I SHALL FIND YOU (6 page)

After minutes they collected the food, and went back to the car. Once seated she handed him his roll and drink. The smell of food wafted in the air. They started on the burgers.

“Mm, this is good.”

She nodded, mouth full. “Tastes good.”

He said he loved hot food after buying stuff. She agreed, outside getting bargains she enjoyed the food on sunny and warm days. He grabbed a serviette and wiped a splash of sauce from the corner of her mouth.

“Thanks. Finished your roll?”

“Yes.”

“No supper last night?”

“Had a takeaway, ribs, fish and chips.”

“You didn’t cook?”

“Only got home this morning. An accident on the M25 caused a congestion that lasted hours.”

“It was terrible. Saw it on the news. Several dead and others taken to hospital. I left work at four. When did you leave?”

He couldn’t depart at six. The night shift electrician called, said he was running late. Godfree waited, only for the guy to arrive at two hours later. As soon as he joined the motorway the congestion started. That got him home this morning close to one.

“One lousy day, huh?”

“Yeah.”

She sipped her drink. “What have you planned for the rest of the day?”

“Working on my shed at the allotment. Then it’s home to trim my lawn and hedge. You?”

“A walk. It’s an excellent day for the outdoors.”

“Don’t be on your own. Remember the missing girls. Either stay home, or be with someone.”

“I agree, don’t go out a lot. Love reading when I’m not working on a design on my laptop.”

“Sounds like me. Can’t stay away from computers or books.”

“What books do you read? Romance stuff? Mills and Boon?”

They laughed. African, fast paced suspense thriller and mystery books, historical and westerns were his best genres. He mentioned authors. She knew them too and liked them.

“Joel hasn’t returned. You fooled me, never indicated you knew you’d beat him. Why didn’t you let me know?”

“Had to let him think I was scared. It’s a weapon of war. His weakness was over-confidence. He underestimated the opponent. How do you know that Joel, anyway?”

Rose and Joel had had been classmates at primary. His was one dysfunctional family. An older brother in prison. A father who ran around with women and got killed when caught by an enraged husband in bed with his wife. Joel’s mother drank and died when he was eight. Strangled by a jealous boyfriend. An aunt who peddled drugs raised him. He fell out of school in year six and been in prison because of drugs.

“Real sad. Had no idea. What he called you didn’t sink well with me, and he was lucky I didn’t break that arm.”

A sound erupted. She pulled her mobile phone from her bag.

“Hi, Dad. Yeah, I’m still in town at the boot-fare. You’d have wanted to come too? Sorry, you were fast asleep when I left. You missed out. I struck great bargains. No, I won’t tell you what I bought. See you soon. Love you too, Dad." The call ended. She smiled at Godfrey. “By the way, I forgot to tell you my parents and Loyce really enjoyed the food you bought. It was unfair, wished I could tell them who had provided it. I got the hugs which should have gone to you. Felt a cheat. Sorry, got to take another call. Don’t leave.”

Holding his arm, she retrieved her phone again.

“Hi, sis. Having a great time at the boot-fare. Met someone yet?” Rose glanced at Godfree and winked. “Just like you to ask if I met another guy. I have this guy sitting in my car. He is a real hunk. You’ll swoon when you meet him. It’s no joke. No, you can’t talk to him. I’m not sharing him. See you later, sis.” She glanced at him, entwined her fingers in his. “My sister Loyce. She’s always teasing me for not having another boyfriend and wanted a word. Couldn’t let her talk with you because she’d ask your country.”

“My accent will give me away.”

“I’m going to let everyone at home know how you helped me with Joel today. That’ll make my dad change his attitude.”

“Does he need to know?”

“Why not? Wouldn’t you say thanks to a guy who helped your daughter?”

“You think that’ll change him?”

“It should. He must know.”

“Do you tell your dad everything?”

“No.”

“What can I do to stop you?”

“You can’t, so forget it.” She waved. “We got company. Check your window, smile and wave.”

He glanced sideways, smiled back. The married couple from the food caravan was smiling and waving, walked to their car, got inside and then drove away.

“I call them the pinching couple. They seemed to like us.”

He raised his eyebrows. “The pinching couple?”

“They pinched each other, didn’t they? But it’s good for a husband and wife to be friends and have fun. Only for some it lasts a few weeks after the wedding night. After that you have a negative graph that reveals boredom, quarrels, fighting, and finally divorce. A husband and wife must be best friends.”

“You want several children?”

“Yes.”

“Why aren’t you married? No one’s good enough?”

Her previous boyfriend was a fellow doctorate student. He was tall, broad-shouldered and blonde and wanted to move in with her. She refused. He said he would wait for marriage, proved a liar and cheat. Was having something on the side. Rose dumped him. That happened two years ago. What was Godfree’s story?

He could have married back home. But his girlfriend met a married businessman who promised her a package that included leaving his wife for her. Soon he got her pregnant and refused paternity. She ran back to Godfree, begged he take her back with her unborn baby. He refused, told her she had made her bed and must sleep on it.

“Serves that evil woman right,” Rose said. “How could you trust her after that?”

“No way. Good there were decent girls around. So what happened to the cheating guy?”

“Oh, him. He stayed away for a while but has started calling, begging, saying how sorry he was and wants me back. I’m going to tell him I have a new guy who is a karate black belt. Let him know he just ran the town bully out of town. That way he won’t bother me again. The calls are getting to be a real nuisance. Mind pretending you’re my boyfriend for a while? Tell me of your family.”

He wondered if she was serious or flirting. Told her he was the youngest in a family with three older brothers, and a sister, all back home. One brother was a headmaster at a village school, another worked for the city council in the capital city. The last drove long-distance trucks from his country to South Africa and other neighbouring countries. His sister and her husband were both primary school teachers. His dad had worked as a labourer at a factory, was now retired and stayed at the village. His mother had always been a full-time housewife.

“Miss home?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“You came a long way. Must be hard so far from home. The weather, food, culture’s all different. So you’re the only one in your family here?”

“Yes.”

It was his turn to ask about her family. She had two older brothers; one a podiatrist married to an Australian podiatrist and staying in Melbourne. The other was married as well and worked in the Midlands. Her older sister Loyce worked for the city council. Her mother was a school-head at a girls’ grammar school. The talk meandered to university, engineering, music, books and more. They shared the same interests.

None was in a hurry to leave. He was the first one to check the time, realized they had sat in the car for over an hour.

“Rose. You really want me to pretend I’m your boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t.”

She looked hurt. “Why not?”

“You can find someone else for that. If I’m to be a boyfriend it must be real, not fake. So if you want my help I will have to be your boyfriend from now. If you don’t, get someone else.”

“That leaves me no choice. Want my number?”

“You want to be my girlfriend?”

“Yes. Thought you were serious.”

“But I thought you didn’t like refugees.”

“A girl has a right to change her mind. I just made exception for one. You didn’t like whites either.”

“Did I ever say that? There was just one blonde girl I disliked a lot. Give me your number.”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

They swapped numbers. She saved his name as My Man Free. She grinned when he put her as Green-eyed Rose.

“The weather’s going to be fine tomorrow. Mind a trip to the sea if you’re free?”

“Brilliant idea! There’s this spot I want to show you. We’ll get ice-creams, sit on the cliff and walk barefoot on the sands. Here’s my ex, Nathan’s number. I’d appreciate if you call him and have a man talk so he leaves me alone.”

He called Nathan. Voice mail triggered in.

He left a message. “Hello, Nathan. This concerned Rose. I would really appreciate if you can call me back.”

Seconds later his phone buzzed.

“You left a message,” a voice said. “Is Rose ok?”

“Nathan, I’d like you to leave my girlfriend alone.”

“Who the hell are you? And my name’s Doctor Nathan. I’d like to be addressed as such.”

“Accept you’re a loser, Nathan, and I don’t want you calling Rose again. I’m taking her to the seaside tomorrow.”

Nathan shouted. “The hell you are! Rose’s my girl. Leave her alone!”

“Now you listen. I don’t want you within a yard of my girl, or you’ll crawl home with missing teeth, a broken jaw and ribs. How would you like to be thrown from the edge of a cliff into the sea, Nathan? Want to find out if I mean it? Why don’t you visit the seaside tomorrow? We’ll fight bare knuckle. The loser stops bothering Rose. Got it? It’ll be just you and me. Man to man.”

“You don’t scare me that easily. You’re just a lowlife goon she hired for this. I’m not leaving her.”

“It’s you that’ll have the broken ribs and jaws, Nathan. I’m betting on two broken arms and legs. You’ve been enough of a nuisance. Maybe I should be the one to pay a visit. I’ll save you the travelling. Expect a visit from me soon. When you see a giant black Rastafarian guy spotting dreadlocks that hug the waist and a shaggy beard you’ll know I’m in town.”

“Rose’s interested in me and you’re no Rastafarian. Your accent is fake. I want to talk to Rose. Let me hear her say that to me herself. You’re not Jamaican.”

“Never said I was. I’m an African Rastafarian from Ethiopia. You heard of Emperor Haile Selassie, I suppose? Rose’s right here.”

He handed over the phone.

“Nathan,” Rose said. “You’d better take this guy seriously. He has a black belt in karate. You cheated. That makes you history. I care about this guy a lot. It’s about time he broke your arms and ribs. And don’t even think you can defeat him. Just amazed I ever wasted time on a wimp like you. If you ever call me again, leave a message or even text, then he’ll come. When he gets through you’ll wish you had listened. Now get lost! Find a shallow bimbo that likes your type. And my man’s educated too. An electrical engineer just in case you need to know. Now he wants a final word.”

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Nathan.” Godfree said. “We’ve done enough talk. You’ve been enough nuisance.”

“Look here, man,” Nathan's voice was unsure. “I’ll stop calling her. Didn’t know she had a new guy.”

“Now you do. You promise not to call again?”

“You got my word.”

“Stay away from my woman.”

The call ended.

Rose grinned. “All done?”

“Yes. You owe me a hug to show your gratitude, Miss Clarke.”

“With all these people watching? Alright.” She hugged him. “Free.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m getting to really like you.”

“Me too. Never realized sitting in a girl’s car and holding a girl’s hand can bring so much joy. You sure you aren’t a witch?”

“You acted tough with Joel and Nathan. But I’m getting to know you better now. You hate fighting, didn’t really hurt that man who tortured you when you had a chance. Those tactics were just to scare him. Another man would have killed him. Inside you aren’t cruel. Guess you got to burrow deeper under the skin to see what’s inside. Free, what did you see when you looked at me before?”

“You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

“You won’t like it.”

“Say it as it should.”

“I saw an arrogant, angry, rude, green-eyed girl with long hair and an attitude. I’m still puzzled though where she went. In her place is now a pretty, sweet, decent and humorous girl.”

“When you tell a girl that it will be hard to get rid of her. She might decide to follow you to the ends of the earth.”

“So we can go live in the jungle and mud huts together?”

“Sure. If that’s what you want.”