ABOVE THE STORM

GRIEF

The house had two bedrooms, a sitting room , a kitchen and a small washroom, all part of a housing package given to Amelia's father by the construction company he worked for. The children shared one bedroom, all including young Thomas while the parents occupied the other one, which was smaller.

Their grandma had lived with them before and she only moved to a small rented room, paid for by her son, Amelia's father. Her name was Tabitha Simmons. Fearing that her drinking habits would spoil their children, they managed to convince her to move and she accepted. They would however summon her time and again when they needed her, and it was her who midwifed Thomas's birth.

Now she sat by the table, drinking straight from the bottle as they waited for the police to arrive.

“I gotta go and look for Willis. I think he should know about this." Amelia announced, but her grandma was not listening and she silently walked out and walked past the estate past the road towards the river. When she came into sight of the children sitting quietly on the bank, a spot where they usually played, she stopped, and looking helplessly about muttered, “What am I going to do?" Suddenly she had the desire to drop down and cry her heart out, but her dad had always said, “laugh and they'll laugh with you, cry and you will have the whole house crying." According to him, tears were a waste. His words had made their ailing mother to laugh, bad as she was. But regardless, this moment she wanted to cry.

Willis, seeing her coming, got to his feet and started approaching.

“You come with me." She said and turned and walked back to the house with Willis following silently closely behind.

When they approached they noticed a police truck outside and they stopped and looked at each other. Then they made their way down the road Amelia keeping a step ahead.

When she reached the door it was to see three men standing just just inside it, two in police uniform and one in a suit and tie. Her grandma was talking to them.

“Ah, Amelia, this is Mr Matthews." She slanted her eyes towards the stranger. “ He has come to help you about the matter of the children." She added.

Amelia looked at the figure of Mr Matthews and didn't like him a bit. He was short and thickset with a round head and unkempt hair. With a thin voice that was in sharp contrast with his body he said, “give me the full names of the children."

They all moved from the door into the house to allow the police to move the two bodies, now in covered stretchers, from the bedroom into the waiting truck.

“Why do you need the kid's names?" Amelia asked.

“Because, Amelia, the government would like to put them into children's homes." His thin voice was now more pronounced.

“No. You'll not do that." She said, now clutching the infant tightly against her. Then she faced one face after the other, starting with her grandma, then the policemen who had come back from outside, to Mr Matthews and lastly to Willis. “These children are going nowhere." She declared.

“Now Amelia," her grandma broke the silence, “ you cannot hope to care for the family now that your parents are gone. What are you going to do my child?"

“I'll work, grandma. Our parents wouldn't rest if they knew we were separated." She answered.

“Ungrateful" the fat man said, wagging his finger. You should be grateful the town is willing to take care of your family. If you change your mind it may not be easy for you to get these favours, I'm warning you." Then turning to the grandma he said, “I'm leaving this to you, I'll come back tomorrow for any developments." He was now breathing heavily and sweating profusely. He produced a blue handkerchief and wiped his brow as he silently moved away.

The police followed suit and now only Amelia and Willis and their grandma remained in the sitting room.

“You'll need to reconsider your decision. Things are not going to be the same again now that the only source of income for this family is gone. You have just completed high school, and you'll need to go to college, Willis is still in school, where will you get all that money?" Grandma asked, her voice now wobbly from the alcohol she had been drinking.

Outside they heard the truck gunning it's engine and driving off.

“Maybe we should talk about this after the funeral. I'll come back tomorrow in the evening. Now I must go back and rest, I'm tired already." She added as she grabbed the bottle of alcohol and walked out. Willis, aware of what had just happened, walked slowly towards Amelia, and she noticed his tears as he embraced her and buried his head in her abdomen. With one hand she patted his hair.

When she sat down at the table, her face on her hands, the tears didn't come, the swollen heart having blocked their exit, yet her mind was not dwelling on losing her parents but on the way forward, where to start and who to rely on. Her grandma was certainly not one of the people she could depend on for anything, least of all advice. With the death of her son and benefactor, she was equally in a quagmire.

But now most pressing was where to get food for herself and the kids. Thomas fed on nothing else but milk and that cost money, money that she didn't have.

“Willis, we need a miracle." She said to her brother seated across the table silent, uncharacteristic of him. They spent the rest of the time talking about nothing in particular and finally slept late into the night. There ware funerals to attend the following day.

The two hearses bearing the coffins had also some room for a few other people when the funeral procession began. Seated next to her grandma, Amelia was silent. Willis had been left at home to take care of his brother Thomas.

The sickness in Amelia's chest deepened as she looked over the distance, over the hills where lay the river, for it was up there where her dad used to bring them on Sundays. He would talk to them about the river and the surrounding areas and they loved his way of explaining the details.

One memorable Sunday her father had taken them all the way downstream where the river joined the sea and they'd seen ships sailing into the horizon, a sight they beheld in awe, but perhaps the happiest moment had been the return journey. He had taken them through the neighbouring town and there they'd seen beautiful cars standing outside grandiose houses of the great, houses with big porches and beautiful couches on their verandahs.

It was on that night that the dream had first come to her and she had seen her whole family living in the most beautiful house and a very big car parked outside. The house was low and gray with thick walls and the sun was shining so brightly on its windows that it hurt her eyes. The dream had since come back to her so many times and after every weary day, as she went to sleep, she would say to herself, I hope I have it again.

They were now going downhill and the village road was so rough that Amelia and her grandma had to steady the coffin in their hearse. They passed through the church and the minister joined them and in fifteen minutes they reached the cemetery gates.

Waiting at the cemetery were a few people and two gravediggers. The small procession went around the grave in a circle, and the coffins were lifted from the hearses to the grave with no ceremony whatsoever. The minister opened his bible and began the service.

As the service continued Amelia noticed that her grandma was crying, and she restrained herself from following suit. She resolved to look strong.

When the gravediggers started shovelling the earth rapidly onto the coffins, producing huge thudding sounds, the minister turned her from the grave. As they walked away her grandma joined them.

“Leave Amelia for a moment, I want to talk to her." The minister told grandma and they both watched as she walked a few meters from them. She turned and faced them but she was already out of earshot.

“Your grandma told me about the government's offer on the children and your decision. I hope you have now thought about it. I wish you reconsider." The minister started without preamble.

“No. There's nothing to think about. We might be separated, never see each other again. I'll look after them. If I can find a job and to look after them I will." She answered.

“But where will you live?" The minister asked, his palms joined as if in prayer.

“Why? We'll stay where we are." She answered innocently.

“Oh lord, don't you know it's a company house? The company will throw you out now since your father isn't working for them. They may have someone else lined up for it already." The minister said. He already knew the family that was eyeing the house.

“No. I know the director, he's a good man, he can't do that. I'll go and see him tomorrow." She said, fighting tears.

The minister eyed the girl and envied the quality in her that made her blind to obstacles. “Have you any money Amelia?" He asked.

When she made no answer he dipped his hand into his pocket and took out a few notes which he handed to her. She took the notes and thanked him, muttering softly.

“I have to go now, Amelia, goodbye and God bless you."