'What should I do?' She tried to think hard about any possible ways to convince the woman to let her stay with her.
Noraya made a coffee and heated the left-over soup from last night and quickly made a sunny side up egg and toasted some bread.
Macrena's stomach grumbled when her nose caught the smell of the toasted bread from the kitchen. She sat down at the sofa while rubbing her hungry belly.
Noraya's head poked from the kitchen and looked for her. "Come, let's eat breakfast and I will help you get to the police station."
She slowly stood up, feeling dejected. So, the woman already decided not to let her stay with her. She doesn't have a choice and followed her in the kitchen, maybe that is better for now.
The woman was already seated on a four-seater kitchen table. She carefully sat down in front of her, observing her. She felt that the woman was also watching her.
"My name is Macrena. What is your name?" She must at least know the name of the person who helped her out of the cold.
"Noraya." She answered. Noraya observed her gracefully sipped her coffee. In Noraya's thoughts, she noticed an elegance from the way Macrena moved and ate. Macrena looked like she was eating in a fancy restaurant. Noraya can not help but to compare to herself to Macrena, her feet crossed-legged on the chair and breadcrumbs falling from her mouth while she ate.
"How did you ended up passing out beside the garbage bin?" Noraya began a conversation while they ate. She was also curious how did she ended where she found her?
Her brain quickly tried to find an answer to her question. She does not even know what happened? The last thing she remembers was that she shut her eyes tight because of the blinding lights the moment she entered the portal and the unbearable headache she felt.
"I have no recollection of what happened yesterday." She softly answered. She decided to pretend that she doesn't remember anything.
Noraya creased her brows and noticed the way Macrena spoke and her choice of words. 'Who speaks like that now? Did she come from the past?' Noraya thought to herself.
"How old are you if you don't mind?" Noraya asked her another question.
She thought for a moment. In her kingdom, she was already a hundred and twenty-seven years old. How is she going to answer her now?
Noraya noticed the hesitation in her eyes and became so curious about the Macrena, who can not remember where she came from. And now, she can't even remember her age?
"I'm twenty-seven now," Macrena responded.
Noraya just nodded. She finds it hard to believe that the woman was telling the truth. Whatever it is, she will bring Macrena to the police and move on with her life, Noraya decided.
After they had breakfast, she went back again to the living room while Noraya went to have a shower. There was nothing she can do anyways. She doesn't even have a change of clothes.
She looked at her clothes. The original white color was already grayish with dirt. She felt sticky too. She will ask her if she could borrow some clothes so she can take a nice bath.
She embraced herself and rubbed her both arms when she sensed something hard on her left wrist. She rolled her sleeve, and, on her wrist, she saw her favorite bangle. She did not notice the whole time that she was wearing it. She must have forgotten to take it off when she changed before her journey to this world. She caressed the jewelry, a new thought forming in her mind.
A few moments later, Noraya came out from her room dressed in a warm sweater and jeans.
Macrena looked at her and stood up. "Um…Noraya?" she hesitantly moved closer to her. "If I pay you, would you let me stay here with you?" She was hoping she would agree to he proposition.
Noraya suspiciously eyed her. "Do you even have money?" What is this woman up to? Why does she keep insisting on living with her? Those questions bombarded Noraya's mind.
"Macrena…Even if I want you to stay here, I can not. I do not have enough money for the two of us, spend on the rent, the utilities, and food. I can hardly earn for myself." Noraya's voice was restrained, trying not to anger her, she might react aggressively. For Noraya, she was a stranger.
"I will pay." She bravely answered. She knows the bangle in her wrist was expensive; it was made of pure gold. That would cover her stay and food for a few months, until then she would be able to find a medium so she can talk to Lord Mokabe and decide what to do next.
"How?" Noraya raised her eyebrows. From the looks of it, aside from the clothes she was wearing, she has nothing.
Noraya's eye never left her face. She was aware that she was getting suspicious at her, but she must take a chance, there is no way to go if it is hard to convince her how much more the other people.
She lifted the end of her long sleeves and showed her the thick gold bangle on her wrist.
Noraya's eyes became more suspicious. Macrena is showing her a gold bangle on her wrist. It looks real, but of course, she doubts it. She does not have any idea who this woman is and where did she come from. Noraya felt she is now wasting time with her instead of going to her shop and working.
"This is real." Macrena read Noraya's thoughts. She never had a hard time convincing someone. "It is made of pure gold and rare stone. I am sure this cost something." Noraya's suspicion to her made her grew impatient.
Noraya sighed. She thought for a while. 'If this woman is going to pay, at least she can help her with the rent and utilities. Maybe she could give it a try. It's not that she is going to stay with her forever, right? Besides, she needed money. Her shop is not doing well as usual, and she barely managed to pay her apartment rent last month.'
"How long are you going to stay here?"
Macrena saw a glint of hope. "Maybe till I can find a new place to stay?"
Noraya let out another sigh. "Let's check first how much your jewelry cost, then I will decide."
She smiled at Noraya and sighed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Noraya."
'Woah! That smile is so pretty!' Noraya gushed. 'She's a beautiful woman. I wonder if she is rich. Such beauty and elegance come only from rich people.' Noraya couldn't help her mind to admire the woman in front of her.
"I can lend you some of my clothes, but you will have to pay for it as well." Noraya he said and walked over to her room. "The shower is here."
She happily followed her into the room. The apartment was only a one-bedroom unit. There was only one queen-sized bed in the middle of the room and a built-in closet. If she agrees for her to stay in her apartment, she doesn't mind sleeping in the living room. She will think of her next plan later.
Noraya lends her a sweater, a set of new underwear, and a pair of jeans. She also gave her a winter jacket she could use when they go out. She said thanks before heading to the bathroom.
-----
Macrena looked outside the window of the bus they were riding. All she can see is the enormous buildings and cars everywhere. A completely different world from the world she came from. The hunger for wealth and material possessions are what making humans do bad things. She has witnessed it a lot of times. Compared to their land, the only greedy being she knows is her uncle Matius. She read from the history books that humans constructed a tall building thinking they would be able to reach the heavens, but the god got angry at the humans' ambitious intentions and confused their language. Is that the reason why these buildings were enormous and tall?
"We're here." Noraya nudged her on her side when the bus stopped. She hurriedly followed Noraya, afraid of getting lost from the streams of people getting off the full bus.
They walked together the busy street of downtown. After five minutes of walking, they reached an alleyway. The buildings and front stores were filled with graffiti. Noraya opened the only door in the side of the building and entered. They walked up through a narrow stair going to the second floor of the building.
Noraya led her to one of the stores among the line up of antique stores and psychic studios. They entered one of the stores.
"Noraya?" an old Asian woman, probably in her seventies, looked up at them as soon as they stepped in the store. The store was filled with antique merchandise, from furniture, decorative display, clothing, weapons, and pieces of jewelry.
"Can you please take a look at this one?" Noraya looked at her, signaling her to hand her bangle.
"You have a new friend, I see." The old woman looked at her, studying her.
"My name is Macrena." She introduced herself and handed the old woman her bangle, ignoring the scrutinizing gaze of the store owner.
"That's Aunt Medina," Noraya said, referring to the old woman.
Macrena noticed the way the old woman looked at her. She was intently looking at her face as if trying to remember her from her memory.
Aunt Medina took the jewelry from her hand and examined it. She looked at her face again, this time with a stunned expression.
"It's fake, right, aunt Medina?" Noraya asked the old woman eyeing at her.
Aunt Medina picked up the hand lenses and went back to study the jewelry on her hand.
Aunt Medina, who was still studying the jewelry, couldn't believe what she was seeing. The bangle was made of 24 karats of gold, with intricate filigree work and alexandrite stones. What was fascinating is that the design of the emblem on near the jewelry's hinge. She had the feeling that she had seen it before but could not remember when and where.
Noraya was becoming restless as she watched the old woman examine the piece with enthusiasm. 'It must be a rare and expensive piece. I wonder how much it is?' Her mind wandered.
"Where did you get this?" Aunt Medina looked at her with eyes full of excitement and wonder. "I have never seen anything like this."
Both women looked at her in excitement. For Noraya, she was excited to know how much does it worth. For Aunt Medina, for its rarity and age.
"My mother handed it down to me." She replied.
"Hmnn." The old woman went back to examine the jewelry.
"Aunt Medina, you're killing me here, tell me how much it worth." Noraya couldn't hold back the suspense. Based on Aunt Medina's expression, it has a good value.
"I have never seen a piece like this. This is pure gold. Stones were rare. And its antique." the old woman seems like there is nobody around her and was talking to herself. Her attention was entirely focused on the jewelry in her hand.
"If this is your mother's, then do you know what this means?" she showed her a design near the hinge of the bangle.
Macrena went closer and looked at what Aunt Medina is pointing. Series of runes [1] symbolizing the equilibrium among the elements of the universe and a crown above them; this is the emblem of their clan Ranti, the destined rulers of Akijam. She pondered on what to say for a minute, "Hmn, I am not sure…maybe…maybe my family's crest?" she innocently stared at the woman's eyes, searching for a hint of suspicion.
Aunt Medina just nodded her head and look again at the gold bangle. She seems that she can not get tired of the beautiful piece in her hand. Aunt Medina was thinking that the piece will be the most valuable in her store and she bets that nobody has this kind of piece. If she puts this piece in an auction, she might get a fortune.
Aunt Medina looked at Macrena and studied her. 'She has an exquisite beauty, elegance, and poise radiate from her even if she is just standing there and doing nothing. She must be the daughter of a wealthy family', Aunt Medina thought.
Macrena noticing the examining look of the old woman, looked at Noraya, "Why is it taking so long?" she whispered to her to avoid the old woman's stare and to let Noraya hurry the woman.
"Aunt Medina, you're taking so long, I have to open the shop now." The impatient voice of Noraya snapped Aunt Medina from her daze.
"Ah, yes…" she lifted her head and looked at Noraya with a glowing eye. "This piece is one of a kind. I never saw anything like this. I am willing to pay for a hundred grand…" she looked at her. Her eyes are looking at her like she was challenging her.
Macrena figured that her jewelry is not even the half of the price she mentioned. She was confident that the old woman has developed a deep interest in the piece.
"ONE. HUNDRED. THOUSAND!!" Noraya's mouth fell open wide, and her dark eyes threatened to pop out of its socket, and excitedly looked at her and held her hands as if she was her savior. "You know what, I guess you are my lucky charm! You can stay at my place whenever you want!" She hugged her tightly.
Macrena was taken aback at the reaction of Noraya. She guessed that her jewelry's price satisfied her.
"I can give the half of the price today. Give me a week for the other half." Aunt Medina was still looking at her, not bothered at Noraya's reaction. 'She seems to not care about the price.' Aunt Medina thought.
"Of course, Aunt Medina, I trust you. You won't run away with it, right?" Noraya's eyes are twinkling in excitement, thinking that her bank account will reach a five-figure amount. Something that has never happened in twenty-seven years of her life.
Footnotes:
[1] are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets.