"Uh oh....he caught me." I said to myself.
"What are you doing in this room?" he asked again, "umm...uh" I stuttered.
"Hmm hmm, go on." he stated clearly Amused by my actions. "Umm, Mr Steve the thing is... I was just wondering what was in here Soo..., I didn't mean to go in but my curiosity got the better of me, I am sorry." I replied still holding the frame.
He looked at the frame in my hand "Let me have that." he said and I gave it to him immediately.
He stared at it for a while, "She's beautiful" I said referring to the lady in the photograph with him.
"Indeed she is." he replied while staring at the photo frame lovingly.
"I am so sorry I came in here just like that." I apologized, "No it's nothing, you are just a curious kid so it's understandable." he said with a small smile. And I wondered why he didn't get angry at me.
Even I am angry at myself and my curiousness, "Is he so nice to the extent he is not going to get angry at any stranger entering his room rudely?" I thought.
When he dropped it back on the table, I noticed the frame wasn't an old one, "The frame is new" I said, "Yes it is" he replied, "that means it hasn't been long you got married right??" I asked.
"No it hasn't" he answered, "We got married last year, she died six months ago" he continued, he laughed at the shock that was registered on my face.
"Why do you look surprised?" he asked, "No it's just that...Am surprised you are smiling and taking it lightly..." "It was Six months Ago." He told me.
"It's been long." He said laughing and I just had to send him the "Are you okay" look, "Six months ain't long!, stop lying, I know it must have been hard for you, you just trying so hard to conceal it, but I can see through that" I told him.
"You really are special, Thanks, Aki" he said laughing.
"Take this" he said handing the towel over to me, "Dry your hair with it." he told me.
"Thanks Mr Steve" I said, "Call me Eddy" he said. "No Mr Steve suits you better hahahaha." I giggled.
"If you say so, C'mon now, I prepared something for you." he told me and my stomach rumbled loudly after hearing that, Showing clearly how hungry I was.
We went back to the living room and he lead me to the dining which was also part of the kitchen.
"You haven't tell me about your job yet." I told him, "Oh yeah, that's right, I am a mechanic." he said.
"Really? You look nothing like a mechanic" I said to him.
"Well that's because I just washed up, before coming to save you." he replied.
"So where's your workshop?, I thought you said it was in here.... that your workshop was together with your house" I asked him, "It's downstairs, below us" he said pointing downwards at the ground floor.
"Downstairs??" I replied shocked, he never stops surprising me, "So that means you own the ground floor and this floor too right?" I asked him.
"Yes and the one above too, Now dig in." He said as he Served me a plate full of Sandwiches, chips and Green salad with mayonnaise.
The aroma of the food in front of me almost drove me crazy because it's been long I ate good food. "Thank you so much sir" I exclaimed happily.
My eyes never leaving the delicacy in front of me, As I took the fork to begin eating I suddenly remembered Andrew at home, "He might still be hungry." I thought, When Mr Steve noticed my hesitation, He asked if I had thought he poisoned the food.
"No Mr Steve, I wasn't thinking like that, I just feel like packing this home to my brother, he might still be hungry." I told him.
"Um.. yeah you can, But at least have some, I'll pack more for you and your brother so dig in ok" he told me assuringly, "Thanks Mr Steve" I said appreciatively, "please call me Eddy, Mr Steve is a bit too formal" he insisted, but I was adamant.
"So tell me, what happened to your family? I would like to know." he asked me (which I must say it's fair on his side since he told somethings about him).
"My dad got in a huge... very huge debt, Which he's still struggling to pay, That's what affected us." I said.
"He's still jobless till now." I said taking a full bite of the yummy Sandwich and devouring it all like a starved animal.
"Hey! slow down..Easy does it." he said laughing at the way I was eating.
"I have to get home now." I muffled in between the bites, "Ok then, let's get you home." he said standing up from his seat.
He packed more Sandwiches, chips and sealed yoghurts into a bag and handed them over to me, "Take, this, for your family." he said giving me a bag containing some dishes in it.
My eyes tingled due to the tears that was threatening to fall, but I blinked them away.
"Why are you helping me? you could have just saved me and go your way, but you didn't Why?" I asked him.
Your eyes looked pitiful, and it was what Clara would have done too, she was a better person than me." he said.
"Your wife's name? Clara?" I asked, "yes" he replied.
"it's a beautiful name, she must have had a beautiful heart" I told him "yeah" he smiled bitterly, "I am sure she's looking over you, never leaving your side so don't worry too much ok, And am sure your wife would be very proud of you." I said comforting him.
"Weirdly, It's feels good sharing this with you haha, because I can't even discuss any of this things with anybody, Thank you Aki and I am so sorry about your family, I hope everything gets back better and normal." he said to me and I smiled.
"But I must ask, why do you have so many paintings hung up in your living room? Are you a painter too or just a lover of Arts? They look expensive!!, and also I need to see your workshop, Is it as neat as your home?" I flooded him with so many questions.
"Yess yess, I am a lover of arts, both me and my wife are, and I am not a painter, I just love the beauty it gives, And yes I'll show you my workshop when we get downstairs, Now let's get going shall we?" He told me in a rush.
Damn!! you ever so inquisitive aren't you." he said making fun of me.
When we got to the ground floor of the building, he took me to the entrance of his workshop which I thought looked like the entrance of a warehouse.
And it looked indeed like a warehouse inside when he finally opened the large door.
"Wow." I exclaimed in surprise, There were different vehicles and machines in it.
Cars and Trucks of different designs and shape, and endless mech and tech tools hung up around the Walls.
I was beyond WOWed!! "You really are a mechanic!" I exclaimed loudly.
"Yep I am" he replied proudly, "Welcome to my workshop Aki." he told me.