Authors: Ralph Smith
He smiled at her, “I guess introductions are in order. My name is David.”
She froze for a moment then said in a little more than a whisper “David?”
“Yes, does that mean anything to you?”
"Let's not talk about it here."
“Ok, my home isn’t far
, and I can get you something to eat while we talk,” he said while smiling at her. “Although there is one thing I must know first.”
“What’s that?”
She asked in surprise.
“What
is your name?” He asked, smiling.
She gave a little laugh “Aurora, I guess I’m not used to meeting strangers with manners anymore.”
“Well Aurora, I just thank God I was there to find you.”
“Where are we?” She said regaining her look of confidence
.
“That, I think, is going to take some figuring out for both of us. Let’s just say for now that you’re on my farm
, and you’re safe.”
As they started off, he could tell that she wasn’t taking any chances
, and was on the lookout for anything unusual. Even though he was sure they were safe, he was also keeping a watchful eye. Walking together his heart lifted. His fear of almost seeing her killed having abated, he felt like a schoolboy on a first date, and found himself grinning for no reason at all.
He led them through the woods back to where he parked his jeep. As they emerged from the woods
, and saw the car, she hesitated. Noticing her concern, he said, “It’s Ok. That belongs to me. We’ll use it to go the rest of the way back to the house.”
“What is it?”
“It’s an automobile, originally known as a horseless carriage.” He smiled his reassurance.
“A carriage, without horses, how does that work?”
“It
's probably easier if I show you,” He replied. He walked her to the passenger side and opened the door. “Climb in and sit down.” Once she was inside, he shut the door and made his way around to the driver’s side. He opened the door, and smiled as he watched her looking at everything with such curiosity. It had been so long since things like cars held such fascination for him, and to see her wide eyed wonder was endearing.
He put the keys in the ignition
. When the car roared to life, she was startled a bit, and then smiled at him sheepishly. He turned the car around and started down the rough road to the house. As bumpy as it was, she was un-phased as she looked around and out the windows taking it all in.
“This is the most comfortable carriage I’ve ever been in.”
“On a better road it’s even nicer.”
“
You have better roads than this?” She asked. “I’ve been on roads that were much worse.”
“Since it’s just me now, I don’t get as much time to tend to the roads.”
“You live here all alone?”
“Yes, just me
, and Rusty, my dog, other than the farm hands it’s just me.”
She looked at him curiously
but didn’t say anything. He could tell she just didn’t know what to make of the situation she found herself in. He was truly impressed by her, landing in a place so different, and not the slightest sign of fear or disorientation. Yes, she was fascinated by things, but still keenly aware of what was going on around her, and certainly she was no one to be underestimated. He could see her marking every movement he made, the turns on the road, the position of the moon. He was careful to take measured deliberate movements so as not to frighten her.
***
Aurora was sitting there amazed by everything. His world was so different from hers, and yet everything she saw felt so familiar too. She had seen him more times than she could count, and knew his world was different. Now she was able to inspect details that passed by too quickly in the glimpses she had over the years. She found it all fascinating.
It felt exhilarating
, and overwhelming all at the same time. She thought everything that had happened might be too much to cope with if not for his calming presence. He was her tether to reality. In her heart, she felt that he was everything she had imagined. All the visions she had of him throughout her entire life, fit together seamlessly forming a picture. That picture was as clear in her mind as her own reflection, and it seemed to fit him perfectly.
She sat there taking it all in. She felt a nervous excitement
, and at the same time she was afraid. She wasn’t sure what frightened her. It wasn’t the kind of fear she felt going into battle, this was something different, something she had never felt before. She had all but dismissed the idea they’d ever meet, and in the blink of an eye everything had changed.
***
As they pulled up to the house, Rusty had come running up to meet them. David looked over, and said, “It’s all right; that’s my dog Rusty. He’ll watch over us while we’re eating.” She gave a small smile as if embarrassed that he read her thoughts. He hopped out of the car, and gave Rusty a quick hello, “Rusty we have a guest I want you to meet.” He walked around to the passenger side, and saw her trying to push the door open. "Allow me," he said, then opened the door and pointed to the inside handle. “You pull on this from the inside to open it”. He made sure to keep any hint of amusement from his voice. He didn’t want her to think he was mocking her ignorance. What he did find amusing was that clearly she wasn’t used to anyone helping her with anything. He reached out his hand, to help her down, and she hesitated once again before taking it.
When Rusty began sniffing her feet
, and legs, she looked at David for guidance. “Its Ok. That’s his way of saying hello. He likes everyone.” David reached down and scratched Rusty behind the ears. “Come on boy, lead the way into the house. This is Aurora, and I’m sure she’s hungry.” Aurora realized that she was, in fact, very hungry. Everything that had happened had kept her mind so busy that she hadn’t realized it until he said it.
As they approached the house
, Aurora looked around, and asked, “Did you build all this?”
David gave her a small sad smile, “
No, my parents did, with some help. They moved here long before I was born, and built this place for our family.”
Aurora gently touched his arm
, and said, “Its lovely,” then smiled. Her smile lifted his heart, and he smiled back. They walked up the front steps, and into the house. Her eyes roaming over every square inch, taking in all the strange things she had never seen before.
David was surprised at his own calm. They had just experienced something so extraordinary, so unbelievable
, but all he could think about was her. She needed him. She was the one who had almost been killed. She was thrust into a strange place, and he was her only link to reality. There would be time to try to figure out what happened, but for now the only thing that mattered to him was her, and he couldn’t let her down.
David knew better than to ask her to leave her pack at the door
, so he walked her to the kitchen. “I’ll be happy to show you around, but first you need something to eat,” he volunteered, “and if you’d like to wash up there’s a bathroom here.” Realizing she may not be familiar with how his world handled indoor plumbing, he thought he would spare her the embarrassment of asking. He opened the door and stepping inside, turned on the taps. “This one is cold water, this one is hot, and if you need to use the toilet, sit here, and when you’re finished push this lever. Here’s, the light switch, clean towels, and some soap. ” She watched him intently studying what he was showing her.
“Do you eat meat?”
She slowly turned her gaze from the taps and looked at him. “Yes I eat meat.” She said in a distant voice.
“Ok, I have some stew with meat
, and vegetables, some bread, and cheese, and then we’ll need something to drink. Do you prefer water, coffee, or tea? ” She looked at him for a long moment. “Is everything all right?”
She broke his gaze
, and looking down said softly, “Life has been extremely hard for a long time, and I’m not used to such luxury. I’m also not used to strangers showing such generosity.”
He gave her a small smile of understanding, “First, let me tell you that I expect nothing in return. Secondly, I was raised to show strangers hospitality
, and to help those in need. And from what I saw tonight, you are undoubtedly in need.” Her gaze softened, and she managed a small smile, too. She went into the bathroom, and closed the door, taking her pack with her. David went to the kitchen sink, and washed his face, and hands. He didn’t want to leave in case she came out before he got back, and might be unnerved finding herself suddenly alone in such a strange place.
He went to the refrigerator
, and got out the stew he had made the day before checking to see that there was plenty for the two of them. He put it on the stove to heat and got out the bread, and cheese. He realized that she never did say what she wanted to drink, so he poured a couple of glasses of ice water, and put on a pot for tea. He thought that might help her relax. He set out the bowls and put the bread, cheese, some fresh fruit, and water on the table. As he was stirring the stew she came out of the bathroom looking a bit refreshed, but tired.
He walked over to the table
, and pulled out a chair with its back to the wall, and held it for her to sit down. “Here, have a seat and help yourself to some food, while I finish warming the stew.” He noticed her surveying the room and his choice of seating for her. She seemed to approve, and sat down putting her pack on the chair next to her easily within reach. “You never did answer my question, so I got you some cold water, and I’m making tea.” She gave him a smile of approval and picked up the water casually putting it under her nose. David pretended not to notice then saw her take a long drink.
“Oh, this is so cold
, and there’s ice in it.”
“I hope it isn’t too cold for you, I can get you some without the ice.”
“Oh no, it tastes good, I just didn’t think it was cold enough for ice.”
“
This is a refrigerator and freezer.” He opened the doors each in turn. “It keeps food cold or frozen, and we use it to make ice.” She leaned over to peer inside, and saw the variety of items on the shelves, most of which looked utterly foreign to her. Seeing her lean back, David closed the door, and went back to stir the stew. Leaning over, he inhaled through his nose and proclaimed. “I think that’s warm enough.” She watched as he turned the dial on the stove, and the flame went out. He took the pot to the table, and ladled some into each of their bowls, making sure he gave her plenty of meat. He set the pot back on the stove then joined her at the table.
Looking concerned she
asked, “Who are you? Is this all a dream? Everything is so strange to me, yet at the same time familiar. Did I die tonight?”
He smiled
, “You know me, just as I know you. I’ve spent my life seeing you day in, and day out, and apparently you’ve seen me the same way too. There will be time for us to learn about each other, but for now I trust what I already know. You didn’t die tonight. I suppose that, after all these years, it was finally time for our paths to cross. So eat and rest, and when you have your strength back, you can tell me everything. In the meantime, I hope my cooking doesn’t disappoint you.”
David heard the words coming out of his mouth
, and was surprised again by how calm he was. He was as shocked as she was, but somehow, her dismay made it possible for him to be calm. He wanted so much for her to be ok; for her not to be afraid, that it made it easy for him to keep his own fears bottled up.
She slowly shook her head, picked up a spoon
, and tasted the stew. It was warm and comforting, just as he was. "I've had worse," she said grinning, and with that, they both began to eat.
David did his best not to stare
, but he could see the restraint she was using not to eat too fast. It was clear she hadn’t eaten recently, and under the circumstances, he wasn’t at all surprised. He had no idea how long she had been on the run from the soldiers. He felt a swell of affection for her rise in him, and his desire to help her pushed aside, all the confusion he felt over what had just happened. As much as he wanted to figure out what was going on, that seemed much less important, than taking care of her.
***
Aurora sat there feeling so overwhelmed she became numb. She had been moments away from death, and suddenly she was in a strange place sitting at a table with him. It was all too much to comprehend. A million questions swirled at the edge of her thoughts, but after such a tremendous physical struggle, her intense fatigue and ravenous hunger prevented her from thinking clearly. She had no choice, but to accept her circumstance until she regained her strength, and could try to make sense of it.
She savored each bite of food. It had been so long since she had enjoyed a proper meal
, and with every mouthful she felt her mind clear a little more. One conclusion she had come to was that she was safe for now, and after these past few weeks constantly on the run that was something. She still had her mission, but she would not be able to complete it until she figured out what was going on. Obviously, she wasn’t in her land anymore, and she had no idea how she was going to get back. She needed to rest. As her hunger became satisfied, she became keenly aware of how tired she was.