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Harlow couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘Zipporah. What are you doing here?’ she whispered. ‘On Eden II?’
‘I followed you here. I went to a lot of trouble to find you again, my child.’
Harlow wrapped her hands around her body, feeling the chill of a cold wind whistling through the streets.
The woman droned on. ‘You’ve been so well protected where you work - for The Sable Group. I’ve been waiting many days to speak with you.’
‘But why? When I was clear, I never wanted to see you again?’
‘Because your father and I made a terrible mistake letting you leave. I’ve been looking for you for months and want to make amends.’
Nothing close to ‘I always loved you, child, and I regret the pain that I caused you’, Harlow thought as the woman rambled on.
She felt ambushed. She didn’t know what to say, still angry and hurt even after so many years. Wounded more like it. Plus, she’d worked so damn hard to erase her past and the existence of her progenitors with the hope of never seeing them again.Now, this?
Another gust of lunar wind gusted through, whipping past Harlow’s face and hair as the woman pleaded her case. Soon Harlow had enough. She raised her hand to stop the woman’s rant.
The woman grimaced. ‘Lyddae, listen to me.’
‘My name is not Lyddae,’ Harlow snapped.
‘Then Harlow, listen -,’ Zipporah begged.
‘Let’s talk about this someplace else,’ Harlow said, still in shock from the strange encounter and unwilling to make a public scene.
‘There’s a cafe not far from here,’ the older woman said, her face a picture of relief as she pointed due west of their current position.
Harlow inclined her head, welcoming the promise of witnesses and relative safety. ‘Let’s go then.’
Their walk to the location was silent as Harlow’s heart churned with many questions. But, on the other hand, Zipporah seemed calm, almost out of it altogether, although she rubbed her hands together ever so often like she’d a repetitive tic she couldn’t get rid of. Harlow ignored her and focused on their destination.
As it turned out, the Helios cafe was dimly lit, with a soft, warm lamp glow that created a cosy, intimate atmosphere. The air was filled with the rich aroma of kahawa and the clink of plates intermingled with conversation and laughter.
Most customers had gone home since it was late at night. The only people left were a few die-hard kahawa and late dessert lovers. The staff seemed friendly and attentive and moved about the café efficiently.
They greeted the unlikely pair with smiles, ushering the two women into a booth. As Harlow sat down, she saw couples, families, friends, and solo diners enjoying their meals and drinks. They seemed happy and content. Very unlike her own strange experience.
‘You look pretty,’ Zipporah said, cutting into her thoughts. ‘You’ve changed so much.’
Harlow turned to see the older woman hesitantly looking at her. Zipporah’s eyes flicked about, resting momentarily on the pendant hanging on her neck.
Harlow reached for it instinctively, protectively.
A server chose that moment to take their orders with a friendly smile.
Still stunned by it all, Harlow ordered just a cup of black kahawa while Zipporah asked for a complete meal of eggs on toast with sliced potatoes and a hot drink. As they waited for the food to arrive, Harlow looked out the window at the bustling street outside and felt even more lost than she’d been on the streets.
She couldn’t believe who she was sitting across from. The woman Harlow had known so long ago as somewhat elegant now looked older and tired. She gave off a musty smell of old clothes and mothballs. Her clothes were worn, and her shoes were falling apart. Harlow felt a stab of pity.
‘How did you find me?’ she eventually asked.
‘A private investigator. I had a bit of money I used to pay him.’
‘I see.’
They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes. Harlow didn’t know what to say, and she could see that Zipporah felt the same way. When the food arrived, her companion dug in with relish. Harlow watched on with little emotion.
Finally, the older woman finished her plate, wiped her mouth daintily with the provided napkin and broke the silence.
