Chapter 1
Midday, the sun was raging all over the Egyptian desert, being the only normal thing here all year round. Vacations are over for the majority of the foreign folks that came for a quick visit as they do annually. They explored, capture and admired everything in their path, leaving everything intact and as they found it. Some of the tourists even left with souvenirs and gifts from the locals. Citizens were often generous to those who appreciated and respected their life-style.
Away from civilization and a little close to the Red Pyramid, a rather small but highly visible crater was made. No tents to cover it or even to protect what or who was inside, it was plain open to anything. A soft groan could be heard from down in the crater, a groan someone could make like if you were lifting something heavy to place it somewhere higher than you. A big figure covered from head to toes worked on the corner of the hole, dusting off some dirt in order to achieve some kind of discovery. The tall paleontologist stood up and turned around to grab a more gentle brush to remove what was left of dirt on the small item he dug out. A wide smile formed on his lips along as he took a closer look on the rare stone he found incrusted beneath some old pieces of wood that apparently were rotting with all the humidity.
"Aha! I finally found it! It'll be complete..." - Said the man as he stood up.
Walking over to a small metal box to place the stone inside, he heard some gentle footsteps from afar. He was very aware of his surroundings and he was mostly the type of guy to keep everything under control and away from intrusion. Ignoring what it sounded like someone was near, the man sat down and began to pick everything around him, just like a little kid picking up his Legos and placing them on his colorful box. Content and accomplishment could be noticeable on his face as the smile still froze on his lips. He couldn't believe it yet. The clouds moved to his favor and covered the sun for a small period of time just until he finished packing, ready to crawl up the wooden ladder and get out...
The small approaching figure, hands holding the cloths close to protect against the sand, took a deep breath before stumbling and falling right on the crater; destroying nothing but the man's balance but gladly saving the pedestrian's fall.
"Ah! Ow... OW! MY BACK! ...Why me...?" -Exclaimed the man in a painful tone.
Soon realizing what was going on, the covered figure quickly stood up and backed away while watching the man stand up and look around him, soon spotting the figure behind the wooden ladder; shivering and softly murmuring some Arabic words, saying things such as "I'm sorry", "please calm down" and "don't hurt me". He could hear them but didn't really understand, questioning how he really made it around without knowing such language. He was furious and stomped close to the small person, reaching in-between the ladder and gripping the front side, almost reaching the neck area. He pulled as close as the space between him and the ladder could allow him, making the covered area of the person's head be exposed. With a light whimper due to being pulled, the Cobalt blue eyes locked the semi Cerulean eyes, followed by a soft gasp. He stared at them for a mere second until coming into the conclusion that his aggressive behavior was against a woman, a young woman to be exact.
"Look at what you did! You broke something very valuable to me! Why didn't you see where you were walking?!"
She gripped his wrists harder as his tone got louder, fearing and regretting passing here in the first place. She was frozen; all she could do was look at him and not move, also followed by her heavy breathing from all the sudden movements from his part. Her grip got stronger, making him snap out of it and look down at his hands. He set her down and backed away from her as well, giving the space required for her to be able to set aside from the ladder. She thought about moving and she did, slowly while maintaining eye contact with him, still fearing he could snap again and hurt her this time. Looking down at broken box, she kneeled down and gently picked up the broken pieces and pushed them together like a puzzle. There is no way to have that fixed; it was completely useless. She stood up and looked up at him while fixing her 'hood'.
He leaned back against the dry muddy wall and sighed in frustration while looking at her.
"Who are you? Do you have a name? I'm Gru, great way to meet you! Not..." -He asked as he rolled his eyes a bit and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
The young girl nodded a bit and responded...
"Please Sir, may I ask for your forgiveness? I didn't mean it. I'm Kairo..." - She replied with a bit of pain. Emotional pain.
He shook his head in a 'forget about it' type of gesture and walked up to her, extending his hand to her to properly greet her. Kairo examined his hand before taking it. Gru smiled a bit and told her to really forget about it, it wasn't a big deal. He DID try to make her feel alright, after all; it wasn't her intention. It was HIS fault in the first place; he didn't have any tents on to distinguish. They talked for an hour now and things seemed to be slowly calming down, which it was good; Kairo was very sensitive when it came to any difficult situations and she wanted nothing more but to fix it and make everyone happy and satisfied.
It was getting dark and they had to get out of there, Gru didn't plan on sleeping inside a hole filled with filth and possible deadly scorpions. Getting sick or dying was not on his traveling schedule either.
Kairo quickly crawled up to the surface and helped Gru with the bags and other equipments, it was the least she could do; be nice after accidentally doing something bad.
"Alright, I'll take it from here. Thank you and thank you. Say, before I go... You DO have a home right? If you do, would you like me to escort you there? It's pretty dark and is dangerous to be alone." - Asked Gru as he placed a brown backpack on.
Kairo first thought about it but then accepted. She grabbed 2 other bags that he had brought and stood besides him. He looked at her and thought about telling her that she didn't had to worry about carrying his stuff. She did and she won't let them go until reaching his car or the transportation he came in.
"My van is right over dere, behind de pillars." - Stated Gru as he began to walk towards it, having Kairo follow close to him.
Kairo didn't talk too much, in fact; she was still scared of him. He seemed like a nice guy though, just not wanted to be around when pissed. As they walked, even having Kairo behind him, she could wander her eyes around his body, making a little examination of her own. He was wearing dark green pants with black boots, along with his light skin colored, long sleeved shirt. She asked herself why he has such a big and long nose, why the wide back? Maybe he's a workaholic and spends most of time in an office that requires him to be hunched all the time. It didn't matter to her anyway...
"Here we are, watch your step. Place de bags on de back chairs and stand on dat platform please" - Commanded Gru while going inside the van.
The young woman nodded and did as told, stepping on the platform besides the tall man. He was way taller than most usual males she knew, her hair met the under side of his nose; that's how tall he was for her. Gru isn't a fit man either, even if he had wide shoulders; it didn't cover the fact that he had a very round stomach, not an average belly, it was sure big but well proportioned on him, kind of leaving her to wonder how many times does he works out. His legs where abnormally skinny too, almost looking two toothpicks. It didn't bother her one bit.
She kept her eyes down to the ground as they lifted to the second plant of the van where the actual driving took place. It wasn't big to fit 2 people but he pressed a button to extend the passenger's seat next to the driver's. He sat down and began to ignite everything. Kairo sat next to him and looked around in amazement, watching everything light up with purple, orange, red and green lights. Everything was a light show for her but dared not to touch, she stuffed her hands under her thighs like a person in the winter would do to keep them warm, quietly examining everything...
"So, Kairo... I need directions. Can you type dem here on the GPS screen for me please?" -Asked Gru as they took off, soon hitting the open road.
Kairo looked up at him for a mere second, she seemed deeply in thought there. How to tell some one you just met, that you don't have any parents and live peacefully with 4 other teenagers? And how to tell him that your parents are most likely to be dead? Yes, those thoughts were circling her head. She gazed away to the road and leaned against the computer screen, typing her coordinates. Gru on the other end, was rubbing his left temple, a sign that a bad headache was approaching... and fast. The girl glanced up at him again as she heard a soft sigh coming from him.
"If you wish, I can make you something to drink before the pain gets worse. No trouble..." -Said Kairo.
Gru peeked down at her and smiled lightly, he knew that going out very early in the afternoon was a bad idea. As arrogant and stubborn as he may be sometimes, he always tends to listen... on the inside.
Moments later...
They both finally arrived Kairo's place, his expression wasn't a good one either, he hope for her to live in the city and not this distant from it. Gru examined the area and walked out of the van with the girl behind him. Some crickets could be heard and a few fireflies too, they all made a pretty scene as they walked to the door. Reaching inside her pocket, she took out a small keychain and picked the right key. Turning around, Kairo quickly left out a quick laugh as she saw Gru fighting to get some fireflies out of his face. She needed to laugh, or at least let out a smile, she needed it today. Today was not a good day.
Gru soon walked up to Kairo and looked up at the house, he saw some shadows peeking out from the upper windows but didn't really mind.
"Well, isn't dis a cozy place to "live"... Hey, I was thinking, since you are de only one I actually talked to throughout all of my trip here, I was wondering if you could join me for lunch and give me a tour around, my investigation is not done and of course... if it's not too much trouble with you..." -Asked Gru as he placed a light smile on his face and hid his hands behind his back.
Kairo turned her head to him as she played with her keys and replied...
"A good investigator is highly aware of the places he visits, his surrounding, it's people and culture..." -Replied Kairo with a soft tone as she look at him in the eyes.
He stood frozen for a second and looked away, trying to figure out what to say to that. She was right; she was very right on that. Gru is a very smart fellow and only those who know him can question his abilities, thing is... Kairo doesn't know him, at all. He maintained his posture and said...
"I will take dat as a no then" -Said Gru.
She curled her lips into a small smile and shook her head.
"I'll be more than happy to join you for lunch and teach you key things about my country. Come by tomorrow at noon, please. Goodnight Sir and again, I am deeply sorry for today, I will replay you" -Said Kairo.
The young woman soon turned and headed inside her home, locking the door and shutting the indoor lights off. Gru on his side, walked to his van and while doing so, he casually dropped a cookie-robot to spy around the area where she lived. That little bot didn't make any noise at all, its only functions are to scan and deliver information back to the system and computer itself. It could also make it's way through wall by just opening the surface with a tiny laser, right after entering, the bot can also close the gap it made to crawl in. Weight was not any problem, since the bot is disguised as a cookie, its weight is as light as an actual cookie, only that... it wears a hat.
The next day- 12:57p.m.
The large metallic van drove over and parked in front of Kairo's place. Gru walked out and made his way to the front door, soon knocking on it a few times. Hearing a short yell from the upper floor, Kairo rushed downstairs and up to the door. A fast opening, looking up at the large man; wearing something totally different, something that she wouldn't picture anyone to wear in this country. He had a stripe patterned scarf and a black jacket that seem to be made out of waterproof fabric due to it's shiny features when the sun hit it at some direction, joining that, he also had on a black pair of pants and boots. He kept a smile on his face, soon getting a bit awkward as she looked around him.
"It's pretty hot around here and it's going to get bad as we move around the area... Are you sure you made the right decision by wearing all that" - Asked Kairo.
Gru looked around himself and shook his head before stepping aside to let Kairo walk out. When they both got inside the van, Gru drove off and headed to the city, but before going too distant, Kairo spoke up at Gru while placing her hand on top of his, which it was holding the steering wheel...
"We are going to Karnak, my favorite place to be when I want to be at peace and contemplate about life and... stuff." -Said Kairo with a smile on her face.
Gru looked down at her hand and then at her, he could tell the happiness on her by just listening to her tone with such excitement, apparently she was happy that she had someone to hang around at her favorite place, or at least one of them. She's a very sociable girl and always took the opportunity share good moments to whoever is around her. He had to get used to that type of cheerful individual in order to enjoy his "investigation" better and to it's full potential. He was also happy to the fact that he had some company...
The new friends arrived to previously mentioned landmark and walked deeper into the monuments. They all seemed amazing and breathtaking from up close. Kairo allowed Gru to walk in front of her as she explained and gave him a bit of information about the monuments. He took notes and gently traced his hand down the first column they saw first. It felt great to be literally touching years and years of ancient history, to be a witness of such majestic creation. Gru looked back at Kairo, who was behind him, sitting on the bricks that surrounded the pillar.
"Hey, do you know anything about this? I heard it's the largest ancient and religious site in the world! - Said Gru as he clicked repeatedly on his pen.
Kairo jumped off and walked up to him, grabbing his free hand and gently removing it from the pillar he was lightly rubbing. It kind of ticks her off when people tend to touch precious things that have immense meaning both to her and her country. Gru backed away a bit and kept looking around, examining closely the engravings that were left by the past civilization.
"Well actually, most of the work here was done by the pharaohs of the new kingdom 'bout around 1570 and 1100 bc. One of the most famous structures of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall, just a hall area of 5,000 square feet with 134 humongous columns placed in 16 arrows! Isn't that amazing?! I, personally adore this place, takes back in time..." -Explained Kairo.
Gru stood there speechless, contemplating about how a young girl can have so much knowledge about something that was created even before her great-great ancestors were even born. It was amazing and he liked it. He liked someone that is not that they seem, someone to surprise him in the most unexpected way ever. He continued to listen to her carefully, resuming on the note taking.
They went at it for hours and it was soon getting late. She had to get home and Gru needed a bath, a long one too. Grabbing everything they brought to explore, the guys drove off to the city.
"I know and you're probably wondering why I didn't take you to lunch. I had some problems to take care of back at de van and took me more time dan calculated, so why not have dinner? My treat. I would like to discuss more details about where we spent the day today; something about it just grabbed my attention". -Said Gru as he drove.
Moments after their arrival, Kairo's face was almost breaking through the windshield of the van. The smell of all the street food was destroying the girl's nose with its amazing scent and aroma. Gru stared at Kairo for a moment, trying not to laugh at her silly actions. He was definitely on the right destination. Gru was about to find out one of her MANY addictions...
"Salah Ad-Din! Best place to eat in all Egypt! I will show you everything you need to know about some of our delicacies!" -Kairo exclaimed happily.
Like a little kid anxiously wanting to pick up a puppy or a new toy, Kairo wanted Gru to have the best culinary experience while he lasted here. "Honestly, dat would be great. I've been eating pitas and soda for de past 2 days I've been here and it's not good. Trying out new food would be an amazing experience, teach me oh wise one!" -Said Gru while playfully making an adoration gesture towards Kairo.
They both got out of the van and walked to the sidewalk, moving around; the smell of freshly made food got better and better, opening the guys appetite more. Food stands could be found at every corner, each with a different menu and beverages to offer.
Minutes after reaching the designated establishment, the undercover villain and the retired sand thief entered the restaurant and looked around in amazement. Surely Kairo already knew this place, but she has been here only once, with her long-term friends. Gru stood there with his head tilted back, gazing up at the roof. It was decorated with ancient Egyptian inscriptions, like if it was telling a story.
Soon the waitress approached them...
"Masaa el kheer wa Marhaban!" -Greeted the waitress.
Kairo quickly looked at her and smiled, by doing that, she responded back in her native language. She addressed the waitress that they are only 2 people and they would like a table. Gru on the other hand, stood there...
"Sir?... Hello?, S-sir?" -Asked Kairo while gently tugging on Gru's sleeve, wanting their attention.
Gru snapped out of it and followed the ladies to their assigned table; the place was warm and cozy. Light candles were scattered all over in every window ledge to make the atmosphere more into the era. As they walked to their table, Gru glanced down to the see how the people still followed their cultural behavior. All the costumers sat on the floor and ate, mainly had a good time in peace.
Finally sitting down, the content waitress handed both Gru and Kairo their menus as they sat down on the half-moon dinning booth.
"For the record, dis place reminds me of home. I have a booth-like table and please, call me Gru... 'Sir' makes me feel old, a'right?" -Said Gru.
Kairo nodded and quietly took her menu, opening it flat on the table and looking at it without any serious thinking.
"And 'F.Y.I.' you can order anything on de menu, I insist" -Said Gru as he read the menu, gladly it had a side with the English version.
Almost an hour after eating and chatting, it's time to go back and make a rather long trip to drop Kairo at her home. They both carried a happy and full belly. The food they shared was the traditional Koshery, with seconds too. Gru left a tip on the table and headed out to the door. Making their way back to the van, the night sky was covered with stars, unlikely to happen lately. It was nice to witness that kind show and the Moon itself didn't hide behind the clouds either, catching Gru's gaze fast.
"Good food, literally! I could eat dat everyday until I die! What's de name of that thing anyway?" -Asked Gru.
"Koshery! Amazing Koshery! It's very famous here and its also known world wide" -Said Kairo.
Going inside the van and hitting the road once again, yawns and eye rubbing were taking over the bodies of the 2 subjects. They needed a bed or something comfy to lay on and rest. While the van was in motion, Kairo lowered the passenger window and allowed the Egyptian air brush her face, she didn't mind getting her hair messy, Gru wasn't going that fast either. He peeked at her and then turned his gaze back to the road, lightly smiling to the fact that he was enjoying himself and also having a great time with Kairo. Who he just met. Gru always had trouble making friends, but he didn't put any effort by meeting her, she literally dropped in his life. It's been 2 days since they met and Gru only liked 3 things about her: Her intellect, taste in food and physical strength. The bags she took at the beginning to help him out were filled with heavy tools along with other items. Gru, at this time, is still amazed by how Kairo could easily carry 2 full bags herself and walk in the sand with no trouble. One thing that bothered him, was where she lives, it didn't look safe. Maybe he was used to so much security back at his place, seeing just a normal house in the middle of nowhere seemed odd for him. Better get used to it or do something about it.
Gru looked back at Kairo, now resting back and looking up at the sky, having a straight stare at the moon, her eyes shinned so beautifully against the rays of the giant star in the night sky.
"So, Kairo... tell me. Do you study? Work? What's your story?" -Asked Gru.
Kairo turned her head and looked away to the horizon, having her head tilted back. She sighed softly.
"My story? Well, I'll let you figure that out yourself. I may know the story surrounding me but I like to keep myself on a low profile..." -Said Kairo while she turned her head to look at him with a smile.
"I like your answer kid and I respect dat. I like to keep my persona to a low profile, other dan being a paleontologist, I do have a reputation..." -Said Gru as he pulled over to the side of the road, parking in front of Kairo's house.
Both of them got out of the van and made their way to the front door. Some lights were turned on inside the house, having a bit more visibility from the outside. Gru didn't waste any time and took a fast peek inside. While Kairo turned to the door as she got the keys out, Gru spotted the cookie robot he left and picked it up, quickly hiding it inside his pocket.
"I had a great time again, being honest; I learned a lot from your accurate knowledge and getting to know you a bit more was interesting as well, but sadly... I leave in 2 days" -Said Gru with his hands behind his back.
Kairo quickly turned around to face him; her eyes a bit wide open from what he said. It felt bad, he was leaving when she started to have a great time herself, she thought she finally met someone to actually spend time with without getting in trouble. Everything was going so perfect.
"L-leave? Oh..."
Kairo lowered her head a little in sadness and said:
"Will I ever see you again?"
He reached back and rubbed the back of his head, thinking about what to say to cheer her up. Her eyes looked way brighter when she moved her head back up to look at him. It felt almost entrancing; again, it's not very common for a person from this area of the world to carry blue eyes, not even the ones that Kairo held. Gru has blue eyes too and they looked amazing when a certain angle of illumination hit them, but hers were out of this world.
"Yes, sadly I have to go but we can still hang out again for the remaining days left, I mean; I wouldn't mind exploring new places. You're officially my tour guide!" -Said Gru with a soft chuckle, hoping to make her smile.
Kairo looked up at him and a light smile curled up, followed by a slight nod. She was having so much fun but everything has to come to an end...
"I wish I could travel the world like you, I bet you've been everywhere! New people, different cultures and places to explore... I wish I can do all that, or at least work at a museum" -Said Kairo, holding her hands together.
Up in Gru's head, the thought of historical places ringed a bell, leaving the idea of asking Kairo until the last day; hopefully she'll say yes.
"I haven't been everywhere yet but I soon hope to travel de whole world, I like to collect items dat represents each place I have been" -Stated Gru.
Kairo smiled a bit and motioned him to stay where he was while she took off running back inside her house. Gru stood there a bit confused but a few minutes later, Kairo ran back to the door; catching her breath quickly. She looked up at him as she handed him a small navy-blue colored box. He opened slowly and peeked inside, only to find a diamond shaped Onyx rock. Gru gently took it out and examined it carefully...
"What is dis?" -Asked Gru as he turned it around.
"It's a gem! I found it near the Nile, now you have something to take home... "
Kairo's sentence suddenly was cut short after flashbacks of what happened when they crossed paths came in, making her lower her head in shame. Gru had similar thoughts too.
Soon a pair of arms surrounded Kairo's body and pulled her close, hugging her hard. Her eyes got wide and blushed like never before. She wanted to return the hug but her arms were caught by his grip. Instead she said...
"You're... welcome! It's the least I can do! Oh sweet Allah, I can't... breathe..."
Gru quickly stepped back and chuckled as he placed the box inside his pocket, he looked down at her and smiled.
"I will take good care of it, I promise"
He held up his pinky to her, wanting her to complement the action. Kairo tilted her head in question, wondering what he was doing. Gru looked a bit stupid but kept it up.
"This is a pinky promise, don't ask... Just wrap your pinky with mine!"
Kairo got a bit altered and did as told, holding his pinky with her tightly.
"Well Kairo, I have to go! Have a good night and I'll see you on Monday!" -Said Gru as he walked away and waved a simple goodbye to Kairo.
She smiled and waited for him to get inside his van and drive so she could go inside her house and lock the door, shutting everything off and heading to sleep. The night was very clamed and cloudy, the wind acting a bit rough but nothing out of the ordinary.
As Gru drove back to where he usually parks and stays, he managed to move his right hand off the steering wheel and try to look for the box that Kairo gave him. It was still inside the pocket of his jacket, but since he was sitting down and hunched, a small bulge was made, making it a bit difficult to acquire it; with one hand. He finally took it out and opened it, taking the rare gem on his hand and looking at it from time to time while driving. The texture was a little rough but yet, at the same time, smooth in some corners.
Eventually, Gru got back to the hideout he stays to spend the night. It's not a mysterious and creepy place, but a good spot where civilians don't normally pass by. Quiet and peaceful all the time.
He got up, grabbed a bag filled with a few things he needed and headed to the lower floor of the van. He took his scarf off, unzipped his jacket and kicked away his boots as he walked to the booth. Gru was very tired. The man purposely stumbled and allowed his body to land on the soft seat, followed by a rough but yet relieved moan. It's been clearly a long day for him. Gru reached down with a swing of the arm and pulled up the bag, placing it on his chest and opening it up. He once again took out the black box that Kairo give him, slowly opening the lid and taking out the small gem inside; examining it until falling asleep.
Back on Kairo's place, she was found reading a book on her bed, waiting to fall asleep. Halfway on the second chapter, Kairo felt her eyes tired. The girl fell asleep right away. The wind complemented the mood and blew one time across the room, blowing the candle off.
The next day...
"Hey Kairo, I was wondering... Since you told me dat you really enjoyed... Gah! No... Kairo, I know dat I'm leaving tomorrow and dis is awkwardly fast... Ugh! Forget it!" -Gru argued and debated with himself as he drove to Kairo's house at noon.
Sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, writing in Arabic a few sentences on the dirt, Kairo happily sat there along with some books she took from her room that she was previously reading before heading out to where she is now.
She enjoyed reading out on the open, relaxes her more and helps contemplate the story better.
A loud engine could be hear from not too far, making the ground surrounding it tremble a little. Kairo looked down at the dirt and the back up to her right, watching as the giant metal can approached slowly. It soon parked in front of Kairo's place. Getting up with her books and backing away a bit, she looked up at Gru as he made his way down to the ground with a smile and a small shade of red on her cheeks. She looked cute holding her book together on her chest, like a little kid waiting to be picked up from school.
"Good afternoon mister Gru" -Greeted Kairo.
"Hello Kairo, everything a'right?" -Asked Gru as he looked around, then down at her.
Kairo nodded with a smile and explained to him that she enjoyed being outside while studying by her own, she considered like a hobby. Gru understood and felt a bit curious at the fact that Kairo liked to auto study the things she liked the most. No need of school.
He breathed in and took the situation seriously by saying...
"Listen, I hope you're not busy now so if it's a'right with you to join me for a cup of coffee... I need to ask you something very important"
Kairo nodded fast and replied...
"Of course! Please, I'll take you to the nearest coffee shop here; it's very good too. Let's not waste time, let's go."
Gru looked around as he stepped away to allow her together inside the van. She took her book with her and quickly made her way into the elevator, waiting for him. He soon followed and both are now sitting up on the second floor.
They took off fast.
The young woman placed her books on her lap and looked up at him, almost concerned. She quickly thought that something might have happened. Something bad. Aside from feeling a bit nervous and beginning to get shivers, she was confident that all this tension will come to a quick end. Kairo had the tendency to get very nervous even from situations where she's not involded in; a trait that she will never get over. Gru on his side kept driving, with his elbow up on the edge od the side door and resting his chin on his hand to make himself a bit more comfortable during the trip. Still a long road but he, somehow, got used to it.
Moments after they arrived to the desired destination, Gru quickly made his way to the establishment along with Kairo and got placed on a booth once again where they are secluded from the public in general and can have a more private conversation. They can still enjoy food, they always do, especially Kairo.
"Is everything alright mister Gru? I hope I'm not in trouble again..." -Said Kairo with a concerned expression, always maintaining direct eye contact with him as she spoke.
Gru held his hands together on top of the table and played with his fingers as he looked at them. He had to spit it out one way or another and this is the only opportunity to do it.
"I am not going to stall, so I am just going to let it out. I remember dat you said dat you are very fond of your culture and history itself and also wanted to work in a museum, preserving precious tokens from de past and stuff like dat... So here is de thing, I have a legitimate business and being a paleontologist it's more of a hobby for me. I have a big room where I have all sorts of things dat I have collected from all de places I've been but never really have de time to care of dem... So I am here, formally offering you a job on historic preservation and restoration. I will provide you with housing, transportation and food... and money. So, Kairo... Are you interested?" -Proposed Gru with all the peace in the world. He felt like he was about to get life sentence, he felt horrible that she might say no. He did showed her pictures from his phone, he always had evidence of his hobby just in case.
Kairo's eyes got wider at the man's offer and really couldn't believe it. She always wanted to submerge her hands in the things she loved the most in life. Thoughts where racing on her head and looked down for a moment to place her head in real thought and consideration.
"Your offer sounds amazing mister Gru and I will accept the challenge. It's been my dream and now I will live it" -Proudly stated Kairo with a smile.
Gru had a smile on his face as if he got the 'lightbuld'moment and nodded firmly to contain his happiness. He gently shook Kairo's right hand and sealed the deal.
"We leave tomorrow at midnight, I will help you pack and get ready until then. Thank you, Kairo" -Said Gru.
They feasted in celebration and headed back to Kairo's place to get her things packed up and also help Gru pack and make space in the van for Kairo's luggage to fit in as well. While Gru and Kairo were in the process of packing, Gru took the time to have Kairo take a break and have them both sit down on the front porch and explain more with further and more explicit information about what his deal is really about. Kairo still made her decision and appreciated the extra information. She didn't have questions since Gru stated that he'd take care of her before, during and after work.
The final day arrived and both are ready to leave, since Gru previously said that they are leaving at midnight, he thought that it could be a good idea to leave now since he overheard that Kairo loved to one day travel and witness the moment when it came. Gru drove off to Kairo's place, accidentally without warning her and parked in front of the house. He jumped down from the van and headed to the door, as he walked by he heard sounds coming from the back of the place. Curiosity pinched him in the butt and gave it a go. Gru cautiously walked around the house and found Kairo kneeling down on the floor while stuffing a few things inside her suitcase. Groans of frustration escaped her mouth as she literally threw herself on the luggage to make it close. Gru just stood there, watching her with a softly smile with his arms folded across his chest.
"Your methods of closing luggage are amazing and creative! You should teach me sometime" -Said Gru as he walked up to her to greet her.
Kairo turned around quickly to face him but she was still on her knees, causing her to slip off the suitcase and fall backwards, her feet dangled up in the air as the surprised gasp followed the sudden movement. The man reached down to help her up and rubbed her back a little to get some dirt off.
"You a'right? I am sorry, I should have knocked or something" -Said Gru a bit concerned.
The girl nodded and exclaimed a morning greeting to him as she tried to compose herself. She didn't expect Gru to be here this early nor in this part of the house too.
"I like to have things ready from way ahead of the time proposed, just in case; it's a habit. I hope you don't mind" -Said Kairo while brushing her hair as she looked up at him with a slight blush.
"Let me help you get your things in de van, we have a long trip ahead of us today" -Said Gru.
Kairo nodded and smiled at his mini schedule. She took her purple backpack and placed it on along with her strap-bag filled with books. She looked excited and happy. Her time finally came for her to be part of something big, something she always wanted to do since not so little. The small girl followed the big man to the van, where they accommodated her things and got ready to go.
A few minutes after, when they both got in their seats and strapped their seatbelts on; Gru moved his chair to face Kairo for a quick moment, explaining something very important to her before they left.
"A'right Kairo, dere is something you should know before we take off. Dis trip will up in sky for approximately 7 to 8 hours. If you ever feel tired during de day or night, do not hesitate to go to de lower floor and take a nap in the booth... It's de only place to do dat. Ready?" -Explained Gru.
Paying attention to everything without asking anything about what he just said, Kairo nodded with a smile and made a saluting gesture to him.
"Sir yes sir!"
Ignitions switched on, special buttons were pressed and the van slowly transformed into a plane. Kairo could see everything in action, from the moment the wings popped out to the moment that they took off the ground and flew up fast.
She couldn't believe it...
To be continued.