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Views: 1407 Created: 2 years ago Updated: 2 years ago

An Unrelated Incident

Chapter 1

The war started in Eastern Europe but quickly spread across most of Europe and parts of North Africa. Many people lost their lives and many more displaced. They sent some across borders and some to faraway places. Some went to America, Canada, Australia and other places not affected by the war.

Brent was one of those displaced as the war expanded. The enemy had murdered his parents in cold blood as they tried cross the English Channel. He escaped with his life and the clothes on his back. Once on English soil, the resettlement groups sent people all over the globe.

They airlifted Brent and many others from his camp to the US. He still wasn't sure he was safe but he was out of immediate danger. Conditions in the camp were tolerable but little privacy, limited internet and everyone was a complete stranger.

Lucky for him, he wound up at a refuge center outside of Atlanta, GA. While Europe was in flames, America seemed like a safer place. He didn't know how long he'd be staying at the refugee camp. Hopefully, there would be opportunities to start a new life, new beginnings in this land, the land of the free.

Many of the locals from Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs were taking on refugees. This gave them a chance to have a bit of normalcy in their upended lives. A little taste of southern hospitality went a long way with people that had lost everything.

That was when Trisha got involved and showed up at the center. She offered rooms to two people to stay with her until they could get permanent resettlement or could return home. It was the least she could do. She was blessed with so much and they had so little.

Brent was in a line for the bathroom when a tall, silver-haired woman approached him. She was a sturdy woman, fit, not flabby, with an ample chest and round bottom. Brent would barely reach her shoulder if he tiptoed. His family had never been very tall and he was no exception. She greeted people, asked questions but none responded with what she wanted to hear. She approached Brent with a smile and a hand extended.

She spoke to him in her southern drawl, “Hi, I'm Trisha, what is your name, Darlin?”

“Brent,” he said.

“How old are you, Brent? Do you have any family here?” she asked.

He said coldly, long since accepting the loss, “No one else from my family survived. I'm 22. I had one more year at university.”

Trisha made a sad face, “I'm so sorry for your loss, Sweety. Would you like to come live with me in my home until you can be resettled? I have a big, comfy house and it is only me and my servant living there.”

Brent asked, “You have Internet access?”

She nodded, “Of course we do. Fiber optic gigabit speeds, full mesh Wi-Fi on the entire property.”

“OK, I'll go with you,” he said, “I've been trying to find out about friends from back home. It is hard here.”

She smiled, “Go gather all your things. I have enough room for one more person. Do you have any friends here that might like to join us?”

Brent answered, “I met a girl from another city. She has a lot in common with me. Her parents are dead and she started university the year before the war started. She is alone here, like me.”

Trisha motioned, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go find her and see if she wants a home with the Internet and a hot bath.”

While Trisha stood there, Brent started looking for his friend, “Stay right there while I find her. Please, don't leave without me.”

Trisha waited while texting Zoey, her maid, on her phone, “I'm bringing two refugees home with me. They are an unrelated boy and girl in their early twenties. We should be back in half an hour. Is everything ready on your end?”

Zoey immediately responded, “Yes, Ma'am. I set two bedrooms up as you ordered. A lunch of pizza and sodas will be ready as well.”

Trisha could see Brent returning with a small blond girl not even as tall as Brent. He held her hand and pulled her through the rows of cots as they dodged suitcases and scattered belongings. The blond girl wore a teal green t-shirt two sizes too big for her with a wide black belt to make it into a dress. Trisha smiled as they approached her.

Brent said, “Trisha, this is Lana. She is my friend I was telling you about.”

Trisha addressed the girl, “Hello, Lana. Did Brent tell you I have rooms for two people at my home? You can have the Internet and a private room and space to move around.”

Lana was meek, “Yes, he did. That is very generous of you.”

Trisha questioned Lana more, “How old are you, Honey?”

Lana answered, “I will be 19 years old in two weeks.”

“Brent tells me you were also at university before the fighting closed everything,” said Trisha, “We have a fantastic university here. That's where I work. Perhaps you can enroll and continue your studies?”

Brent and Lana both shook their heads in agreement. Trisha pulled one of them under each arm and started walking them toward the door. She pointed them to her black SUV and remotely opened the doors. Brent offered Lana the front seat.

“This is a beautiful country,” said Lana, “It reminds me of home.”

Brent agreed, “Yes, rolling green hills, lakes and forests.”

Trisha said, “When the weather is nicer, you can explore all of it. We can hike up Stone Mountain and see the view.”

“Trisha, what do you do at the university?” asked Brent.

She smiled, “Oh, I run a robotics research lab and I teach a few upper level classes. Are you interested in robotics or automation?”

Lana perked up, “I was studying engineering and programming. Robotics seems like a good fit.”

Brent laughed, “I'm going to be living with nerds!”

Trisha laughed, “What were you studying then?”

“Business! I'm going to be rich someday,” he said.

Trisha smiled, “If that is your dream, there is no better place to make it happen than the good old US of A.”

They turned off the main road and ventured down a picturesque tree-lined lane to a secluded home that was Trisha's. The guests could see that it was a large house with plenty of land around it. Trisha pulled into the garage and held out her arms.

“This is it. Come inside and I'll have Zoey show you to your rooms,” said Trisha.

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