To The Moon And Back | ON HOLD

20 | Talitha

E L L I E

The first thing we did that Sunday morning was pack our bags and head home. Last night, after I confronted Xavier's friends, we all paid for our food and they left. I'm not sure if they saw Xavier on their way out but clearly, my words had impacted them like I hoped it would.

Before leaving though, I was surprised to see that Skylar wanted to talk to me. So I excused myself from everyone and she pulled me to the side, "uhm, Ellie I just wanna apologize for everything that happened tonight. You guys came here to have fun and all that happened was a bunch of drama."

She lowered her head and sighed, "the thing is, we've all seen Xavier at his angriest. It was never his fault but it didn't stop him from being destructive. We're not scared of him we just–we don't want to be caught in the crossfire of his anger. But you made a point tonight. After Xavier moved, he did change. A lot.

I–I don't know what he did but he isn't the same person we knew. Xavier was always loving and caring but he also had that part of him that people steered clear of. However, tonight we all saw the change in him. He held himself back with much more restraint than I've ever seen in my life.

We should have gone after him. At this point, I feel like we're no better than West because when Xavier needed him he wasn't there and he needed us tonight and we weren't either. So I just wanted to say you're right and we're sorry."

After leaving, we found him sitting quietly in the driver's seat. On our way back to the Airbnb he still didn't say a word, nor this morning, nor on our drive back home. No one made an effort to speak seeing as we all just wanted to give him the space he needed.

But I couldn't get Skylar's words out of my head.

Clearly, Xavier had some sort of anger issue that scared people. I don't want to judge him without hearing his side of the story but for her to admit that what I said was right shows me that they all know he's changed drastically and yet still they didn't make an effort to check on him.

I just hope they've talked.

He hasn't shown any sign of it but I'm going to give him his space until he's ready to talk. Even if he never does speak to me, knowing that he's fine will be enough.

~ ~ ~

Chapter one: My name
October 21st, 1810

The sun beats down on my face as I climb down from the wooden dock. For the first time in my 79 years of living, I do not fear the sun. In my earlier days when the heavy shackles were fastened around my wrist and I was forced to walk for miles, drowned in my own piss and feces, the sun had been my worst enemy.

But today, with those once shackled hands clutching the cloth of my tailored dress, I can confidently say that I fear nothing more than a white man barrelling towards me with those heavy shackles. "Juno, are you okay?" I touched the dress which had no holes, no mud, and had not been put onto me against my will.

"I am fine."

Today, as my feet touched the soil of London, England, the first question I had to ask myself was why I had such an absurd name.

Adanya Juno Acheampong

That is my legal name.

Adanya Juno Egebe then became my maiden name fifty years ago, but after the untimely passing of my late husband, I have reverted to my birth name. Everyone has referred to me as Juno: my mother, father, friends.