It was a nice warm summer's day and Andrew was driving along the country road with not a care in the world. He was fancy free but at the same time was feeling just that little bit lonely. Why was it he wondered that the fates were against him all of the time? Nothing ever seemed to go right in his love life, a quick flirtation here and there but nothing serious. No one seemed to find him attractive after the first date or so, or was it the other way around? He found that the women that he dated just too 'un-exciting' and unsatisfying. Perhaps he was too demanding. He liked and enjoyed sex but his partners all seemed to him to be just doing it like robots – just because they wanted to be thought 'with it' and not because they really wanted to. He'd been married once and had two children but that had gone sour and there had been a messy divorce and the children, although grown up, were still living with his ex-wife and her partner.
Driving along he saw the figure of a girl standing by the side of the road and, as he approached, she moved forward and started to 'thumb a lift'. On going closer he saw that she was not exactly black but a very sunburnt brown and a real beauty at that. He did not hesitate but drew up alongside of her, wound down the passenger window and said, "Hi! Where are you going? I guess that you're after a lift, aren't you?"
"Thanks!" replied the girl. "Yes please! Are you going as far as Bristol? I think that I have lost my way. I'm very much a stranger to these parts. I only arrived just recently from Africa where I was born and brought up. My father was a Colonial Officer in the old days and stayed on after Independence!"
"Hop in!" said Andrew. "Somehow I did not think that you were a West Indian you are too light for that, although I must say you are very nicely sunburnt. We have a lot of them over here just now and to get someone from Africa is a pleasant change, especially someone as pretty as you and you looked so forlorn that I just had to stop and ask if you wanted a lift."
"Thank you!" smiled the girl. "It's not often I get compliments like that, you have really boosted my ego! I like you already, saying things like that."
"Anything to oblige," said Andrew, always the perfect gentleman, and went on to say, "Haven't you got anyone with you? No boyfriend to show you the way? Even in this country it is not very safe for a beautiful young girl like you to be walking on a lonely road like this all alone. You never know what might happen especially if you try to hitch a lift"
"I'm all alone. I came over here because of a dream that I had." The girl told him. "It came to me that the person who I really need is over here in the U.K. I know that he will be kind and considerate, someone who needs me and can love me in everyway – and I mean that physically too. I'm sorry! Am I embarrassing you?"
"No! Not at all. I like a person who can speak their mind and is not afraid to call a spade a spade." Andrew laughed. "By the way. I'm Andy, short for Andrew but all my friends call me Andy. What's your name?"
"Catherine" said the girl. "But I'm Cathy to my friends, so you can call me Cathy too, cos you have been my 'friend in need'. Yours was the first car travelling in this direction in over half an hour and before that none of them bothered to stop."
"Idiots!" exclaimed Andrew. "Anyway their stupidity is my good fortune. I've now got a very pretty girl for a companion for the next hour or so - until we reach Bristol at least. Whereabouts in Bristol are you going?"
"I don't exactly know. I knew someone back home in Kenya – that's where I come from – who studied at Bristol University and he was always saying how nice I was so I decided to see for myself. Plus my dream!"
"Hotels are a bit expensive in Bristol. If you are not too fussy and satisfied with less than 'super accommodation' perhaps I could let you have my spare room." Andrews mind was now beginning to work overtime. Here was a beautiful, unattached girl with no place to stay and he WAS beginning to feel very attracted towards her. He was beginning to feel that he had known her all his life and there already seemed to be some sort of aura surrounding them. She was so free and easy and good to talk to. As they drove along they got more and more friendly.
"You are a very nice person to know." Andrew remarked. "I'm surprised that a girl like you was not whisked away and married long ago."
"Haven't found anyone who interests me. I'm a very fussy person." laughed Cathy. "Men in my country think that women are nothing and only after their money. I must admit that that IS how many women there behave, but people are people and there are exceptions to every rule and I like to think that I am one of the exceptions. All that I want is love, love, LOVE, and a little bit of TLC (Tender loving care)."
The time passed quickly after that as they talked about this and that. She told him what Kenya was like and he told her as much as he could about England and Bristol in particular. Before he realised it they were pulling up in front of his house.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" said Andrew.
"Asante! As we say in Kenya." Cathy smiled. "It certainly looks cosy. Do you live here alone or with somebody else?"
"Alone." sighed Andrew. He suddenly had a nasty thought that perhaps now that she knew that he lived alone she would not risk entering the house without some sort of chaperone, but no! She got out of the car and stood as he got her small suitcase out of the boot. Together they walked down the small path to the front door. Andrew got out his keys, unlocked the door and in they went.
"What is it to be?" asked Andrew. "Tea or coffee? Hungry?"
"Coffee please! And if you've got something small to eat I won't say 'no'." said Cathy. "I must admit I feel a little hungry as I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Right. How about an omelette? Onion and tomato filling do you?"
