CHAPTER 16: A DAY WITH LOUIE
1724 Words
I woke up early for my class. Louie turned out as my professor in the first subject. I keep on avoiding him at home. I don't want to feel my body in heat every time I see him. I don't even know him very well yet.
I am about to leave the house early when I felt a presence behind me.
"Are you going to school?" Professor Louie asked.
"Y-yes, Prof," I answered nervously.
"Just call me Louie if it's just the two of us. I feel old when people call me Professor."
Aren't you? That would have been my answer but I just restrained myself. I answered with only a sparing smile.
"Let's go together. I'll drive." He walked towards the door. I did not even wait to answer yes but I had no chance to say no. I just followed him.
He opened the door of the passenger seat of his car. "Hop in."
I hesitated a bit, but I have to ride with him. I don't want him to have an idea about my weird feelings. I took a deep breath while waiting for him to get into the driver's seat. "Just calm down," I keep telling that to myself.
He got in and sat in the driver's seat. He turned on the car engine, then he looked at me. He suddenly came close to me, my eyes widened in shocked. He grabbed the seatbelt and fastened it to me. I immediately forgot what I had to do just during our brief conversation. I wanted to slap myself.
"It's not because you're a half-vampire means you're invincible in pain. It will also hurt when we have an accident," he warned. He looked into my eyes first as our faces come close together. I was devastated by what he did. I had difficulty in breathing!
He straightened up and then drove the car. I gasped. I looked out of the car to calm down before turning to him again.
"How long have you been ... I mean, how old are you?" I asked, pretending I did not know his age.
"About 1,500 years old. Why?"
"W-nothing. I just can't imagine what to do with my life living that long."
"Just go with the flow. You can do a lot without knowing it," he casually replied. He turned the car around a corner.
"W-wait, this is not the way to school."
"It's still early, we have an hour before the start of the class. We can even be there in minutes." He glanced at me for a moment, then he winked.
"B-but..."
"Just come with me for a bit," he replied sparingly.
I could do nothing but to let it go. Like what he said, go with the flow.
We drove for about 20 minutes. He stopped in front of a large gate. Hospicio de San Joaquin, Home of the Shepherd is on the sign board.
He blew the car horn, just a moment later someone opened the gate. The young man who opened it approached us, facing the car window on Louie's side.
"Brother Louie. How are you? The children missed you," the young man greeted warmly. The young man looks cute with his chubby body. He has a round face and narrow eyes. He looked at me then he waved. I also reciprocated him with a wave.
"How are you, Ryan? You're so big," Louie greeted the boy warmly.
"I'm always big, Brother." He scratched its head. "Come in."
Louie entered the car in the courtyard. It is surrounded with many vervain plants. The house in the middle seemed old but it's still sturdy. It wasn't that big but it could probably fit a couple of dozen of kids.
He got out of the car first and opened the door for me. I felt like a princess being taken care of by the prince.
"Brother Louie!" all children called him at the same time. Aside from Ryan, all children in this orphanage seems not more than 10 years old.
"Hey, kids! How are you?" He stroked the heads of the children who approached him. There are fifteen of them who looked so excited upon seeing Louie.
"Brother, do you have something for us?" an innocent question of a kid who looks five years old.
"Of course." He walked away from the children for a while and then went to the trunk of the car. He pulled out some plastic bags.
"Louie, you are spoiling the children," the approaching nun greeted us.
"Mother Superior, this is just my happiness, give it a go."
The nun laughed. "Do whatever makes you happy."
Louie handed Ryan the plastic bags. "You take care of it, Ryan. There's more in the trunk. You take it."
"All right, Brother. I'll take care of it." He took the bags and called the children to follow him.
"Mother Superior, she's Vanessa by the way," he introduced me to the nun.
"Good morning, Vanessa," Mother Superior greeted me gently. My estimate is she's in her 70's. "Is she like you, too?" She looked at Louie.
I got surprised by the nun's question. He smiled at me. "Mother Superior knows."
I looked at Mother Superior. She also smiled back at me. "We'd better talk inside." She walked towards the house.
Louie and I followed her. We walked down the hallway to her office. "Come in."
She closed the door as we entered.
"How did you find out about Louie's identity?" I asked curiously.
Mother Superior seated us in two chairs across from her desk. She sat down in her swivel chair. "I and the former Mother Superior found him unconscious outside the orphanage back then. His clothes were bloody but there were no wounds or scars on his body," she explained.
"Aren't you scared of him?"
"At first, yes, but we believe this home is for everyone. No one chooses who to take care of." She wrapped her palms over the table.
"You're right. Louie is a good person... I mean, Louie is a good vampire, but you should also be wary of other types of vampires. There are unforgivable ones who would kill any time," I warned Mother Superior.
"I understand. A vampire once attacked the orphanage, and Louie saved us." She looked at Louie with so much respect.
"It's no big deal, Mother Superior. It is my duty to save people from those like me."
"No, Louie. I believe you are different from them. You use this." The nun pointed her heart. "And you have conscience."
A seemingly shy smile flashed across Louie's lips. It was new in my sight.
"The best thing is for you to have lunch here. We'll prepare something for you. Sister—"
"Next time, Mother Superior. We still have a class. I just passed by to hand over my gifts to the children." Louie also took out a white envelope from his pocket and handed it to Mother Superior.
"Thank you very much, Louie. This is a great help to the children."
"No worries. We'll go ahead first." He stood up and then held my hand to ask me to come out.
"Thank you so much for visiting." Mother Superior waked us up to the car.
"Brother Louie, are you leaving?" Ryan chased, gasping for breath as he ran. The other children followed him. They seemed enjoying the food and toys from Louie.
"We will be back soon. We still have a class today," he said goodbye to the young man. We got in the car. Ryan opened the gate for us.
The children waved as the car pulled away from the orphanage.
I saw a different Louie today. He's caring, loving, respectful. I felt a soft caress in my heart.
- Writer
