“Okay, Piya, let’s return to the party,” Lily said.
Piya placed the jacket back on the bed, and they both went downstairs.
They spent some time talking to the guests, and soon, the lady in the red dress walked over to Piya, holding a small wrapped box.
“Piya, this is for you,” she said with a warm smile.
Piya looked at her with wide, excited eyes.
“Mom… what is inside the box?”
“Oh, go ahead and open it, sweetheart. I hope you love it.”
Piya carefully take it, her face lighting up with pure joy.
“Thank you, Mom!”
As the night went on, the Christmas party finally came to an end, and the guests left for their homes.
Once everything quieted down, Piya and Lily said their goodbyes and walked back together to their orphanage.
The next morning, the orphanage held its daily assembly, but today felt different.
A sparkling array of medals and trophies had been carefully placed near the microphone.
After the morning prayers ended, the old lady, who was the caretaker of the orphanage, stepped forward to give a speech.
“Today is a very big day for our orphanage,” she began, her voice thick with emotion.
“Our little Piya has grown up. She has become an idol for so many students here who have no family, no financial backing, and no outside support. Piya is the first child from our orphnange who is going far away for her higher studies.”
The caretaker paused, looking out at the children with a fond smile.
“Today, I am both sad and happy. I am sad because one of my favorite children is leaving us, but I am so incredibly happy for her bright future. Because of her immense hard work and dedication, she passed a very difficult exam. She has been selected for a scholarship by a huge, prestigious college in Vancouver, Canada—a truly beautiful place! Thousands of students applied for this exam, and our Piya is one of the top ten students to receive this scholarship. So please, give a very big round of applause for our Piya!”
The courtyard erupted in loud, joyful clapping.
From the very back of the line, Piya stepped forward.
A beautiful, gentle smile graced her lips.
The morning breeze caught her black, curly hair, making it fly softly in the air.
As she walked toward the stage to receive her honor, she looked more radiant and confident than ever before.
The caretaker handed Piya a shiny medal and a heavy trophy in honor of her achievement.
“Piya, would you like to say a few words?” she asked gently.
Piya slowly stepped closer to the microphone.
Looking out at the sea of familiar faces, she gave a heartfelt speech.
“Thank you, everyone. Today, I am going to fulfill my dreams, and it is all because of you and the caretaker ma’am. She gave me shelter, food, and most importantly, the freedom to choose my own career. Thank you, ma’am.”
She closed her eyes for a brief second.
“And thank you, Mom,” she murmured in her mind.
The caretaker smiled, wiping away a proud tear.
“Alright, Piya, let’s hurry up now! Today is the day you leave for your journey, and you still have so many arrangements to make.”
With that, the morning assembly ended.
Piya went back to the large room she shared with Lily and her other friends.
As Piya began carefully packing her luggage, her friends gathered around and started teasing her.
“Piya, please don’t forget us!” one friend said dramatically.
Lily chimed in, grinning mischievously.
“Yes! Once you go to college, so many handsome boys will come after you, and you will completely forget about us!”
Piya rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hide her smile.
“Oh, please! What are you all saying? I am going to college for my studies, not to make a boyfriend or look for so-called handsome boys.”
“Oh ho!
Only time will tell,” Lily teased, her eyes sparkling, “whether our Piya will remain “our” Piya, or if she will become someone’s ‘”sweetheart”‘!”
The whole room erupted into loud, joyful laughter.
Smiling at her friends’ silly jokes, Piya zipped up her bag.
She then reached for the jacket the lady in the red dress had given her.
She slipped it on, the torn side now completely hidden by a neat, beautiful patch she had sewn on herself.
Piya opened her cupboard one last time to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind.
Her eyes immediately fell upon the wrapped gift box the lady in the red dress had given her the night before.
A warm smile spread across her face as she picked it up and walked back over to her friends.
“Piya, open it! Let’s see what is inside,” Lily urged, leaning in closely.
She smirked.
“Is it something expensive, or just something like that torn jacket?”
Piya’s smile faltered for a moment, her mood shifting slightly at the remark.
“Lily, please…” she sighed softly, defending the woman who had always been kind to her.Pushing the comment aside, Piya carefully opened the box with a pure, genuine smile.
Instead of jewelry or clothes, inside lay a thick, beautifully bound book.
She traced her fingers over the cover and read the title aloud, “‘The Vampire’s Adventure’.”
Lily groaned in disappointment.
“What is this?
A book?
I thought it would be something expensive, but it is “just” a book…”