The Letter Arrives:

Bayport High School:

"Frank, Joe wait up!" Iola & Callie yelled at the same time.

"Hey girls, ready for summer vacation to start?" Joe asked.

"Of course we are. Only four more days and we're home free for the next three months. Got anything planned for the summer boys?" Callie asked.

"Of course we do; lots of lounging, swimming and hanging out with you two. Of course playing baseball with the guys and all that stuff." Frank stated.

"Any new mysteries coming our way for future notice?" Chet asked as he, Biff, Phil, Jerry & Tony came up.

"Not yet, but we'll let you know when one comes up. You guys want to come over? We're on our way home now." Joe asked.

"Sure, I could always use some of your mom's cooking," Chet said.

"You always say that Chet. Come on we better get home." Joe stated.


Hardy Household:

"Joe, Frank, this letter came for you boys. Who do you know that lives in Africa?" Gertrude Hardy said as she handed them the envelope.

"Nobody that I know of. Joe, how about you?"

"I think I recognize the name, but it couldn't be."

"Couldn't be who? Hello, Earth to Joe."
"Alyani Kimbundla is the same person mom got that letter from a couple months ago. Remember Frank?"

"Yeah I do. Aunt Gertrude? Where did she go?"
"She went upstairs after you said that woman's name. I think she went to go speak to your mom. Open it Frank. Maybe it's something we can do together."
Chet said.

"Okay, here goes nothing." Frank opened the letter and pulled out three pieces of paper. One was a schedule, the other a perfect replication of last year's family photo of the boys sitting back to back and smiling. The third was a letter.

"What's the letter say Frank?" Joe asked.

"It starts out saying 'I know you don't know who I am, but I know who you are. You are my mothers' sons.' It sounds like she's saying she's our sister."

"Why wouldn't mom tell us we had a sister?"

"I don't know."

"Continue Frank." Iola stated.

"Please don't find this letter to be an invasion of your privacy. I wish only to speak to you in private. /Please do not blame your mother for not telling you. I do not blame her for giving me up for adoption. I have had the most wonderful time growing up in Africa."

"Maybe she'll ask us to come to Africa."

"Get real Chet. We barely know her. She barely knows us."

"She had her reasons and I am to understand, from what my father has told me that it was a very good reason. /I am a 26-year-old, have long black hair with gold & silver streaks in it. I am expecting my first child within a couple months and I would love her to meet her uncles."

"UNCLES!" Frank, Joe, Iola, Chet, Callie, Biff, Tony, Phil, Jerry & Tony yelled at the same time. This brought Mrs. Hardy, Mr. Hardy & their Aunt Gertrude down the stairs.

"What is all the yelling about?" Mrs. Hardy asked.

"When were you going to tell us that we had a sister?" Frank & Joe asked at the same time.

"Maybe you should continue reading the letter and when you are done I can explain things."

"Fine, whatever you say mom."

"Here Frank give me the letter. I'll finish reading it." Frank handed to letter over to Joe and he found the spot where Frank had left of.

"I have taken over the family business, running the Animal Sanctuary my fathers' father started about 200 miles outside of Maputo. /My husband, Adiel & I go out every morning around eight o'clock to look over our property. /I would like to hire you two to help us protect our property. In exchange for helping me, you will learn more about whom I am and how we can stay in contact with each other."

"Who says we want to work in Africa for our summer vacation?" Frank said.

"Hang on she said she'd pay us to work for her." Joe stated.

"Well then I say let's go." Jerry said.

"Who said you were invited? Who said any of us were invited?" Iola asked.

"Obviously the letter; Frank skipped that part reading it out loud. Although you might be paying for yourselves if she can't afford it."

"No matter, I'm sure our parents won't mind. Or we can raise the money, somehow." Biff said.

"Continue Joe." Callie said.

"You might want to learn how to ride a camel. /There is a village on the outskirts of our 400 acre property. /Again, I mean you no harm whatsoever. /Please do consider coming to Mozambique. I would love a chance to get to know you and look forward to seeing your faces. /I managed to draw you at a spare moment in my time. Please do not hesitate to contact me."

"She signed it with 'Your Unknown Half-Sister, Alyani Kimbundla. Mom, start talking." Joe finished.

Explaining Everything:

"Alyani contacted me a couple months ago. She'd been looking for her birth mother since she was eighteen. Her father had just passed away, leaving her the clues as where to find me. I was only sixteen when I had her. Nine years later you were born. I couldn't handle a child at that young of age, especially under the circumstances of how she was conceived. You see, I never gave permission to the biological father to have sex with me. He forced himself onto me and I didn't want a constant reminder of how she was conceived so I gave her up for adoption. I had told the adoption agency that if she ever wanted to contacted me, to just give me a call and I would accept that she was trying to contact me. I actually expected it to be sooner then this."

"So why not tell us when we were younger?" Frank asked.

"It was up to her when I was to tell you. I didn't want you to travel the world looking for a sister you didn't know or what she looked liked. Please answer her letter. Let her know you are considering going to Mozambique to get to know each other."

"We were planning on doing that when we got to the part of the adoption. We just wanted you to tell us we had a sister. And under the circumstances, we can't blame you for not wanting to bring up old feelings. Would we be spending the whole summer down in Africa if we went?"

"That is entirely up to you boys, your friends and Alyani. If you do stay the whole summer, maybe you might learn you like it down there. You may even continue in her family business. Or one of your friends might. She didn't tell you everything. She wants to tell you more when you get down there. Did she mention the meetings?"

"Yeah she did. What are the meetings about?" Frank asked.

"They're not really meetings. It's more of a Karaoke night for them to have some fun. Alyani is actually a pretty good singer granted the songs she sings are already out in the world. She doesn't have the time to write her own songs, she's too busy. Will you boys be going down there?"

"Umm…That would be a hell yes. They have to ask there parents though." Joe said and pointed his thumb at their friends.