Santuary of love

(B2: Hiana) Chapter 3

        “Veronica, you're supposed to be resting.” Luz hugged her tightly and Veronica was glad not for the first time that her ribs had only suffered a light blow. The mothers and caregivers of the households were female bears that love to hug. All should be careful with the hugs, which were devastating, but it was exactly the thing a lot of those guys needed.

         “I'm fine, Luz. I come to talk to Hiana. Iliana and Jean are helping in the Sol House, in the activities for the coming weeks.”

         “I get it.” Luz hugged Iliana and they both smiled like old accomplices. It was not the first time they met and shared some of the pain and love in their hearts. Luz had been the one to invite the brothers to visit them.

         “I know I don't need to inform you that you must go to work some of your magic. We have already given too much time to our recluse. So, everyone moves, I leave everything in your hands. I go looking for Hiana.” Both women smiled with knowledge accepting that Veronica would be the bad witch of the west, again. The houses had been large estate, Sol House was the latest acquisition of the sanctuary and had been a plant nursery for decades. The rooms were not big, but each boy and girl had their own room. This was difficult in most foster homes. The common areas were very well maintained and fixing up the age damage was easy with their teams. Making the living and the community areas spectacular was the work of the young adults and mothers. Still, she did not understand what the owner of this magnificent home has been thinking about donating the house with several acres of land around it. But everything was in law, it was given with a trust found to keep it in excellent condition. A small sigh escapes her, that was a mystery for another time. Now she had work to do.  When she reached the door, she knocked lightly, hoping that some voice would allow her to enter. The silence was the only answer. “Hiana...?”

         “Yeah?”

         “It's Veronica, we need to talk.”

         “Of what...?”

         “Love, you have someone visiting you. We need to familiarize yourself with the potential parents. You asked to meet them, they will be dining with us. Open the door.

        “I can not...”

         “Why not?” Veronica felt the fear in the girl's voice. What had happened? 

         “It’s dangerous going out to eat with them.”

         “Could you explain that... where is the danger? We never let anything happen to you or your baby?” If someone had scared the girl into the room, they would not like the result. 

         “I have…” a sob was heard on the other side of the door.

         “Hiana, love. I know you don't feel very well. But we need to check on you constantly. We need to talk more beyond your check with the doctor to see if the baby is fine. You need to eat well and we need to know if this is the right place for you.”

         “Please! Don’t take me to another place! I promise to stay in my room I’m not going to leave it for… please don’t take me away… I… Please...” Verónica wanted to break de door in pieces. That girl needs it a hug. 

         “Hiana, if you don't open the door, I'm going to ask for the key to it. I don’t want to violate your privacy but I’m getting worried here.”  

         “What if you get sick because of me?” 

         “Get sick of what my heart?”  Veronica was so confused.

         “Of AIDS...” Damn. Veronica wanted to know how the young woman had come to that conclusion but now was not the time.

         “Hiana you do not have AIDS, you are a carrier of HIV, they are connected but with medicines and treatment, you can live a normal life, more than that your baby can be treated. AIDS is a more advanced stage of the virus; in this case, the virus attacks your immune system. At the present time, there are many people, among them celebrities who have many years of life ahead, thanks to the advances in medicine. It does not heal, but it is treatable. We must do some tests to find out if this has mutated, for what you have live recently. But the truth is, at least I will need to have direct contact with your blood in my bloodstream, there is no way for me to get sick.” Veronica hopes to be giving the information actualized, she had to work with that information in constant investigations. But she was almost sure that the information was correct.    

         “Really?” Hiana opened the door with her eyes filled with hope and longing, that almost throws Veronica in her knees to the floor. 

         “Yes, baby girl... Now help me to sit, I have to climb those stairs with my ankle, and it hurt. It was not my best idea. I should have asked for help, but NOOOO, I’m a big girl. Next time I would ask Derek to bring me up here.” That made her smile. Hiana still looks with doubts embraces her to help her in. Veronica, for the first time in these weeks, gave thanks for her wounds. 

         “Why do you need to have contact with my blood to get infected?”

         “Hiana, even if you were bleeding the chances of getting infected are slim. I would have to have a wound open for this to be possible. We must be careful about accidents, but with the treatment, you have started you have many years ahead, please believe me. A secure means of transmission is the sharing needles, during the exchange of drugs. For that in the hospitals, all are sealed and discarded at the after finishing with a patient.”   

         “Do I not have to stay locked in my room?”   

         “Not my heart. In this home you are safe. We know about these diseases, and they are not shear by breathing the same air. But who tells you to stay in the room?” 

         “Mr. Aviles explained to me that nobody wanted to get sick with AIDS in the house, that is why I had to stay in the room as Charlotte said.” Veronica nodded, holding back the growl that wanted to get out. Weird… Would that man have any human bone in his whole damn body? 

         “Nothing is further from the truth than that, little one. To be honest, one of the prospective parents for your baby had syphilis for many years. To tell you the truth at the moment of his test he was in the third phase, where tumors have emerged in different parts of his body. It is a disease of s****l contagion, that's why he has decided not to have children and prefers adoption. With medications and care, he leads a very productive life. He is even a writer for horror stories.” Hiana's eyes flashed at that information. Veronica knew very well how much the young girl liked books. All she had sought to recover from her foster home, where she had been r***d, some books that were gifted from children who had been adopted in different places where she lived.  “Surely you know him, I think you have two of his books.”

         “I have? Which?” At one moment the young girl had returned to be one little girl excited and surprised by the coincidences of life. 

         “One night in the park and if I'm not mistaken, you have Among the darkness. Both books are his, although one was with a pseudonym. Hiana looked at her with wide eyes. The second story, the one under a pseudonym, was about a young man who had been r***d in an orphanage by several religious men who took care of the place. No matter the treatment they gave him, he should follow the religious rules that were imposed on them all or went without food, or even worse, he was forced to self-flagellation. The young man at the end killed himself by making a pact with the devil, by his desire for revenge. Leading to his time one curse on the place he had finished with all those living things in that place so atrocious. Hiana swallow, and without saying words took the book in her hands. It was a pocket copy and it had had better days, but it was her treasure. 

         “Whenever I thought about my life I thought of Joshua. His love for his sister saves him at the end. It was like to be looked from inside of my reality.”   

         “I never thought that could be part of the reality of someone. But it is true, we can relate with some writer’s books.” 

         “Yes…”

         “His real name is Jean, I warn you, she doesn't speak. Not because he can't, but because he prefers not to. He and his sister have been waiting three years for a baby and have always been the ones to step back when a child wants to be with other parents. They are beautiful human beings but judged by their peers because of their physique.”   

         “Why?” 

         “Now you would see... Are you ready to go out of these four walls?”   

         “Can I really go out?” Veronica nodded taking her by the hand, both walked through the large house, one of her with soft steps, giving time to the young to discover her new home. 

         “Hiana!” Luz's shout of joy scared both of them, but the young woman allowed herself to be embraced by the woman who seemed like she didn’t want to let her go. They both sobbed a little, the moment Hiana returned the hug. Luz squeezed harder, looking directly at Veronica giving her thanks, without making one sound. The brothers were forgotten, and they observed with care. Jean had bent down to look at the book that had fallen from the young girl's hands. He seemed to be hit by the cover and looked at Veronica, looking for an answer to his silent question. 

         “Is one of her favorite books. Hiana had read it a lot of times, we were talking about him and we forgot that it was in her hand. The man with scars on the right side of his face nodded. His face was too soft to be considered male, and together with a body that it had not developed completely because of his sickness. Had sentenced him to a childhood full of abuses of different kinds. Only the love of his sister had saved him and was to this love so that Veronica appealed to save, one girl who had been abused both physically and mentally.

         “I know it's not in perfect condition, but I have taken good care of it since I got it. Could you please put your signature on it and thank you for your books, this one saves me a lot of time in the darkest time of my life.” Hiana was crying. She would love to have the right words to explain how important that book was to her. Veronica thought that the little woman was almost twelve-year-old and was so mature. The pain she suffers to get there.   

         “It will be an honor Hiana.” The husky voice had surprised them all, Hiana looked at Veronica looking for an explanation. The woman just shrugged her shoulders and thanked the courage of those three, that even when lives had beaten them, they had not stopped loving. 

         “Armatos, we need to talk.” He only nodded but the look of Veronica does not promise anything good.  “Hiana, we are planning a barbecue for the next weekend. It will be just lunch for the residents of Sol House, plus some friends to those who already know. We will be getting the visit of the gentleman who donated the house and part of the land which we enjoy with our youth. Do you think you would like to participate? 

         “What is a barbecue and how can I help?” 

         “We meet all those who live in the house or houses homes and do one BBQ. When it is for all households, each household oversees some specific area. But this weekend is just a small celebration to thank those who have donated to this place. He could not come to the inauguration and that is why we are going to share a barbecue. It will be small, the twelve boys and girls who live with Luz, some adoptive parents with their children and of course some of the adults who have graduated from the homes.” Luz was moving thru all the kitchen preparing one huge plate of food to place in front of Hiana.

         “That sounds like a lot of people...” Hiana looked at the group somewhat worried. 

          “No dear, there are only about fifty people, maybe a little more, since perhaps some curious people from the town will meet the benefactor of Casa Sol. 

         “I... Well, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be there if someone doesn't like me or... 

         “Hiana, nothing will happen. Only friends from the Sanctuary or adults like Armatos and Rey visit here, they were among the first boys that we adopted.” Hiana looked at Armatos looking for confirmation. She didn't quite know why, but she had never been afraid of him. Maybe it was the mischievous boy look. A smile that was in his lips while his mouth was full of food. That makes her smile.   

         “Ok, how can I help?” with one smile on her lips, Hiana put herself into the hands of those adults who seemed to accept her. There was no denying that she was nervous, the slight trembling in her hands gave her away. But if her favorite author had tried to talk when he never did, she would also be strong to meet those who would be her baby's family. Was she making a mistake by trusting all of them? A look to Veronica tells her it was the correct answer, her eyes had something inside that gives confidence. Veronica smile only the time would say, or at least that was what Luz said every time they had a small crisis.