Chapter 2

Unexpected Guest

Early morning Nora opened her eyes only to remember that her arms were aching due to her pulling the strong built man who was unconscious with this she almost jumped from her bed because she could hear the noises coming from the small lounge where she left him. 

It was apparent that he was not unconscious anymore, Nora veered around to find something for her defense an iron pole which settled on the two sides of the wall for hanging the clothes, she threw the few worn out clothes aside and clutched the pole. 

With mild and soft steps she came near the door to listen carefully, now there was no more noise and she was curious what was going outside and in dilemma whether to open the door or not.

The man as soon as his inner wounds healed in a night was able to sit on his own and but because the place was small his head collided with near table and table flipped being a smaller one, the poor table let it and broke one of the leg which was the most feebler one as if it was looking for a reason to collapse already. 

The man saw this and pressed his lips with worry, he knew a small girl bring him inside the house and now he broke her property a feeble table, he did not move any further and remained sitting there after carefully wrapping some clothes around his waist. 

Since there was no more noise coming from the lounge, Nora took courage to open the door, the door opened with some noise and the man shifted his eyes toward her. 

Nora first observed the small lounge, there was sign of violence, her only table was broken; it made her alarm and she swayed the pole she was picking in her hand. 

It was warning for the man, “Don’t move from your place else I will not show empathy again,” making way toward him; she clutched the pole more strongly as if anytime she could use it as defense. 

The man did not move instead regarded her kind and little girl who was just worried. 

“If you don’t bear any malicious intent against this house and I; raise up your hands and surrender,” Nora gave another warning. 

The man followed her worlds obediently.

Nora stood there and observed him for long time, he did not move nor did he show any sign that he bear some bad intent, she slowly put down the pole and sat on the only chair, there was another chair but because the old uncle died and Nora was facing worst winter previous year, she burned the wooden chair to keep the house warm.

“Why did you flip the table?” she asked sternly to make sure that he was not up to something villainous. 

Finding the direction of her gesture; he nodded and slightly moved extending his hands and making the table stand up again by picking the broken wooden leg as support, for a brief moment the table stood there as soon as he waved his hand to let her see the table was fine, the table fell again. 

Nora looked at him agape while he was looking at the table the same way; it made her laugh, she laughed until her eyes got wet thinking that she laughed after four years, it was painful to remember about the death of old uncle. 

The man felt guilty thinking that perhaps she liked this table much and now that it broke; she was crying but he did not speak anything. 

Before Nora could remove tears and ask more, her stomach grumbled reminding that she should eat something to keep body safe from the winter cold. 

“Don’t move until I come back and you explain your identity,” she picked the pole along and went in the small kitchen, preparing the ingredients she also threw some woods in the stove, it was best time when she was in kitchen because during making the meal, she could also take the warmth of the burning woods. 

Nora casted a glance toward the lounge, her soft heart melted at the thought that the man spent all night on the bare floor.

“You can come and sit in the corner,” she gestured him and kept the tone stern; she don’t want him to take her as a bad girl. 

This piece of advice was given by the old aunt live next neighborhood, she told that if a young girl like her speak politely to a man; he would mistook her a slut. 

She cooked pancakes in the handmade oven; chopped some vegetables for salad and prepared two plates, one for her and one for the stranger, it was not that she has excessive food to share: when she sneaked that the man was obedient and currently his wounds were also open, it was necessary to not keep the stomach empty, if he died here with starvation and injuries, she might not be able to forgive herself. 

The man observed it critically and shook his head slightly by sliding the plate back to her. He was not hungry; moreover the amount of food in her plate was so small that it would not fill her hunger much less to fill her stomach. 

“You don’t need to worry, I will receive the money parcel today and will be able to buy food from the town soon.” Nora slid the plate toward him again. 

The man nodded silently and picked the nice looking pancake, he never saw such food before so he was curious about the taste. 

The kitchen was warm and Nora was most comfortable, the man saw the fire, it was not that fire could harm him but to heal the external wounds he need to keep himself in the natural state which was most viable for him.   

He walked out and sat on the floor. 

Nora hurriedly munched her pancake and picked the iron pole but the man went out instead of coming toward her; she blinked her eyes several times before coming in to sense, there was knock on the door. 

She heard and went blank, usually she silently received parcel then why today it was knocking the door. 

“Is it that the old lady came to wish her late birthday?” the old aunt always forget the exact date and then came with a handmade cake and excused by saying that she was slowly losing her memory or something else. 

She was about to open the door when she staggered backward, if she happened to see a half-naked man in her house; what would she think about her? 

She hastily walked back, observed the whole lounge; it was so small that he could not hide anywhere, she could not speak because her voice would reach outside the door certainly. 

Nora grabbed his wrist in hurry and ran toward her room, by observing there was only one single option, she gestured him to hide inside the bed and keep silent, the man did not ask what was happening as if he only know how to obediently follow her. 

Nora heaved a sigh when he did not make fuss and followed her command; she went back to open the door.

But to her surprise; there was a woman around her forties wearing a lush and expensive dressing gown which Nora only saw in the big and pricy shops of the town. 

The lipstick on her lips was amounted as if she has a crush with wearing lipstick to this much. 

“Darling don’t be surprise, I personally came to send the parcel today.” Her lips danced to show off her blunt amount of lipstick. 

“Who are you?” this was the first ever that she saw someone who was sending her money, she always asked to the old uncle but he never replied, later she tried but could not find the answer; today the answer was standing in front of her.