Lost and Found

Chapter Four

Chapter four

 Thursday 19th October 2007

 Amelia didn’t have enough hours in the day. As she sat in her hotel in the centre of Milan she rued the slow internet connection, she was way behind on where she needed to be. Her mind was full and none of it was relevant, she was annoyed at Sol for throwing such a spanner into her life. For almost ten years it had been so easy to blame him for the disasters of her life, he’d left her, he’d hurt her...the list was endless, but until the last week she’d failed to acknowledge that the biggest devastation was that he hadn’t taken her with him, that he’d escaped from the trauma of her life.

His last comment on the Monday had completely floored her, was there some truth in what he said? Sol was right in that her father never ended the domain of her floral girly bedroom, yet that fateful night he’d burst in with such feigned surprise. Was this the influence of someone else interfering?

Amelia had spent months if not more snatching glances at Sol, at home, in school. Her father had agreed to let him stay, a promise he’d made to his father that he’d care for Sol in event of John dying. After John’s funeral, they had been inseparable. Sol would come to her room after school. Generally her father was out on estate business, though she had no clue what that was, and even when he was at home he rarely even approached her room, they were safe, and so spent a long time talking.  She’d lounge against the pile of pillows propped at her headboard; he’d lie on his side at the other end, and tell her about his childhood. The fact that they’d both lost their mothers at a young age seemed to help them bond.

It was several months later that everything changed. Amelia didn’t realise until later that is was his mother’s birthday. She’d been in her room engrossed in her algebra homework, she really was that sad at fifteen. She loved learning and maths, physics...numbers enthralled her. She barely noticed the banging coming from somewhere outside of the sanctity of her room.

It may have been happening for minutes or hours, she really didn’t know, she just heard a sound and it penetrated her concentration. Finally downing her pen, she made her way out into the hallway. The sound was clearer, and she realised it was a grunting sound accompanied by a bang, almost drum rhythmical. As she walked she sensed it was coming from Sol’s room. Running along the corridor she burst into the room without a thought for what might greet her, the sight of Sol his head bowed repeatedly punching his wardrobe was not the last thing she expected, but it definitely wasn’t the first.  Continuing her run across the room, she grabbed his hands, not caring of the blood that covered them.

                “Sol! What are you doing?” It wasn’t until he looked up that she could sense he’d been crying. “What’s happened?”

He sighed, lifting his head to avoid her face. He was eighteen, and she knew he’d hate her to see him crying, but she wasn’t going to give up. She was devoted to this man, love him with all her being, if he was hurting, she wanted to share that load.

                “Go away Meals, I don’t need this now!”

She shook her head, “no way Sol, I hate seeing you like this, I want to help!”

He turned and snarled at her, “you’re just a little girl, there’s nothing you can do to help me. So just piss off.”

Amelia started to laugh, she should be hurt, but instead she was incredulous.”You the supposed adult are punching a wall rather than talk about your problems and you call ME the child!”

Finally dropping his eyes to hers he shook his head, “I’m fine, sorry I shouldn’t have snapped.”

                “What’s up? Won’t you tell me?”