The food was so delicious, and Layla tried her best not to wolf it down. She ate slowly, imitating Zane who was watching her every move. He laughed inwardly at the scene. But then he noticed a hint of worry in her eyes, or was it fear?
"Are you alright?" He wanted to know
She nodded. " I'm just..just..."
"Just what?" He said softly encouragingly her to talk.
She took a deep breath to calm herself, "Just worried about my Uncle, what if he come find me here?"
"He will not."He assured her.
"But what if?"
"You are with me, Why do you fear?" Zane gulped down some water from his glass as he stared intently at her, " is he so terrible to you that you are so scared of him?"
"He tortures me," She whispered faintly and Zane looked away pretending not to hear.
"He looks so scary," She continued, stuttering and speaking with unshed tears. "His..his eyes are scary. And when he smiles, it is creepy...like..like he is going to eat me. I hate him, I hate him so much but I could do nothing. When mum and dad died, I was left alone with him, with that..that.. monster."
Zane's movement stilled as he listened to her. He heard the tears in her voice, and could tell she was in pain. He knew where she was coming from. He saw it with his own eyes. The slum, a complete gutter filled with nasty people, a place filled with crimes, a hellhole the government had forgotten. Hunger forces them to do anything-- steal, kidnap and even kill. The weak ones like Layla are bullied, and forced into prostitution.
Shaking his head slightly, he sighed deeply, his whole chest heaving before resuming eating, " Who was in your family?"
"My parent," She replied. And when Zane continued to stare at her, she added, "My Uncle, aunt and his daughter used to live close by."
"And what happened to them?" Zane was curious to know what had happened.
"It is my uncle, he destroyed my family." Layla replied sadly, a far away look in her eyes. "My family wasn't rich but we were trying to survive. Dad worked at the port, and my mum worked as a cleaner in a popular bar house. We were doing okay, but not until my stupid cruel uncle got into a huge gambling debt...." She closed her eyes for a brief moment as the painful memory flooded into her brain with a dull ache.... "Huge men came into our small home, and threatened to kill everyone of us if uncle didn't pay up the money within the due date. Dad was mad, and got into an argument with him. But uncle was stronger. He beat up dad threatening to kill him if he didn't shut up. Dad decided to take matter into his own hands, and began to hussle around for the money. My mum did all sort of menial work to support dad, but uncle was Indifferent to everything. He continued to drink, continued to gamble, became more violent and beat up his wife and kid any chance that he gets. Then his..his wife left him for her lover taking her daughter along with her. Uncle became the worst version of himself. He gambled away his house, and that was the beginning of..of...our night mares ..."
Layla shrank in her seat, and was now breathing hard. Opening her mouth, she tried to say something but found herself chocked. She coughed loudly and terribly.
"You don't need to say more," Zane tried to stop her but she shook her head vigorously telling him she would continue. She wanted to let out all of her pain, she wanted to tell him everything, she wanted to feel free.
He nodded once and silently offered her water. When she gulped it all, she calmed down a bit.
"The huge men returned, and my cowardly uncle was nowhere to be found, he ran away. Dad tried to beg those men for a little time but they didn't agree. They began to shout at him, and the next thing we heard was a gunshot sound....." She paused for a moment to wipe her tears and clear her throat before she continued, ...." Mum instructed me to hide under the bed and not to step out of the house before running off to check on dad. I remained under the bed until I heard loud shouts like people wailing and cursing. And...And when I came outside, I saw my..my.. dad covered in his own blood..." Hot, big tears rolled down her face and she didn't bother to wipe them off. Zane just stared at her blankly, not knowing what to do or how to comfort her.
"Those huge men killed dad. And as for mum, she didn't return until two weeks later. She returned an empty shell, blank and emotionless. She didn't look at me, she didn't talk to me. She just walked past me to the kitchen and then....then...then.." She stopped talking as the word was too hard for her to say.
"Committed suicide." Zane helped her out
She nodded. " She killed herself with the kitchen knife." Her voice was so weak and strained.
Zane didn't need to hear more. Putting two and two together, he could already understand what had happened to her mother. Whisked off by those huge guys and being forced to sell her body to pay off the debt. So pathetic!
"And what about your uncle?" He could feel the anger boiling inside him, and it didn't seem righteous at all.
" He returned home after a few months to put his stupid guardian right over me, beating me, abusing me physically and emotionally, and then selling me off to that club house..." She gritted her teeth trying to hide her pain, and clenched her fist to stop herself from screaming..." I don't want to see him again, I don't want to see that monster."
"You won't." Zane's voice was eerily calm it sent shivers up and down her spine, "And even if he comes, I will kill him." They stare deeply into each other eyes and in that moment, Layla could swear she saw something in his eyes— something she couldn't describe.
"Please kill him."She begged without understanding the depth of her pleas.
"I will." Zane promised her
The place was beginning to get crowded, and Zane urged her to rush her meal.
They were done with their dinner in less than thirty minutes. And after settling the bill, they left the place, got on Zane's motorbike and headed home.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was almost 10pm when they walked into the room. And after arranging the stuff they had bought, they both freshened up, changed into their pyjamas as they prepared to sleep. Layla who was the first to take her bath was sitting on the bed subconsciously waiting for Zane's permission to sleep.
"And why are you just sitting there?" Zane asked as he stepped out of his closet.
" Waiting for you." She answered timidly
He scoffed.
"And I also want to thank you for today."
"You should sleep, you need it." He simply said, and with that went out onto the balcony to get some fresh air and to smoke cigarettes. His mind was clouded with thoughts that made him so confused.
'Did he do the right thing by bringing her to the city? Has she not experienced enough pain? Is she not too innocent for his dangerous world? Oh! Damn it!" Throwing the cigarette butt into the waste bin, he returned to the room and saw that the girl was already sleeping.
Silently, and without making a noise, he laid down beside her and pulled the covers over his chest drifting off to sleep almost immediately.
Tbc