CHAPTER 3

When we reached my room, I was still in disbelief and in a super plain voice said. "Um, thank you for the bath, it was...nice." How ironic that now I'm the one fishing for words. "You are welcome, I am happy always to do wash for you," she said so matter of factly, as if it were expected of her. "Well," I said with slight hesitation in my voice, "why don't you stay around and watch TV with me for a little while?" I said in an obviously awkward voice. "Okay," she easily agreed. After Mali was inside, I made sure she noticed me lock the door. It was a nice yet subtle way of telling her that this was going farther than just watching the tube. As I approached the bed, I could see the look in her eyes telling me that she, too, wanted something. This made me feel in control of the situation. I turned on the télé and sat next to her on the edge of the bed with the towel tightly wrapped around my body up to my shoulders. She sat at the edge of the bed with her hands folded in her lap in her no