Who Slept In My Bed Part 2

I looked again at her besmudged face and then asked her to sit down again facing me. She stared at me like an obedient child as I wiped her cheeks with my handkerchief.
"Hmmm that's just about passable. Let's go. We have to walk you know. I don't have my car here."
She looked at me without any change of expression, stood up and slung the back pack over her shoulder.

We strolled along for about a km until we came to Nando's, an eating house with a striking view over the river. We found a table on the outdoor patio.
"Is this OK?"
She looked at me and then at the river and then sat submissively down without a word. I took the seat opposite hers. I leant towards her.
"Hey you. Just forget everything. You just don't get serious here at Nando's. OK? Here we eat, drink and talk. We look at the view and let the whole world go to hell."
She played with the table decoration, a small blue vase. I could see the tears whelming up in her eyes again. I was not surprised when she turned to me. Her eyes were pleading.

"Why did it have to happen? Why to me? What did I do wrong?"
I put my hand gently on hers.
"It's OK. There's a plan somewhere. There's something that you have to still learn. Do nothing. Except listen to your heart. You'll soon learn what it is."
She looked down at her hands and then turned her head away from me.
"Maybe you're right."
Then she turned back and looked straight into my eyes.
"I'm going to believe you."
She looked down at her hands.
"More than that. I'm going to believe in you. But don't ask me why."

When the fussy but friendly waiter arrived I ordered. Soon we had a tray of steaming Nachos in front of us, a bottle of red wine and glasses. I broke off a piece and held it in front of her mouth. She glanced at me and then took a bite.
It was enjoyable. I mean the food, the wine and the view. As she was still very quiet I did most of the talking. My days at Varsity. My sporting achievements. The comical things that had happened to me in my life.
Although she was still hesitant to show any emotions she listened carefully to my yarns and on one or two occasions almost smiled.

When the wine was done I looked at her in a way that was hopefully kind.
"Zastri, I think that it's time that I book you into a hotel."
To say the least, she was stunned. She even seemed to panic. She looked pathetic. Instinctively she held her two palms together towards me.
"Please Bardo. Please not yet. Let's talk some more. I'll listen to everything that you have to tell me...but I can't go now."
I turned my head and looked at her from the corners of my eyes.
"So you're still hurting. Well I can't blame you. Hell no."

I picked up her back pack and pulled her to her feet.
"Get up. You're coming with me."
"No. No. I can't do that. OK OK. Book me into a hotel."
"Forget it. You're coming with me. My place is big enough."

As we entered my 3-roomed apartment I threw her bag casually onto a sofa. Then I put my arm firmly around her waist and led her to a room.
"This is my sacred area. This is where I keep every object that I value in life. Let me show you a few books. Here's Dickens, Voltaire, Rumi, Stuart and C S Lewis. Here is Frida Kahlo's book. She had the same problem as problem as ...... oh never mind that now. Some other time."
"And over here is my ancient history section. Here just hold this. This is a copy of the first novel ever and I mean ever written in all the history of mankind. The Epic of Gilgamesh."
‘Now this is my work desk. It too is ancient. Just to sit at it fills one with inspiration."

"And over there is my 100 year old leather couch on which I'll sleep tonight."
"Will you do that?"
"Of course."
"You're not going to..."
"You mean invade your privacy?"
"Is that what's going on?"
"I laughe just a little and took her gently but firmly by her arm to my bedroom and showed where she'd sleep.

She looked around in awe. She saw the antique furniture and the large double bed. I opened the curtains and we both admired the view over the mighty river.
She turned to me.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Now come and help change the sheets."
When we finished that I gave her soap, a towel, a blue "Orinoco Flow" T-shirt.
"Go and shower. Then go to bed. I'll come and say goodnight later."
When I eventually came in she was fast asleep. I gathered up all her clothes and threw them into the auto washer. I slept like a log and I hope that she did too.

The next morning, I rose early enough and took out her spun dry clothes and hung them on hangers. I made coffee and went in to wake her up.
"Hey you. Can't you hear the birds squawking and the tug boats honking?"
"Come on missee and smell the coffee."
The blanket moved down slowly until I saw a pair of big brown eyes. When she saw me they immediately opened wider. She was really startled.
" Oh my God. Hey, where did you sleep last night?"
‘Aren't you sure?"
"No ! Tell me ! Please !"
"Honey, if I'd been here, you would be sure."

I took a few days off. I had weeks of overtime due to me and so we could go shopping. Well she really needed things. We made little meals. We listened to my U2, Johnny Cash and Lord of the Dance CD's.
For about three days she never laughed.

Well not until the Sunday. That morning I woke up as usual. Made the coffee and woke her up. I then gave her the news that her holiday was over and that now she had to make the breakfast. She made no murmur of protest.
It turned out that she was really handy in the kitchen.
"Zastri. Wow. That was a culinary delight. You should have done this earlier.

Then I went to a cupboard and took out a cricket bat and a tennis ball. She looked at me strangely.
"And that? What are you planning to do with that?"
"O this? We're going to play cricket in the park. Don't worry. I'll teach you."
I thought that she had a distinctly sly look when she nodded in agreement.
"OK Mister. Let's play cricket and you'll teach me. OK?"

When we got to the park. I knocked 3 stumps into the ground and paced off a distance of about 10 steps. Then I gave her the bat.
"Here. You try and hit first. It's easier than bowling. Takes a lot of skill to bowl you know."
She took the bat with modest grace and I prepared to bowl...underhand of course.
She somehow managed to fend off 3 balls surprisingly well. Then flung the fourth ball with my maximum strength. I was amazed by the perfect style that she showed.
She then hit my next 6 balls to all parts of the park. I was a bit thankful when my 10 ball bowling spell was over.

"Hey you. What are you doing? You're slaughtering me. Come, let me have my revenge. You bowl now."
Was that a smug smile that I saw?
When her turn came, she bowled her first ball and I fended it off well. The same happened with balls 2 and 3. Then I looked around to see where I would blast the next ball. When the ball came, I took my classic step forward ... and felt an emptiness. I had missed. Te ball had assumed a life of its own and had leapt viciously to one side.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm playing cricket Bardo."
"OK bowl another one. That ball must have hit something."
This time I was all caution. I stepped back keeping my eye on the ball. To no avail. The ball touched ground and shot low between my legs.

I looked up and stared at her feeling totally perplexed. She had an air of injured innocence. She moved her hands to the back of her head. That was too much. I threw the bat down and ran towards her. She took one look at me and turned to run away but I was way too fast for her.
I caught her around her waist and held her tight.
"You scheming witch. Where did you earn all this stuff?"
She stayed quiet for a while without any protest. Then she explained.
"I was the village tomboy ... and the village cricket champion."

I released her then. Her face was a delightful mosaic of joy and teasing. Then we both began laughing. We laughed perhaps a little too much but it was a kind of moment of release. We knew, at that moment, that the anguish and pain had been largely set aside.

That evening we went back to Nando's. We both knew that she had enjoyed the day. For a while she had been reminded of happier days. She leant forward.
"May I ask you something personal?"
"Yea sure. Why not. We're buddies now."
"Tell me, Bardo. Are you gay?"