Hope

chapter 4-Him

He found her looking at him through eyes that matched the curiosity of a child nonetheless innocent.

"Hadi." He told.

Hadi! She tested the word on her tongue.

"What does it mean?" Her lips moved again barely under the touch of his fingers. He sighed and finally giving the bruise one last glance that had stopped bleeding now, he retreated his hand, dumping the cotton in a bowl that had antiseptic bottle in it and then placed the bowl on nearby round wooden table.

He glanced at the fireplace and seemed to think over a little while bathing in the warmth that was enveloping his little cottage.

Is it warm enough?

His eyes focused back on her clothes that were inappropriate for cold that must have been biting her skin outside.

She had been vulnerable to the weather outside.

On its mercy.

He got up and moved to the other corner where a large wooden case was placed which held some of his possessions. He clutched the handle pulling it open which made a sound when it hit the wall behind and rested there.

He could feel her eyes burning in his back.

He concentrated on the task at hand.

He shuffled through some warm clothes , finally feeling a fluffy warmth under his fingertips and pulled it out, closing the case back in place.

He made his way to her, draping the shawl over her shoulders, securing it in her lap which covered her exposed arms from torn clothes and he felt her cocoon herself in it eagerly.

His heart smiled but his face stayed the same.

"You didn't tell me what's the meaning of your name?"

He patiently scooted a little cushion on which he was sitting earlier, near fireplace and perched on it facing the fireplace.

He sized up her question followed by long breath intake.

"It means 'a guide'"

"A guide to what?" She countered without missing a beat.

"To righteousness."

A silence stretched comfortably between them.

He leaned forward and adjusted couple of wooden pieces inside fireplace.

A little shuffling came from behind and he could feel her warmth nearing her but then stopped at some distance and became constant there.

"Wouldn't you ask my name?"

Her voice was closer this time as if bathing in the same heat as him.

Both of them were sitting close to each other but not close enough.

Their eyes fixed upon fire ahead.

"The moment I heard your call at my door. I knew your name."

Now he started drawing out shapes in fire the way he always does when lost in his own world.

"What is it then?" Another question.

"Hope."

A gasp.

Some more silence.

And this time a smile snaked it's way on his face.

He was right and they both knew it.

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