“You’re taking money for sex, on my property and, and ...” Amie didn’t know how to continue she was so angry. This was something she hadn’t expected. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined a scenario like this. For a second the anger was replaced with the urge to laugh. Did this make her a real Madam, the kind who runs a whorehouse? Of all the experiences she’d had this was definitely a first.
She took a deep breath, now was not the time to laugh, but a vision floated in front of her eyes as she imagined explaining to her mother that her daughter was now running a brothel.
To focus her mind, she glanced round the small room, taking in the chest of drawers, small table and chair, the wardrobe and the bed which had obviously seen plenty of action in the last couple of months.
“I want you out now ...” Amie paused. It was getting late in the afternoon and she didn’t have the heart to throw Lulu out on the street when it would be dark soon, “... first thing in the morning,” she added.
“Oh no, Madam, oh no please!” Lulu’s sobs interrupted her words. “I have nowhere to go, I do not have a house, I have many children to feed, I have ...”
For a brief second the distraught woman in front of her nearly swayed Amie into telling her everything was fine, and as long as she didn’t do it again, she could stay. Suddenly she, who had said she was childless, had offspring to support? How many other lies had she told? No, Amie would never be able to trust her again. She reasoned that Lulu had been living somewhere before she came to work in the Fish household, so she must have somewhere to go.
“Sorry Lulu but I won’t change my mind. You have to go, tomorrow. And don’t come back to the house. I’ll see to the supper and bring you your money in the morning.” With that Amie turned and walked off to open the gates and bring her car in. Once inside the house she swiftly locked the kitchen door, kicking herself for not getting the key back from Lulu. She would ask for it in the morning. She’d heard of servants who’d been dismissed who then went back inside the premises stealing as much stuff as they could carry. Yet another lesson learned.
Amie sighed as she filled the kettle with water. Maybe a large glass of wine was a better idea than coffee right now, but what the hell, she would have both. She could just imagine Jonathon’s reaction when she told him they’d been hosting a den for immoral earnings. Yes, it was funny, but it came with the headache of all the interviewing and training and watching and waiting until yet another maid had settled in successfully.
She took her mug and glass of wine into the lounge and sat down in the window seat with her laptop on her knees. She booted up the machine and prayed the internet connection would behave. Sometimes it was excellent. On other days it was almost non-existent. She needed to write to her parents and assure them all was well. They’d been very unhappy when their daughter announced she was returning to Africa. Even though Amie had never told them the whole story, she guessed they suspected she had secrets, but what little she had told them was alarming enough. OK, they knew what she’d suffered during the war, because the story had been on television, but she’d not told them about her subsequent adventures and her fight against the terrorists. She’d promised to keep in touch at least once a week, and if Skype didn’t connect, at least send them an email.
Amie also wanted to write to her sister Samantha and see how things were going back in England. She knew that Sam’s marriage to Gerry was pretty shaky, and Amie could maybe give her a little support via the web.
She opened her email and noticed there were messages from her parents and Samantha. She speed-read the one from her mother. They were both well, but worried about their daughters. In the plural? Why both of them? Sam was living safely in the same town, a million miles away from the wild life, the unpredictable African political climate, the myriad diseases that swirled in the air, and the dangerous insects that lurked in hidden places.
She raced through the news of various friends and relatives: a new baby, a newly diagnosed case of dementia in one of their friends, and the ever-rising cost of living. Her mother never changed, the rest of the email was loaded with advice about looking after Jonathon, keeping safe, eating properly and taking care of herself.
Sam’s email was short, almost cryptic.
Amie, I can’t take it anymore. I found you don’t need a visa for Togodo. Travelling to Heathrow and taking first plane out. Will text when I arrive. Sam xxx
Goodness, Sam was coming here? To stay? For how long? Why? Amie guessed she’d find out soon enough, but how soon would she be here? The email was dated today very early in the morning, so Amie could expect her phone to ring at any time. She pushed her fingers through her hair and sighed. Sam couldn’t have chosen a worse time to come. She’d been planning to do a big food shop the next day, she had no maid, and goodness, she didn’t even have sheets for the guest beds.
She closed the lid on the laptop and went to find her bag and keys. This called for urgent shopping and she would only just make the stores in time. She forgot about Lulu, but it was too late. Lulu had already cooperated with her enemies.
4 SEARCHING FOR SAM
The next hour and a half flew past as Amie rushed first to the bedding store, then up and down the aisles in the supermarket, grabbing anything she saw that she could use for meals. She pushed the trolley to the checkout, and got out her credit card ready to hand to the cashier. Before the assistant at the end of the counter finished packing her goods into plastic bags, there were two small boys jostling to carry them to the car for her. She nodded to them both as they fought each other to push the laden trolley out into the car park.
By the time Amie got home she was exhausted and the sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades. She wiped her brow with her arm as she got out and opened the gates. She hoped that Teabag would be there to give her a hand, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was no one to help her with the shopping; just her luck. She was praying that Sam had not made today’s plane, if she had she’d be arriving in an hour or so.
Closing the gates and walking back to the house Amie was accosted by Lulu who appeared from behind the car port. She was dressed in her best clothes and carried several large plastic shopping bags. She looked nervous.
“I go now,” she said. “I not come again.” She put her belongings down and held out her hands, in one were the keys to the back door and the gate while the other empty palm waited expectantly. It was clear she wanted her money.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” Amie grumbled. She really didn’t have time for this right now. Jonathon would be home soon expecting his supper and she hadn’t had time to work out how much she owed Lulu. She retrieved her bag from the car. It was lucky that she’d paid for her purchases by card, as she just about had enough to give her ex-maid two months’ wages. Now she would have to fight her way to the bank tomorrow and the queues were always a mile long. She didn’t think she’d short changed her but eased her conscience thinking that Lulu had probably earned a small fortune courtesy of her Madam’s lodgings. Not only had she provided live in accommodation but also her maid’s business premises.
While Amie was counting out the money, Lulu became more and more jittery. She shuffled from one foot to the other, throwing up small clouds of dust which settled over her sandals. Her eyes were fixed on the ground and not once did she look at her recent employer.
“There,” Amie put the notes into the outstretched hand as Lulu, in typical African fashion, curled her other hand round her forearm to receive it. Then, thrusting the keys into Amie’s hand, she gathered up her bags and almost ran to the gate. As she wrestled to open it, she didn’t look back once before she disappeared out of sight. Amie didn’t even have time to wish her well, or say goodbye, or ask where she was going in such a hurry. Maybe it was for the best, what did you say in a situation like this?
She’d been so tempted to look through all the bags that Lulu had struggled to carry off the premises, but that was tantamount to accusing her of stealing and Amie simply didn’
t have the time or the courage.
She set to unpacking the car, stopping between trips to check round the house to see if there was anything obviously missing. She felt guilty being so suspicious, but the rich were often fair game to those less well off. To her relief she saw her laptop was still on the coffee table where she’d left it, and a quick glance in her wardrobe assured her that her clothes were still there. Come on, she told herself, Lulu might have been on the game, but she was also earning money honestly, and as far as she knew, she’d never stolen from the Fish household. Give her the benefit of the doubt.
A peep inside the kaya showed her the furniture had not been removed either, although it would need a good clean before another maid moved in. She went over to check that the small side gate and the large gate were both securely locked before going to sort out the shopping.
Amie piled all the frozen food into the elderly freezer and decided that omelettes would have to do for tonight. Normally she would have simply suggested that they go to dine at the Club, but if Sam was going to phone or text at any minute then she didn’t want to have to leap up and disappear the moment they’d put their order in, or the food appeared on the table.
In the meantime, this called for a very large glass of wine she told herself taking the bottle out of the fridge. Was this the beginning of the slippery slope to alcoholism? Hardly, it had been a particularly stressful day, she owed it to herself – she deserved it. Defiantly, she took an extra-large gulp.
She placed her glass on a nearby table, and grabbing the new bedding, ripped the packaging off it and went to make up the guest bedroom. She would run around with a mop and duster after supper, although the place wasn’t really dirty. It was always a source of pride to make your home look good for overseas visitors, who were few and far between. Sam was the first member of her family to come out to Togodo. Her parents had mentioned making a trip a few years earlier but then everything went mad and the war broke out, and Amie doubted if they would ever come now, especially since her father had recently suffered a mild stroke. They were nervous enough for their daughter, and so was Sam come to think of it. Things must be very bad if she felt desperate enough to jump on a plane by herself and visit. Her sister had never travelled far and you could hardly compare Africa to a week at a Spanish holiday resort.
Hearing Jonathon tooting outside she rushed to let him in.
“Where’s Lulu?” he asked, usually she ran out to open the gates.
“It’s a long story, and one I don’t think you’ll believe,” Amie replied. “Can you shut the gates I’ve got something on the stove. Make sure the gates are locked.”
Jonathon gave her a puzzled look before driving up and parking next to Amie’s car in the carport.
“You did check the gates?” Amie reminded him as he walked into the kitchen.
“Yes, I did. All secure. What’s the panic? And where is Lulu? Sick?”
“You might well ask, and not sick, no. Gone.”
“Another family funeral?” Jonathon sighed as he went to wash his hands at the kitchen sink, the pipes creaking ominously as he turned the tap on full blast.
“No. Gone, gone for good, never to come back,” Amie replied pouring soup into two bowls.
“What happened?” Jonathon was curious.
“Sit down and I’ll tell you about it, and that’s not the only news either.”
Amie hadn’t found Lulu’s story all that funny, but Jonathon laughed until the tears ran down his face. He wouldn’t have to spend days looking for a new reliable maid and then showing her how Amie liked things done around the house. He wouldn’t have to calm her fears if she was scared of the vacuum cleaner, or explain and demonstrate how to cook and adjust the setting on the steam iron. No, he was the one who would benefit from the smooth running of the house without any of the hassle.
Jonathon also thought it very funny to address Amie as Madam every other sentence until she told him her other news. They were about to receive a visitor.
He didn’t look too happy about welcoming his sister-in-law because Sam had a tendency to talk nonstop and that drove him mad. Amie had a nasty suspicion Sam wouldn’t take to Africa like she had, and she foresaw a few difficult days ahead.
They looked up the arrival times for the flights from London and reckoned that if they’d not heard from Sam in the next hour, they could call it a night. Amie was certainly ready for bed. Every few minutes she looked at her phone to check for messages or missed calls or a notification on WhatsApp, but there was nothing.
“Your sister can be pretty dozy at times and if she’s upset, I wouldn’t put it past her to end up in Ruanga or confuse Apatu with Atari,” Jonathon remarked.
“I’m sure she’s not that bad, even if we haven’t seen her for what, over six months? And her last email sounded pretty normal, though now I come to think of it, I’ve not had one from her for a few weeks. The one today was the first in a while. Why didn’t I notice that?”
“Probably too worried about your ghosts and apparitions,” Jonathon chuckled but was he only half teasing? Although Amie had told him about her fears, she’d played it down, she hated him to think her weak. But she’d been right, she had seen strange men in the garden, it hadn’t been her imagination, so she felt vindicated. The only secret she was going to keep from Jonathon was just how much the whole episode had unnerved her.
They were about to go to bed when Jonathon thought to check with the airport to see if the flights had been delayed, but although he waited patiently the phone at the other end rang and rang. Shrugging his shoulders, he led the way into the bedroom.
Despite feeling tired, maybe drained would be a better description, Amie responded to his exploring arms and returned his passionate kisses, but just as things were warming up, her mobile buzzed on the bedside table. With a groan she rolled over and picked it up.
Am at Apatu airport. How soon can you get here? Was the terse message.
“From Sam?” Jonathon asked.
“Yes, she’s at the airport.”
Jonathon threw back the sheet and sat on the edge of the bed. “I guess we’d better go and fetch her.” He padded across the room to grab some clothes.
Amie made for the bathroom.
“Are you sure you don’t know what the problem is? Why she’s suddenly jumped on a plane to come here?” Jonathon called out to her.
“No. You know as much as I do.” Amie threw on her tracksuit. Although it was still warm outside, in comparison to the high temperatures during the day it could feel very chilly at night. “All the email said was that she couldn’t take it anymore, whatever that means.”
There was panic in the watchers’ car when they saw their quarry leave the house in the middle of the night. The driver used his cell phone to report in.
“You said to move tonight but now ...? Do we follow them?” he asked.
“Did they take suitcases? Are they coming back?”
“No luggage, boss.”
“Then wait. Be patient.”
The driver sighed as the call was disconnected. “We wait some more,” he grumbled to his sidekick. “Always waiting.” He slumped down in his seat and closed his eyes.
Oblivious to the eyes that watched their departure, Amie and Jonathon didn’t talk much on the way to the airport. Amie kept going over and over in her mind what drastic changes there could have been in Sam’s life to persuade her to jump on a plane to ‘darkest Africa’ as she called it. It wasn’t only her husband she was leaving behind, but her two children, Dean and baby Jade, though Jade was not a baby any more. It’s got to be serious, reasoned Amie, but I haven’t any idea how to help her, except lend a shoulder to cry on. It’s got to be one of the craziest things she’s ever done. Amie couldn’t remember Sam doing anything crazy at all. She’d done well at school, completed her teacher training, married safe, sensible Gerry who worked for the local council and produced two adorable children – wait make that one Amie smiled, Dean was a handful at the best of ti
mes.
It had always been Amie who shocked them all. She’d been the crazy one coming to Africa and then getting mixed up in all sorts of nonsense. In fact, the last time they were leaving to come back to Apatu, Mary Reynolds had looked deep into her daughter’s eyes and said, “I will never have a moment’s peace again, knowing you are out there and could be in terrible danger.”
That made Amie feel so guilty, and briefly she’d been angry with her mother for making her feel bad. It was her life and if she’d taken chances, well, she’d survived. Even she knew she was tougher inside now, stronger emotionally; she’d been tested and won through. Maybe that’s what Sam saw in her, a strong woman who could advise and comfort.
“Almost there,” Jonathon broke into her thoughts. “That’s strange, the car park is empty, maybe the plane wasn’t all that full.”
“It’s not taken us that long to get here.” Amie checked her watch. “Either she came in on the 10 pm flight and she had to wait a while to get through customs or the plane was delayed.”
“Mmm, possibly a lost suitcase? No, it wouldn’t take all this time, even if the flight was early.”
Jonathon parked up and they walked in through the main doors. Despite this being the only airport for a capital city, there was no distinction between domestic and international. They could see no one across the vast expanse of tiled floor. All five check-in desks were closed and apart from one old lady with a broom at the far end, the whole airport looked deserted.
They made for the doors that led to the customs and immigration area and peeped inside. The baggage carousels were empty except for one unclaimed suitcase tilted on its side. Amie bent to see if there was a label.
Amie in Africa Box Set 1 Page 69
