LIN, im glad at least one person reviews.. lol. its gool though, not as much pressure to make it extra good. um yea, i always try and write SHORT stories but they turn into long novels.. i've actually already finished writing this one, but im posting it a few chapters at a time, cause im kinda editing it and such. so yea, enjoy. :)

"Hey!" Biko called coming back from working the field with his father, wiping his face down with a cloth. His sweat made his shirt cling mercilessly to his rippled body. I could see every muscle line in his chest move with every breath he took. My mind wandered. I looked away. I knew God had heard my thoughts.

"Biko!" squealed Liana and wobbled towards him. Gosh, he was good with kids. All the children around here were enamoured by him. All I heard all day was, 'Biko helped bury the dead bird I found today. Biko gave me colouring pencils. Biko played soccer with us today.' Biko this- Biko that-. I was proud of him and liked him even more because of his love for children.

During the two weeks that we had been here Biko had shown me more than just the scenery. This was a real family. Everyone cared for each other. Everything worked together for the good of the family, even though many sacrifices had to be made.

"Guess what Kelsey?" said Biko carrying Liana in his strong arms. I blushed looking at them and he smiled back.

"What?"

"My brother is coming back from the city today. We just received word that he is going to be at the train station soon." It was only then that I realised I hadn't seen Biko's older brother. "Are you going to come to meet him?"

"Of course! Isn't your father coming?"

"No, he has to stay in the field. The harvest is late and he can't spare anymore time."

"What is your brother doing in town?" I asked.

"He works to make extra money for the family."

"But who helps your father in the field then? Isn't it very hard work?"

"Yes," replied Adriana butting in. "But Marco and Achim help. It would be easier for him if Biko stayed around and helped though." A familiar sharpness entered her voice.

Biko let out a sigh. "Adriana, you know what I believe. Father is the one who sent me out."

"Then come back."

"He won't let me."

"Unless you give it up-"

"I won't do that," was his sharp answer.

"Kelsey could stay too for a while," she continued.

"No thanks, Adriana. I don't think I could live without Jesus." No one spoke for a long time and I felt badly for Adriana who was here practically all alone, so I added. "You can come visit us on the weekends!"

"I'm getting married in a week. I won't be able to visit you."

Great. I messed up again. Why can't I just keep my big mouth shut sometimes! Biko and I got into the truck, Adrianna's piercing stare behind us in the back seat. The awkward silence that followed almost pierced my ear drum it was such a loud silence. To my delight we got to the station without anymore of my stupid comments.

Koby, Biko's brother, reminded me of George back home. Home- home was at my mom's house… I didn't really miss my old life. All the sensations I had felt in Canada had been temporary. They felt great in the moment and then left you screaming in pain on the floor afterwards. With God, there were highs and lows, but the lows were not as dramatic as the old ones and the highs were even better. In fact I didn't miss it at all. I dreaded the day I would have to leave. But I pushed those thoughts as far back as I could.

After Biko had welcomed him, Koby turned to me. "So you're the famous Kelsey I've heard about in the letter Biko sent."

"Yup," I replied.

"Well, little brother, usually I get the pretty girls but you got luckier than I did my whole life!" he laughed a booming laugh. I didn't see how they ever could have let anything between them.

For the remainder of the trip Koby felt it was his duty to find out as much information about us as possible. "How long have you two been dating?"

"Two months," Biko said and smiled at me.

"Two months! So when's the wedding?"

I turned bright red. "We haven't even known each other for half a year, Koby," Biko replied not looking at me.

Somehow Biko's comment hurt, but I caught myself. It was stupid. What was I thinking? It was way too early to be thinking of marriage. In a year I would be moving back to Canada and Biko would stay here. It would be the hardest time of my entire life… unless I asked my mom if I could stay.

We had only known each other for three months but I knew him better than I had known any of my other boyfriends. Besides, we were only seventeen! So? Adriana was fifteen and she was already engaged to someone she didn't even know. Biko and I surely knew each other more. No. I was from Canada, he is from South Africa. It could never happen. Anyway, it would be highly unlikely that a teenage couple would make it through a year without breaking up. But then again we weren't just any teenage couple.

We respected each other. We worked together on everything. This was something new to me. We didn't just make-out every weekend. We talked to each other. I had told him things that I had never told anyone. He had introduced me to Jesus, who had saved my life… We would just have to see how school went. He would probably find some nice girl and break up with me. I sighed, just a little.

Before I knew it, Adriana was getting married. The ceremony was done and I got to see her husband. He wasn't as bad looking as I thought he would look. He was in his mid thirties, African, of course, andlooked good-natured. It wasn't like all the bad marriage ceremonies you read about, when the hero of the book saves the girl from getting married to a complete, fifty year old stranger. We didn't whisk her away forever, save her from her abusive fiancé and re-unite her with the special boy of her dreams. I felt sad for her though. She was in love with someone completely different, someone her own age, yet the man she was marrying could evenhave been her father. They just got married and then went to his house.

I wish I could have gotten to know Adriana more in the two weeks I had been there. I know Biko was reluctant to leave but his father made it clear that he could not stay here if he continued to be a Christian. They practiced Voodoo and it was a part of their everyday life, just as Christianity was for us.

It was also strange to think that Adriana will never be with that boy that she had kissed in the bushes a few nights before. They were in love, but were separated by marriage; the ultimate vow of love. It was all so hard for me to understand. Before I knew it we were driving back to the hotel with his uncle.

We made a point of not making the same mistake as last time. I loved the whole purity thing. It was completely new to me, but I felt better than I had in years. For the first time I felt respected by a member of the opposite sex. Not even my dad wanted to help me preserve my virginity… He was the first one to-. I stopped. I didn't want to go back to those memories, of any memory I wanted to erase, it was that one.