Perusing the details of the house once again, I knew I would like it here, that is, if Peter and his wife would have me. They were yet to broach the issue. Hopefully, they would quell my curiosity after dinner.
“Here, Maya. I think this is the last serving. I pray it will be enough to quell your hunger which is quite understandable. You haven’t really eaten solid food for more than three months. Every meal was squeezed to its liquid form and transfused into your system.” Laura said as she dropped a plate of mac in front of me.
The smell dispelled my regret of raiding their pot. But still, I attempted to sound sympathetic over the issue. “I am sorry…”
But Laura wouldn’t have any of it to my relief. “Don’t worry, Maya. Just eat on.” She said, before turning and walking to her seat.
Turning aside, I caught Diana wink at me. I smiled then. She seemed to know that I was anything but sorry.
The girl knew a lot more than her age. I wondered who her teacher was, or if there was a school around. There should be, right?
“Thank you Laura.” I said, a few minutes late, when I had already scooped a spoon of the mac into my mouth, but she didn’t seem to mind. She was already digging into what remained of hers in the plate.
A knock sounded on the door a few minutes later, causing us all to look in the direction of the sitting room and wonder who might be knocking.
Peter stood up first, and walked to the front door, since there was no demarcation between the sitting room and the dinning room, except for a thin curtain which did not cover, at all, the people on the other side.
The rest of us waited in anticipation, as he spoke to whoever it was at the door.
Fortunately, my super hearing was able to pick up the tidbit of the information.
According to the visitor, their queen had called for a brief meeting tomorrow evening at her palace. It turned out that the person knocking had been the messenger.
Well, that explains it. In our pack, information would have been broadcasted through the mindlink, but here, messengers had to come to play since there was no phone here.
I was not sure of that last piece of information though.
A queen’s meeting? Brand me curious. What could she have to say?
Diana’s exciting words about the woman had me wishing to meet her.
Would Peter let me attend the meeting with him tomorrow? Would he even let me stay here with them?
I sighed, and relaxed deeply in the chair. Diana cast a glance at me, just before Peter wished the messenger well and locked the door after the latter’s exit.
“Are you okay?” She asked me, and I furrowed my eyebrows before giving a nod.
Of course I am fine. I was better than myself three months ago.
***
“Diana, go to your room. We want to speak with Maya.” That was Laura trying to convince her daughter to be absent from the meeting that they were about to have with me, concerning the next action to take concerning my life.
Diana pouted her lips and darted her eyes between her parents and me.
Her eyes waited a little longer on me. I didn’t know if she was expecting me to negate her mother’s statement or mention that it was okay that she stayed and listened to their decision concerning me.
When I stayed rather mute, she stomped her right foot on the floor and walked away from the sitting room to the outside.
It was dark, and I wondered if it was safe for her to be outside by this time, even though, according to her, her own hut would be closer to this one. But still, danger lurks in the dark.
“Don’t worry about Diana. She would be fine. She throws a tantrum now and then, but she is a sweet child. She is safe too.” Laura mentioned, as if aware of my worries.
I nodded at her statement, my heart beat spiking again when I thought about what their conclusions would be about me.
Right after Peter had returned to the dining table after speaking with the messenger, I had offered to wash the plates we had just used to eat, but Laura hadn’t even let me enter the kitchen.
She had just taken the plates from my hand and walked to the kitchen, dismissing me without a word.
That had left me more nervous than before. I had translated the action to mean that she didn’t want me in her house.
But after she had been done with the chore, she had emerged all smiles from the kitchen, holding me by the arm as she led me to the sitting room, as if we were long lost friends.
It was confusing.
She had confused me, and her husband, Peter, wasn’t helping matters either.
He just sat on one of the sofas in the sitting room with a book in his hand.
A book that no matter how hard I tried to read off its title, it was next to impossible. That was because it wasn’t written in English, but some other language. Probably Italian. I was not sure.
It didn’t even look Italian. Greek would be a better fit, even though I haven’t seen any Greek writings up close.
“To be honest Maya, we had wanted to submit you to the queen to decide what would be best for you…but seeing as Diana wants you to stay, I am not sure any longer.” Laura started now, without preamble, taking control of the conversation.
Another surprise. I had thought Peter would be the one to make the decision about my stay. Was it because she was the one that found me?
Well, I didn’t care. As long as she was confused enough to let me stay, I didn’t care who made the decision.
Peter looked at me, and winked.
A good sign. I thought, accepting it that way. I needed all the help I could get.
It was obvious that he wouldn’t be saying anything and would go along with any decision that his wife made.