Author's note: I have no idea whether the Ebola crisis will have abated by this time in my story (if not sooner), but I fervently hope so.
Chapter 35
December 2016
Jane and Frank had arrived at Lungi International Airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone after a stopover in Dakar, Senegal and a brief sojourn in Ethiopia. In the latter, they drove with Yohanna Bekele and one of her Hygienic H2O colleagues about two hundred kilometers from Addis Ababa to a small village, where they celebrated the opening of a new well named in honor of Audrey Leung, Frank's mother.
If Yohanna or Lyndsey McColm had known of Frank's connection to Jane at the time of his donation, they had been too polite to say—and continued to be so when Jane had presented Lyndsey with an invitation to their wedding back in Los Angeles. With the couple's marriage becoming a well-known event, however, Lyndsey offered Frank another opportunity to attend the village celebration, and this time he happily accepted.
Jane was surprised and delighted to learn about his donation, and highly amused by the additional sixty dollars he had added to the generous gift. "Hey, you told me to give it to a good cause!" he said, in mock defensiveness.
"So my angry tirade led to some good, huh?" she teased.
"That wasn't an angry tirade," Frank smirked. "Believe me, I've been on the receiving end of one of yours, and I know! That was just... ice cold resolve."
"Ouuuch!" Jane said. "You're not painting a very pretty picture of me."
Frank put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, still smiling. "I don't know about that. You're beautiful even when you're telling me to go to hell. Besides, ice cold resolve is what I needed from you to knock some sense into my head."
She smiled back. "So you could turn around and knock some into mine!"
Whatever the impetus for Frank's gift, both he and Jane felt very honored to be present at the unveiling of a new source of clean water for a community much in need of it. The timing could not have been better, as the new well celebration coincided with the lifting of the State Department's warnings against travel to Sierra Leone. It was now time to pay a visit to a country so special to Jane's heart.
This visit would be just the one step toward completing two of the couple's biggest goals. During their ten-day trip, they would reach out to other NGO's operating in the country to establish partnerships and identify regions where new clean water projects might be feasible. Although Jane was excited about this long-term dream of hers finally being realized, the chance to visit the United Together Children's Centre with Frank was even more dear to her.
Jane gripped Frank's hand as they rode in a taxi from their hotel through the busy streets of Freetown to the orphanage. "I keep trying to tell myself that this is just one step among many," she said, a little breathlessly. They had already completed their international adoption application and been approved by the U.S. government, as well as the application procedures with the international adoption agency that handled the cases of orphans at the Children's Centre. Choosing a child and the legalization of the adoption by the Sierra Leonan government remained ahead of them.
Frank squeezed her hand back. "Yeah, but this is the most important step, I would say." The agency had sent photos and profiles of several children available for adoption, and today they would have a chance to meet them.
"We're ready for this, right?" Jane asked. She didn't know why she was so nervous.
Positive as always, Frank smiled. "Definitely. There are so many people helping us in this, sweetheart. Not just our relatives, but everyone else we've met."
She nodded, thinking about the months they had spent, not just completing their home study for adoption approval, but meeting with other parents of international adoptees, and with people from the Sierra Leonan immigrant community in L.A. Those meetings had been very emotional for Frank and Jane, because although the folks they had met had been supportive, they had warned them to be prepared. "No one has been untouched by Ebola," one woman told them. "Everyone has lost a family member, or a neighbor, or someone they were connected to. These children not only have no family, but they are a part of an entire country that is grieving."
Jane and Frank listened carefully, absorbing the stories. They both had lived through grief and loss as young children, although not to the same extent. Jane also considered the racism and prejudice that their child might experience. Kids, and unfortunately, too many adults, could be unwittingly or purposefully cruel. There had been too many stories in the news of African children from countries far removed from the Ebola outbreak who had been discriminated against because of people's fears of the disease.
Again, however, Frank had given her confidence. After one dinner with some new Sierra Leonan friends back in L.A., she had remarked to Frank that she appreciated that he was never uncomfortable being the only non-black face in the room. "That's how I realized I was in love with you, you know."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I thought it was because I was helping Betty's family."
Jane shook her head. "That was part of it, but it wasn't the biggest reason. It was Betty telling me that you had visited her family in Nigeria. Anyone can give money, but you went far beyond that."
"I went kind of on a whim, since I was in Lagos anyway," he explained. "They didn't live that far and I had some time to kill."
"You're selling yourself short," Jane protested. "You know it meant a lot to them. But what really moved me"—and here Jane smiled—"was this vision I had of you walking into Betty's village and acting like you were right at home."
Frank shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"
She laughed. "See! That's just what I mean! I've seen this quality in you time and time again, the way you can go into any group of people and just fit right in. That's a rare gift, honey. And when Betty told me that story, that's when I realized just how special you are."
He gazed at her in amazement. "You really thought that about me back then?"
Jane nodded.
"Wow... You know, before I knew you, I thought I was all that for superficial reasons, like money and success. Then I met you and started to realize how meaningless all that was. I was trying to change for you, however misguided my attempts were. But I guess I somehow fooled you even at the beginning of our relationship?"
She placed her hands on Frank's cheeks and kissed him tenderly. "You didn't fool me about anything. That's who you always were, and I could see it in you."
He laughed. "But it took a good woman to bring it out!"
She touched her nose and pointed. "And vice versa! You bring out the best in me, too! That's why I know that no matter what our kid goes through, we can handle it together."
Frank rested his forehead against Jane's. "It'll be an adventure for us, and our kids in our multicultural family, black and white and Asian."
Jane smiled. "And American and British."
He laughed, "And Chinese, Bajan, and Sierra Leonan. It'll never be boring, that's for sure!"
I can't wait, Jane had thought at the time, and now she said those same words aloud as they approached the neighborhood where the children's centre was located.
They were welcomed by one of the orphanage workers, Muhammad, who led them into a small parlor inside the main building of the centre and offered them seats. "Someone is very eager to see you," he told Jane.
A few minutes later, a pretty young woman with a round face and smooth, clear ebony skin entered the room. "Hannah!" Jane cried out, and rose to hug her.
"Frank, this is Hannah Taylor-Johnson. She's a teacher here. She looked after me when I was here six years ago! Hannah, this is my husband, Frank Churchill."
"Congratulations, and a pleasure to meet you," Hannah said to Frank.
"Likewise," he answered.
"I didn't know whether anyone I knew would still be here!" Jane went on.
"Oh, there are several of us," Hannah assured her. "And a few of the children, too, although they are so grown up you would not recognize them. May I take her to visit someone?" she asked Frank.
"Of course," he said. After Hannah and Jane departed, Frank found Muhammad again and asked whether he might walk around the grounds. In the heart of Sierra Leone's dry season, the day was sunny and beautiful.
Muhammad gave him permission, so Frank began to wander around outdoors. He stopped to watch a football match being played by children who appeared to be ages ten and up. As he began to take some photos of the match with his mobile, he heard giggling, and looked around to spot several young children running to hide behind a tree. He waved to them, and one little boy waved back. More giggling and whispering among the children followed, and then the boy who had waved slowly emerged from behind the tree. As he drew near, Frank grinned, wondering whether the other children had dared him to approach.
When the boy, who was about five, stopped a few feet in front of him, Frank realized that he recognized him as one of the children whose profiles he and Jane had reviewed. Frank even recalled his name, because it had tickled Jane due to her fondness for transcendentalist philosophers. "Hello, Emerson," he said.
The boy's eyes widened. "You know my name?"
Frank smiled and got down on one knee in order to be at eye level with the boy. "I've seen your photo. My name is Frank."
Hearing the word 'photo', Emerson pointed to Frank's phone. "Will you take a snap of me?"
"Sure." Frank aimed the mobile at the smiling child and tapped the photo icon. "Want to see?"
Emboldened or perhaps just curious, Emerson walked over and looked at his photo and laughed in delight. "Can I see more?"
Frank began to scroll through the pictures he had taken of the older children playing, as well as some of the recent shots he had taken in Ethiopia.
"She is pretty," Emerson said. He was looking at a picture of Jane.
Frank smiled broadly. "She is, isn't she? She's my wife."
"You have a wife?" Emerson asked, as if that surprised him. "Can I take a snap, too?"
"Sure. What do you want to take?"
Shyly, Emerson pointed at himself and then Frank.
Frank raised an eyebrow. "A selfie, huh? We can do that."
He showed Emerson how to operate the camera feature, and then allowed the boy to take several photos of the two of them together. After this, Emerson turned and ran back to his friends, who soon emerged from behind the tree and came over to Frank as well. Frank grinned, realizing that Emerson must have reassured them that everything was okay. Soon he was surrounded by children asking him to 'take my snap.'
"I see you've made some friends."
Frank looked up to see Jane and Hannah watching them. He was momentarily arrested by the sight of Jane. Her eyes were shining and her smile was radiant.
"That's your wife!" Emerson announced, and then clapped his hand over his mouth as if he had just said something naughty.
Jane laughed. She remembered the boy from the profiles they had been sent, and not only because of his name. His dimpled smile, prominent cheekbones, and the mischievous gleam in his eyes reminded her of Frank, even more so in person than in his photo.
"That's right, this is my wife," Frank said. He stood up and began to introduce the children. "Jane, this is Emerson, Favour, Ibrahim, Emmanuel and Miriam."
Jane greeted each child, and then Hannah told the children to run off to play, because she needed to take the couple on a tour. Emerson jumped up and raised his hand. "May I go with you, Teacher?"
"Yeah, can he come with us? Please?" Frank asked Hannah.
Hannah smiled. "I suppose."
"You go for what you want. I like that," Frank said to Emerson as the four of them began to walk together.
"Carpe diem," Emerson said.
Frank and Jane stared at each other in amazement. "Where did you learn that? Do you know what it means?" Frank asked the boy.
Emerson pointed to Hannah. "She taught us. It means, 'seize the day.'"
"That's right," Frank said, smiling. "It does." He turned to look at Jane, and from her expression, he knew they were both in agreement. They had found their son.
The End
Author's Note: It probably comes as no surprise to most readers of this story that I found the character of Jane Fairfax as portrayed in Emma Approved very inspiring, and the character of Frank Churchill in the series very charming. At the same time, in writing this story, I wanted to be very honest in my depiction of them, showing both their good points and flaws, and the challenges to their relationship that were the result of the latter. Because the EA series ended with the status of their relationship up in the air, I was able to write a tale that combined some of my favorite elements of a story (besides romance!)—redemption and second chances.
Writing An American Woman Abroad has been an incredible experience for me. For one thing, I learned a lot about London, and visiting that great city is now very high on my bucket list! For another, I learned a lot about some very important issues affecting our planet today, particularly the need for safe, clean water and about the heroic people working around the globe to make sure everyone has access to it.
Thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me through this story. I knew it wouldn't be easy to find an audience, since not only is this a non-Pride & Prejudice Austen fanfic, but one about the secondary couple in one of her other stories, as portrayed by a web series that not everyone watched! So for all of you who chose to jump in anyway, THANK YOU!
(And while I appreciate the mere fact of you reading, any final comments you want to make would completely make my day!).