Chapter 4 Bandages

CHAPTER 4

Bandages

It was a man wrapped almost completely in bandages from his legs up to his neck. He limped on a pair of crutches.

He approached a young woman and gesticulated for some water.

He looked famished,drained and tired. But the woman scrunched her face and hurried away, not wanting to be seen with him.

The man dejected, kept limping along and Ade hurried to him. "Mr, you need some water don't you? I can get you some."

The man was really handsome and tall. She considered. What had happened to him? How had he ended up this way?

He maintained a cold look. " I know you saw that. If you just want to show me how much you pity me it's fine. I'll pass. Just move along like she did."

She was a bit taken aback after he spoke, but her resolve was firm. " No Mr, I really want to get you some water. Please let me?"

The handsome man observed her. Was she really genuine? Or perhaps she had recognized him?

Did she really not know who he was? If not why was she being persistent?

She could have frowned down at him and walked away. After all that was what every other young lady he had met under his deceptive display--his disguise, did.

Well maybe he'd see to the end of it, and decide if she would be different from the others.

"Okay, I consent," he grunted an answer .

The both walked just a short distance to were a provision store sold it's flashy enticing edibles to passerbys.

After purchasing the water, she began opening the bottle lid.

The man frowned. "What are you doing?"

Confused, she stuttered. "I uhh ... want to give it to you."

"You don't give someone a drink by opening the lid," his voice was cold.

A bit stunned, she shook her head, looking down at his completely bandaged hands which firmly depended on the crutches for support. " Your hands are ...not ...strong"

He scoffed. "I can manage. You don't get to decide."

" Please, let me, please," she begged, and he narrowed his eyes.

What was it with this woman? Why was she so adamant? Was this really a front? Faux? Or was it real? If it was real then she really was different.

A gem.

A sudden chancing upon a hidden trove of gold.

Something that happened once after a thousand moons came and went.

"How can a man like me allow you to feed me like a little kid? You want people to laugh at me. Seems like you're a cruel lady."

She smiled," you won't be laughed at. I'll chase them away. Whoever they are."

That made him want to smile, but he blocked the expression from ever reaching his face, and instead the cold look intensified.

He took the water from her and opened it. "I can drink comfortably thank you."

The disappointment didn't stay long on her face when she watched him gulp down the water.

He must have been really thirsty. How long since he last had something to drink? She wondered.

What about something to eat?

"Have you eaten anything?" she asked.

"You want to feed me?"he finished drinking and threw the can away.

"If you ...don't mind." She answered.

"Never mind that," he looked around, adjusting on his crutches. "Where are you headed?"

Image of the pet shop's glass doors slapped her memory and she wondered why all thoughts of why she had come had disappeared from her mind."I came to get a pet."

He studied her. A pet? Interesting. After coming across her, he had decided he wanted her to be his big pet, that he'd pet.

He wanted her.

And this treasure he'd found? He was zeroed in.

He was locked in. It was an added bonus that she didn't know who he really was.

He worried if she knew, she might not be happy with his guise.

Maybe it would be better to reveal himself later on.

When? He was not sure. For now, he still needed to appraise her--just to be sure she wasn't fronting.

"Really? Let's go then." He maintained a straight cheerless face.

"You want to walk with me?" Her eyes enlarged. "Won't that cause you pain and stress? You need to rest."

" I wasn't complaining was I?" He moved forward, as he grumbled.

Ade chuckled and kept pace beside him. "What happened to you?"

"Don't ask," came the cold response again.

There was silence as Ade pondered why he wouldn't want to tell her. Was it that bad?

"You said you'll chase people away if they laugh at me," he looked at her." You are such a naive girl. Don't you know you'll be the one who will be laughed at?"

" That is nothing new. It's happened before."

He looked at her again, as he fought a smile. " Maybe they do it because you are too beautiful and they're driven to envy."

A blush reddened her cheeks instantly. " You think so?"

"I don't think so," he growled. "If you don't know how extremely beautiful you are then you are foolish."

" Fair enough. You're handsome as well."

"With my condition?"

She looked at his legs then up at him. "Oh please. That doesn't make you any less of who you are. A human . And every human has ailments ...some are external ...some are internal. There's no difference"

" Interesting. You appear to be a date-worthy material. Someone I'd like to keep for myself, at all costs."

She blushed again, " really?"

He nodded.

In as much as his compliments were sudden and her heart swooned, she felt like she didn't deserve any of the things he said.

She felt much of an imposter, taking someone else's praise.

" But ...I'm not sure you'd still want me if I told you ...if I told you I got cheated on. My ex left me for another woman. Guess I wasn't good enough for him. I don't know. I don't know if I'm good enough for a man."

As he listened to her, a strong, burning desire in his chest awoke. A wicked urge to order for a manhunt and track down the miser who had broken her heart, and break his too-- literally.

But he tamed down the idea, considering she would see him in a bad light if he did that.

Something twinkled in his eyes and he decided to poke her playfully.

" You got dumped? Wow. Guess I have to reconsider my decisions then." He feigned a serious, disappointed expression.

A sullen look flashed on her face, just a little, and she looked down. " It won't be bad if you do. I guess I understand. "

His eyes glittered with adoration and wonder at this pure hearted beauty queen in front of him.

This amazing woman he'd met today, he didn't plan on letting go of her. Not at all.

He thought to tell her it was a joke but considered against it. "C'mon ... what pet are you buying?"

He asked as they entered the shop.

" I want to get a dog." Her face brightened when she said the last word.

"Dog? Interesting. Let's go."

Shiny small steel cages greeted their sight as they walked in. Rows of pet food, treats, toys and bags of litter littered the floor close to the cages.

Scents of dog shampoos and kibbles hung heavy in the air as kids ran, trying to catch the black puppy that escaped them.

Some adults were scattered in front of the cages observing, and two stood, stroking a Chihuahua the shop owner had just released from the cage.

Cats meowed and scratched at steel, dogs yowled and pigs snorted.

"Not my favorite place to come to," the bandaged handsome noted as he poked his clutches into the hard tiles of the store.

He hadn't trained well to use these for his ruse, so he was praying to whatever gods existed, that he wouldn't be caught before he even had a chance to explain himself.

The store owner, a short man with a barren head and med glasses to match his stern look, warily watched them come in.

Who was this man walking in looking like a character straight out of a necromantic horror novel? He wondered.

But before he could ask what they wanted, two other customers walked in.

It was Sarah, James and Violet.