The Lonely Girl

Chapter 8

Sahara

Walking around the grocery store with Santi was surreal. To other people we would have looked like a couple getting food for the week. I think he was surprised with my items, I buy a lot of spices and random ingredients to make different meals. “So I don’t even know what half this stuff is” Santi laughs. “I like to be creative with my food” I reply. “ I don’t eat out in restaurants as it’s a bit awkward on my own so I try and create my own amazing food”. “ I actually really love cooking, there wasn’t a lot of access to food growing up so this is something I take pleasure in”. “Why wasn’t there much food, I thought foster parents were given money to feed the kids in their care?” How do I answer this, I was provided with food in foster care, sometimes not enough or it was poor quality. I was referring to my time on the streets. Do I want him to know this yet. I’ve never told anyone.“ There were good ones and bad ones”. I decided to open up a bit and see how he takes it. “I actually spent a bit of time on the streets fending for myself, food was hard to come by, so now I’m a real foodie”. He was silent for a while, I guess it’s a lot to process. “ Wow, he said, I’m so sorry you had no one to take care of you, you’re such an inspiration to have survived that”. I was a bit taken aback, I don’t want anyone’s pity, he seemed genuinely upset that I’d been through that, imagine if you he knew all of it. “Oh look it was a few years ago now, I’ve never had other people to rely on, I’m so used to doing things by myself, that way I can’t be let down by others”. I paid for the groceries, I could tell he wanted to but could probably see I wouldn’t allow it. I’m not poor, I have enough to live comfortably besides I don’t need someone to take care of me. On the way back to my place he asked, “so what are we doing now?” “Well I was planning on researching houses.” “Great, I can help, what areas” Santi replied. “ Somewhere far away” I replied.

Santi

Grocery shopping with Sahara was really fun, it felt like we were a real couple getting food for the weekend. I’ve never actually grocery shopped in my life, and if it’s up to me to cook I usually just fry up a steak. I was blown away by everything she was buying. I’m definitely going to organise for us to go out to dinner, maybe I’ll see if she’ll go with me tonight. On the car ride back Lailani texted me, she’d looked into Sahara’s background but strangely could find nothing before the age of 14yrs. It’s like she didn’t exist before then. Of the information she could find it wasn’t very useful, just school records and college. Not even addresses before 3 years ago. It’s so frustrating, I want to know everything about her and she doesn’t seem willing to talk. I’ll have to keep trying to earn her trust.

At least she’s agreed to let me help her house hunt. Little does she know I’m planning on taking her home with me. She did want somewhere far away, my pack is definitely secluded. We have an infirmary, I will offer her a job to manage the place. My plan is that she’ll start working there, start to feel comfortable in the community and hopefully by that stage she’ll trust me a lot more and then I’ll tell her about myself.

I helped carry her groceries in, surprisingly she asked if I wanted to stay for lunch. “Yes, I would love to but you have to let me take you out to dinner to tonight”. She seemed a little shocked but excited. “Actually that would be really nice, It’ll be nice not to cook for a change “. Great, ok I think she’s warming up to me a little. She made some bruschetta, it was really good, I don’t expect a girl to cook for me but I could eat her food all day! After I’d eaten I thought I better take off and organise dinner, I had something special in mind. “Alright, we’ll I might go and organise some things for dinner, pick you up at 7pm?”I stated “Yes that would be great thanks “ she replied. “It’s a date” I said enthusiastically and then realised what I’d said. “No sorry not a date, just a dinner for friends to get to know each other!” She smirked but didn’t say anything. I left quickly before I said something else to embarrass myself.