"Visitors?" The young woman rubbed her drowsy eyelids with her creamy, frail fists as she mumbled under her breath, while her biological parents set a foot inside her cell, while Frank waited outside. "Oh gosh! What a splendid surprise!" She furthered while Timothy was on the left side of her side, whilst Jude approached her own daughter by her right side.
"O-Odette Beatrix?" The both anxious parents evoked as they struggled to spell her name as they were more than flabbergasted for beholding their daugher ages later after she was being deprived from their arms as a baby. Jude timidly lowered one of her hands, caressing the young singer's filthy cheek in the palm of her hand.
"M-mom?" She turned to Jude, glancing at her desperately, hence, turning to Timothy by glimpsing at him, wearing grief on her youthful, beautiful face. "F-Father?" The young lady stammered, extending her hands by offering them to hold them.
"Odette, what they have done to you, sweetheart?" The former man of the cloth questioned by lowering his voice, unable to take his chocolate brown eyes from his daughter as his deep pools were filled with immense sorrow and endless compassion.
"Yeah, darling! Look at what these monsters did to you by falsely accusing you in something which I hardly believe you can do. It's not only against your will, but also you are a good girl." The older woman responded in tearful voice as her bitter, crystal tears betrayed to stream down her silky cheeks, staining her complexion with tears, embodying her timeless despair, due to the fact she beholds lastly her daughter and acknowledging her current condition of being still alive, in spite of the sinister, relentless circumstance of being imprisoned in the asylum, where she was born and raised in the first days after her birth. It broke the married couple's hearts even more.
"I haven't done anything wrong so that to be committed here. It's a conspiracy against me." All of a sudden, the brunette huffed when the topic about housing her in a nuthouse was raised and provoced her indisputable anger, besides her resentment of the authorities for being involved in something she has never done with any intentions.
"I know perfectly well why. Because they trust no one." The younger man answered in honeyed voice, gripping his daughter's hand as Jude took her other one as their thumbs kneaded the back of her elvish, smooth hands.
"Definitely! How are your lives, mom and dad?"
"They're splendid, factly, we are married for almost 13 years." The middle-aged lady commenced with her dramatic monologue as Odette paid utterly attention to her own mother's words, without peeling a single word as she pursed her plumpish, berry-coloured lips and she was all ears by listening attentively her story. "We have our own majestic mansion in Vermont where we live since we fled the church and this shit hole as we were sick and tired of doing all this shit for the church, institution and lunatics' sakes." As her monologue proceed, the young woman couldn't repress inavoidable tears, building in her eyelids as they verged to well in her hazelish-brown eyes by popping up her lips like exploding dynamite. A heartache whacked her when she tried her best to listen and assimilating her utterance. "However, our lives weren't always as pink and heavenly unlike then when we held you in our arms as ya were baby yarself yet."
"Oh!" The love child gasped amused as she sniffled quietly, jet of tears gushing down her pale as milk cheeks by chewing her bottom lip in desperation. "Am I the only fragment that's missing in your unsolved puzzle for ethereal happiness?"
"Yeah, that's what I am talking about, honey!" The former promiscous jazz nightclub singer bended down by pecking doting kiss on her temple as her brittle heart briskly hammered in her chest as its intensity in the ward rocketed, flooding the sufficienty compact cell with its straining turmoil as its shadows lurked in the corners, haunting the adults like phantoms. As soon as the orphan felt her mother's soft lips contacting her forehead, it melted her frail heart as she was on cloud nine, relishing her maternal and loving nature which engrossed her like her Achilles' Heel. How long it has been when she felt affection, comfort from somebody especially her biological parents? Perhaps when Odette, herself, was baby until the vicious, stern nuns seperated her from her biological parents.
"Why didn't you get me out of the orphanage earlier? I mean," The brunette sobbed, slightly bowing her head in shame and overwhelming melancholy, earning Jude and Timothy's prompt compassionate stares, glued to her. "Adopting me and living altogether unlike the misery which has haunted me for years and years, nonetheless I became much stronger and somewhat merciless person?" She kept on by gradually lowering her voice, incapable of controlling her emotions which erupted, emanating from her juvenile character.
"It wasn't our fault at all. We worked so hard for years to become a Pope and Mother Superior, although we wanted you part of our family and our divine dream but the nuns and the clerical members of the church were as malicious as wolves, doubting you and us for getting you out of the shitty orphanage." Even the former nun and priest ached inwardly by keeping it cool outside when it came up to and how they took away hundreds of babies and infants from the mentally-ill patients' arms when they give a birth to the new lives, taking their initial breath, months after being secured in their unwed mothers' bumps. "6 years after your disappearance, we were fed up with the church and these ecclesiatical icons and laws even the took vows. We wanted to be married couple and save you from the darkness by visiting one day until we realized you were no longer part of their responsibility." In the interim, Odette gaped with agape mouth her mother and father, unable to believe the ugly truth behind their grim past and herself as well.
Flashback
March 1949
Today it was a grandiose day not only for the blonde, but also for her future husband.
It has been a handful of days since they fled Braircliff and they resigned from the church, as a result of no longer serving its devotional, weary duties, besides clothing themselves in rigid, conservative dark holy garments and being addressed as Sister and Monsignor. Furthermore, the day after fleeing the mental hospital, they had a real first date by going in one of the cafeterias, hiking around the mesmerizing, breathtaking Boston nature and streets. On the next day, they eventually held a private wedding in the local Vermont church by celebrating the entire day as tonight they had a moonlight, prominent picnic under the twinkling, dazzling stars in te nocturnal sky. They ate chocolate and strawberries with some champagne, drowning themselves in profound, logical discussions and afterwards making love to one another as soon as they got inside their luxurious mansion.
Even more they have planned to go on a honeymoon in Minnesota and Michigan for a straight week in each state.
Nometheless they are more than agitated, besides determined to adopt their love child, made from their flesh and blood.
As soon as they were happily married, the sole fragment that was missing from their unsolved puzzle of the genuine felicity is actually Odette. They thought she was still in St. Ursula, despite little they did know is she part of the vile, unwelcoming nuns' responsibility or otherwise transfered in other orphanage even being adopted by other parents.
It has been a half an hour since they were already back in the small city of Massachusetts and drove to their alternative destination. St. Ursula.
Once they got from the pale blue cab of the former man of the cloth, they eagerly sped up to the orphanage's threshold by imposing the stone stairs, whereas the swarm of screaming and laughing children fulfilled the gloomy atmosphere of the facility, contrasting their misery whether they are housed in the institution due to their parents' loss, being unwanted and rejected in the vacuum or otherwise they were lunatics or too young.
"I hope she's right there." The blonde muttered by biting her plumpish lip as her stilettos frequently clicked as soon as they entered inside the orphanage's double front door, being embraced with security guards and sea of wandering nuns. Even children's cries swam in the lobby's background, rendering its ambience more deplorable, in fact, these orphans were not only neglected by the society in the coarse, cold world, but also they were discriminated even by some of the nuns.
"For sure! I hope they haven't hurted her." The younger man evoked plainly, mildly panting by vigorously towering the spiral stairs.
"I think I'm starting to lose a hope."
"Come on, rara avis! You shouldn't be downhearted! I pressume she should be right there."
Once they went upstairs, they strolled up in the long corridor of the old building until they stepped up beside the head of the orphanage's office. The recently married couple took a deep breath, seconds before tapping on the wooden, creaky door. Their agitation escalated as their flimsy hearts heavily throbbed in their chests especially the former sister of the church's.
"Do not lose faith, please!" The blonde's inner voice echoed in her mind, reminding her to not lose the spirits somewhere in the pitch-black darkness, closing her eyes as she felt dew of perspiration staining her palish, porcelain complexion.
"I won't." She whispered softly as the former holy man rapped on the head of the orphanage's office door, keeping her wits about the unknown visitors' presences.
"Come in!" A dry, strict voice yelled, permitting the wed couple to come in her office within seconds.
"Good day, Sister!" Judy and Timothy said as one, abiding stoic to the heartache once they were in the orphanage.
"Good day, Mr. and Mrs!" The elder sister of the church welcomed them in unemotional way, leaving the papers aloof on her bureau as she looked out her pair of eyeglasses at the young couple.
The nun, who ran the orphanage was about in the beginning of her 50s, known as Sister Lucia. Her white as vanilla skin tone highlighted her rosy-coloured lips which contrasted her onyx black as midnight orbs. She has been a woman of the cloth for 2 decades. Her rigid, dark wool wimple and habit covered almost every inch of her body, contrasting her pale, ivory skin tone.
She casted a megawatt glare on the couple as she ushered them to seat on the chairs without wasting her valuable time and making her nervous anymore as they nodded their heads.
As soon as they sat against her hard, cherry wood desk, Jude gulped when she seated. The upheaval built its ounce inside her, abstaining her from relaxing even for a single second, factly, she has to face the gruesome circumstance by meeting one of the ecclesiatical members of the church, who used to be responsible for Odette Beatrix's life until nowadays, when she's no longer part of the institution's duties which was far from acknowledged context.
" and Miss Martin, I'd like to know what brought you there?" Sister Lucia posed the question severely without averting her stare as her piercing glare was generally darted to the younger lady, scowling, in fact, they were unwed parents of Odette and she wasn't fond of the unwed mother.
"I'm not actually Miss Martin! I'm Martin Howard!"
"It doesn't matter. It's all the same, Mrs. Martin Howard!"
"You can see, we're here actually here for Odette Beatrix. We'd like to adopt her." Instead Timothy answered beyond placidly though its inconvenience which settled in his brittle soul and skeleton.
"To adopt? Odette Beatrix?" Lucia repeated her name uncertainly as her thin lips trembled by mentioning the love child's name. She earned 2 pairs of nodded heads in agreement, affirming her words. "Well, I don't want to disappoint you, but this girl named Odette Beatrix's no longer part of this orphanage."
"W-What you did to her?" The blonde rose up from her chair by hissing through clutched teeth, clenching her fists by inquiring in imperiling manner without fluctuation.
"Judy," Timothy stuttered as he extended his mammoth, smooth hand to soothe his wife by cupping her forearm, maneuvering her to re-sit down on her seat.
"We haven't done anything wrong to her. It was all her fault, !"
"You are lying. I'd like to know everything before judging this innocent, sweet little girl who's no longer here."
"Well, here's the story, Mrs and ! Miss Odette Beatrix bit one of the nuns' fists in self-defense, due to the fact, she was threatened to be slapped by them shortly after believing the bullies' lies in which she was put the blame on cluelessly, according to her."
"Oh!"
"It's not only that. And that's why, according to our policies and her violation of the rules in this orphanage, she's no longer here. Trust me, she's a problematic child."
"At least, can you tell me where's she now?" The blonde huffed, pouting her lips as she expressed her delirious disgust and loath from the nun.
"I'm sorry but it's not part of my business to inform you where's this bastard child current residence. But I can tell you what," Sister Lucia paused by sipping of her glass of lukewarm, fresh water seconds before answering the married couple's fierce words towards her. "She isn't in Boston. She's in another state's orphanage."
While Odette was having visitors who were actually her real parents, Father McKenzie was smoking in his office by reclining comfortably on his chair as its sunrays dispersed through the grand window of his office, bathing it in saturating light.
He took first drag of his cigarette by gazing out the window, noticing a parked vehicle past the tree, located in the fields of the old asylum's area which urgently drew his attention and toyed with his nerves as if they were fresh wounds, bleeding, factly, his ire resurrected in him afresh.
Fortunately, he was all alone in his office and nobody encircled him by disturbing him. It has been almost an hour since the Howards' arrival in the mental hospital for criminally insane having a preliminary meeting with their daughter ages later after the destiny brought them back together as if they were parts of unsolved puzzle.
His train of thoughts kept his wits about the suspicious parked cab outside as he sensed prejudices behind the uninvited guests inside Briarcliff until one of the security guards knocked on the door, snapping him out of his train of thoughts by exclaiming dryly:
"Yes?"
"Monsignor McKenzie, one of the patients rejects to take regularly his medicaments." In the meantime, Alexander couldn't suppress a vile, smug grin, honed up in the corner of his lips once his gaze met his employer's forest green eyes, locking up his orbs.
"That's the pettiest issue we've ever encountered there, Michael. First of all, we have a bigger issue there."
"What do you mean, Monsignor?"
"Well, we have uninvited guests over there. They are even not ashamed of themselves for parking their car in this institution's area and they've already entered inside the facility."
"You want me to,"
"Do whatever I'm saying, Michael! Do not hesitate which's the right or otherwise the wrong decision. It's best for all to get those out of my eyes, out of this asylum. Out of the lunatics'!" The juvenile, stubborn man of the cloth responded by slamming a fist onto his desk as the slightly older man flinched by the strength Alexander put in his fist's slam, taking another drag of its cigar length, subsequently blowing stenching dim as his office commenced gradually reeking of cigarettes.
"But it's unfair why they're lying to you, mom and dad!" Odette blubbered by squeezing her parents' warm, creamy hands by pulling them towards her as her crystal, reckless tears rolled down her cheeks. "This nun Sister Lucia was a meanie. She wanted to hide where I were back then and that's why you never found me. I'm not blaming you for all this." She resumed her exclaimation in tearful voice as Timothy began wiping her tears with a thumb.
"Definitely! She's so selfish and cold when we tried to find you and initially we thought she was lying to us until we came to the conclusion, you aren't in anymore and most of all, she never told us where you were exactly." Judy was beyond livid at the thought of Sister Lucia, the head of the orphanage where the young singer lived for a several years.
"I hate Sister Lucia and what this bitch did to me to transfer me in Florida's orphanage." Odette raised her voice as she emphasized the insult which was addressed to the elder nun who runs the orphanage.
The truth was Odette's tremendous hatred towards Sister Lucia was unavoidable.
"Don't be so outraged, sweetie! We know she wanted to manipulate us and to turn us against you though she was wrong." Timothy set free a wry, velvety chuckle by jeering at Lucia's failure to manipulate the both former reverent members of the church. Consequently he caressed his daughter's cheek as she blushed unheedingly as she sensed her cheeks heating beneath the former holy man's touch that contacted the silken skin of her cheek. "I and your mother love you very much, no matter what kind of a person are you!" In the interval, he leant by pecking for split seconds doting, tender kisses on Odette's temple and cheeks as an altruistic smile bloomed on her lips.
"I love you too, mom and dad! I love you more than my life and anything in this world!" She declared proudly as her heart melted, whilst Jude kissed her cheeks softly.
All of a sudden, heavy footsteps were heard in the women's wing hallway as Michael was sent to check circa the nuthouse who were actually the intruders, owning the pale blue cab outside. When Frank turned to the east part by peeping at his colleague, he pursed his lips sheepishly, muttering:
"Oh shit!"
"Frank, what's going on?" The younger security guard enquired, arching his thick eyebrow in perplexion by glancing at the unknown visitors as it was oblivious for him they were actually the patient's biological parents, then shifting his forest green irises up to the older man's azure blue eyes, locking up one another's eye contacts.
"They wanted to see Odette since they haven't seen her for ages. Please, Michael don't disturb them!" The former cop begged as he insisted in pigheaded way after popping up his lips.
"That's why I'm here via Father McKenzie's order!" Suddenly Frank's smile froze by vanishing from his mildly wrinkled, nonetheless still handsome face.
"No, please! Give them some time!" Michael obstinately was eager to enter inside the cell and drag the concerned parents from by throwing them away from the institution, in spite of Frank blocked his way.
"I love ya very much, Odette! My most beautiful girl who I've ever seen!"
Odette just watched them in awe with a beaming smile, distorted across her lips, glinting her sheer felicity and warmness she's confronting. In the interim, Jude wiped the last drying tears of her youthful, a tad tear-stained complexion by thrumming to herself monotonously.
"It's high time to get out of the ward, Mrs. and Mr!" Michael cautioned cold-bloodedly as Jude and Timothy didn't want to release their love child's hands from their grip as their hearts fell into their stomaches when the other security guard broke the news in front of the parents as they didn't turn to glance at him at least.
"Michael, 5 more minutes for them! They're old friends of mine. Give them a chance to behold their precious."
"I cannot anymore, Frank! They're intruders and invading its asylum's territory without arranging an encounter with this inmate." Meanwhile Frank heaved a frustrated, weary sigh.
"They've always the right to come here and see her anytime."
"What kind of warning don't you understand? I told ya they must leave by now rather than delaying and chattering with her." The younger man said by lowering his voice as he didn't want the married couple hear him. "Come on! It's time to leave. You can come here tomorrow again."
"Ugh!" Judy and Timothy sighed disappointed as one by rolling their eyes until they shifted their eyes down to the young woman's complexion. "We're so sorry, my heart! But we need to leave."
"Hurry up or the consequences are going to be deadly serious!"
"Well, Odette, remember, honey, we will come back again eventually tomorrow. You shouldn't be worried at all! Because we are more than willed to get you out of this shithole." The middle-aged mother stated in encouraging manner by stimulating her spirits. "We love you with your father more than anything!"
"I love you too, mom and father! Thank you for being part of my life and sharing this grandiose moment with me! It truly means a lot to me."
"I love you too, darling! Bye and chin up!" Once the former members of the church released their daughter's hands from their grips, they headed up towards the cell's door by exiting the compact room as they noted her honey brown orbs glistening sparks of sorrow and desolation as soon as they were no longer in the ward, leaving her entirely desolated and encircled with shadows, darkness, misery and remorseless isolation. Their heartaches reverted once again, tormenting the adults with severe, immense heartbreak.
When the former Monsignor and sister fled the ward, Frank observed the entire poignant scene with inward sobs as his eyelids were flooded with bitter dew, wiping his own tears whilst Michael marched away by heading in different direction, leaving the women's wing as soon as possible.
To be continued...