His Other Half

Chapter Four

Kindness.
Overwhelming kindness.
Jasper was currently on the receiving end of receiving such a gesture and he had no idea how to respond or deal with it. Never in his eighteen years of life did he receive such a thing.
He was currently sitting at s A booth in the back corner of the diner, being doted on hand and foot by none other then Mary. The same lady who told him his meal was on the house. Now that wasn't her first random act of kindness, no, she had proceeded to sit with Jasper once the morning rush had passed, and she could catch her breath. Once seating with him, she proceeded handing Jasper a mouth watering fresh out of the oven, slice of banana bread. Jasper was about to protest, but Mary simply raised an eyebrow in warning, and it effectively stopped all of Jasper's contradictions.
He did however thank her to the best of his ability.
"Th-th-th-thannnk-k--you Ma-a-a-am"
And ducked his head to hide his rosy coloured shame filled cheeks.

"Nonsense sweetie, you strike me as a good kid, I am curious on what brings you to the town? Not many folks pass through these days". Mary replied.

Jasper thought it over. He was hesitant to tell a stranger why he was here, and his current content mood very quickly changed to panic when he realised he would be needing to speak more then a couple of words. He decided he trusted Mary, and after the kindness she portrayed to him,he wanted to tell her the truth, but the idea of speaking the words very quickly filled him with anxiety.

Mary, who noticed the panic stricken Jasper and the way his facial expressions changed so drastically very quickly reflected on the words he had spoken previously and realised that it was the speaking part that had him panicked, so in Mary's attempt to calm him, she went to the counter and brand back a pen and paper.
"Look at me honey, no need to panic, if You don't want to tell me, but if you feel more comfortable you can write it, I promise I won't judge".

The relief that filled Jaspers system after those words was evident all over his face. He hesitantly picked up the pen and paper Mary provided, and wrote in brief what brings him here.
" no home. No mummy anymore. Too old for orphanage so had to leave. City hurts my ears."
Jasper scrawled along the paper in his mind frame the best sentences that explains everything. He knows he has the mind of an 8 year old, the orphanage reminded him of that all the time, so he tried to make his writing sound like a grown up. A big boy.

Mary read over what Jasper had written and felt her heart break in two. She didn't know how she was going to help him, but she knows he is never going to feel alone, or sleep without a roof over his head again for as long as she's alive.

"I see honey. Out here in the country, there is peace at night, so it won't hurt your ears, and the townsfolk are all friendly, and we are one big family, do you have a place where you are staying at the moment?"

Jasper listened to her words carefully and couldn't quite describe the bubble growing in his chest, it's something he hadn't felt before, he thinks it might be hope? But t he's not too sure.

"Motel on street. Not home though"

Mary watched Jasper intently, and she did see the glassiness of his eyes when he wrote those last three words. And she knew exactly where to give him home.

"I understand sweetness. I know this might be a strange thing to ask considering you just met me, but do you trust me?"
Jasper pondered over her question before writing his answer.
"Mary more kind then anyone who has ever talked to jasper. Yes."
Mary's heart broke that little bit more while reading over that line, and she hoped Jasper didn't notice the tear slip from the corner of her eye.
"Well my sweet boy, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to come home with me tonight? We have a guest room on the farm, and I have someone I want you to meet as soon as possible".

Jasper was shocked. Did he hear that correctly? Was someone offering him, jasper, a "freak" a bed in their own house to sleep in? Jasper was just about to shake his head and decline her offer, he hated putting other people out, and apart from money, he had nothing to offer anyone, he can't work on a farm, he can't do anything physical, what use is he to keep around the house?
Mary recognised the doubt filtering though his eyes, and quickly added to clear his head,
"Please sweetie, you will actually be doing me a favour, I have someone you can help, and I know exactly the sort of work that he needs for you to help him. I can give You a home cooked meal and if you are interested, I can show your a thing or two in the kitchen, so you can help out in there on the late days"
Jasper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly and looked at Mary dead in the eyes and said
"Okay, I'll stay with you"
Jaspers first stutter free sentence in over ten years.

So later that night after Jasper had his belly filled with home cooked shepherds pie, and was laying awake in his bed in Mary's house, he couldn't help the little twitch of his lips that slowly curled into a smile, he recognised that little bubble in his chest he felt earlier was happiness.

Although he couldn't help but ponder who Mary wants him to meet the following day. And how he could be of help to anyone?