The Prostitute and the Painter

Life here was different to any life that she had known before. There was no noise it was just peaceful. Too peaceful. Olivia was getting better by the day as she could limp on her own. The bruises that she had were gone.

Lucas never pushed me much or gave me more than she could handle. He was understanding which unnerved her a bit.

He never bought up the topic of the painting. It was hot at times and one would have to go down the stream to cool down.

She goes back to the farm house and finds that he is not there. Which meant he had gone painting. She goes, and decides to start on lunch. Lucas often came back hungry and she was also kind of starting to get hungry.

"Smells good." as he walks in. She felt a bit proud of herself, she was learning how to cook properly. He sits down and she serves him some juice and a sandwich with mince and some potatoes on the side. "Thank you." he says as she sits across him.

"You provided the food and I cook it so there is no need to thank one another." He doesn't respond as he bows his head and he does his usual prayer.

She begins eating and when he is done. He smiles at her. "How was your day?"

"It was okay I guess."

"We can go have a picnic later on tonight. I know of a beautiful place."

"Okay." as she looks forward to it.

They both turn when they hear someone walking in. Was it an intruder or a person who was lost? "Lucas do you know how much I have missed you, you old bas." before the stranger can finish his sentence. He emerges, and he looks puzzled to find her sitting there with Lucas.

"Bernard." as Lucas arises from his chair and he walks towards him, he hugs him in a brotherly manner which meant that this man was important to him.

She gets up so that she can clear the dishes and also use it as an escape to leave them catch up as the two of them.

She scrapes her chair back and before she can take the plates. Lucas turns to her as he grabs her hand and pulls her next to him.

"I would like you to meet someone who is special to me."

"Of course." As Bernard puts on a smile that she can already see that it doesn't reach his eyes and its all for show. He must have known or heard about her. "This is my wife, Olivia." As he is gleaming at her. "And Olivia this man is like a brother to me. Bernard"

She guessed this is the part where she plays house and the good wife. She plasters on a smile. She reaches out her hand "Afternoon, it is nice to meet you." He extends his hand a bit reluctantly and he takes hers. "It is nice to finally meet Lucas's wife. I was beginning to worry when he was going to get married as he has been saving himself for the right one." His last word has a cutting edge to it.

He lets go of her hand. "I will let you two catch up" as she takes the plates from the table to the kitchen sink. She can feel his eyes boring into her back until she is out of sight.

Why did she feel so suffocated in there? She can't help but remember the way that he had looked at her. Why did his heart feel heavy at the thought that he would obviously speak badly of her? Would he sway Lucas? Would she end up being thrown out?

Whatever she had to clean up in any case. Whatever happened she would take it one day at a time.

"Sit." as Lucas shows him to the living room. He sees that he is carrying a bag, so it meant he was going to be staying a bit. He unshoulders the bag and sits down. Lucas looks him over and he has a beard that has grown. It doesn't look like he has been taking care of himself that much.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

He looks at him grimly "I would have. I got to your house in the city and to my shock and horror I found new people living there. So, I thought long and hard where you might be and I came to your farmhouse. I thought that something had happened to you or you were heartbroken."

"I see." as he hears Bernard's point.

"But here you are. Well and alive and even married. It seems as if I had been worried for nothing after all." As the words come out of his mouth in a bitter fashion.

"I missed you too Bernard. I was going to tell you all about it." As he smiles at him. He was genuinely concerned for him. He hadn't gotten the chance to send him word.

"When are you going back to the city Lucas? It is a bit hard to get a hold of you here." As he leans back on the chair.

"Never. This is my new home and I plan on having a family here."

"Is it because of Olivia?" as he uncrosses his leg and leans forward.

"Yes, it is. I plan on living here with her for the rest of my life."

"Lucas you are like a brother to me and I am saying this out of concern, but you don't know girls like her. Do you really think she will live with you forever?"

"I know Bernard, but I will get to know her, and I will love her like a husband should."

"Make me understand. Why her of all people? I did warn you in the city to stay away from her, but it seems to me that you just did the opposite."

"I couldn't let her go. I knew when I saw her that I was going to marry her."

"What if you end up wasting your time and this does not go anywhere."

"It will. She is the one that the Lord chose for me."

"You are too pure for." as he searches for a word.

"I will finish it for you Bernard. Too pure for someone like her?"

He spits out the words "Exactly. I just want what's best for you. And she is not what you need. Its like you are from two worlds apart. You deserve better."

"No, I don't. You don't even know what she has been through all her life." As Lucas tries to make him understand.

"I have all I need to know, and she is not worth it."

"She is my wife and I am not letting her go."

"You will lose yourself whilst trying to help her and it will all be for naught because she is still going to leave you."

"Why can't you just be happy for me? Why do you have to say such hurtful things?"

"I am just being honest with you. I would have been happy for you, if you had gotten a sweet wife who would support you. She seems detached to me. I don't even think you have anything in common with her. She is just in it for the time being."

"She is not. When we get to know each other more we will find more things in common."

"You know what, Lucas open your eyes. She had no other choice. By the looks of it you are her source of income and once she is sick and tired of being cooped up here, she is leaving."

"They're open. You don't even know that. You are just assuming it because you are looking for the worst in her. You are not even giving her a chance."

"I don't have to look that much. I can see alright and she seems like she has one side to her. She doesn't have one good bone in her body at all."

"You shouldn't talk about her like that."

"Give me one good reason why I cant?"

"She is my wife! That's why."

"I don't want to upset you Lucas."

"Lets just drop it Bernard."

"Okay" as he leans back. "Tell me how you have been? I haven't seen you in such a long time."

He tells him everything that we had happened. How he had lived with Olivia then how she got kidnapped and the hospital. Selling the house and moving here.

"All I hear is that you have rearranged your life because of this girl."

"Nobody forced me to do anything."

"What would have happened if one of her crackhead friends had harmed you? What if you both ended up in the hospital or worse dead?" as his voice becomes stern.

"It's in the Lord's hands."

"Lucas you have changed and its not the change that I was hoping to see in you."

"I understand where you are coming from. You must be tired. Why don't you wash up then rest, and then come join us for dinner?"

He nods, "Sure. I could use a bit of a rest."

Lucas shows him to the guest room. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you are here Ben" as he closes the door behind him. He goes back downstairs, and to the kitchen but there is no sight of Olivia anywhere.

"You are here." as he finds her laying on their bed.

She turns to him, "Where you looking for me?"

"Yes I thought you were in the kitchen."

"I thought you were chatting with your friend."

"We did catch up, but he was tired. He is going to wash up and rest up. We will carry on later." as he goes and lay next to her. He doesn't say anything as he enjoys her presence.

She was waiting for Lucas to bring up what he and Bernard had spoken about. She wanted to know how he truly felt about it. Olivia had heard the whole conversation between them. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but she was in the kitchen and heard it all.

She knew that they would speak about her because of the way his friend was looking at her. She felt as if she was not worth much.

Lucas friend was right because she didn't deserve him. He was too pure for her. Yet when he said more things and that meant that most people saw her as his friend did. She hated feeling anxious, as if something is pressing down on her.

To make it worse she couldn't stand coming between them. They must have known each other for a long time to consider each other as brothers.

Olivia would try stay out his way as much as possible. Lucas had defended her as if he didn't know what she was. He had so much faith in me and he spoke highly of her. No-one had ever done that for her and this proved more that Lucas deserved exactly the person that his friend wanted him to be with.

She turns to see Lucas starting to dose off. "How long is your friend staying here for?"

"I didn't ask him but maybe a week or two. He usually visits me for that long. Why?"

"I was just curious that's all." As she tries to hide the dread from her voice.

It felt so much better when it is just Lucas and her here. He knew what she was, but he didn't make a deal of it and he didn't look at her any differently.

It shouldn't matter what his friend thought because she wasn't there for him. Olivia hadn't forced Lucas to marry her. He had done it out of his own will.

"Lie down and stop being so deep in thought Olivia."

She lowers herself down and she closes her eyes