Chapter 5 Hunger Solution

But he didn't want her to be scared. He nudged her gently with his elbow, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about them," he said softly. "I'm with you. Nothing bad's gonna happen, I promise." he promised her.

Debbie looked up at him, her brow furrowed.

"But Daniel... they're just standing there, staring at us." She was still worried.

Daniel stopped walking for a moment and turned to face her.

"Look, they're just a bunch of guys with nothing better to do.

They're probably just bored, that's all. But you don't need to worry, okay? As long as I'm here, nobody's going to mess with you." he went further to explain.

His words were meant to comfort her, and in a way, they did.

Debbie took a deep breath, trying to feel comfortable and calm off the weird feeling already in her. She nodded, forcing a small smile.

"Okay," she said quietly. "If you say so." she is now convinced.

Daniel wrapped an arm around her shoulder, moving her away from the group of men and down another street, hoping to find a safer, quiet path.

The further they walked, the lonelier the streets became.

Most of the shops had their shutters down, and only a few dimly lit windows glowed from the apartment and some buildings close by.

It felt like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Debbie's stomach growled again, reminding her why they were out here in the first place.

"I don't even know where we're going anymore," she said, half joking to break the tension.

"We'll find something," Daniel said with quiet confidence.

"Even if we have to walk to the other side of town. There's always someone selling food, even at this hour." Daniel suggested.

Debbie stayed close to him, grateful for his presence.

As they moved further away from the group of men, she began to relax a little, trusting in his promise that everything would be fine.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, the only sound being the faint hum of distant traffic and the occasional chirp of crickets.

The streets were almost empty, but in that emptiness, Debbie found some peace. At least they were away from those men and Ma'am Margarita. At least, for now, they were okay.

She glanced over at Daniel, who was still scanning the streets for any sign of life.

He had that serious look on his face, the one that always made her feel like everything would turn out alright, no matter how bad things seemed.

"Do you really think we'll find something to eat?" she asked, her voice softer now, less anxious.

Daniel smiled down at her. "Of course we will," he said with a playful wink. "And when we do, it'll be the best meal we've ever had." he said with a smile on his face.

Debbie couldn't help but laugh, even though she was still hungry and a little nervous.

"You're always full of surprises ," she said, shaking her head.

"Someone's have to be," Daniel replied with a grin. "Can't have us both worrying, can we?"

Debbie looked up at the sky, the stars barely visible through the sky of the city lights.

As they continued down the street, side by side, the tension that had been disturbing her chest started to lift.

Daniel was right. There was nothing to worry about. They would find food, and they would be safe.

Finally they sighted a street vendor and they both rushed towards there.

After walking down the lonely streets, Debbie and Daniel finally spotted a street vendor at the end of the block.

The warm light from the cart gave off a faint reflection, and the smell of freshly fried food filled the air, making Debbie's stomach churn even more.

She hadn't eaten all day, and now they had a chance to grab something before the night got any darker.

"Thank goodness!" Debbie sighed in relief. "Finally, we found something. I'm starving."

Daniel laughed beside her as they quickened their pace, rushing towards the vendor.

The closer they got, the more Debbie's mind drifted to the taste of food.

"What do you think they have?" she asked, her excitement building.

"Maybe some grilled chicken or those meat pies we always see?" She was so excited.

Daniel just smiled at her, not saying much as they approached the stand. Once they were in front of the vendor, Debbie turned to him with a curious look.

"Okay, Daniel, where's the money?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"You're paying for this, right?" she went further to ask.

Daniel let out a sudden burst of laughter, which caught Debbie completely off guard.

She stared at him, confused, as he chuckled and shook his head.

"Money? Debbie, who said anything about money?" Daniel teased, leaning against the vendor's cart like he had some grand secret.

"What do you mean?" Debbie frowned, her confusion growing.

"How are we going to eat if we don't have any money? Didn't we come here to buy something?" her voice is getting curious every second.

Daniel shook his head, his smile still in place.

"Nope, we didn't come here to buy food."He finally lets out the bombshell.

Debbie blinked, now even more confused.

"Then why are we here? What are we going to do if we can't buy anything?"What about the hunger in my belly? She asked.

Daniel looked at her, his expression softening as he leaned in closer.

"We're not here to buy food, Debbie. We're here to eat... for free." Daniel said , his voice mixed with laughter.

The confusion on Debbie's face deepened. "For free? Daniel, what are you talking about?"

Daniel glanced around before nodding towards the trash bin next to the vendor's cart.

The realization hit Debbie slowly, her stomach twisting with a strange mix of hunger and growing frustration.

She stared at the trash bin, then back at Daniel, who didn't seem the least bit bothered.

"We're going to look for leftovers," Daniel explained calmly.

"It's not that bad. You'll get used to it. We do it all the time at Ma'am Margarita's place." He went ahead to remind Daniel.

For a moment, Debbie didn't say anything. She just stood there, processing what Daniel had just said.

They weren't here to buy food, they were here to dig through the trash for scraps.