Chapter 8

Hi everyone! I apologise greatly for not updating this story. I just got so busy with my last year of college, and very stressed about my exams. I felt it was best to put it on hold until I actually had the time to do I am now on a 3 month summer holiday, so updates are now back :D

Thank you for pointing out my error Zaina, sorry for the misspelling!

My writing may be a little rough around the edges as I haven't written in a while, but stay with me because I promise it will get better! Haha.

Thank you to all my readers, and every review is really appreciated. C/C is welcome.

Xxx

Solomon Vandy was unsure as to what the reaction of his wife and children would be concerning the dirty, ragged, rough blonde man; currently, smoking in his front living room. He supposed he would have to tell him to stop it, since Jassie was strongly against anything such as smoking or alcohol in the house, worried for her children's health above anything.

"Ey, Archer, you gonna have to stop all that when my wife gets back. She don't like it in the house."

Archer twisted his head back, and inhaled the fumes sharply, tobacco penetrating into the depths of his lungs'. A curt, but understanding nod of the head was his only response.

Solomon glared at Archer- Why had I let him stay here again?

But then he remembered how if it were not for this son of a bitch lying on his comfortable,orange sofa, his beloved family would not even be here, God knows if they would even still be alive.

No. He had a lot of thanks owed to Mr Archer, however much of a pain he may be.

A door swung open onto the porch, with the hustle and bustle of his wife and children entering. Solomon's face automatically lit up, his eyes firing pride for all the world to see over them.

Dia was now a young man of 14, gaining height each day according to his Mother. Despite all the therapy and treatment he had received after leaving Sierra Leone, along with his former life as a child soldier, Solomon knew this child would never fully recover; his scars were more than skin deep, and the howls from his nightmares that still plagued the pits of his dreams spoke for themselves.

His daughter N'yanda was now more than the toddler she had once been; 3 years had passed, and for a child, it might as well have been a lifetime. Although she had no strong definitive memories of the conflict, Solomon knew that this was irrelevant, since it would most likely have still impacted on her mind. Sometimes she would wake from her night terrors, with small tears gently running down her smooth mahogany cheeks, mumbling about guns and a metal fence, most likely a memory of the refugee camp.

The smallest of the children, Nola, was now nearly 4, and had no recollection of the conflict at all. In fact, Solomon thought it was best kept this way until she was capable of understanding what a war even was, safe in the knowledge that humans all loved one another. He didn't think she needed to know the cruelty of humanity quite just yet.

Solomon's thoughts were again disrupted by the shouting of his wife, Jassie.

"Solomon, who is the gentleman lying on our sofa?" she asked dryly.

He smiled, and slowly closed the kitchen door so as not to let the children overhear the argument he felt was about to brew.

"Jassie, do you remember Mr Archer?"

Her eyes became slits.

"Of course I remember him," she whispered, "But why is he on my sofa?"

Solomon licked his lips, tentatively attempting to explain the presence of Archer and his son.

"Well, you see, Jassie, Mr Archer here…he's in a bit of trouble. Eh…"

"What trouble could he possibly be in, Solomon?" she snapped, "We already have 3 mouths to feed, I cannot have another under our roof as well!" with, her eyes blazing in torment and disgust at her husband's thoughtless mistakes.

"Jassie…" he pleaded.

She turned her head away.

"I want him out the house by morning, Solomon."

I'll try and persuade her one last time…

"Jassie, he has a son. Please. Listen to me, for one minute, hey?"

Her head turned. "Go on," she said.

"They have…nowhere to go. Archer got no place back home safe enough for him… and his Mother is dead. Remember that photographer woman when you were in the refugee camp?"

Jassie nodded.

"That was his Mother. She was a very dear friend to Mr Archer, and he just needs some time…"

She raised her hand.

"Alright. He can stay. But only because I feel sympathy for that poor little boy. Speaking of which, I'm yet to meet him. Where's he got to?"

A small figure emerged from behind the kitchen door where the conversation had been taking place. He looked weary; weary of this strange new continent, these strange new people, and strange new places.

"Can I go to bed please?" he asked, in a small mousy voice, despite it only being mid-afternoon.

Jassie looked like she was going to cry, Solomon contemplated.

"Danny, where is your Father?"

He shrugged.

"Not sure. He went out."

"Come on, little one," Jassie smiled. "Let's get you into a bed, yes?"

Danny nodded. It had been a long, hard, tiring first few days in Africa for his little heart. He wasn't quite sure what the lady at the place with the cars that had blue lights meant when they said his 'Mommy wasn't coming back any more' and that he was 'going to live with Daddy in a new place called South Africa'. He hadn't expected it to be so far away, or quite like this. He wished that his Mother was here now, to stroke his hair, and tell him how beautiful he was, just like his Father.

But she was on vacation, right? Maybe she would come back, he figured. Everyone always comes back in the end.

Archer returned back from his walk out in Accra at around midnight. He had gone out to clear his mind, mostly. He still couldn't get over the fact he had a son. Sometimes he didn't know what he was doing, raising that little boy in there, who depended on him for everything.

He knew it was strange, but over the past few years, he had found writing to Maddy helped a lot with the pain. First the pain of not seeing her, and now the pain of her death. He slumped out at a bench in a little park, by some small shops selling groceries.

Hesitantly, he picked up the pen, as if he were afraid to write. He never truly liked to express his feelings, even to himself.

Dear Maddy, he started,

I love you and miss you still, more than I can ever say. When that lady came and told me that you were gone…darlin' I don't think I've ever experienced that much pain in life. Not since my parents died. God, Maddy, why the fuck did you need that story, huh? You didn't need to go to Afghanistan. Fuck, it hurts me so much knowing that I'm alone in this world except for our son. Nobody has ever loved me except you since I have no family left. I don't even think our son loves me. I don't think I know how to be a Father .I know you insist right back, ja ja, but… darlin' I don't even know what it is to be a kid. To be young, and happy, not worrying about anything…No. How the fuck can I raise one myself?

But I do love the kid, you know? Ah, he is so beautiful. So good, so full of life. I want him to be like that forever, ja? I'll do my best, but I can't keep no promises. I was never a very good promise keeper. I'm sorry if I'm not doing good so far, what with what happened back in South Africa with the barons…but going to try and keep him safe now, ja?

I'll try and love him, and all that stuff. If I mess the fuck up, I apologise. Like I say, I'm not the ideal person for this job but he's my son, and he deserves his Father.

I wish you were here still. Some nights the pain… it's too much, you know? Before Danny, I thought about…. Oh, it doesn't matter, darlin'. I don't really want to talk about it. It'll just make both of us sad.

I've had enough sadness for a lifetime. This little boy…he's my only chance of ever gaining back the happiness, and putting my heart back together, ja? Cus I'm scarred too Maddy…scarred too deep to even mend. But I can try.

I'll keep trying.

Archer

Hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone, please review! I wanted to focus on Jassie and Solomon with their family, because I think we never really know that much about all of them. I also made up the name for the youngest daughter, because in the film I think she doesn't have one. Chapter 9 will be up soon (hopefully, haha).

xxxx