Dating : The New Home part.1

How have I began my life? Where have I grown up? What were my goals and future dreams? I suppose these are reasonable questions that people mostly want to know. Only two of those questions are answerable to me. I decided against setting goals for myself because I live my life out of the ordinary from other people. The past of how I began my life I want to erase and never talk about that to anybody I’d rather it to be stayed buried forever.

Audrey laid lying down on her bed with the window opened to the full allowing the sun to shine into her bedroom, it was the weekend Saturday June 2013 she was lost in deep thoughts. Gazing up at the lilac flowered wallpaper which she did most of the decorating work herself though she hated the smell of paint it was bearable for her to withstand. She had the perfect room and house even though all the rest of her life was anything but perfect. Her home felt comfortable and she spent lots of time and passion in her work. Audrey Bowen is a detective she was born in London then moved to Scotland after her adoptive father died, she worked with Scottish police for four years until leaving when she felt she couldn’t give the dedication required and fit in she felt she didn’t belong there. Now she is twenty five and lives with her pet companion Misty who is a Siamese cat she’s comical and clumsy Audrey loves her really very much.

Misty was calling out in a cry by her bedroom door waiting for her morning bowl of milk which Audrey always gave her at the exact same time daily then go into the kitchen to fix herself toast and strawberry jam. Today she was fifteen minutes late, time wasn’t going to stop even when she let herself slip away into deep thinking from time to time it had caught up with her today but still she could fall naturally into her daily scheduled routine being late would not effect her. After breakfast she chose from her closet the clothes she felt comfortable in wearing and they had to be fashionable. She decided her dark blue bootleg jeans will do and her mauve v neck blouse. She is petite in figure and fairly tall. Long chestnut brown thick shoulder length hair and perfect to wear in any styles. After finishing dressing she made up her face applying a pearl pink lipstick and light golden brown eye shadow to her deep rivery blue eyes, she dusted her cheeks choosing pink too. Audrey has a love for musical instruments and has a piano in her house she teaches herself to learn new notes to variety of songs. And enjoys her walks she takes by herself in the countryside which rarely she would have been given a chance if she still lived in the city.

Now there came the main reason she had chosen to live in a house alone and away from the city besides the fact she loved peace and quiet she didn’t think of herself to be a normal girl since the age of 14 she has this ability you can call it, beyond her control to change into a cat and half human at the the same time. Only her face changed her nose and ears but no understanding or explanation why this happened to her. Only her adoptive father understood her mystery ability and sheltered her under his wing when her real father left. She loved him with all of her heart and their relationship was closely bound until he passed away before she turned nineteen years old and her father whose name was Ronald Bowen she changed her surname to the same as the only father she truly knew because her real father had chosen to leave her permanently she felt no ties to him or to keep his name. Ronald gave her a special necklace he cared a lot about protecting his daughters secret from the cruel world. She wears the necklace everyday and it conceals her so she is unable to change. He made it with his initials at the back of the oval pendant which has a gold stone and the chain is silver, she feels protective towards the necklace because of how dear it is to her heart in memory of her father.

All the while she is living a pleasant life she has struggled greatly during the years of her life without being in a decent job. She accepted a job her friend offered her doing daily garden and house chores she paid her to help her manage, coming from the kindness of her heart she supported her. Life goes on and changes in life led to her friend moving away Audrey left alone to face her struggles, presently she manages working weekends in a country cafe and the owner of the cafe is her best friend.

After she fed her cat and herself she finished tidying the house, doing chores and read her favourite book Emma by Jane Austen. Afternoon soon rose around she answered an unexpected telephone call from a woman who lives in Alabama she sounded very desperate and persistent over the phone.

“Am I speaking with Miss Bowen…. Miss Audrey Bowen?” she asked in a softly spoken voice.

“Yes you are can I ask please who I am speaking with?”

“My name is Eveline Blackwell I was looking for and found you on the internet you are a private detective and I saw what you wrote about yourself you are in need of work and have retired from working with the Scottish police?” She gave Audrey no chance to answer her question and continued speaking. “Miss Bowen I live in a small village that is called Tiger Lilly I need you. No I am desperate for you a private detective who will accept the job. I must inform you first…. I’m unsure how to tell you I don’t want you to think I’m a woman who’s lost her mind.” She paused briefly.

“I’m perfectly sure I would not think of you as being unbalanced please carry on.” Audrey spoke in a friendly tone.

“I don’t know what is the proper way to put it. The last detective left after one month she thought we and Tiger Lilly was the weirdest place she had ever seen. You see Miss Bowen the crime here is out of the ordinary to use one word to correctly describe bizarre and I can’t tell you anymore unless you are here to see with your own eyes.”

She paused again waiting until Audrey said something when she didn’t Eveline continued. “I know it is a lot to take in you get a strange phone call from someone who you know nothing about a complete stranger who doesn’t even sound sensible. Please will you consider I searched for such a long time!” She stopped talking unable to think of anything else to say to persuade her.

Audrey baffled herself quickly accepting without wanting to investigate Eveline first who she never has seen before or met. Audrey chose to jump into the unknown and keep her hope that nothing is going to go wrong. “I shall be on my way as soon as possible.” She spoke confidently on the phone while she was feeling like a scared little mouse.

“You will!! Ohh this means the world to me thank you my dear girl I was unsure I thought I had lost my last chance to find a detective.”

“I’m so grateful to receive a job offer I waited long enough and I’m able to stay in Alabama to permanently move there.”

“Before I forget to ask what time will you expect me to be there?”

“I would settle for tomorrow you’ll arrive in a city named Huntsville and need to travel to a village where we live Tiger Lilly, that’s out of the city in the countryside not far that is where I live. You are more than welcome to stay in my home.”

Audrey put down the phone after thanking Eveline thinking why she didn’t question an out of the blue phone call when she never thought it was possible she’d find a job she would feel overjoyed with and to dedicate herself to.

Before the day began to draw to another end Audrey had spent the afternoon busying herself in the kitchen cooking Italian pasta. She’s a fairly splendid cook learning from the age of nineteen a friend of hers taught her. The pasta made was tomato flavour added with vegetables, herbs and chopped up ham. Misty settled on the sofa all four of her legs she stretched out before cozying down to sleep. Audrey stood looking at herself in the mirror while she was brushing her hair making it tangle free before she went to bed. Her necklace she took off only at night. She slept although she thought she will have to wear it all the time day and night when she makes the journey to live in Tiger Lilly, she won’t be in a house by herself no more. Her necklace short in length resting on her chest just below her shoulders it has a thin gold chain and oval shaped silvery rich grey stone. She doesn’t have any idea how the necklace conceals her from changing to a cat is it a magical power? A trick maybe? Her father knew but never wrote down in a letter or talked to her personally about the matter. Her whole life seemed a mystery she felt hopeless and alone. All that kept her grasping on to life was her determination for seeking justice and changing the world somehow.

The following morning she got up pretty early to prepare herself to move to a place across the world into unknown land the furthest she travelled is Germany this was while she was a child and her father took her there. She never had been alone travelling a long journey before her passion and love towards her job gave her the braveness and confidence she could do it. She prepared Misty’s travel basket cage ready to go when they would be leaving after lunch bidding farewell to a house she terribly would miss it was her home she lovingly handled with care.

The airport she had to travel to is in London she couldn’t get there until a few hours journey on a bus first. By the time it had reached midday the bus arrived on time and she sat at the front in the front seat of the bus and Misty settled in her basket sleeping on the seat next to Audrey. The driver was so pleasant talking to her about his two children.

Halfway through her journey a girl who was sitting one seat behind captured her attention. Long soft curled coffee brown hair, boot leg jeans and a caramel brown jacket she was wearing. She looked as though she’d been crying it was hard to tell her eyes covered behind oversized dark sunglasses and no more than eighteen years old Audrey thought her age was. She casually got up out of her seat and gently eased into the seat next to the girl who didn’t seem bothered or to notice or even care. “Hey are you? Starting a new fashion?” She asked smiling. The sky fully scattered dark greyish clouds no day clearly for a need of sunglasses. She half smiled to Audrey. “Yeah I could not resist cheering up this miserable day.”

“They are fantastic glasses! I’m Audrey will you tell me your name dearie?” She looked at her uneasily as if she might burst into tears opening her mouth to say another word. “Elizabeth”

“What a gracious name. I am sorry to be nosy will you tell me where you are headed?”

“Far away.” She said gazing out the window.

For some reason Audrey felt a tremendous concern and was certain she was keeping a painful secret to herself that she was too frightened to talk about. She wasn’t going to push with the detective attitude she could be quite harsh when she was determined to search answers. Instead she wanted to become Elizabeth’s friend so she eventually may feel comfortable to talk about what was burdening her. Audrey struggled in concerns of her own.

She booked two seats to make it that she and Elizabeth will sit together the flight certainly may be the longest she told Elizabeth in case she didn’t know she would not be allowed to use her mobile phone in the airplane which she knew nothing of because she never travelled in a plane her whole life. As soon as they reached the airport Audrey and Elizabeth went to a cafe. She bought two hot chocolates topped with baby marshmallows. She decided to casually ask more about her personal life. “Are your parents together or did they separate or divorce?”

“My mom separated from my dad she never wanted to divorce him he’s engaged to another woman and I only have my parents in my family no brothers or sisters.”

“I’m terribly sorry this will have hurt you deeply. Did you and your mom have a close relationship?”

“I love her much and she has always cherished me and been there whenever I needed her I was really upset when she left us.” Audrey could put herself in the girls shoes nothing heals the heart when your away from someone you love. She urgently wanted to do something anything to wipe away that sadness she saw in her eyes.

“Are you and your dad close?” She asked sipping her hot chocolate.

“We were always a close family. After mom left us my dad and I stopped talking the way we used and only occasionally spent time together. We love and care for each other. Something in our relationship feels lost.” She broke away from saying anymore not exactly knowing what else to say. Audrey wasn’t going to push her further with questions until the girl was less distressed.

The flight took hours and hours before they landed in Huntsville. The airport they walked into was fascinating unlike any other place Audrey has seen in her life. Floors made of pearly peach marble the roof almost as tall as castle doors, glass square windows which seemed to glow and spotlessly conditioned escalator stairs. She noted to herself something that would stay in her memory forever how clean looking the airport was and smelt. Everything seemed good until she realised how was she going to find Tiger Lilly village nobody waited for her with instructions. Eveline Blackwell had said nothing over phone she could not believe it and stamped her foot irritability to the floor regretting now ever taking this journey she must have lost her mind jumping into it flying across the world as quickly as she had. Angrily marching over to speak with a stewardess to see if they had any idea of the location of Tiger Lilly she’s lost sight of Elizabeth they both walked together across the escalator but the girl was no where to be seen. Why is it when I make a brave decision to change my life it spirals into a ride of problems Audrey thought to herself. And she definitely won’t give it a second thought to helping the girl when she obviously doesn’t want it after running away. Leaving the airport she took herself to sit in the public garden on a black wooden bench she guessed she may stay there until something happened like a miracle.

Elizabeth sat in a telephone box making a private phone call to her father she was in tears,

“Beth come on sweetheart please come home.” Her father spoke to her desperately.

“No!! I can’t bare living home anymore in the company of that wicked witch your planning to marry!!”

“Sweetheart I realise how hard this all is. Are you well and safe? Please come back home tell me where you are I’m so hurt you left and you did not even talk with me about it.”

“I truly do understand how you feel dad I’m sorry I can’t come home.”

“At least tell me where you are and how you have been taking care of yourself.”

“Dad.. Please don’t worry I am ok I met a lovely considerate kind lady who’s sort of taken me under her wing I’m travelling with her. There’s something about her I can sense she’s trustworthy she would keep me safe so there’s no need to worry.”

“No wait! Elizabeth! Don’t you dare hang up young lady you are to come home please.”

“Bye dad.” She spoke in a quiet sad voice hanging up.

She left the telephone box to search for Audrey and joined her on the black wooden bench startling her as she felt a shoulder nudge against her Audrey turned her head sharply, and quickly then hugged her. “Where on earth have you been you made me feel so frightened and worried disappearing without a trace.”

“I’m really sorry I went to call my dad.”

“What were you talking with you dad about?”

“He was checking up on me.” she lied. Audrey believed her she didn’t have any reason not to and she didn’t carry on the conversation any further.

She wanted to take Elizabeth with her to Tiger Lilly to get her to let her guard down more because talking to Elizabeth was like talking to a blank wall she’s really firmly guarded about her life however Audrey is not the kind of woman who gives up easily.

Audrey and Elizabeth woke up in a hotel room Audrey booked them in to stay there she was expecting transport to be waiting for her to take her to Tiger Lilly village but there was still nothing no instructions of how to get there she had no choice only of staying inside the hotel waiting. How long would they go on waiting weeks or months perhaps.