The Girl in The Green Scarf

T w e l v e

CHAPTER TWELVE
SEBASTIAN

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'
―Brian Tracey

I read somewhere before that the purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. So when I see Hamsa, previously known as the girl in the green scarf, come tumbling down the stairs, it occurs to me that I should  get my butt off the cot to go help her and show compassion.

Fortunately, the thought is fleeting and something promptly stops me. Then I see her steady herself and walk to her cot, so instead I relax back and say, "did you burn down the kitchen or something?"

She looks up at me, her eyebrows coming together with a furrow. She seems tired and barely able to reach the cot but I still don't get up to help.

"What?" Her voice is a pained breath.

"They brought you back, that means you rendered yourself useless. So you either burned down that kitchen you said you were working at or they simply got sick of you. And since they are your people I doubt the second would happen."

She crashes on the cot face first and doesn't answer me, probably thinking it's best to just ignore the guy sitting across the room from her.

After a while she turns her head to the side and breaks the silence with a croaked question. "Is there any water?"

"Yes there is." I say indifferently and go on with the examination of my hands, they suddenly became interesting.

"Can I have some?"

"Mmmmmm..." I start, pretending to think about it when I already know my answer. "No."

She sits up and raises her eyebrows at me.

"No?" She asks, confusion written all over her face.

"I am pretty sure I said that."

When she doesn't lie back I sigh heavily and elaborate.

"I'm saving it for a rainy day." I sit up too, waiting for her reaction.

"Well if it's raining won't that mean there's water already?"

"Figure of speech."

"Whatever, jerk. Keep your water, I'm sorry for asking."

She lies down this time and I decide I have had enough fun. I reach under my cot for the half full tin cup and then cross the room, offering it to her.

"I was just messing around with you. Here it's the water."

She looks at me incredulously before she takes the cup from my hand.

"You're still a jerk," she says, sipping from it.

"Thanks," I say and walk back to my cot whistling.

"You're impossible!" she blurts and I freeze mid step. That's too much of a reaction for a simple joke. I turn around and see her glaring at me.

"Now you thank me? I save your life, get you food, help you out and now you thank me when I insult you?"

"I guess I'm built like that," I say with a shrug and then close the distance between me and my cot which has become my best friend in the past days.

I lie down and hear her mutter incoherent things which I am not keen on understanding  since they are probably not so nice. So instead I cover my eyes with an arm and will myself to sleep.