Her head spun in confusion, or was she just imagining it? Standing in front of her was a handsome young man with an alluring body. No white beards, white hair, nor brown eyes. He had a jet black hair with deep blue eyes that could pierce through souls.
"Where did the old man go?" She mumbled the first question that came to her mind.
"Hun!" The man looked at her with a slight frown, "I said close the door," He repeated his order and she obeyed, locking the door with a blank look.
"Sir," She looked at him closely again and then nodded slowly, as if just realizing some truth, " You are no old man."
"Of course," He chuckled, " I'm not an old man. My name is ..." He paused for a moment before saying, " Zane."
"Master Zane?"
"Drop the master," He grunted
"Oh! I'm sorry, Zane."
"Whatever," He sighed tiredly, " Go wash your face, you look like a panda," When the girl just stared at him, he explained, " You cried, and your make up is all over your face."
" Oh alright," The Young girl, Layla blushed with embarrassment as she looked everywhere but at him, wondering where the bathroom was.
Noticing her discomfort, Zane pointed to an opposite door and she ran off in the direction, murmuring some incoherent words. Her action seemed to amuse Zane because he shook his head slightly.
At that moment, his phone rang and he received the call immediately
"Hello, mother....Yes...Yes, it will be over soon....What, a wife? I don't need a wife...Hmmm!I was wondering..."Pausing, he glanced towards the bathroom door and then continued talking, ".... I mean, how about a younger sister?.... Yes! Yes! Only if you give me the permission..... I found one... Yes, she is with me... Hmmh! Okay, sure..... Good night.....' The call ended and he rubbed his temple, thinking. And it was only when he heard light footsteps did he compose himself.
Layla walked out of the bathroom. Zane stared at her, seeing her natural face for the first time. She had a small sweet innocent face, bright round eyes, cherry lips and a fair and smooth skin. He blinked and looked away noticing her smile- Her stupid smile
"Hey, come here," He called her and sat on the bed.
The girl moved quickly and stopped right in front of him
" How much do you know the owner of the bar?" He questioned her
Squeezing her face, she shot her eyebrows up.
" Do you know where he stays? What he does?" Zane prompted
She nodded, telling him that she knows
"Good!" He clapped his hands once, " Tell me every thing. But before that, are you hungry?" And yes, Layla was so damn hungry. She held her stomach and smiled shyly.
Zane scoffed at her, "Girl, speak up! I don't like asking questions twice. No one will give you food if you don't ask for it."
"I'm hungry." Layla voice was a whisper but he heard it. He rose to his feet and disappeared behind a door at the other corner of the room. Layla stomach grumbled and she sighed weakly. Within a few minutes, Zane returned with a bowl of steamy noodles soup and gave it to her. She nodded her head in appreciation and attacked the meal like a hungry dog, drinking it to the last drop and almost licking the plate.
Meanwhile, Zane changed his clothes and then tossed a sweater to Layla
" Where is your food?" She asked him
He pointed to the now empty plate and Layla immediately understood that the food was meant for both of them. She looked around restlessly wondering how she was going to get him another food.
Zane chuckled at her pitiful expression, "Don't worry, I ate earlier," He said to assure her but she didn't look convinced
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She kept on muttering.
"I said it is alright," He somewhat barked at her and she shut up Instantly. "Now go wash the bowl and wear this," He pointed at the sweater, " It is cold. I know you need a sweat pant or something, but I don't have any that would suite you. After all, this is my temporary home," He mumbled the latter words to himself.
Layla nodded dumbly, got up on to her feet and did as he said, washing the plate and taking a quick bath. She returned to the room wearing the sweater, and it looked like a sac bag on her. It was big, and long enough to cover her thighs, Perfect for her!
"Here," Zane tossed some bedsheets to her, "Make a bed on the floor. Take a rest, you have work to do tomorrow." And with that," He laid down to sleep with his legs hanging off the bed.
Layla nodded, made a comfort bed, and laid down like an obedient girl. Tired from the day's stress, she fell asleep almost immediately.
*******
Layla woke up with a start. Looking around, she found no one in the room and became a bit scared. ' Did he leave me?'
Different negative thoughts began to pop up in her head and her mind went blank. She didn't know if she did the right thing or not. For safety sake, she didn't even know him. A feeling of panic grew in her and she clenched her fist to stop herself from screaming out loud
'But he seemed different,' She tried to assure herself, ' he seemed like her light.He never came to the bar before, and he never looked at her with lustful eyes.....' Or wait! was it all an act?....No! No! No! ' She shook her head vigorously, ' it can't be, it can't be an act, he looked so sincere and she can't be wrong,' Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she buried her face between her knees.
'Crack!' The sound of the door opening made her look up and her face brightened in relief when Zane walked in.
" You are awake," He said, throwing a plastic bag on her laps, "Go clean up and change into those."
Layla look into the bag and saw that it contained all she needed—A tooth brush, a face cap, a white T-shirt and a blue skinny jeans.
" Hurry, we need to visit somewhere." Zane gave her an impatient look. Without wasting time, she got up from the bed, rushed into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, took a quick bath and changed into her new clothes. When she returned to the room, she was smiling as it had been a long time since someone bought her gifts.
If Zane had noticed her smiling face, he didn't show it. He simply changed into a simple polo and Jean, then led the way as they headed to a street close to the bar.
"You are sure he lives here?" He asked when they came in sight of a two storey building.
Layla nodded. " I went to his house quite a number of tim....." She suddenly stopped talking and her eyes widened in fear as she hid behind Zane and grabbed his hand tightly.
Zane didn't need to ask her what happened, as he had already seen the cause of her fear. A middle-aged man standing just a few meters away from them and begging the passersby to help him search for his niece, " I can't find my niece, did you see her? Please help me search for her, she is the only one I have," His eyes were filled with crocodile tears and he pouted his lips to look so pitiful, making Zane almost gag in disgust.
"What a disgusting man," He mumbled a curse and surveyed the area once again before nudging Layla's arm and turning to move away. And as for Layla, she took a last look at her uncle, and then walked behind her saviour, thinking.
"What kind of Uncle is he?" Zane's voice interrupted her thoughts. She stared at him blankly. " I mean from which side, paternal or maternal?"
"Maternal," She replied softly
Zane nodded
"And about my mas..erm... I mean ex master, weren't you going to talk to him?" She asked curiously. It was Zane turn to stare at her blankly
"isn't that why you want to know where he lives?"
He didn't answer the question, but asked Instead, "What time is he mostly at home?"
"Morning hours," Layla answered Without stuttering, "He goes to his bar in the evening."
"And what time does he leaves the bar?"
"Late at night, around 1 or so," She shrugged her shoulders this time around. Zane didn't ask any more questions and just returned to his temporary home with Layla following behind him.
When evening fell, he changed his attire. In a black suit jacket, black pants and a black glasses to match, his aura was unmatched. He was looking so handsome like a Greek god and Layla couldn't help drooling over him.
"Close your mouth," Zane lazily told her and only then did she realize what she'd been doing–ogling the young man, and she averted her gaze immediately. A wave of embarrassment rushed through her and she turned into a blushing mess.
Zane inwardly rolled his eyes as he continued talking, " I'm leaving for work, so you will be here alone for some hours. Eat the food in the kitchen and go to bed early. I'll close the door from outside, do not make a sound or anything," He instructed gently, but firmly. Layla just nodded and watched him as he took out a briefcase from under the bed and reached for the door, " Do not wait for me," He grunted this words, and with that walked out into growing evening chill and slammed the door shut.
Layla stared at the door for a few moments and then laid down silently on the floor.
The time passed quickly, and the room was too quiet, too calm. There was no mocking laughter, no insults, no torture and no humiliation. This small dark place seemed like heaven to her. Layla smiled like a school girl who just heard that she doesn't need to study anymore.... But wait! she doesn't even know this feeling as she had never been to a school before. Her late mother taught her all that she knows, and it was not much at all. Being born in a slum is hell, but it is even worst when you are born into a poverty stricken family.In her nineteen years on earth, She never had any friend because she is often bullied and called poor. She doesn't know what friendship is, and long to have one someday.
Smiling so peacefully, she fell into a dreamless sleep. And when she woke up, Zane was still not back. Yawning, she looked around the room. There was no clock on the wall, so she couldn't even tell the time.
She rose to her feet, and with slow groggy steps walked into the small and tight kitchen. She found a small loaf of bread and a bottle of milk on the cabinet and immediately understood that it was her dinner. Eating it all up, she took a quick shower and changed into the sweater she wore the previous night before making her bed and falling asleep again.
T.B.C