Way to good at goodbye
Four weeks. It had been four weeks since the day I stumbled onto his land. I had been sore, afraid and awfully thirsty. The sight of him had not helped me be any less afraid. But there had been something about fom from the start that made me feel safe, made me feel like this could be my home. At least a place of shelter for as long as I would be allowed to stay here. My life is not as pretty as I would have liked it to be. But since I cannot travel back in time, I have to deal with my demons. I have to burn and heal. My name is Odette, and this is my story.
Chapter one. Where hope grows.
Do you know those days where you just know that it has to be the worst day of your life? I know some. This was one of them. Let me tell you something about myself. My parents used to love me a great deal. I, Odette, was the first and only child to Fiona and Derek Hills. They died in a fire that demolished the entire house. I was seven years old. There was no family to take me in, so I grew up in foster homes. And those were something completely different than my own home had been. No love, no comfort. Surviving and learning fast, that was my motto. Yesterday I turned eighteen, the day I would leave my last foster home, at least that was expected of me. Not that I had wanted to stay there any longer, but I had nowhere else to go. I had been saving up a little money from my job at the local supermarket. It was good money, but not enough to rent anything, or pay any bills for that matter on the long term. I decided to travel away from my hometown, hell I decided to choose a completely different country. Amerika had been my home, but I needed to leave, I needed an new start. Australia it was.
I knew the visa I had arranged for myself was enough to spend a vacation there… But I was determined to stay there, and I knew that meant I would eventually become an illegal. My savings were just enough for a ticket and some food the first days…. but then I would be broke. I wanted to me free. I didn't even want to leave among many people. I liked being on my own. Peace and quiet, I liked that shit a lot.
The long hours on the plane gave me enough time to ponder over my life. I wanted to live on a small farm or so. Some animals to keep me company. A small garden to grow my own food and maybe a horse or two. Maybe I travel around and find an empty farm. I did not need anything fancy, just a roof, a little bit of water….
The first few days I slept outside. It was hot as hell here and the sky was so clear I wanted to sleep under the stars. I only used my money to buy myself one meal a day. I figured that way I could feed myself a little longer than planned. It meant that after a week my clothes started to be a little to big on me. But I didn't care. It was hot. The only clothes I needed where a short through the hot day and a shirt, at night I wore a long sleeved shirt and a pair of long jeans. Not comfortable, but warm enough.
It was the second week I walked into the land that seemed rough and wild, with only a house every other few miles. I loved it. It also meant that I had been alone for a few weeks now, not speaking to anyone. It was good, in a lonely way. Every morning my legs hurt like hell and my back was in constant agony because of the backpack I wore all the time. Also water was starting to become a problem. The first week I had been in shops and stuff, now I lived of a ration, that was shrinking. Fast.
Now back to that worst day… I was seriously dehydrated and too tired to walk any further. The little farm I was walking towards to probably was a fata morgana. I never got lucky, so it had to be. I stumbled a little closer and was just thinking about how stupid all my decisions so far had been. Maybe I had a death wish. Maybe I was not meant to life a long and happy life. Maybe this was the end and it would be good, and kind to me.
I stopped walking and heard a dog barking in the distance. I could not see anything that made sense. Even the farm was a spot somewhere in the distance. The barking became a little louder. I could not care. I was done for. I sunk through my knees and took some shaky breaths. It was so hot. I needed water. That and some shadow. I quickly found myself on the ground and after a few seconds open up my eyes. I saw a large shadow lurking beside me. That could not be, there were no trees here, I had saw none. The shadow moved even closer. I decided to let everything go. And then, my light went out.
It is remarkable how someone's worst day can turn into a better one.
To my astonishment I woke again. Alive and well. I found myself on a bed, a clean and big one. The next thing I registered was pain in all my muscles. And thirst. I tried to sit up but failed miserably.
'Your body is drained from all energie. Move slower,' where words spoken with the deepest voice I had ever heard. I tried to turn my head fast, but failed when I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I laid back down and then let my eyes travel around the room. There was a man in the far corner. He was immense. I swallowed and then remembered I needed water. However the man was bigger than anyone I had ever seer and that fact alone was alarming, I needed water. I needed it now. I turned my head and saw a glass on the bed stand, filled with the delicious fluid. I reached for it with my hand, but I knew I would not even be able to get to it, let stand hold it on my own. It seemed my body was really lacking any strength at the moment.
'Water. Please,' I asked. I scared myself. My voice sounded so fragile, so small. The man stood and slowly walked over towards me. Within a few seconds the brought the glass to my lips and gave me a few sips. He then placed the glass back.
"More,' I pleaded. He shook his head.
'You need to go slow for the first few hours.' I tried to move my arm up. To no use of course.
'Please,' I tried again. My voice was sounding even weaker than before. The man shook his head. I then brought my attention to him again. He was not only big, he seemed so muscular and strong. He was bald, with grey eyes. Where was I?
'Sleep some more. I will wake you for water.' I wanted to fight him on that statement, but was too weak. He was probably right. My body needed to gain strength through rest. I knew I was in a strange house, with a strange man. One who seemed stronger than most at that, but his calm ways made me feel like I was safe for now. Even his deep voice seemed fitting. it seemed right. I slumbered right back into sleep.
It took me a few days before I was completely awake and able to get up from the bed. In all those days I did not learn the man's name, nor did he mine. He brought me water and food, and often sat down beside the bed in silence. That was it.
The day I found myself able to walk, I left the room I had been in for only that man knew how long. I walked right into a living room with open kitchen. He was there. The man. Sitting at the table, a dog lying at his feet.
'Well you are finally starting to look a little better, how are you feeling?' he asked me. His deep voice startled me a bit.
'Better,' I said. He nodded and stood, pulling a chair out for me.
'Sit, you need to eat something.' I slowly did as he said, while he walked around in the kitchen, returning to me with a plate with bread and some vegetables.
He motioned for me to eat and sat down again, watching me curiously. When I almost finished, he stood again, fetching me a big glass of water that I gulped down. It tasted devine.
'Do you have a name?' he asked then. I swallowed the last bite.
'Odette.' He let my name sink in for a few seconds.
'Never heard that name before. And you are not from around here judging your accent. Amerika?' he asked. I was flabbergasted. Was he working for the FBI?
I nodded. He nodded too.
'You are young,' he then continued. I nodded again.
'A runaway?' he then asked. I hesitated. Was I?
'Uhmm not exactly. I think.' He raised his brows. Watching him a little closer I saw he had a rough face, a not completely straight nose and a scar running through his brow.
'Where am I exactly?' I then asked him. He calmly looked at me, like he was wondering what it was about me.
'South Australia. William Creek' He spoke calmly. I had no idea where exactly I was. Still I had needed to hear it.
'You seemed lost when I found you on my land.' It was not a question.
'I- I was not lost. I just did not know where I was going,' I softly said. He took a deep breath.
'You cannot stay here. There is, however, no way you can leave right now since I live here in the middle of nowhere and the next truck with food will be here in about a month.' My eyes went wide.
'A month?' I asked. He nodded.
'I- I can travel further on foot, it is no problem.' He huffed.
'You're not. I have not took you in my house to sent you out in the burning sun once more with nothing and nowhere to go. You will stay here until the next truck arrives. It will go back to towns, then you can find your way back to wherever it is you came from.' I nodded. It seemed like the best plan.
'I- I want to thank you. You saved me,' I said. He shook his head.
'Think nothing of it. I only acted a s any human should.' I suddenly felt a little nervous. Was he angry with me? Or was this just how he was?
'What is your name?' I dared to ask. He seemed surprised.
'Bane.' I nodded. He seemed to be a man of few words. something I could appreciate.
'Stay out of the sun, watch where you set foot in the garden, and make sure to drink enough water.' With those words he stood and left me in the kitchen.
I spent the entire day watching everything in and around his house. Is was simple, but I loved everything about it. He had a garden witch vegetables and he work on vences on his property. He owned a few camels and the dog whose name was Hunter. That evening he made some sort of stew and we ate together in silence. I had wondered around his house and had seen he only owned one bed, and not even a couch big enough to sleep on. I knew I had been lying on his bed the few days I had been here, but where had he been sleeping?
When it went dark outside, I found my answer soon enough.
'Bane?'I asked him. He was in the kitchen, sharpening some knives.
'Hmm?' he asked. I swallowed.
'Do you have any spare blankets or so?' he watched me, not catching my meaning.
'For the night.' He raised his brows.
'Where you cold the last few nights?' he asked me, placing the knives away. I shook my head.
'Then what do you need them for?' he pushed on. I motioned for the porch.
'To sleep under. You only have one bed. And I love sleeping under the stars…' He huffed.
'You don't want to sleep in the same bed now that you know where you are? Is that it?' he asked, his voice turning even darker. I quickly thought everything through. He had not slept anywhere else. He slept in his bed. Next to me. I had been too weak to notice.
'I- No- I meant… I thought maybe you wanted me to… sleep somewhere else.' He cleared his throat.
'I did not meant to offend you. I just don't want to be in your way. It is your home, not mine.' He seemed to think those words over.
'There are snakes, even on the porch at night. The bed is safer, believe me.' And that was it. The next few days went on in peace. I helped him cook in silence and he showed me how to make myself useful in the garden. I spend a lot of hours watching and petting the camels. The evenings came soon every day and most of them I was so tired I slept even before I heard Bane join me in the bed.
Maybe I had been lost. Until now...