One morning there was a knock on the door and Amie opened it to find Ben standing on the doorstep. Mrs Motswezi and Angelina were standing right behind him and Amie cried for joy at the wonderful surprise.
“I don’t believe it!” Amie swept Angelina up into her arms. “You’re safe! Oh, how marvellous! Come in, come in.”
Once again Angelina took a fistful of Amie’s shirt and clung on as Amie carried her through to the lounge.
“Now all we need is Pretty to complete the party.”
Ben shook his head sadly. “Pretty is late.”
Amie sighed, another casualty in another senseless African war. She’d hung back from getting a new maid in the blind hope Pretty would materialize from somewhere. People in the local community knew they were back and the African grapevine was a lot faster than high speed Internet.
While Jonathon took Ben outside, presumably to talk business, Mrs Motswezi told Amie of her plans to start up a new orphanage. Would Amie help her? Nothing on earth would stop her and she knew together they could work wonders for the AIDS orphans. For the first time in months, Amie had a real, worthwhile project to work on, one that could only do good. She couldn’t wait to get started. Not only would they take in AIDS orphans, but war orphans as well.
Gazing lovingly at the little girl who had now snuggled down on her lap, the idea came back to her that maybe they could find a way to adopt Angelina. She’d lost her twice, but Amie was determined not to be parted from her again. This time she hoped that Ben would help, for since the Kawas had reinstated themselves, he was now the Deputy President and could pull strings. After all the heartache and hardship, things were falling into place at last.
22 LAST DAYS
Three months later an excited child stood beside her foster mother and father in the departure lounge at Apatu airport. She was still not convinced they would be going up into the sky in one of the planes standing on the apron on the other side of the plate glass window. She fingered the new dress Amie had bought for her and looked at the bright red coat lying on the chair next to her. She was hot now wearing so many heavy clothes, but Amie had told her it was very cold in the country where they were going. It was called England and Amie was going to see her Mummy and Daddy, and her sister too, for a holiday. They would see all kinds of exciting things and go to lots of interesting places, but they would get on another plane and fly back to Apatu in time for Angelina to start school the next term.
Amie’s family was expecting them and would meet them when they got off the plane.
There had been such a long silence from Amie they’d feared she’d been severely wounded or died. They’d received a call from the Mathesons to tell them Amie and Jonathon had come for a short stay; but then there was another long silence until the couple had returned to Apatu.
Amie and Jonathon both agreed not to talk about anything that had happened. If her parents believed they’d spent all their time in the camp with Dirk and Helen, so much the better. It was unlikely Angelina would say anything, she didn’t talk much and when she did, it was to whisper in Amie’s ear so quietly she had to concentrate to hear the child.
When the plane took off, Angelina clutched Amie’s hand and shrank into her seat. Her foster mother spoke reassuringly, trying to calm her down, but it wasn’t until the cabin crew brought the food that the little girl relaxed.
The hustle and bustle at Heathrow airport was terrifying for all of them, especially Angelina. Even for her new parents, it was too easy to forget how many people were crammed into such a small space. The buildings seemed too close together as they were coming in to land, and Amie was unprepared for the shock of returning to the land of her birth.
If she was hoping to slip back unnoticed, she was in for a disappointment. True, there weren’t the frantic number of reporters waiting for her this time, but there were at least two or three who’d got wind of her arrival and were waiting to ask her dozens of questions.
“Have you come back for good?”
“Are you planning to star in another television series?”
“Who is the child with you?”
“What are your plans for the future?”
“When did you last see your family?”
“What thoughts do you have on the state of affairs in Togodo with the new change of government?”
“Were you caught up in the second civil war?”
“Have you been in armed combat?”
Amie noticed Jonathon had slipped back into the crowd and no one seemed to realize she’d been travelling with her husband.
She pushed the reporters to one side murmuring, “No comment,” over and over. She reached her parents and they made a rapid exit from the arrivals hall; but not before Amie noticed her mother’s startled expression when she caught sight of Angelina. Amie had thought it better to explain her connection with the child face to face, so hadn’t warned her parents there would be three of them.
Jonathon caught up with them and jumped into the car at the last minute managing to evade all the media.
They’d only just arrived at her parents’ house, when her sister Samantha was on the doorstep with Dean and Jade in tow.
“You’re back! That’s brilliant!” Sam gave her a big hug. “And I hope you’re not traipsing off again, we want you here at home, to stay. Understand?”
Amie nodded briefly. She didn’t have the heart to tell Sam they were only home for a few days. She hadn’t even told her mother it was just a short trip.
“And who do we have here?” Sam asked bending down to smile at Angelina. “Are you coming to live here too?”
Angelina looked wide-eyed at her and stuck her thumb in her mouth, holding on tightly to Amie’s trousers. She hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived. She looked scared to death.
“Come and meet Dean and Jade. Would you like to play with them?”
“Take them out into the garden for a few minutes Sam.” Mary Reynolds made it quite clear she wanted to talk to her elder daughter in private.
“Uh, oh, yes of course.” Samantha got the message, and gently prising Angelina’s fingers off Amie’s trouser leg she led the three children outside. Every step of the way Angelina looked back at Amie, unhappy to be parted with her for a second.
As soon as the back door closed, Mary turned to her daughter. “Amie, what are you thinking of? Are you going to adopt that child?”
“If I can,” Amie was defensive. “It wouldn’t have been possible before under the old government, but we now have connections very high up and it was quite easy to get a travel visa for her to come to England for a brief visit.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Mary was worried.
“Yes Mum. I’ve had a special connection with Angelina since the first day I met her and I want her to have the best of everything. We think her parents died of AIDS and she was left at the gates of the orphanage. I want to give her a chance in life.”
“But what if her family, there must be some, somewhere, what if they come and try and claim her back? How will that affect her? Being dragged from one environment to another in a totally different culture?”
“I think it’s most unlikely Mum. You’re not concerned because she’s black, are you?”
“No, no, not at all. Heaven knows England is a total melting pot of colours these days. I hope you’ve thought it through that’s all and you’re not relying on your emotions.”
“No, I’m quite certain, and Jonathon feels the same way. We feel like a real family now.”
“Well, the child is very sweet, I grant you that, but she looks quite shell shocked. It’s going to take a lot of time, patience and understanding.”
Amie nodded, reminding herself she wasn’t going to mention how Angelina had escaped from the orphanage with Mrs Motswezi, taken refuge in a village that had been attacked killing most of the villagers and then taken to the IS camp where she’d been sexually abused. She didn’t think that would help matters at all.
If Mary Reynolds wasn’t convinced, she said no more but bustled around making the British remedy for all occasions, a cup of tea for everyone.
Sam came back inside. “She didn’t want to stay out there,” she explained, as Angelina rushed across the kitchen and clung to Amie again.
“No problem, it’ll take a bit of getting used to, won’t it, Angelina?”
The child nodded and buried her head in Amie’s lap.
“Uh, one thing I am curious about,” Amie turned to her sister. “How did the press and media know we were coming? There were reporters at the airport. I wasn’t expecting that.”
Sam looked confused for a moment and not a little shamefaced. “You forget you’re a celebrity now,” she protested. “You can’t expect people not to be interested in what you do. Have you any idea of the excitement the TV series caused? Everyone was talking about you.”
Amie winced; glad she hadn’t been around when it was shown live on air.
“You didn’t tell the newspapers did you Sam?” her mother asked sternly.
“Of course not. I only told a couple of my closest friends,” Sam protested.
“And what about all the social media?” Mary persisted.
“Ah, yes, well, um.” Sam inspected her feet. “I did sort of mention it, I guess. But only on Facebook and Twitter.”
“There’s your answer Amie, the whole world knows,” said Mary.
“I’m sure they’ll leave us alone now. I’ve got nothing more to tell them,” she lied.
“They’ll probably lose interest,” Mary smiled. “At least the phones aren’t ringing off the hook like last time you came home.”
At that moment the phone rang in the hallway.
“I’m not here,” mouthed Amie, but it was only one of Mary’s friends asking if she was free for dinner the following week.
“So,” Sam wanted to know, “how long are you here for? Are you staying?”
“No. We’ve come for a couple of weeks, just for a break, then Jonathon will be back on the desalination plant and it’ll be business as usual.”
The moment her mother walked back into the kitchen the phone rang again and she disappeared to answer it.
There was an awkward silence. Sam got out some biscuits for the children and Jonathon and Raymond Reynolds came in chatting about the possibility of a day out fishing. Dean and Jade began to fight over the only chocolate biscuit on the plate, but everyone stopped when Mary returned looking distraught.
“What’s wrong love?” Raymond asked.
“Harriet. She died last night.” Mary slumped onto a kitchen stool. “I can’t take it in. She is, was, younger than me. They said it was a massive stroke and she died in her sleep.”
Raymond put his arms round his wife while Sam, Amie and Jonathon looked askance at each other. The girls hadn’t known their aunt too well, but they’d been up to stay with her in Birmingham a few times and remembered her as a bright, bouncy person who was always busy.
“When’s the funeral?” Raymond asked.
“Probably next Tuesday. They’ll let us know.”
“We’ll all go of course,” said Sam and Amie nodded. She was not sure what she would do with Angelina, but the child had already seen death and would probably take it more in her stride than Amie’s niece and nephew who were now rolling around on the kitchen floor both intent on taking possession of the chocolate biscuit. Sam reached down, removed it and calmly ate it herself. Jade burst into tears and the adults burst out laughing.
For the next few days, life went on much as it had done when Amie and Jonathon had lived in England. There were trips to the park to feed the ducks, a theme park, rides on the train and the underground, visits to the local shopping mall and drives in the country. They also spent time with Jonathon’s parents and on one occasion they all visited a stately home.
Amie was a little worried about bombarding Angelina with too many new and different experiences. Most times she said nothing, her big brown eyes appearing to take everything in and Amie couldn’t begin to imagine what she was thinking. Occasionally she’d smile shyly, but she was starting to worry about sensory overload for a little orphan who was used to the sprawling townships of a small African city, and the wide-open expanses of the bush.
She could only guess that Angelina was suffering from post-traumatic stress, and nothing but patience, lots of love and a willingness to talk when the time was right, would help to heal the wounds.
Amie expected to feel more trauma herself after the ordeals of the previous weeks, but she’d remained quite calm. She decided it was the adrenaline rush to survive, together with her determination to care for and cherish Angelina, that had kept her from falling apart. She felt numb about everything she’d been through and had pushed it firmly into the background. Perhaps all the difficult situations she’d already survived had built her defences.
Sometimes when they were out, Angelina would sit down and take her shoes off, wriggling her toes freely, but she always let Amie put them back on. You didn’t walk around the outskirts of London in bare feet. Neither was the child keen on wearing so many clothes, she was always eager to rip off her coat as soon as they walked back into the house. She hated wearing gloves, even when her hands were freezing, yet she was frequently cold even when she was indoors.
While Amie had occasional doubts as to whether she was doing the right thing, she reminded herself they’d soon be back in Apatu, and Angelina would be going to school in the climate she was used to. After all, she reassured herself, if Angelina didn’t want to be with her, she would’ve clung to Mrs Motswezi instead of showing her love for the white lady who’d previously taken her into her home.
The days flew, and the day of the funeral came around all too fast. Rather than drive to Harriet’s place they decided to take the train to Birmingham and use a taxi at the other end. They wouldn’t stay the night, but only go to the service and briefly to the wake afterwards.
To Amie’s relief, Angelina didn’t appear to be unduly perturbed by the proceedings, although Sam had to take her children outside, as they wouldn’t sit still in the chapel. Since her aunt had asked to be cremated there was no visit to the cemetery so, after paying their respects, Sam and Amie decided to take the children to a local park and leave the others to go on to the wake and then meet them later back at the railway station.
While Dean and Jade shrieked with joy on the swings and slides, Angelina held back. When Amie tried to persuade her to try one of the rides, she shook her head.
They didn’t stay long at the park the wind was bitterly cold. Amie suggested they visit the nearby mall, get milkshakes and look for a play area in the warm.
As they walked across the road, Amie asked Sam how everything was at home. On her last visit, her sister and brother-in-law had been going through a rocky period. Sam told her things were a little better, but she wasn’t all that happy. Now the children were both in school she’d been looking for work, but it wasn’t easy to find, especially a job with flexible hours to fit in with school times.
The mall was bright and cheerful, crammed with shops, restaurants, coffee bars and a cinema complex. In the main area there was an exhibition with several animals in cages. They walked over to look at them.
“Look Angelina, it’s a monkey,” Amie pointed to the vervet monkey that was screeching and leaping from one side of the small cage to the other.
“Monkey,” repeated Angelina softly.
“Yes, a monkey, like they have at home,” Amie said. “Do you think he’s on holiday from Africa like us?”
Angelina would’ve stayed there forever, but by now Dean and Jade were clamouring for ice cream and milkshakes. They made for a table at the nearest café so they could still watch the animals.
Amie was amused by the smile on the little girl’s face at seeing something familiar, and resolved to take her to the zoo once they were back in London; it would help to unite both worlds for her.
They ordered drinks and took t
heir seats, but Angelina slid off Amie’s lap and wandered over to watch the animals.
Amie’s first reaction was to call her back and keep her close by but then she relaxed. The child was still in sight, only a few yards away, and it was the first time she’d voluntarily left Amie’s side. Was it a sign she was healing, feeling braver and on the road to recovery? Amie could only hope so. She smiled as she watched Angelina gaze intently at the monkey who’d calmed down and was in turn staring back at the little girl.
Amie nudged Sam. “Do you think they recognize a common bond, coming from the same continent?”
“That’s not at all politically correct,” Sam chuckled. “Okay, okay I know what you mean. Well, who knows? It’s nice to see her take an interest in something.”
Amie smiled. “Yes, it is,” she replied. “We have lots of monkeys in the garden.”
Cold shivers ran down Amie’s spine when she thought of Africa. Suddenly, she had a blinding vision, so clear she was convinced she was back in the township in Apatu. As clear as day she saw Ouma Adede and her words rang out loud and clear.
“It is not for me to tell you of the loss, but the spirits have a warning for you. Do not take what is not yours to take. The child belongs here in the country of her birth, and she should die here.”
The vision faded and Amie hastily cast around in a panic. Everything was normal, no one else had seen or heard anything. People were still shopping, eating and drinking in the cafes and riding the escalators.
At that moment a large trolley appeared at the end of the wide corridor moving swiftly towards them. Amie glanced at it and thought they were going to collect the animals, but she felt uneasy. Some instinct put her on alert, a feeling of danger she couldn’t explain. She looked over to where Angelina was entertaining the monkey by making squeaky noises, but still her sense of danger grew. Sam was chattering away to the children and talking to her sister, but Amie was in a bubble, locked into the scene around her. Something was going to happen, something bad.
She took a fleeting look at the trolley that had almost reached them and leapt to her feet to grab Angelina.
Amie in Africa Box Set 1 Page 65
