Dark Alley

Chapter 3

     "Good morning Foster," he greeted, It was that man again - the one with two rounded chest. I want him to stay, whoever he is. Whenever I see him I feel - alive.

     "Stop saying that," I said. Annoyed. He didn't say anything.

      I suddenly felt cold so I took my soaked shirt from the ground back then quickly put on the shirt on me.

     "I just want tell you how grateful I am," I tell him anyways, in an awkward way, I hope he remembers yesterday. My arms wrapped around my knees and my eyes on the wall. "Because you were the first person who answered me for years."

     He is my answer.

     I look at him. His blue eyes circles. He didn't say anything - instead he was shaking as he turned back walking towards nowhere. I am afraid he'd disappear again. I am afraid someone told him not to talk to me again. Except to greet  me a good morning Foster.

     I take a deep breath as I close my eyes for a minute. Then I opened it to see if he is still here. My anxiety rose as I see him just three meters away from me, now he is carrying a tray. I studied what's inside and I swore I saw soap and layers clothes piled.

     "Someone will be here for you," I hear him. My mind whirls in possibilities. Who'll be here, for me? The barber man? My parents? His sharp, high pitched voice is exceptional. I heard a lot of men around here, like mine they were broad. "We have to get you ready."

     He waits for me to stand up. As soon as I raised my knees away from the floor he placed the tray into the ground and helped me find my posture. I have never stood up for too long. I felt paralyzed, but he's aiding me.

     "Let me take off your shirt," he says. At first I hesitated. I don't want anybody to see my figures, I don't want them to know about my problem with the food they've been serving and its effect by just looking at my body.

But his fingers.

     His two fingers were already at the hem of my shirt. I try to trust him. His eyes. His eyes tell me that it's important for him to do what he wants.

     Instead of hesitating I helped him with taking them off. I used to feel cold when my shirt is off. But with him. Everything is different. My palms are sweating. I clenched my jaws. He seemed relaxed. I have to be relaxed.

Relax.

     "Relax," he whispers. Did he just? I shook my head. I can't stop from fidgeting. His hands unzips my pants, he placed his hands on my waste as he drags my pants down. The only thing he spared for me was my boxers. I look at his face, thought I can't completely see it, her skin turned red, I wondered why. But before I could ask her suddenly turned away. "Get in the tub." He ordered.

     "What tub?" I asked. For the many years I have stayed in this four cornered alley never I have seen a tub. Also, never in my life I have bathed in a tub. I wonder how it feels inside a tub. 

     He pointed his index finger on my right, I turned my head to where he is pointing and found a bath tub over the corner. It was wide and it's smoking.

     I wonder how people or even things get into this place. Like he asked I walked into the tub and raised my feet up to get in. My toes - my toes were the first one to feel the luxury of this warm device that is used for bathing. Then I dipped my feet, my legs, my knee, until I couldn't help my excitement I jumped into the tub. 

It's so warm.

     I can touch the water without hitting me first. 

     I giggled. I am unsure of when this happiness would last. I pushed my whole body under the water, letting the warm liquid massage my body. I look back at him looking at me. I smiled at him. I raised my hand waved it downward, inviting him over.

He shakes his head.

     "Come on, it's so fun!" I told him. I tried to splash him with the water, but he always steps backward avoiding to get soaked. He shook his head again. I assumed he has done this too. Bathing. In a wide tub. And also he gave me a look so I stopped budging him in. As soon as he noticed that I wasn't messing with him anymore, he took a few steps on me, holding soap on his hand - the other one is grabbing my wet arm. I let him be - I let him rub the soap on my arm, into my ankle, into skinny arm. The soap smells different - good different. The smell is something I can accommodate with his eyes.

     I closed my eyes. All my life these people I never knew served me. Served me food. But never served me to bath me. I managed to take the soap on him. " I can do it myself," I told him. At first he insisted but I told him I'd soak him if he doesn't give it to me. I'm surprised how he really hated water and gave the soap to me.

     Finally I got control of the soap. I freely swiped it on my chest down to my stomach. For the first time I cleaned myself in a fancy way. I felt independent because I made something new - for myself.

     After a long bath, heat tries to eat my skin again and liquefies me except right now I think they might not be able to do that. I'm really looking forward to dip myself in a warm bath again.

     I wore the clothes he ordered me to wear - well he doesn't really order me I just really do want his eyes wants. It's hypnotizing. It's alluring. The color was quite familiar, I've never seen colors except for white, I wear white clothes everyday, I eat a bland soup in a white a bowl - but this time I wore something different.

     "What do you call this color?' I asked. It was on the tip of my tongue but I want to be sure, he looked at where my finger points. Then his eyes goes back to mine. 

     "Red," he replied. So this is what red looks like. "Be ready in ten minutes Foster," he told me - turning his body back. I asked him about where he will be taking me or if not, who will be visiting me in here - he ignored me again and suddenly disappeared.