Lost

Leaving

Natty picked the the fruit and placed them in Jonathan's hand. "Natty, I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you, because I'm not. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. But I was wondering if you had anything here, that would help with my memory loss."

"There are things I could try, I can't guarantee that it will work and even if it did, it would take time. I've never treated memory loss before."

"I'm willing to try anything!"

"Ok, no problem! when we are going back, I'll pick a few things, to try."

"Thank you very much Natty!"

After picking a few more fruits, they heads back. Natty bends down a couple times and roots up a few plants, Jonathan doesn't recalls the name for.

"I'm going to steam some fish for dinner ok? I can't give you any more medicine right now. I have to let a few hours pass."

Jonathan was deep in thought. Despite a bandaged head, he was going to seek a job tomorrow. He wasn't going to tell Natty of his plans, he might try to stop him. For now, he will work in the days and come here at nights, until he could stand on his feet. That sounded like a good plan.

By the time Natty gave him the dinner of fish and okra, with carrots, it was night. The food was delicious.

"Do you have any children, Natty?" Jonathan asked, his mouth filled with fish.

"I have a son, he's married now."

"Where's your wife?"

"Dead."

"I'm sorry!"

"It's no problem, she died a long time ago."

Jonathan was curious as to how his wife died. But refrain from questioning him further, about that.

"Ever remarried?"

"Nope! "

Jonathan got the feeling Natty didn't like talking about his family.

"I'm going to wash up," Jonathan got up and took Natty's plate from his hands and steps outside. Filling up the aluminum basin with water. He poured some liquid soap in it and thoroughly washed the dishes, pots and pans used for preparing the dinner. And then he turns them down on the table outside.

Jonathan needed a bath, so he took a bucket that was near the pipe and filled it up. He knew there was no inside bathroom and no shower. Jonathan stuck his head through the door and asked, "do you have a tooth brush I could barrow?" he asked Natty.

Natty gave him a brand new one. What am I going to do for toothpaste? He decided to improvise and not bother Natty anymore. He was already doing too much for him. Lifting the bucket with water, he brought it to the side of the house. Along with the bottle of liquid soap, he had used for washing the dishes.

The night was very dark, save for a bulb that was loosely hanging from the roof. Jonathan stepped outside of the light, so he wouldn't be spotted easily when he was bathing. He poured some liquid soap on the tooth brush and began to brush his teeth. Jonathan nearly gaged from the horrid taste of soap in his mouth.

"Good god!" he groaned, this was simply the worst thing he had ever tasted.

His body shuddered from the taste. He quickly spat it out and rinsed. He knew the taste was not going to leave his mouth any time soon.

Throwing his clothes on a rock nearby, he proceeded to bathe. He was done bathing in record time. Bathing outside was not fun at all, the water was too cold on his back. Jonathan nearly jumped out of his skin, when he heard a loud clearing of throat, it seemed to echo in the quiet night. He turns around a saw an outstretched arm, filled with clean clothes.

How did he know I was bathing? Jonathan wondered. Taking the clothes gratefully, he wondered how he will ever repay this man's kindness.

By the time Jonathan was finished bathing, his teeth was shattering.

He puts on the clean clothes and threw away the remaining dirty water from the bucket and goes inside.

Inside felt heavenly. Nice and warm. Lying on the bed Jonathan quickly falls asleep. Sometime later, Jonathan was awaken by Natty with yet another cup of medicine, "remember, this is only good for memory loss, it won't recover your memory."

"Ok, thank you very much!"

"I'm going to bed now, if you need anything wake me up," Natty informed him.

Jonathan was sipping on his medicine, while Natty was spreading sheets and placing pillows on the ground. Jonathan hadn't realized that he was taking away the man's bed. I definitely have to leave here. Jonathan hated intruding on the man like that. After finishing his drink he fell asleep again.

The next morning when Jonathan woke up, he noticed that Natty was not there. Jonathan was glad he was not there, because he was sure that Natty would've stopped him from leaving. He tried to recall something, but everything was foggy. Something seems to want to surface, but it's just floating there, not fully coming into focus. After waiting awhile to allow his confusion to dim slightly, he got up to go outside.

Stepping outside, Jonathan had to hold on to the house, to stop the dizziness that overwhelms him, from the bright sunshine. It seems to be blinding him, his head pounding even more than before.

He slid down on the ground waiting for the spell to leave him. Holding his throbbing head, Jonathan wondered how he was going to seek work if this kind of feeling keeps taking him over. He knew his body wasn't ready, but still, he was not going to keep living off the old man. He tried to get up and succeeded after a few attempts.

He slowly walks to the where he had left his toothbrush the night before and squeezed some on it and brushes his teeth. Promising himself that the first money he got hold of, he would buy a tube of toothpaste. He stuffs the brush in his pocket and set on his way, hoping he wouldn't see Natty on his way out.

Jonathan has no idea, how far he was from a town or city. But he was willing to walk the journey. The area where Natty lived was pure bushes and trees. He walked for a long time before he was off the dirt track. The sun was hot and his head was still hurting.

He came upon an old lady, stuggling to carry her bags from the car to a colourful house, with several colours painted on it.

"Hey! do you want any help with that?" he called after her. She didn't answer, nor did she looked his way. Jonathan was baffled, he knew she needed help. Then it dawned on him, that the lady might be hard of hearing.

Running up to her just in time to catch a bag that was about to fall to the ground from her hand. "Where are you taking this!" he asked loudly. The old woman smiled a toothless grin and pointed to a step several metres away.

"Thank you!"

Taking the bag to the steps, he hurried to help her with the other one. After both bags were on the steps, he enquired loudly, "do you want help with anything else!" She seemed to want to say yes, but shook her head no.

Jonathan wasn't sure why she would refuse help, if she needed it. But then again maybe she didn't trust him. After all, he wasn't looking his best. He looked down on himself, as he walks away from her. He wore baggy striped pants, long sleeved, brown striped shirt, sandals on his feet. His feet and sandals now extremely dirty, from the long trek on the dirt track.

Head still in bandages. He knew he must look a sight. Still he continued on his journey. He began to think it was not such a good idea to have left Natty so soon. Jonathan traveled several miles and still no town in sight. Just a few houses here and there, was all he saw. He was extremely tired and thirsty. He decided to stop at the next house and ask for a bottle of water and directions to the nearest town.

Walking a few more miles, Jonathan's feet began to drag. He felt like he would fall any second now. As he turns a sharp corner he saw a huge house, the biggest he saw since he started walking. He stood and looked at the magnificence of it.

Going up to the gate, he pressed the buzzer. No one answered. He pressed again and again. He was desperate now. After pressing the buzzer a few more times, a voice coldly barked, "leave this gate at once!"