sick?" Elena asked innocently, picking at a bag of sweets.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, the mask hid a smile on his face, "No, dear, I never get sick, even if I would like to. I can't tell you my name. For the same reason, I can't show you my face. But when the right time comes, I will find you again, and you will immediately recognize me."
"But sir, how will I recognize you if I don't know how you look?" The girl genuinely was surprised.
"You will because I am your friend, and we will always know friends. No matter how many years it takes." Elena, not quite understanding what he had in mind, decided to end the conversation and focus on eating the contents of the package.
"She is completely unlike him," the man turned to Amelia.
"Yes, you are right," the woman replied and looked at her daughter, eating another candy like a wolf.
"Amelia, are you sure you weren't followed?"
"Sure. I do not know how much time I have left, but I know for sure that no more than a day. According to documents in Europe, we are considered dead, so he will have to try hard to find us."
"Sorry, you know that I cannot act in the open now," the man added bitterly.
"You do not need. I have known this since the age of fifteen, so you have nothing to do with it."
"How can you talk about such things so easily?! Have you thought about her?"
"That's why I'm doing this! I can't let him find her now. It's not time yet." The woman clutched her head and cringed in pain.
"Amelia!" The man jumped up to her and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you OK?"
"Everything is fine, this is normal, do not pay attention," the woman caught her breath and glanced at the frightened girl. Elena was looking at her mother with wide eyes as if she understood what had happened.
"Sorry, baby, you saw everything, right? Anyways, you're my beloved girl," Amelia looked at her daughter sadly.
It turned out that she had even less time than she thought.
"I just saw him. He is already in the city. I have to hurry, so I trust the rest to you. A man will come here in a year, his name will be Chen Lee. When they call you from the shelter, you will agree so they will be able to give Elena to him. Then do what you think is right," Amelia told the man in a serious voice.
"Understood, you can trust me. I'll do everything. Anyway, your visions are so accurate that I can mark this day on the calendar in advance," the man grinned, the tones of sadness were in his voice.
Amelia smiled. No wonder she was considered one of the strongest clairvoyants. The accuracy of her visions was so high and detailed that one would have thought that she described events from the past, and not from the future. That was her strength, and that was her weakness. If she were a simple girl, she would never have attracted the attention of that man.
But fate is fate. And she knew her future as good as she knew the future of other people. And no matter what she wanted, some events could not be avoided.
And now she had to make the most difficult and painful decision in her life.
"Elena, come to your mommy, please," Amelia crouched down and hugged her daughter.
"Mom, I don't want to. Please, I don't want to," the girl clutched at the woman's neck. She was afraid of what will be happening next.
"Sorry, my dear. Mom does not want this either, but things can't go other way. Otherwise, many people will suffer, many children will lose their moms and dads. And we can help them. Will you help mom?"
The girl nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she tried to hold back so as not to cry.
Amelia brushed a tear from her daughter's face and gently stroked her cheek, "Elena, listen to me carefully. Even if mom is not around, you have to be strong. You must learn to see what is good and what is bad. You will not be alone, there will be people who will love and protect you. Therefore, you will surely be happy, grow up a beautiful and intelligent girl, even if...," the woman's voice broke for a moment, "Even if mom is not around."
She pressed her daughter to her so that Elena did not see that tears came out in front of her mother's eyes.
Amelia stroked her head and whispered, "When you remember this, remember that your mother loves you very much. You are the most precious, the best, the most important thing that has ever been in my life. Mom loves you more than anything else in this world and will always love you. Remember this. Now please close your eyes..."
"NOT! I DO NOT WANT!" The girl began to break free from the hands of her mother, but their forces were not equal.
Amelia grabbed Elena by the face, and the woman's gaze fixed the girl's body. They were looking at each other, and tears were streaming down their cheeks.
The woman's lips were trembling, "I love you, daughter. Close your eyes..."
"Mom..," Elena whispered from the last bit of her strength, her eyes closed, and the memory of the girl plunged into complete darkness.
Sixteen years ago.The sun's rays were penetrating through the dense crown of green trees. The girl lifted her head and narrowed her eyes from the light that had fallen into her. There was something tickling in her nose, and a loud sneeze burst out,"Ahchoo!""Bless you, baby," a kind female voice was heard from above.Elena raised her head and saw the smiling face of her mom. Her mom smiled rarely and was thoughtful most of the time, so such moments always pleased a small child."Mom, where are we going?" Elena asked."We are going to meet with one lady, dear. Mommy has known her for a long time, she is a good person," Amelia answered and stroked her daughter's head, "She has a little son, a year younger than you. I want you to be friends."Elena nodded her head. They walked along a narrow path into the depths of the park and saw a woman and a boy sitting on a bench. He was playing with a small clockwork helicopter, and his mother closely followed every step of the baby, like a tigress guarding her offspring.She noticed Amelia and the girl, got up from the bench and waved her hand, welcoming them. Elena noted to herself that the woman was very attractive, her delicate facial features gave her oriental beauty a special elegance and nobility. Elena's mother was also very beautiful, but especially the girl liked her radiant smile, which she showed, though very seldom, but always sincerely and with love."Hello, Liu Yang. Good to see you.""Hello, Amelia. Yes, indeed, we haven't seen each other for a long time." The woman answered and smiled at her friend, there was sadness in her eyes."Is this your son? He looks like Chen Lee very much," Amelia crouched down and looked at the boy attentively. Jun pressed his toy to his chest and threw a frightened look at his mother."Junie, this lady's name is Amelia. And this is her daughter, Elena. Tell them 'hello'," Liu Yang hugged her son by the shoulders and led him to Amelia.The boy was taken aback under the gaze of an unfamiliar woman, but as she extended her hand to him and smiled, all the worry and fear evaporated instantly. He held out his little hand and put it in the palm of the woman.Amelia thought for a moment, and then she smiled even wider and stroked the boy's head, "Well done, you're a great fellow, Jun. Mom and dad will be proud of you. You will grow up to be a strong and good person." The boy was delighted at the words of this lady and looked at his mother with a satisfied smile."I'm already strong! And so big! Almost like dad!" He raised his hands up and stretched, demonstrating how "tall" he was."Ahaha, of course, you're already big. Then can I entrust you with an important task?" Amelia leaned toward the boy and narrowed her eyes slyly."Yes, ma'am! Jun will do everything!""Well done. Jun, when you are already a big boy, tell your dad many thanks. Tell him that I am very grateful to him that he-," the woman hesitated, swallowed a lump in her throat and continued in a quiet voice, "He will understand everything. Here, and you will give it to my Elena," she took the pendant from her neck and hung it around the boy's neck. "Can you cope with this task?""Of course I can handle it! My dad knows you too?" The boy asked, looking at the new thing around his neck with interest."No, baby, he doesn't know me. But I know that he is a good and strong person, so I can trust him with the most precious thing I have." The woman looked in the direction of the girl playing nearby. "Go play together and your mom and I will talk a little bit."Amelia patted the boy's head, and he ran towards Elena."Elen, look, look what your mom gave me!" Jun began to happily show off the medallion. The girl looked at the boy with offense and turned away. Although she had heard their conversation, she was hurt that her mother's pendant was hanging around the neck of another child when she herself had never had anything like it.Jun did not notice her frustration and began to pester her even more insistently, "Do you want to play with my helicopter? Let me show you how to start it!" He handed her his toy, but the girl pushed his hand off and turned away.The boy pouted his lips and intentionally moved a few steps away from the girl to play alone. He squatted with his back to her and began to poke around in the ground, with his head down and snuffling. Elena noticed that he raised his hand to his eyes several times and wiped them with the sleeve of his jacket. She was ashamed of her rudeness.Elena climbed into her pocket and found a little pipe in it. "Can you play that?" She asked Jun, squatting next to him."No, I do not know how," he answered, and wiped his reddened eyes. The girl brought the pipe to her lips and the cheerful melody immediately burst from the musical instrument.Jun's eyes glittered in admiration, he immediately forgot about his offense, "How did you do that?!"Elena frowned, trying to remember how she knows this melody, "It seems that one boy played it to me once, I don't remember when, but I remember that there were a lot of fireflies there.""Fireflies? What is it?""These are such bugs that fly at night and shine," the girl explained."Eeew, bugs. I don't like beetles," Jun wrinkled his nose. His first meeting with the beetle was not the most pleasant one, he thought that the beetle almost ate him, although in fact, it was the opposite. And if his mom hadn't snatched an insect out of the hands of a boy in time, it would soon be in his mouth.Elena smiled as she watched Jun's reaction. She had little contact with children since if she and her mother were walking outside then it was usually already dark and all the children were at home. In addition, they often moved from place to place, and even when she heard cheerful children's voices from the window of the apartment where they lived, each time it was a new apartment and a new, unfamiliar language.She was very glad that she could now communicate with another child. Maybe if she tried, he would agree to be her friend? After all, she has never had friends."Do you want me to show you how to play?" She asked the boy, hoping to interest him."Of course I do!" Jun grabbed the pipe and began to examine it."So you need to blow here, and to close this little hole," she showed him what holes there were on the pipe."Elena! It's time! We are leaving!" Amelia called the girl, which caused a lot of resentment in both children."Sorry, my mom is calling me," the girl got up from her knees and turned around."Wait! You haven't taught me yet!" Jun grabbed her dress and frowned in displeasure."I am sorry but if my mother calls me, I have to go right away," she unhooked his hand from her dress, "But, if you want, I will give you this pipe as a gift. You go and get some training, and the next time you will show that you can play it, okay?""You are giving it to me?! Wow, great!" The boy jumped from happiness. This little thing that makes different sounds seemed to be the coolest toy he had ever seen.Elena smiled and walked toward Amelia. Passing by Jun's mother, she wanted to say goodbye to her, but the woman wept bitterly and did not notice the girl. Elena accelerated her step, grabbed her mom's hand, and they walked away."Mom, why did that lady cry?""When you part away with your loved ones, it hurts a lot," the woman replied quietly. Elena noticed that the recent smile had completely disappeared from her mom's face, and she seemed even sadder than usual."And who does she part with? With Jun? Or with his dad?" Amelia swallowed the lump that came up to her throat, but did not hide the truth from her daughter, "With both.""But why? Jun will be sad if his mother leaves. I would be very sad if you were lost," the girl replied.The woman stopped and squeezed her daughter's small palm in her hand. She leaned over and took her in her arms."Mom, I'm heavy!" the girl was surprised. For her to be in the hands of her mother was like a miracle, it was so unusual."It's okay, your mom is stronger than you think," the woman reassured and pulled her daughter to her even stronger.Amelia left the park and sat in a taxi parked at the entrance. Even when they got into the car, she did not let the girl out of her hands and sat Elena on her lap. Then she told the taxi driver the address she needed, which made the cab driver extremely surprised."Madam, this place is three hours away. Are you sure you can pay? It's quite expensive," the man looked at the woman with a skeptical look. She was wearing simple clothes, she didn't even have a handbag with her."Do not worry, sir. I'll pay for everything. If you don't bore me with your conversations on the way, I'll add you a tip, half of the total amount," Amelia said coldly."Understood, as you say, madam," the taxi driver started the car and they drove off. It would be stupid to lose such a generous client.Houses of different heights and styles were quickly flying along outside the window, alternating with trees and other buildings. Amelia pressed her daughter to her chest while she was sound asleep on her lap. Three hours later, they stopped at the foot of a small hill, next to the sign "Orphanage named after St. Magdalena."The woman paid the fare and the taxi driver drove on with a satisfied face. She sat with Elena on the bench. The girl was rubbing her eyes, just as if she had just woken up."Mom, I am hungry and thirsty.""Be patient for a little while, one man must come soon. He will treat you to something delicious," Mom smiled and straightened her daughter's slightly disheveled hair."Hello, Amelia. Have you been waiting for a long time?" A low male voice caught their attention, and mom and daughter turned around.Elena saw a tall and stylishly dressed man in front of her. He was wearing a long black coat and a hat, so she could not see the colors of his hair. As well as his face, hidden behind a mask."No, we just arrived. You are just in time," the woman answered him. "I hope you came bearing gifts, didn't you?""Do not worry if I do not have children, it does not mean that I am so stupid as not to think about buying food for your daughter.""Who knows you, everything happens at your age," the woman grinned."Tsk, be glad that, as a gentleman, I do not respond to such statements when they come from a woman," the man ignored her impish joke and approached the girl, "Elen, hello. I know your mom. Here, look, I bought you various sweets, help yourself, whatever you want." He handed her a grocery bag containing delicacies, ready to tempt anyone, even the most disobedient child."Thank you, sir. What is your name? Why are you wearing a mask? Are you sick?" Elena asked innocently, picking at a bag of sweets.The man narrowed his eyes slightly, the mask hid a smile on his face, "No, dear, I never get sick, even if I would like to. I can't tell you my name. For the same reason, I can't show you my face. But when the right time comes, I will find you again, and you will immediately recognize me.""But sir, how will I recognize you if I don't know how you look?" The girl genuinely was surprised."You will because I am your friend, and we will always know friends. No matter how many years it takes." Elena, not quite understanding what he had in mind, decided to end the conversation and focus on eating the contents of the package."She is completely unlike him," the man turned to Amelia."Yes, you are right," the woman replied and looked at her daughter, eating another candy like a wolf."Amelia, are you sure you weren't followed?""Sure. I do not know how much time I have left, but I know for sure that no more than a day. According to documents in Europe, we are considered dead, so he will have to try hard to find us.""Sorry, you know that I cannot act in the open now," the man added bitterly."You do not need. I have known this since the age of fifteen, so you have nothing to do with it.""How can you talk about such things so easily?! Have you thought about her?""That's why I'm doing this! I can't let him find her now. It's not time yet." The woman clutched her head and cringed in pain."Amelia!" The man jumped up to her and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you OK?""Everything is fine, this is normal, do not pay attention," the woman caught her breath and glanced at the frightened girl. Elena was looking at her mother with wide eyes as if she understood what had happened."Sorry, baby, you saw everything, right? Anyways, you're my beloved girl," Amelia looked at her daughter sadly.It turned out that she had even less time than she thought."I just saw him. He is already in the city. I have to hurry, so I trust the rest to you. A man will come here in a year, his name will be Chen Lee. When they call you from the shelter, you will agree so they will be able to give Elena to him. Then do what you think is right," Amelia told the man in a serious voice."Understood, you can trust me. I'll do everything. Anyway, your visions are so accurate that I can mark this day on the calendar in advance," the man grinned, the tones of sadness were in his voice.Amelia smiled. No wonder she was considered one of the strongest clairvoyants. The accuracy of her visions was so high and detailed that one would have thought that she described events from the past, and not from the future. That was her strength, and that was her weakness. If she were a simple girl, she would never have attracted the attention of that man.But fate is fate. And she knew her future as good as she knew the future of other people. And no matter what she wanted, some events could not be avoided.And now she had to make the most difficult and painful decision in her life."Elena, come to your mommy, please," Amelia crouched down and hugged her daughter."Mom, I don't want to. Please, I don't want to," the girl clutched at the woman's neck. She was afraid of what will be happening next."Sorry, my dear. Mom does not want this either, but things can't go other way. Otherwise, many people will suffer, many children will lose their moms and dads. And we can help them. Will you help mom?"The girl nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she tried to hold back so as not to cry.Amelia brushed a tear from her daughter's face and gently stroked her cheek, "Elena, listen to me carefully. Even if mom is not around, you have to be strong. You must learn to see what is good and what is bad. You will not be alone, there will be people who will love and protect you. Therefore, you will surely be happy, grow up a beautiful and intelligent girl, even if...," the woman's voice broke for a moment, "Even if mom is not around."She pressed her daughter to her so that Elena did not see that tears came out in front of her mother's eyes.Amelia stroked her head and whispered, "When you remember this, remember that your mother loves you very much. You are the most precious, the best, the most important thing that has ever been in my life. Mom loves you more than anything else in this world and will always love you. Remember this. Now please close your eyes...""NOT! I DO NOT WANT!" The girl began to break free from the hands of her mother, but their forces were not equal.Amelia grabbed Elena by the face, and the woman's gaze fixed the girl's body. They were looking at each other, and tears were streaming down their cheeks.The woman's lips were trembling, "I love you, daughter. Close your eyes...""Mom..," Elena whispered from the last bit of her strength, her eyes closed, and the memory of the girl plunged into complete darkness.
