I would rather spend my time alone. I have found that if there is money involved, like the reward that the Desperados have out for me, then they will be giving me up as soon as they realize who I am. Keeping away from the areas where I know most of the homeless come to sleep at night, I head towards the Gazebo. I know a little opening on the side that gives me access to the structure below the Gazebo and is completely closed off.
I found the opening by chance one day as I was about to lean against the outside of the Gazebo when I saw the opening hidden behind a bush. Looking around to make sure no one is looking at me, I kneel on the ground before crawling behind the bush and towards the opening. I can’t hear any noises which tells me that it’s still empty and no one has found my hiding place yet.
I know that the homeless life is dangerous, and usually conducive to a short life because of all the dangers, but I would rather be homeless than living the way I was with the Desperados. Even living on the streets, I feel safer than I ever felt with the Desperados.
I might be hungry, cold, and lonely while out on the streets, but I was hungry most days, and lonely all the time that I was forced to live with them. I was pushed to the limit of my sanity, not only with everything I had to do, but with everything I heard while I was there. I didn’t want to be associated with such evilness. Staying with the Elementals has shown me that not everyone is evil and trying to punish me for something.
Keeping my head down, I crawl to a spot near one of the wooden beams where I’m hidden from the entrance to the structure but still close enough to be able to slip out if need be. Leaning back, I close my eyes, finally letting my body relaxing, feeling all the scrapes and bruises that are already sensitive to the touch. I wish I could have stayed. I wanted to stay with Dag, but I would have been the death of him, and that I cannot let happen.
Dag!
I wonder if he has gotten back and found me missing yet? Will he be angry because I left? Now that he has been with me, and has seen how broken I am, I know that he will decide that there is no reason to come after me—no reason to continue with the war between them and the gangs if I’m not there with them. I know that there is more information I could give them that would help in stopping a lot of evil, but I was afraid that the information will have them pursuing what the Desperados pursued, which was always money.
I know all their business, know everything they planned, everything they were hiding from each other. I could hear everyone’s secret conversations, everyone’s diabolical plots. The Elementals weren’t like that. They spoke about revenge, about the gangs, but they never spoke about killing or hurting someone for gain.
I read somewhere that money was the root of all evil, and in the Desperados case it is true. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I need to sleep because tomorrow I will need to try to find a way out of Cape Town. Now that the Desperados think that I am with the Elementals, I’m hoping that they won’t be closing all my exit routes. An image of Dag floats into my mind. His beautiful eyes looking at me with passion as his strong hands stroke over my body in gentleness. A tear slips down my cheek. I wish I could have taken a chance and stayed with Dag. I wish my life was different, and I had more to give him. I wish…