As he drove around the city, his eyes fell on the ginger-haired girl he’d been looking for. Under the shade of a tree next to the jewellery store, she sat alone.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,”

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have been so insensitive. By the way, my name is Thato.”

She looked at him right in his eyes. She scanned him for a while as though choosing her words wisely and silence fell between the two.

“I’m really … “

“It’s OK. Just don’t think you own me just because you helped me. I’m Annika,”

“I’m so hungry, can we have something to eat?”

“I was hoping you’d say that. I haven’t eaten the whole day. Things haven’t been easy for the past few days you know,” she said as they walked towards his brother’s car.

“Are they that bad?”

“Yeah. I’m lucky if I’m to have a slice of bread in a day,”

“Wow. That’s very bad. I’m sorry,”

“It’s OK. I’m used to it,” she said as she entered the car and they drove off.

“Why are we at your place again?” she asked.

“Firstly, this is not my place, it’s my brother’s house. Secondly, I just wanted to cook for you,”

“OK. Thanks I never had any guy cooking for me before.”

“Don’t you want to…”

“Take a shower? I will thanks,” she said with a smile.

She produced the smile, as she walked out of the bathroom, which made Thato drool every time he saw it. Her caramel skin which was flawless and radiant showed her true beauty. Her dimples made her even more beautiful. Thato couldn’t blink. It was as though he had just seen her for the first time. Even in rugged, shabby clothes, her beauty couldn’t be concealed.

There was something about her beauty that had Thato motionless every time he looked at her. He ran out of words and his mind failed to work normally. She hypnotised him in a way never before could a girl do. Only if it were the old Thato, the witty and charming Thato who could speak any girl to her knees, she’d have long ago been his. The old Thato would have persuaded her, flattered, cajoled her.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked as they had lunch together.

“Yes, go ahead,”

“Why are you doing this for me?”

“Because … because you need help and I can help,”

“No really. Why did you go look for me?”

“I don’t know, I just enjoy your company,”

“You don’t even know me,”

“I’d like to know you,”

“I’d like to know you too,”

“OK, me first I guess. I’m eighteen years old, doing my final-year of high school and planning to go to university next year,”

“I’m seventeen. Have been living on the streets for three years,”

“I don’t have a girlfriend,”

“I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t really like the street guys,”

“Maybe it won’t be long before you find one,” he said with a smile.

“Maybe,” she said with a smile too.

***

Tell us: How do you think Annika ended up on the streets?