#08: Out Of Place Bakery

The day was hot, no cool wind blew in any direction. Ben was walking along a deserted pavement where gloomy structures stood tall. Initially, Ben was doing some investigation on the whereabouts of Nana on that street. Nik and a few members of the force had been investigating Nana's neighbourhood, and some informants had seen a strange woman dashing along the area. But as noon drew nearer and the sun's heat was at its peak, Ben had been looking for refreshments rather than for clues.

Eventhough the buildings around him were built high, the heat of the sunlight still managed to shower itself on Ben. Covered with sweat, he wished that at least a single breeze would come his way to make him feel better. "I'm going to die," Ben whimpered as he dragged his feet with his eyes closed. As he was about to lose it, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound followed by a very cool wind. It was so refreshing, ben thought that he had died and gone to heaven. A loud robotic voice made him come back to his senses.

"Welcome!" the voice whirred. Looking on his left, an automatic door stood open as it flowed air-conditioned breeze. Ben took a few moments to revive his spirit before he took a good look at the building. From outside, the structure was quite small if it was to be compared with the others. However, it was freshly painted and glimmered a sort of warmth and calmness. Ben took the liberty to read the cute golden signboard hanging firmly above the entrance. It read 'A. Bakery'.

Ben grinned. "I'm saved!" he cried out aloud as he dashed inside the bakery. Once inside, smells of freshly baked breads filled his nostrils. Lunchtime had came to a near, so it was no surprise that he felt hungry. As Ben browsed through the selections of food on display, a low and sweet voice of a woman welcomed him from behind the counter. "Good afternoon sir! How may I help you today?"

"Oh, hello!" Ben replied as he faced the woman. He went into a state of shock when he realised that the woman looked very much like a person he knew in the past. "A..Amirah?" Ben stammered. The woman wore a confused look. "Do I know you sir?"

Sighing, Ben replied, "It's me, Ben."