Coda 3

The hours had passed in a blur. The first morning Harry had had to go into the office, but he'd left while she was still asleep. Leaving her a note and the time of his return.

She hadn't wanted to go out.

She'd stayed in the bed most of the morning.

Time just disappeared.

She remembered watching out the window a while. She hadn't felt restless.

She hadn't even felt the need to do something.

After lunch, Harry had returned with Amira. Amira didn't like going out into the city much either so Nikki joined them at their favourite place on the roof garden of Harry's building. They played skittles improvised out of some old water bottles and a game of 'hunt the unicorn,' where Harry found more and more inventive places to hide Amira's beloved rainbow unicorn torch.

"You can't cheat and look, Nikki!" he'd called to her. "You must be cheating, Amira's great at this game and you've found the unicorn first, twice now!" She watched then, Amira always turned her back on Harry. But she never covered her eyes. Nikki had found it hard to shut her own, so she followed Amira's lead and turned her back. It was quiet on the roof; the noises of the city below loud enough to give a feeling of belonging but not of suffocation and the open sky above stretching out with endless possibilities of light. There was a pool that would be open in the summer, a variety of plants in pots and some artificial grass. She understood why Amira preferred this to a noisy playground somewhere, crowded with other children. There were no other buildings around as tall as this one. It was no doubt another reason why Amira liked it. Nothing to fall on her and shut her in.

When the games were exhausted, Harry collected the bottles and prepared to head back down to the apartment. He read Nikki's look.

"There's a lot of culture shock for her, her village was not rich even before the war. She doesn't need 'stuff,' she just needs safety and love. Hopefully it will be enough."

Nikki looked again at the makeshift skittles. Harry could no doubt afford to buy that girl anything she wanted. But all she probably wanted was her life back the way it was before. Harry could only offer her a new life and he'd been smart enough to realise that it was the time together she loved, not the amount of overpriced plastic he provided. She watched as Amira reached up to hold his hand as they went down the steps together to the lift level.

"Tomorrow, play centre!" Amira announced happily as they ate a simple dinner.

"Would you be up for coming with us?" Harry asked. "You can do Arabic 101 or join the play session."

Amira gave Nikki a hard stare and then stated. "I look after Nikki, Nikki come with me."

"I think I'd like that," Nikki said. "I'm not sure my Arabic would be very good."

"She's right Amira, she'll start trying to speak Arabic in an Afrikaans accent, it always happens…" he smiled at Nikki and then attempted a "Salaam Alaikum," with the Afrikaans accent, pointing all the while at Nikki and pulling a face so that Amira could understand.

Amira shook her head and giggled; pronounced the words properly and both Nikki and Harry had to repeat it until she was satisfied.

oOo

"Will you be alright at the play centre tomorrow?" Harry asked later, his arms tight around her, and his face pressed into the back of her neck. "You know I'd rather be here in bed with you, but…"

"It's ok Harry, this is your life now. I'm happy you let me stay. It's not going to be busy is it?"

"You'll be fine Nikki, the kids there are all refugees, they have space to be themselves and talk Arabic, there's a play therapist. It's all very calm and Amira loves it. You wouldn't believe how chatty she is when she can talk to someone who understands her, she must get so frustrated with me. Her English is great but I really need those lessons too, they're making us take exams soon."

"You've taken on a lot." Nikki said twisting in Harry's arms to look at him. She saw it then, in those lost dark eyes, all that he had seen in all the godforsaken places he'd been sent to. He wasn't cut out for pain like that, he wore it too heavily. "Harry, I .."

Harry hastily put his finger to her lips.

"Let's just be careful, eh?" Harry said sadly. "Just keep this for when Amira's asleep. You're not here for long. It's not fair to her. Everyone that girl has ever loved is gone."

"Everyone but you," Nikki suggested.

The sadness that she had been keeping at bay all the time she had been in New York, rolled and lurched around in her brain, mocking her with jealousy. Amira wasn't the only one who had lost everyone. And Amira still had Harry. Harry had left her.

"We don't have long left," Harry said pressing a kiss to her lips. "No more talking…"

"No more talking," she agreed returning and deepening the kiss.


Thanks as ever to my lovely reviewers. I wouldn't even have written the end if it hadn't been for you. But then when I originally wrote this we hadn't had the 'I stopped off in New York line.' So that's my defence. Also BTW anyone else notice Tom Ward listed as a floor runner for this series? Pretty sure it's not the same one but it made me smile and then my son's art report was also signed by Tom Ward. So THAT's what he's up to now. When's parents evening?