My Everything

forward, not really sure where I’m going, but hope is written all over her face. She wants me to talk to her and I have no reason not to oblige.
    She meets me half way, out on the dirt road that is also the children’s playground. There is an air about her, a calmness that surrounds her. Here she is, tending to the needy when she could’ve escaped to the comforts of America.
    “You’re not half bad.” Her accent, something I’ve never really paid attention to, catches me off guard. She speaks perfect English, but it’s refined and educated. Not something I expect from a missionary’s daughter.
    “They’re trying to kill me.” I say as if I’m out of breath, which is ridiculous because I’ve had time to settle myself. Does she make me nervous? It’s been years since I’ve been nervous around a woman. Not even Josie made me nervous. I was content with her, until I asked her to marry me.
    “They were having fun with you. It’s nice to see. Many times doctors only come to work. They do their jobs and retire to their huts for the night and ignore what is going on around them. But you’re different.”
    Is being different good? I want to think it is. I never want to go through life being the same as someone else. I’ve always wanted to be unique, genuine. I want to be remembered and make an impression on people.
    “Anything to see them smile,” I say and realize that I really want to see her smile again. She’s eye-catching and deserves to be on the cover of magazines. Her beauty is pure and unharnessed and I shudder at the thought of her glamming herself up for an event. I would be one lucky bastard to have her grace my side as a date sometime.
    I roll my eyes at the thought. She’s a co-worker and we’re advised not to get too attached because we can switch locations at any given time and with communications the way they are here, keeping in touch is just about impossible.
    “Would you like to get something to eat?” I slap my hand to my forehead. That was stupid. Not asking her out because that seemed normal, but the ‘something to eat’ part. It’s not like we can drive down to the nearest diner and eat a decent meal.
    “I’d love to,” she responds. I pull my hand away, noticing that she’s not kidding. Her eyes are expressive, telling me that she wants this.
    I look around, clearly trying to make restaurants and markets appear out of thin air. I shrug and shake my head. “I think my mouth got the better of me. I’m not sure where to take you.”
    She laughs and it’s the most melodic sound I’ve ever heard. “Tell you what, Dr. Ashford, you go take a shower and when you’re done, you can come to my place. I’ll make us something to eat.”
    I look up and down the road and start laughing. How romantic will it be to eat in the mess hall of our humble abode?
    “Your place, huh?”
    She nods, clearly excited. “Yes, I have a very spacious kitchen where we can stretch out and not feel cramped as if we were in a tiny bistro on the streets of Italy.”
    I chuckle and give her kudos for her wicked imagination. She gives me an idea and for the first time I think I want to try something.
    “Tell you what. You get dinner ready and I’ll meet you in your fancy kitchen, but we’ll eat someplace else.”
    She looks at me, fear evident in her eyes. We all know it’s not safe to be out at night, but I would never do anything to put her in harm’s way.
    “Don’t worry,” I say as I touch her arm. I don’t mean to, but now that I have I can’t let go. I look from her to my hand and back to her. She’s looking at my hand and I can’t tell if she’s disgusted or pleased. Either way, I have to let go because I’m not prepared to handle the tingling sensation I’m getting from touching her.
    “I’m going to go shower,” I say, stepping away from her. I hate leaving her in the middle of the road, but if I stay, I fear verbal vomit will get the best of me and I don’t want to scare her off. I’m scared enough for the both of us.

Chapter 2
     
    The cold water is a welcome reprieve. For the most part, I enjoy the cold trickle, but there are times when a hot shower would do to ease my aches and pains. Hot water is a rare luxury around here. Before I arrived, I spent a week in a hotel in Florida on the beach. This was the hotel where Josie and I were supposed to go on vacation. The night before we were to leave, we fought. It was the first time since we'd been together that I was