Chapter 3 : The Young Man

“WOWWW… the food is so delicious! It’s looking good as well!!” That quiet young man talked enthusiastically. He got so much so jovial after a few bites of dinner she cooked for him. The food and fruit juice she gave him were probably the reason of his cheerful spirit.

Mikayla thought she didn’t cook anything crazy, just Thai beef basil and omelets over rice. She always like Asian cuisine and learned a few simple dishes on her own from watching online videos. Her exes said she cooked pretty well and that was one of the main reasons they found her attractive, if not the only reason.

She quietly observed the quiet-turned-very-talkative young man she kind of ‘adopt’ into her house. He looked at her all smiling and continue eating as if the food in his plate was the best thing in the world. Looking at him, she supposed he was in his late teens or early twenties. No matter how old he was, he was probably a decade younger than she was.

“How old are you? Do you remember?” She didn’t want to rush him, but the doctor also mentions to her before they both left the hospital that constant interactions and questions that stimulate his memories might make him heal faster.

“Hmmm…I kind of know how to drink and hanging out in a club, so definitely more than 20.” He smiled again and scratched his head.

“Do you remember how you got to my parking lot?”

“Oh, now you sound a bit like that scary policeman. I remember things in flashes though, not exactly a coherent story. I remember some old hotel room, someone scolding at me, and I was on a chase, like I ran away. But yeah…not much before that.”

“How about your parents?”

“….hmm…I don’t remember anything about them. Err…just this stressful feeling just now. I don’t know.” He shrugged. Looking worried. Now he was a bit nervous, the memories about his parents were probably quite triggering.

         “So, I guess you can’t remember where you live either.”

         “No, ma’am, zero memory.”

         She sighed. This was getting a bit unreal. She could never imagine that this could happen to her. Mikayla looked at the man skeptically.

         “This is not some kind of a trick, is it?” She hoped he didn’t find the question offensive.

         The mysterious man blinked a few times and quickly shook his head in a very dramatic fashion, his wavy hair got even messier.

         “Nooooooo! Please don’t look at me like that! I’m really lost! Sure, I remember bits and pieces of scenes and things I can do, but not much. And please, please, please, I don’t even have any money, no wallet, no phone, nothing. Why should I lie to you for?”

         “So… you have no one you know…”

         “No, no one at all.”

         “How do I know you are not lying?”

         “OOOOH, ma’am, I really don’t know how to prove myself. I think you need to take me at my words.”

         The more she empathized about him and thought it over, the more she ran into a dead-end. He was too young to be straying around town like this all by himself. And it did not escape her that when she had time to carefully look at him, really look at him, even when half of his head was under a bandage, he was absurdly good looking, the type of Michelangelo’s David level of good looking. Yes, his face was just like David if the statue has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Mikayla believed that his face was prettier than her, and that long lashes. Oh well, how could someone like this ended up in her parking lot?

         Her conclusion in her head was that she had to trust him at his words and provided the man shelter for the night and maybe the next few days until he could find somewhere else to stay.

         “Fine, I trust you. Sleep here tonight. Go shower and go to bed.” She ordered him. Mikayla always sound very authoritative and mean, but her tone could not dampen the mood of the young man at all. She swore she had never seen someone this jolly.

         He quickly finished a few bites left on his plate and gulped all the juice before obediently doing exactly what she asked.

        

****

“WOWWWW… your guest room is MASSIVE! And you said this is the smallest bedroom?” He said excitedly. The young man already showered and wearing her oversized shirt (just right for his size) and whatever pants her ex-boyfriend left at her room.

“Yes, I bought this place because I thought my boyfriend will move in…” She slipped and told him.

“And he is no longer moving in?” He asked honestly.

“Nah… I said the wrong word. My ex-boyfriend. We just broken up today actually. He cheated on me. What a sucker.” She told him, her voice even. She could see the young man frowned; his jovial attitude seemed to completely disappear.

“Don’t worry too much about it. I didn’t think anything of it. It’s good it’s ended. Whatever, don’t worry about me.”

“Sorry…”

“I said don’t worry.” She waved dismissively.

         “And what’s your plan tomorrow? I have work tomorrow.” She asked. Surely, she couldn’t take care of him all day.

         “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m about to tell you actually that I will go out and explore the places around here. I might remember something. And if things go well, I will just leave you a goodbye note and be on my way. You have already helped so much.” He said with gratitude. Mikayla thought she didn’t help that much, she just wanted to make sure he was not on the street.

         “Don’t worry about it. I just want to help out. Alright, if you want to leave, I’m not stopping you. I’m leaving since 8AM in the morning. Enjoy your sleep tonight. Just close the door when you go out tomorrow, it will lock automatically. Good night.”

         She bid good night to the mysterious man whom she didn’t know his name and she would not care less. He would leave tomorrow and would be out of her life soon enough. She had to focus on her life and her work, not to mention processing this recent breakup. That kid was just another person that came into her life and leave… just like everybody else.