They were passing through a town-like-village. The ground was dusty and the air was dry, thick mist covered the air.
"Why is the air so dry in this town?" She asked him but she got no reply.
"I don't think my sister will be here." She continued.
"It's the southerns, the air is usually dry during noon. But at dusk, the air is cold." Steve explained.
"Middle of the year, isn't it?" She peered over at him.
"How many years have you been on the streets?" He ignored her question.
"Four." She said.
"And how have you lived then?" He asked her.
She scoffed. Why was he so interested in how she had lived on the streets? It was basically none of his business.
"By God's grace I've been fine." She answered him.
"God!" He laughed as he drawled the name.
"Why would he want you to live this way?
There's no God."
"That is your own belief but there is a God." She told him.
"If there is, why doesn't he bring your mother and your sister your way?"
She thought about it for a while but she couldn't bring herself to agree with him.
"Do you still go to church?" Steve asked her.
"No." She muttered.
He laughed. "Why?" He was curious to know.
"I have to live. Going to church in odd dressing, isn't that awful?"
Steve scoffed at that. He despised anything involving church, he was never a church goer.
"Anytime, you ask a question, I answer. But when it is my turn, you tend to ignore me." Jerry said.
Steve grinned when he heard that. He turned to look around. It was noon and they haven't eaten. He was surprised that Jerry wasn't whining about that.
He watched as a trader went out of his stall leaving it unlocked. "Jerry," he called over to her, calling out her name for the first time.
"Hm?"
"I'm going in there when the owner comes around. Whistle to me." He told her.
"You are going to steal?" She looked shocked.
"Don't you?" He was amused by her question.
"I did....but that was only once."
He chuckled. "Whistle to me when you see him come around." He glanced around then walked into the pork shop.
Jerry waited waited patiently, glancing about her nervously. Immediately, she saw the owner of the shop returning to his shop, she began to whistle out to Steve.
"Want anything?" The owner asked Jerry who was standing by his shop.
"No." Jerry answered looking over at his shoulder and wondering where the hell was Steve?
"Jerry. Jerry!" Someone was called behind her.
She looked behind her, there was no one, she turned to look at a corner then she saw him holding a heavily loaded parcel.
"My God! What's in that bag?" She asked him when she got to where he was standing. It was a tight corridor that had little passage for only one.
"Let's get out of here first before he discovers anything wrong." He grabbed her hand, they started racing down the corridor then he suddenly stopped.
"Let's take another way, he will turn this way at once....maybe even call a mob." He laughed at his words.
Jerry stared strangely at him. Steve was laughing? She had never seen him laugh. It warmed her heart that she found herself smiling at him.
He looked puzzled at the way she smiled at him. Then, he suddenly pulled her into his body as a figure passed by. It must be the owner of the shop! She gasped when he pressed her harder to his body.
Does he know she was a girl? Her thoughts screamed.
Jerry shut her eyes briefly to calm her pounding heart. What was wrong with her? She couldn't stop her rapid, continual breaths. She swore a curse as his hand pressed firmly around her waist. When they was no more sounds, she pushed him abruptly like he was hot burning coals.
"Do I look like a girl that you coddle up?" She asked irritatedly. Trying to calm her shaking hands. Could he see through that?
He ignored her as he started down the corridor that led to the main road.
"Idiot, he doesn't even reply me." She muttered to herself as she followed after him.
After walking for almost ages, Jerry started whining. "Where the hell are we going? I thought we are going to find a quiet place to relax and enjoy our meal at least."
Steve smiled. Finally, Jerry was whining like the sissy he was.
The surroundings were getting rather familiar to Jemaima, why were they coming down here? It troubled her. It brought back painful memories which she thought they were buried.
"What are we doing here?" Jerry asked him.
"Come along now, sissy." He seemed to enjoy every bit of the torture he bestowed on her.
"This was where it happened." Jerry froze.
"What?" Steve turned to look at her.
"The robbers.." Jerry couldn't breathe.
Steve looked at her in surprise. "What robbers?" He asked.
"This was where it happened....I was separated with my sister from our mother." Jerry said.
Steve seemed clearly shocked as she explained.
"I have never seen this kind of robbers in my entire life. They could be kidnappers or some ritual killers, murderers. That was the last I saw of my mother." Jerry was holding back painful tears.
Steve watched her closely. "If you meet one of those robbers accidentally, what will you do?" He asked her.
"I'll report to the police station. I wouldn't hesitate......," She froze as she looked at him.
He was one of them! Steve was one of them! How could she be so stupid? How else would he know this place perfectly?
Steve was staring at her intently. Something was wrong. "Was your sister also among the kids who were kidnapped that very day?"
"She..was....and.......," She stopped.
He was asking her questions like he was there vividly. Like he knew what had happened there!
"Why are you asking these questions?" Jerry asked.
"We can try to find your sister through this piece of information."
"You are lying. You are a liar. You are trying to cover up your crimes!" She said to him.
"What do you mean?" He said to her.
She moved slightly backwards as she placed some puzzles side by side in her head. "You are one of them." She said to him.
"You are one of the robbers." She repeated.
Steve stared at her as she but her lower lip.