"Shit" Tiny said looking at her mobile "He's coming in what, Tomorrow" she screeched looking around the house at the boxes and clothes strooned around it "God I've got to do something with this place" she said getting up and throwing things into the middle of the hall "5 o'clock" she finally said when she stopped to think about food as she took her mobile out "Mark" she said when he answered "You still got your truck?"
"No" he answered "Who is this?"
"Tiny, and I need a truck"
"Cain's got one"
"Call him and ask him to come to mine with it, and bring you with him" she ordered without consultation
"There are several things missing in that sentence Tiny"
"Sorry Mark, I'm a bit stressed with all this cleaning, I just need shot of this junk like now before I go mad, could you call Cain please ask him to bring himself and his truck to help move it and dinner's on me for all of us, you'd be saving my life Mark" she whined down the phone
"That's better" he laughed "I'll see what he's doing and we'll get there as soon as we can"
Forty minutes later they, all three, were throwing items onto the back of Cain's truck and about an hour after starting all the items that had been in the middle of the hall were in the back of Cain's truck and they were sitting in the kitchen discussing food choices
"I remember sitting in here back in the day singing the wrong words to church songs loud enough for Ma Anderson to hear the tune and think we were being really good kids" Cain laughed saying
"Funny" Mark said through his laugh
They eventually decided on Chinese and made their order, cleaning up while waiting for delivery "It's here" Tiny shouted once she saw the car pull up
"Hi Tiny" Claudine shouted as she got closer to the front door "I hear my Man's up in here cleaning and shit for you thought I'd come look what was going on" she said smiling as she got closer and giving Tiny a hug
"Claudine come on in, I got him working on the sheds" she informed her as they entered the house "Your family alright?" she enquired
"Everyone's fine Tiny, how's your Mom holding up?"
"As good as can be expected, she didn't make this trip, I'm clearing the old place out, and trying to make up my mind whether I'm going to sell or keep it, I don't think I'll ever live here"
"My Grandma says this house was a compromise for Ms Mercy, apparently someone gave her a house and she didn't feel right in it so she got them to agree she could sell it and she brought this one instead, don't even know how accurate it is you know how the old folk go round in swings and roundabouts" she laughed
"I do" Mercy said laughing with her "Stay have some food" she said before calling the guys in
"I'm working sorry" Claudine said before going to see Mark for hugs before leaving again and soon after food , the guys left to go get rid of the items on Cain's truck
Mercy sat looking around the house thinking about her Grandma and Sam tapping out notes on the grand baby piano in the main sitting room 'The Moon and the Sky' by Sade came to mind as she sat singing and humming it, it brought tears to her eyes as she realised her Grandma wasn't destined for her happy ending. She gave up the singing and opted for watching some family video's memories she didn't even know she was suppressing coming to life on the screen bring with them emotions she struggled to control. When she woke up from sleep she didn't even know she'd begged, it was morning the sky were blue and birds were chirping. She quickly got her breakfast sorted and grabbed her mobile to call her Mom and let her know. She all but pressed dial before she changed her mind and decided to meet him herself and maybe report back to her family on this strange man Sam, that seemed to know about parts of her Grandmother's life that neither her Mother or her had privy to.
Saturday 3rd December 2016 12 pm
Tiny grabbed her coat and nervously made her way to the car, and to the post office "Hello Tiny" Mark said as she walked in with a big smile on his face "You seen the light?" he asked
"A long time ago" she laughed with him saying and he knew he'd lost his war "I'm meeting someone here at about 12.40" she said looking at the lonely clock on the wall
"A man?" he asked
"Yep" she giggled "A man" as she left him and pottered around the shop just window shopping as she waited for her visitor to arrive, she was looking at old DVD's when she heard a voice in the shop
"I'm waiting for Ms Mercy Anderson to come get me" he said with a very distinguished voice
"You'll have a long wait" Mark said before Tiny made her entrance
"Hello Sam is it?" she asked as she walked towards him
"Yes" he spun round saying as he held onto the counter for the shock of seeing Mercy standing in front of him "Mercy" he gasped as a smile came to his face "You must be the namesake, a striking resemblance" he said stretching his hand out to shake hers as Tiny brought her hand up and shook his
"Pleased to finally meet you Mr Sam" she said guiding him out of the shop "We'll go to Grandma's to talk" she informed him as they went. He looked about 80 years old but like someone who had lived a happy life, with hardly any deep lines in his face, which admittedly must have been handsome at one point, strands of his grey hair, that may have once fell all over his face, were tied back in a pony tail exposing missing patches of hair on the top and sides on his head. He walked on a stick and had a limp that he was maybe trying too hard to make it look not as bad as it was, as she showed him into the car it was apparent he was in pain from something as he found it taxing to get in and out of the low seated car but eventually did it anyway "Would you like something hot to drink or cold?" Tiny asked as she sat him in his preferred hard chair
"I'll be alright with a hot chocolate if you don't mind" he said smiling at the uncanny resemblance of Tiny and Mercy
"One sugar, sprinkles and cream" Tiny said thinking about her Grandma's favourite drink
"Yep that's right" Sam told her as she looked round at him and smiled "So where's Mercy?" he asked just as she turned back round
"There is no easy way to say this Mr Sam, you missed her by about 5 or so months, actually she passed the same day your wife passed, but I had no way of getting to you in time, I just picked the letters up yesterday" Tiny said going to sit closer to him as she spoke
"I was too late?" he asked his eyes full of tears as he spoke "I knew I should have pulled rang sooner" he said hitting his lap as he spoke "I'm so damn mad with myself" he said tears now openly falling down his face "I'm sorry Sweetheart I shouldn't be acting like this around you"
"It's alright Mr Sam, if Grandma couldn't have stopped this trip, I certainly wasn't going to try" she smiled as she went back to get the hot drinks poured and took his over to him
"Please call me Sam" he looked up to say "You really do look so much like your Grandma it's uncanny" he smiled "I'm not well myself and I really needed to spend these last days with Mercy, we promised we would you know, and there were so many things we wanted to do together that life didn't let us, I thought I'd got the chance to do this one and now this" he said grabbing a hanky out of his pocket to wipe his face and blow his nose as he pulled himself together
"I found Grandma's letters you wrote" Tiny admitted "I was excited at first and told Mom about it because I thought they were from Granddad but when I got to the end of the first one it said Sam and Mom wasn't too happy about her Mom having someone else in her life and told me to get rid of the letters but I kept them and read them, sorry"
"Did she marry?"
"No, I'd never seen her with anybody, ever" Tiny smiled "Maybe that's why I was intrigued by your letters"
"She sort of told me that would be the case" he said smiling "I just needed to see her one more time" he said going into his thoughts
Tiny looked round because he was so quiet and found he was sleeping "Sam" she called but there was no movement "Sam" she said again walking up to him "Come on I'll put you to bed" she said helping him up "It's been a long day" she said as she helped him lay on top of her Grandma's bed
She went back to the kitchen wondering when he was actually going back home to wherever he came from and realised she didn't even know that, there was a man sleeping in her grandma's bed she didn't know anything about and yet as she went back to the door to check on him and watch him sleeping she instinctively knew he was supposed to be there and he was there for a reason. It was only 5 pm but Sam had been sleeping for an awfully long time so Mercy went in to get him up and at least get him something to eat "Sam" she called as he stirred and settled back into the bed "Comfy ain't it?" she giggled
"Really" she said lifting his head up to see who he was talking to "Mercy Sweetheart" he said smiling at her "Your grandmother's bed is the only place I need to be right now I can smell her in it" he laughed sniffing the sheets as he buried his head in the pillows again
"Food Sam, the body needs food" she laughed saying back to him "While you were asleep I realised I actually knew nothing about you" she told him
"I was born in Missouri but moved to Dallas for a short while, where I met your Grandma, we knew each other for about 4 months before anything hit off between us, I guess it was all just bad timing, and where we were at the time but the Army didn't see us as right because of our different colours and they gave us some stick" he said looking at his hands nervously "We fought as much as we could against it but then that last week we just gave in to the fight, shared our feelings and started a relationship, in every sense on the word" he smiled with a blush "Then her commander found out, he was good friends with Graham; your Grandfather, and he was not having it. Patrice started to get a lot of stick about it and that's sort of when things just went bad for us because they'd turned their hate to a child" he said as a tear brimmed his eye "I brought a house in Houston and Mercy and Patrice lived there for a while I got there a few times and I paid the bills but that commander found out and started to make their lives hell again, so she moved out" he smiled nervously again "She just left a note with a post box number on it saying to use that if I ever needed to get in touch but, the commander wasn't going to let up and Patrice needed to be protected so it was with grave regret and heartbreak that she was telling me we would never see each other again, and that was the deal for Patrice getting a trouble free existence"
"And that was it?" Tiny asked
"Well we met up once more after that, in 1962 and we kissed, a never ending kiss, and told each other that one day we'd meet again and our race wouldn't matter, we could be together and that we'd always love each other no matter what others thought" he chuckled at the memory "Our love was magic, stars the lot every time" he said hoping Tiny would understand how he'd felt
"Come on then lets go find something to eat" Tiny said walking towards the bed to help him up
"No can do I'm afraid, I put everything I have into getting here to be with Mercy, I'm dying Tiny and I don't have long, days maybe"
"How did you get here being so sick?" she asked alarmed
"I had to I promised your Grandma" he said grabbing for his bag a few times before Tiny caught on and passed him the bag. He took out a letter and passed it to her, she just held it at first waiting for instruction but when he looked back at her she somehow knew she was meant to read it "That was the note she left with the post box number" he told her as she started reading her Grandma's letter
My Beloved Sam
You know how I feel about you and that I know our hearts were meant to be together forever, but we know the powers that be are not going to let us have that one small pleasure. So here's the deal, another promise I'm afraid
When life decides to take our last breath, if we are not together please promise me you'll let my name be the last you say and I will come to you, whatever I'm doing I will hear you, or you will hear me and my resting place will be your resting place, so we can finally be together surely our happy souls will be pleasing to God
I'm so sorry about all this with the Commander, Graham was a jealous man but his Brother is something else, I never want to see him again ever and so I have to go from this beautiful place your brought us, with tears in my eyes as we uproot again
Always remember that I love you and only you with all my heart
Use the Post Box
I will love you forever
Mercy
"I just don't know Grandma like this it all seems so unreal that she could have actually been in love, with a man I mean"
"I guess our situation made her that way" he offered
"Yeah I guess it did, what can I get you to eat?" she asked getting up to go sort it all out
"Whatever you're having don't go all out just for me" he told her as she left the room
Tiny sat on the stool in the kitchen thinking about everything that had happened so far today, she'd met up with the love of her Grandma's life and truth he was charming, she could tell he was a good looking man when he was younger. She'd sat and listened to his story of their meeting, relationship and departure and now he was telling her after less than 6 hours in the house that he'd come here to die, what was she going to do with that, she needed to tell someone. She picked up the phone to call her Mom, but remembered she hadn't bothered to tell her about his arrival let alone to bring his problems to her now, thinking better of it she got up to make something to eat instead. Quickly frying off some chicken and baking some cornbread "Finger food" she said thinking about the sheets as she walked back into the bedroom 80 minutes later with a tray and plates for them to eat off.
"I'll try sweetheart" he said as she walked into the room
"I just slaved over the stove to produce this Sam, you better more than try" she laughed as she neared with the tray , his laugh went into a cough that lasted a good while before he was able to drink any of the water Tiny had brought for him
"I don't think you understand" he got out before his coughing started again and a few minutes later he was able to finish his sentence "I really am sick and these are my last few days I need to be with Mercy, I promised her" he said looking into Tiny's eyes as he spoke, something in those deep green eyes told her that he was not joking
"Your eyes are very green Sam" she said having nearly fallen into them
"And your eyes are your Grandma's" he laughed which broke back into a cough as he pulled the sheet up to cover his mouth, Tiny jumped up to help him by giving him water but he pushed his face deeper into the sheet and coughed harder
"Sam are you alright?" she finally asked feeling out of her depth in this
"I don't have long Sweetheart" he told her
"Is there anyone I can call?" she asked
"No I need to be with Mercy"
"Surely Daniel would want to know what's happening with you?"
"No he's coping with enough" he said fanning her to stop "I promised Mercy" he said coughing again, when he lifted up Tiny saw blood and went into full panic
"I need to get someone Sam I can't do this on my own"
"I dont... have anyone" he said going back into a cough
"Medication do you have medication?" as he nodded yes and pointed to his small case, Tiny grabbed the case and found the medication read the label and administered the dose "Is that better?" she asked as he nodded a yes again "I'll be back in a bit" she said almost running from the room and getting her phone out at the same time.
"Mom" she said as soon as she picked up "Sam he came to visit and now he's in bed coughing up blood and I'm scared will you come help me?" she asked all at once
"Who's Sam Tiny, where are you?" she asked concerned
"I'm at Grandma's and Sam's the love of her life he's come here to die he said and he's bleeding from his mouth Mom" she said irritated for having to say it again
"Send him to hospital what does he expect you to do?"
"Nothing, he's living out some promise he made to Grandma to die with her or something, I can't think I just know he's in Grandma's bed, dying and I'm on my own dealing with this, I need you to come to Grandma's Mom as soon as you can"
"Calm down Tiny, I'll come but only because you're hysterical, I really don't want anything to do with this man you've decided to befriend" Tiny finished the call somewhat calmer knowing her Mom was going to be there in the next maybe 7 hours.
"Sam" she said walking back into the bedroom "I've called my Mom she'll know what to do about all this, I don't have a clue" she said trying to make light of the situation
"Woo, the big guns" he half laughed "She could always get me to do something or the other" he coughed "Ask her to sing to me, when she comes she loved to sing to me" he forced out
"I can sing" Tiny informed him
"It's a family gift" he smiled
"Yeah" Mercy smiled as she got the old portable keyboard from the corner of the room and wiped it off "Grandma brought me this years ago" she giggled at the memory of her trying to play it "I sing Jazz really so here goes" she smiled as she played the introduction before singing her version of 'The Sweetest Gift' by Sade a tear falling from her eye as she realised the love this man had for her Grandma "Thank you for loving my Grandma" she said
"I should be thanking her for loving me" he smiled "You sing like an angel" he said as a tear left his eye and then they closed
"Sam" Tiny almost shouted
"Yeah" he said opening his eyes in shock
"Sorry I thought..."
"I'm still here, one of the pleasures of getting old, I nod off anytime" he smiled as he closed his eyes again and she left him to sleep
Her Mom arrived at 11.15 pm with food they sat talking for about an hour before Patrice finally stopped ragging Tiny and they decided to go to bed, Tiny checked in on Sam as her Mom insisted they lock the bedroom door for the night with that stranger in the house.
Sunday 4th December 2016
The following morning Patrice was up bright and early cooking breakfast, being the perfect hostess to this stranger that supposedly loved her Mother "Tiny" she shouted as she prepared Sam's tray "Tiny" she shouted again but still got no answer. After waiting for about 3 minutes she decided to take the warm food to the man instead of leaving it to go totally cold, picked up the tray and headed to her Mother's bedroom, she felt odd doing this for that room and it not being her Mother but something compelled her to make sure this person was treated like royalty. Her Mom had instilled in her that she needed to follow her instinct because it was usually right and just because she was no longer here didn't actually mean she could stop practising her morals "Morning" she walked in saying finding the small table to put the tray on and brushing down her apron and fixing her hair before turning round to face the man
"Patty" he smiled as her face came into view
"Mr E?" she asked as she looked at him trying to make him out
"Yes Patty it's me Mr E" he laughed as he reached for her, she stepped forward and grabbed his hand
"Mr E what are you doing here?" she asked
"My you're a beauty Patty, I'm so proud of you" he said pulling her to him
"You're Sam?" she asked
"Yes I'm Sam sweetheart"
"I was only little, but I remember you were good to us, to me, we loved you Mr E why did you go away?"
"What did your Mom tell you?" he asked as she moved closer to him
"Nothing you just stopped visiting and we left" she said pulling her hand away
"Look in my bag" he said pointing to it as Patricia got up to get it and bring it to him "Read this letter" he instructed her as she opened and read the letter Tiny had read the previous day, looking at him with tears in her eyes
"I didn't even know Dad had a brother"
"He wasn't actually a blood brother he was just very close to your Dad" Sam told her as he pulled out more paper "Look" he said shoving things in her hand "I never forgot either of you" he said as Patrice sat looking at pictures of the three of them together, happy times, she clung to him like he was her father and for all intents and purposes that's exactly who she thought he was at the time, she was in his arms, on his shoulders, round his legs and he was always smiling with his other arm around her Mother
"We were happy weren't we?" she asked looking up from the pictures
"We were" he smiled "But I hope you understand why your Mom did what she did?"
"I guess I do now I'm older, but honestly I blamed you, all these years I blamed you" she said grabbing hold of his hand as he squeezed hers and they shared a moment "I missed you Mr E" she laughed as Tiny came into the room
"Oh I was just ..." she tapered off as she saw the two holding hands "What's going on here then?" she asked
"Your Mom remembered me" he smiled
"And Breakfast is cold" she said looking at the tray of food on the side table "I'll do it, you guys catch up" she said grabbing the tray and leaving the room
The conversation was in full swing when Tiny returned to the room 30 minutes later with her make shift breakfast nothing as big as her Mom had done earlier "Brunch is up" she said sliding the tray on the side table and walking to the other side of the bed to help her Mom pull Sam to a sitting position. Joining in with the chat, laughter and memories until Breakfast was finished almost choking on her last bite when her Mom asked
"So Mr E, what's all this about not wanting your family around when you go visit Mom?"
"I won't be visiting her I'll finally be going to live with her"
"Not if you don't make everything down here right first" Patrice warned him
"You're right about that" he chuckled making himself cough again as Tiny ran for his medication "Compromise" he said once he'd stopped "My grandson can come but no one else until I'm gone"
"I remember you like your compromises" Patrice laughed "Okay contact details for your Grandson please?" she asked as he reeled a number off without giving them time to get phones out or paper to write on "Stop it" she laughed "You're ill, number" she said looking at Tiny to see if she was ready as she nodded the go ahead "Now" she said as Sam said the number again much slower this time
Mercy heard the phone ring and got up and left the room to have the conversation "Hello" she said "Hello" she repeated "This is a bad line" she said "Hello"
"Hello" a voice came back at her saying
"Hello could I speak to Sam's Grandson please" she smiled "Sorry I forgot his name"
"Sam" the voice came back to her saying
"Of course sorry, yeah Sam please"
"Yeah it's Sam, where's my Granddad?" he asked
"He's at my house at the moment, in South Carolina"
"What's he doing there?"
"Long story but he's not well and he's said we can call only you to come to him"
"Where is he?" he asked with some urgency at hearing the news as Tiny passed on the address to him and he made arrangements to get a plane and he'd hopeful be there soon "Sorry" he finally said before closing the call down "What's your name?"
"Tin...I mean Mercy, my name's Mercy" she smiled "See you soon Sam"
Soon it was 5.30 pm and Sam and Patrice hadn't really stopped talking yet, he'd fall asleep for an hour or so wake up calling for her she'd waltze back into the bedroom and then laughing, giggling, clapping and then quiet again as he slept "Sing for me Patty" Tiny heard him say as she went to open the door and stood back. 'Was she going to see something rare and beautiful tonight her Mother sing to this old man who she obviously looked upon as her father figure' she stood shocked as her Mom without argument leaned forward grabbed his hand and started singing her version of 'Holding back the Years' By Angie Stone "That's for you and Mom" she said rubbing his hand "Use it as your wedding song" she laughed
After waiting for an appropriate amount of time Tiny entered the room talking"Mom I got to go see Mark and Claudine and I think Cain will be there never misses an opportunity" she smiled "I'm expecting his Grandson about 11pm so I'll be back well before that" she said as she made for the door stopping to ask "Do you need anything?"
"No we're fine" she said, and the door shut "Typical Tiny move, I come to help and end up holding the baby" she smiled "But you're such a wanted baby I really don't mind" she told his fretful face "Sam will be here soon" she said rubbing his hand, thinking totally different things to what she'd made herself believe all these years about this man, she thought he was her Dad back then, that he had abandoned them and broken her Mother's heart.
She didn't know when it happened but they eventually fell asleep, him in bed and her in the chair beside him, she was woken by banging at the door "Hold up" she shouted alerting Sam to the invasion as he opened his eyes and watched her walk out the room "Hello..." she said opening the door to see her memory of her Dad, as in Mr E, standing in front of her "Sam you must be Sam" she smiled as he stepped in unasked
"Yes I am, I heard my Granddad was here, sick?" he asked while looking around
"Hello Sam" Patrice said as his attention focused back on her
"Sorry hello, how rude of me, I just need to see my Granddad..."
"Patrice" she told him
"Patty?" he asked
"That's what your Granddad calls me yes"
"You exist" he smiled "I've heard the stories, well rants, of his long lost daughter, but you're …."
"Black yeah, and I'm not actually his daughter, he was in love with my Mom"
"Sorry that was so rude" he said embarrassed
"I guess I would have asked the same question" she smiled "Come on in, do you need anything to drink or something?"
"I'm sorry but I'm really anxious to see my Granddad" he said looking into her eyes
"Come on you just woke him up with your knocking" she said guiding him down the corridor and into the bedroom
"Granddad" he gasped when he entered the room and saw his smiling face "I was so worried"
"Good to see you Dot" he said holding his arms up for the hug that was coming as Sam fell into it "How did you get away from your parents?"
"I wasn't with them, I left them yesterday and got home last night to an empty house, there was I all worried about you being on your own, to find you're on the other side of the country, doing what?"
"I came to see Mercy but she's not here any more"
"I spoke to Mercy on the phone earlier"
"Oh that's Tiny my Daughter" Patrice butted in "I'll leave you two to it" she said backing out of the room
She left them talking in the room until Tiny came back and she filled her in on what had happened "What does he eat?" Tiny asked
"I really don't know I didn't speak to him that long before he went in" Patrice informed her
"I'll go ask"
"I'll ask" Patrice said getting up to enter the bedroom again to enquire "Whatever" she came out saying waving her hands about "They're just as indecisive as your Dad" she told Tiny "They were deep in conversation and young Sam had the letters" she almost whispered
Two hours later Tiny was preparing the table for dinner "We'll feed Sam and then eat ourselves" she suggested as her Mom nodded in agreement
"I'll bring this through for Sam" Patrice said not able to do enough for this Man she felt was her Dad, as she walked out the kitchen with the tray
"Hello Tiny I assume?" Tiny heard coming from the door and spun round to see a guy her age with blond hair shoulder length, big green eyes; like his Granddad's and full lips, taking her breath away as she realised she was staring
"Yes, well Mercedes really but family call me Tiny friends call me Mercy, take your pick" she finally got out as she finally looked back at Sam standing there with his eyes glazed and fixed on her "Sam is it?" she asked presenting her hand for shaking
"Yes it's Sam or Dot as my family call me, and I need to thank you for helping Granddad, and letting me know" he smiled before moving forward to half hug her. She leaned in for a full hug without understanding why as she smelt his hair, neck, aftershave, clothes closing her eyes at the unfamiliar memory she somehow needed to keep "Thank you" he said pulling out with some discomfort "I really needed that" he said to her standing there before him with closed eyes, still in her memory
"Sorry" she said when she opened her eyes to see Sam smiling back at her, his eyes dancing over her face as he stopped to watch her bite her bottom lip and let out a wet lip ready for sucking "Dinner" she said looking behind her at the food she was serving before he came in "Sit down, I'll be a minute" she said feeling the need to straighten up her clothes as if she'd just jumped out of bed
Lucky for them Patrice wasn't long feeding Sam, he didn't eat much anyway and dinner was filled with her telling stories of life with Grandma and her memories of Mr E, or Sam, as she'd grown to call him over the past few days. "I'll sit with him tonight I really don't think he has long left and I don't' want him to be alone" she said as she got up to go to him
"He wanted to see us all" Sam told her as Tiny brought the plates to the sink
"Come on then" Patrice said moving her hand telling them to come like an excited child, as they all piled into the bedroom, Tiny sat on the stool, Patrice on the chair and Sam on the bed "So Sam you called?" she asked
"Aarrhh" he said seeing them all around him
"Dot I have to apologise to you for not saying anything about this lot" he said coughing "But I lost my heart to their Mother stroke Grandmother many years before I met your Nan and I made a promise as you read" he said coughing again for longer than the first time as all three looked at each other saying without words that he was near the end "I need to be clear on my wishes and I need you all to agree for this to happen and fight for it" he paused "I need to be laid to rest with Mercy" he said looking around the room at the three faces
"What about Grandma" Sam asked "Why wouldn't you want to be with Grandma?" he asked filling up
"Grandma knew about this Dot" he smiled
"So you want to be here with Ms Mercy?" he asked again "So how do you expect Dad to agree with this" he almost laughed
"That's why I need you three to be together on this" he said looking around the room
"I know my Mother wanted this, I feel her talking to me, I have no questions" Patrice said
"I read the letter I know she wanted this" Tiny said smiling at her Mom
"Are you three agreed?" Sam asked his Grandson, Patrice and Tiny
"Yes" Sam said as everyone in the room smiled
"Okay" he sighed as if he'd just fought a war, his head falling back on the pillows puffed up behind him "I'm ready" he said looking up as he smiled "I'm ready Mercy" That night all three stayed in the room with him
Sam's Flashback
Sam closed his eyes remembering and hoping that they'd take up exactly where they'd left off, he sat remembering how they finally got talking after nearly four months of looks, smiles and suggestive words
"Are we going to go further with this thing" Mercy asked him one afternoon when they found themselves loading boxes into the small storage cupboard
"Thing?" He's asked with a smile on his face
"Don't play with me you've been giving me the look for the past four months" she giggled
"You have a beautiful laugh" he said smiling
"You have beautiful" she told him back making him blush before he dragged her into the cupboard
"Can I get a kiss?" he asked when the door shut
"No" she told him opening the door and letting herself back out
"Mercy" he pushed the door open after her saying to be faced with Randell. Randell was one of these leave our women alone type of guys, so even talking to a black woman offended him, Sam thought fast "We're loading the cupboard orders and she's gone for her break" he smiled as he picked another box up
Later that day he saw her in the dining room, she blew him a kiss, he acted like he'd caught it smiling as he watched her giggle so hard everyone looked
"You coming to the joint tonight Mercy?" The Commander asked
"No, I didn't go out when Graham was alive why would I want to now?" she asked walking through the canteen "I'm just going home, to bed" she said as she passed Sam's table, knocking him as she spoke
"This woman and her mixed messages" he said rolling his eyes as he sneak peaked her walking away, clapping his hands together at the prospect of rocking up at her place later
2 hours later, when he heard the rowdy lot leaving for the joint he held on for about a minute before he started making his way to Mercy's cabin. He knocked the door and within seconds she was standing there "Sam" she said with a smile on her face "Nice of you to visit" she said looking out the door both ways before dragging him in
"Did I ever tell you I play a very aggressive game"
"Did anyone ever tell you, you have the most kissable lips" he asked as he stood over her looking down at them
"I have two pairs" she said making him laugh
"I guess I'm up for tasting both" he said finally grabbing her to him preventing her from falling onto the bed, seconds before the look became a touch and the touch became something much more intimate. A few hours later Sam was leaving her cabin, unbeknown to him, the commander saw him
"So you riding on the dark side?" he asked Sam in the canteen as he walked past his table the next day
"The dark side?" Sam asked looking around the table at the guys who knew exactly what the Commander was talking about
"You been to the dark side?" they asked him around the table
"Shit shit shit I did not hear that, a white boy does not want to get killed today" Randell came in saying as Sam rolled his eyes
"Randell I don't want to hear it" Sam shouted through the room at him, getting up
And so the ridicule started by day four Mercy couldn't take the segregation, back biting and ill feeling amongst her so called colleagues, her camels back broke when the children started spitting at Patrice and in a bid to save things Sam moved them into the house he'd just brought off camp and put them in it, two weeks later the Commander found out resulting in Mercy fleeing with Patrice to South Carolina
"It's time to be together again Sam" she appeared saying while smiling at him
End of Flashback
"Mercy finally" he said opening his eyes as all three stood looking at him before he closed them again "I'm here" he smiled