1 New Friend

I miss my old place. I miss my friends. I miss my room. I miss everything. I came back home one day and my parents announced that we were moving to a new place, and I was not to ask questions. Being the obedient child that I am I just nodded and asked no questions. I respect my parents a lot and don't question them often but many mistake this for me being meek and submissive. After that terrible encounter when I was 5 and after accidentally eavesdropping into my parents' conversation when I was 14, I had good reason not to question my parents. If my parents have made a decision, then it is for good reason. They are not aware that I know more than I am supposed to know. Maybe not completely but enough to keep me awake and ponder at nights.

We reached this town in the middle of nowhere yesterday morning. It's surprising that this town is even connected to the outside world. It was a bit of a herculean task for us as well. First, we had to take a flight and then a bus, walked for a few kilometers and finally hitchhiked. The rest of our luggage was shipped.

I am good with numbers and after graduating I had taken up an accounting job at a firm. I quit that job without even serving proper notice. Thank God my boss is pretty cool and he even gave me a reference and said that he understood my situation. I should have moved out by now and living independently like most of my friends. But my parents told that in our culture it is okay to stay with parents even after you are an adult. It is even expected out of the kids to stay together. So though I am working I still live with them.

After unpacking and settling yesterday, I thought of job hunting today in this new town. It is a small town and everybody seem to know everybody. And it is green everywhere you look reminding me of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem; green trees to the right of them, green trees to the left of them, green trees in front of them, green trees behind them.

I had already scheduled an interview before coming here. I got the job and there really was not much hunting. I was to start from next Monday. It is an accounting job. I was happy on the getting the new job so easily and decided to walk back home. This town has an amazing picturesque with all the trees and birds. The air seems to be so fresh and unpolluted. As I walked back my thoughts seemed to drift into the past.

"Only if her parents could see her now. What a fine girl our daughter is turning into. They would be so proud of her. I am so proud of her. We must always protect her", my father had said this after I won a math quiz at school. He was not aware that I was right there listening or rather accidentally eavesdropping. Not to boast about myself but I can confidently tell that I am smarter than most people my age. I am happy that he is proud of me. But who is he referring to? Who are 'they'? Does that mean I am adopted? Are my real parents dead? And what did he mean by saying that they must always protect me? Am I in danger?

That day after accidentally overhearing my father tell this, another incident clicked in my mind. When I was 5 there was a robbery in my house. We lived in a different town at that time. I don't remember much except that the robber happened to choose my room to loot and I was sleeping. When I woke due to some noises in my room, on that fateful day, it was to see a man pointing a knife in my direction. My father happened to hear me scream and he immediately came and tackled the man. My father is a doctor and is also into medicinal research. He being awake at that time in the night is not surprising. He must be researching on something.

Later, the police were called. My parents told me that he was just a thief. Within the same week we left that town.

"We must always protect her". After hearing this I was not able to forget the robbery incident.

My subconscious mind seemed to have decided to take the shortcut which my brain had noticed earlier in the morning, which I had refused to take in the fear of getting lost and being late for the interview. Now I noticed that I was surrounded by trees.

What made me come out of my reverie? I look around and saw the edge of my new house at a distance. I start walking towards it. I suddenly hear some noises in the opposite direction. It sounds like a fight but the sounds are animalistic. There is no logical explanation but I am pulled towards those noises and I automatically walk towards the direction in which the fight seems to be happening.

As I near the sounds lessen and the fighters group seem to be dispersing. I hear a whimper and turn to my left. There to the left of me, leaning against a tree is an animal lying. The animal looks like it is injured and is deeply in pain. It seems to be a big dog. I am suddenly scared. I feel that someone else is watching me and it's not the dog. I know I should walk back home but my instincts tell me to go and make sure that the dog is okay.

I go near the tree against which the dog is lying and lean down.

"Oh ho! What have we got here?" I use my best pampering voice which I have seen my father use on his patients.

Using all my strength I pull the dog in what seems to be a more comfortable position against the tree and sit in front of it. I immediately went on about inspecting the animal for injuries.

"Hmm! That's weird there is blood everywhere but you don't seem to have any cuts."

I remove the small water bottle from my purse and try force feeding the dog. But the dog didn't move.

"Hey dog, open your mouth and drink some water."

Immediately a startling pair of eyes opened and looked directly at me. I was so mesmerized with its eyes that I was frozen to the spot. The eyes were of a beautiful color. It seemed to be a shade of green like the trees surrounding us. The eyes seemed to be angry, like I insulted it or something. Funny why I got that feeling. Actually on closer inspection the animal seems to be a wolf and not a dog. The dog is still staring at me. We seem to have a staring contest.

I heard a whistle sound similar to a pressure cooker and the staring contest broke.

"Here drink." I push the water bottle again against the dog's or wolf's lips. Reluctantly the wolf opened its mouth and drank some water.

I inspected the wolf again for injuries and made sure there was none. I stood up and decided to go back now. It was getting late and mother will be worried.

I started walking and had taken no less than ten steps when the wolf made a sound which made me turn. It stood up to its full height. Oh my God! It was huge. Its fur was jet black. Beautiful black.

It started walking towards me. The intensity of the stare kept me rooted to my spot. The wolf seemed to be approaching me cautiously, like not to scare me away. And surprisingly enough I was not scared. In fact, I felt safe. I felt that as long as this wolf was with me I could not come to any harm. Another funny feeling.

Finally, the wolf stood in front of me. For a few moments neither of us made any movement. Then it stuck its tongue out and licked my face. I was jolted by the action and I started laughing. I think it was thanking me. Yes, the wolf definitely would not harm me. I gave the wolf a hug and started walking again. The wolf also started walking along with me.

"Hey stop. You can't come with me. You will scare the shit out of my parents. Go back to your friends."

The wolf shook its head. It shook its head like it actually understood whatever I was telling.

"Are you telling no?"

It nodded.

I decided to confirm whether it did really get angry before when I called it a dog.

"Hey dog. So.. "

"Grr" It growled. It growled and glared at me.

I laughed again. The wolf seemed to be confused seeing me laughing.

"So you got angry before and even now that I called you a dog?"

It nodded again. I smiled at the wolf.

"You are a wolf. Aren't you? A big bad black wolf."

It nodded again and seemed to be smiling.

We walked together till the clearing of my house.

"Okay time to go. Bye." I said in a firm no nonsense voice and shooed the wolf away.

It licked my face one more time before reluctantly going back towards the trees.

I looked back one last time in the direction of the wolf when I heard something like 'my mate' being said from the direction of the trees.

Did I hear right? Did someone say my mate? MATE?