Femme Fatale.

14

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A stormy night in Nairobi can be very savage, unforgiving even. Only the suicidal would dare venture out in such nights. Any attempting to journey on foot would find themselves saturated in mere seconds, swaying in the face of the swirling winds threatening to blow them completely off course.

If one survives that, they still stand in danger of slipping on slick, wet stones just awaiting to slide down the passerby who is too preoccupied with blinking raindrops from their stinging eyes to take notice of the uneven ground.

 Shawn drives through the drawbridge and parks the car in the courtyard of the beautiful castle. His sister and Aunt unlock the doors and alight.

Despite bundling themselves up in thick, hooded fur coats, their hair clings to their faces in sodden rivulets, teeth chattering and fingers numb as the howling gale sweeps its way inside the fastenings of their garments.

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Songs for the chapter:
i. There for you - Simi & MZ Banks
ii. Addicted - Jorja Smith
iii. Need me - Gyakie

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Aunt's children had been allowed letters which had told the their cousins were coming to visit. We have not seen each other in almost three years and I hope that the two of them, Sally and Simon, are as excited longing to see me as I am longing to see them.

They are dawdling on a stone bench at the threshold as the car stops a metre or so from their castle. I can see Sally pull Simon to his feet and then they both start to run out of the comfort of the house and into the rain, towards us. Sally is holding her long skirt from her pounding feet, Simon overtaking her with his stronger stride. I tumble down from my seat and hold out my arms to them both and they fling themselves at me and catch me by the waist and hug me tight.

They have both grown so much. I almost weep at how quickly they have grown in my absence. Simon is up to my shoulder. He will surely have his father's height and weight. Sally is all but a young woman, as tall as her brother and graceful. She has brown eyes and a mischievous smile.

I push her back from me so that I can see her. Her body is forming the curves of a woman, her eyes when they meet mine are those of a woman on the brink of adult life: optimistic, trusting.

"Oh Sally, you are going to be such a beauty," I say, and she blushes and nestles into my embrace.

Shawn gets down and hugs Simon and then turns to Sally. "I feel I should kiss your hand, young lady," he says.

Sally laughs and jumps into his embrace. "I was so glad when I got word that you were coming," she says. "Will you stay for the holidays? We have so many plans for Christmas."

"Yes," Shawn says fairly, as though there is no doubt about the matter at all.

Sally giggles.

Aunt alights last and insists we rush to the house immediately before we catch a chill but none of us obey her straight away.

"I hear your have a new sister," Sally says loudly, over the pouring rain.

"Yes."