The Bruised Mate | English Version | Slow Update's

5. 'Stranger'

--

I hold the warm cup of mint tea in my cold hands, while I close my eyes and enjoy the silence around me at the café.

After I walked around on the plaza, I ended up at a small café at the corner of the street. The old fashioned curtains that were covering the windows, and the rest of the interior remind me of the old days.

"Is everything here to your satisfaction?"

I open my eyes, and look at the seventy-year-old woman standing in front of me. Her grey hair framed her wrinkly face, and her friendly brown eyes are locked on mine.

I nod and smile, while holding up my cup, to show her 'I'm satisfied with everything'.

"Old lady, hello!"

Helma sighs, and turns around. She walks towards the four new customers as fast as she's capable of, and leads them to an empty table. She takes their orders there, and walks back to the kitchen.

As I spend more time here at the café, I notice it becoming more crowded in here. There are people everywhere, and every table is taken by now. Helma is trying to deliver the orders of tea, Fristi and Chocomel to the customers as fast as she possibly could.

The call for a waitress is coming from all different sides, and I start to feel sorry for Helma. But it surprised me that no matter how crowded it was here, how rude the people were, she just stood there; taking their orders with a big smile.

"Behave normally, you bitch!"

All four heads turn to Helma, and three of the blondes stare at Helma in a deadly manner. "Stop meddling with our business, old woman," the tallest blonde sneers. The other two start chuckling, but they soon stop when the black haired girl opens her mouth.

"And now, you bitches better start listening to me – and listen really good. You can get the fuck out of here without me kicking you out, or you could stay here and see what happens," she growls.

"Safira, please..." Helma whispers, obviously worried. The tallest of the three blonde ladies snorts disapprovingly, but turns away from them anyway, and walks out – her hips swaying. The two others follow her outside as lapdogs, and as soon as there is no trace left of the three of them, Safira finally calms down.

--

After spending a few more calming hours at the café, I decided it was time to move on.

Almost everyone else had left, leaving only Helma, Safira and me here.

Perhaps I should start looking for a place to stay for the night here in this village – or I could travel at night without having to be scared that someone spots me in my wolf form. Not that it would be that bad, since I've noticed that there were several people around here that carried the wolf gene.

Like Safira for instance, everyone could spot the power she emanates from a mile away.

"You know; you still have to pay."

I look up, startled, in the piercing green eyes of none other than Safira. I quickly nod, and show her the money that I was holding in my hand for a while now.

"Oh," she mumbles, and quickly looks away with a guilty look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't see it so quickly," she gives me a faint smile.

I shrug as a sign that it didn't matter, and that I understood where she was coming from. I just sensed that underneath the mask of a harsh, heartless person, there was a sweet and caring girl hidden underneath. One who was really insecure, and behaved like this to make up for the insecurities she had.

Either that, or she had experienced something really traumatically.

"Helma!" she suddenly yells. Not the kind of yelling that made it seem like she was out for blood, but more of the kind that said 'there is someone who would like to pay'.

Helma appears in the doorway that led to the kitchen, and as soon as her eyes fall on us, she quickly walks towards us.

"What can I help you with?"

I hold up the money by means of answering her question, and she nods understandingly. "Follow me."

I follow Helma to the register, as does Safira. Helma rings up a few items at the register, followed by a soft 'ping'. "Nine dollars and thirty cents, please."

I give her a ten dollar bill, and as soon as Helma attempts to give me back my spare change, I make a gesture that she can keep it.

"Thank you," Helma said friendly, with a broad smile. I went to get my stuff, and as soon as I get ready to leave, Safira completely freezes up.

"Shit, shit, shit," she mumbles as she starts panicking. Helma too panics, and the fear is evidently shown in her big, brown eyes.

"Safira, you have to go now," Helma calls, as she bends down and grabs something from underneath the register. She threw a backpack towards Safira, who catches it with one hand.

"Crap!" she yells, when a loud growl sounds from somewhere outside. My eyes grow wide now as well, and the panic is flowing through my body while I give both Helma and Safira shocked glances.

"-Damn it!"

"Safira, language!" Helma calls angrily. "Safira, take her with you. If they see the girl, she's as good as dead, too."

Safira sighs, but her eyes display an emotion that can only be described as guilt.

"Come with me, and remain silent! If you make just one noise, it will be the end of you."