Take Me Home

Chapter 1

"You know there's a lot of civil unrest in some of those countries." Ali's uncle joked, always the one to try to wind people up.

"I've done my research" Ali said, overhearing him. She sat next to her mother at the large, round table. "Nzuri is perfectly safe."

"That may be but I still don't like it." Her mother sulked. "What about all the diseases you can catch? You know you mustn't drink the water."

Ali rolled her eyes towards her Uncle and he smirked. "Mum I've had all of my vaccinations and I'm taking the Malaria tablets."

"You're just a child." Mum muttered feeling defeated.

"No she's not Diane. Look at her. She's all grown up aren't you Als?" Her Uncle smiled sympathetically.

"Hmmm." She muttered, getting up to leave.

Crossing the packed function room at their local pub, Ali bumped into her father. He pulled her into a bear hug.

"Why so glum chicken?"

"Ugh guess." She tried to rearrange her long brown hair as he released his grip on her.

"Oh." He frowned. "She'll come around love. She's not stopping you from going, just let her worry. It's her job."

"I guess."

"Now go and enjoy your party and don't worry about your Mum. She's just going to miss you that's all."

He wandered off in the direction of the table she had just left.

This was all getting too stressful. Ali had loved the idea of a few drinks with her family to say goodbye but it had turned into a full on party for both her and Jenna, the night before they were due to head to Western Africa.

It was a plan hatched on their final day of school. Two months in Nzuri soaking up the sun, swimming in the pool, going on Safari and most of all studying Gorillas. Ali had thought they were just dreaming together but a week later, Jenna called and asked her when they were going?

Ali hadn't known Jenna for long. She knew her from a distance all through school. But Jenna hung out with a different group, the 'popular' girls'. They had only really got to know each other in the last few weeks of school. They seemed to end up having the same exams at the same time and they would chat outside the exam room before it was time to go in. It surprised them both that they got on so well and since the 'Africa plan' had hatched, they spent a lot of time together, planning.

Ali stood at the bar and surveyed the scene. She was going to miss this lot.

"What are you thinking about?" Jenna slid into the small space beside her, flicking her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Just how crazy it is that I'm going to miss everyone so much, but we're only going to be gone a couple of months." She cringed at herself.

"No. I get it." Jenna agreed. "I've spent my whole life wanting to get out of here and now it's happening, I'm really nervous and kinda sad."

They both looked at each other and laughed. "It's just two months!" They said at the same time.

At that moment, they noticed the hum of the noise in the room quieten and looked in the direction of everyone else's attention. Ali groaned.

"Firstly I want to thank everyone for coming." Her father shouted. "It may seem strange throwing a going away party when they're only going away for a few weeks" Ali and Jenna looked at each other with a knowing grin. "But it's more than that. Girls, come here."