Mandisa came to my side and I slid her onto my lap without thinking, resting my cheek on her head. “What if I turned it off, waited a few hours then rang Pemmy myself later. That way we could guarantee ourselves the information?”
“I don’t think there’s enough juice to boot it back up,” Ian observed, “but nice.”
“Nice what?”
“Thought. It was brilliant.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I was being sincere,” he said, offended
“Oh,” I said sheepishly.
I turned toward the table once more and spotted Karina eyeing me with interest. I shrugged my shoulders in question, but she just grinned and shook her head.
“Then we go to Jinja,” I conceded, slumping a little in my chair.
“I’ll take over your classes,” Karina said.
One of Mandisa’s friends passed by and Mandisa scurried from my lap toward them.
“Silly girl,” I muttered.
“She’s fond of you,” Ian said, when the others got up to get plates for themselves.
“I hope so.”
“She loves you.”
I whipped my eyes toward him. “You think so?” I asked softly.
“I know so.”
This bolstered me like nothing ever could. If a child chose to love me even though I was so undeserving, did that mean I could earn Ian’s love? Could I become worthy? I studied his beautiful pale face, framed with messy black hair and piercing blue eyes. God, he was so fascinating to look upon.
“What?” he asked, running his hands through his hair. “Do I have something on my face?” He smoothed his hands down his expression.
“No, nothing,” I answered, standing up to grab a plate.
Ian got up and stood close behind me a few seconds later and I could feel the smile on my face grow to impossible lengths.
“Will Pembrook come through?” he asked the back of my head.
Now, I knew boys. Well. He knew Pemmy would try his best. He just wanted to talk to me and that brought the butterflies back.
“He will try his damnedest.” I cleared my throat. “Have-have you been vaccinated?” I asked reticently, afraid of his answer.
“I was the last time I visited home.”
“That’s good,” I said, relieved, lining the linoleum with the toe of my boot.
“Jinja’s a dangerous drive,” he stated.
“Why doesn’t this surprise me?” I added sarcastically. “What is it about this bloody place? It’s the land of every extreme possible.”
Ian grabbed my arm unexpectedly, the heat from his hand warming me to an impossible temperature, and turned me toward him. “You’re right but with extreme suffering, there is extreme happiness. With extreme earth there is extreme beauty.”
I thought on what he’d said and remembered the view from my plane when I arrived. “You’re right. Lake Victoria was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.”