Tyler stood quite still and looked deeply into Gina’s eyes. Then he smiled.

“OK,” he said eventually. “And just how do you plan to do that?”

“Let’s go to your house now,” said Gina, knowing that she was risking a lot by disobeying her aunt. “I need to spend some time on the Internet.”

Tyler did not live very far from the school. He lived with his mother and his younger brother. Both would not be at home.

Inside the house Gina sank into an armchair and kicked off her school shoes. Relief flooded over her. She would not be writing another paper until the following week. She intended to still study hard, but it was good to take a break. She took out her cellphone and quickly sent a text to her Aunt Sophie.

Gone home with a friend for lunch.
Will be home in a couple of hours.

Strictly it wasn’t really a lie, Gina thought to herself, before she added, with some feeling of pride:

The paper was good. I think it went well.

Tyler’s computer was in his bedroom. His bed was unmade and he quickly flicked the duvet over the sheet.

Gina sat down at his laptop and switched it on. It wasn’t the first time she had used his computer to access her Gmail account. Tyler came up behind her and began to kiss her neck. She shrugged him off, even though his touch always made her weak at the knees.

“No man Tyler,” she said. “This is serious.” And then she gasped, “She’s written to me!”

Tyler pulled up a chair and together they read through the email that Sarah Redman had written, and Gina explained to him who she was.

The details in the email thrilled Gina so much that she started to laugh. Tyler smiled at her and touched her cheek lovingly.

“I’m really happy for you, Gina babe,” he said.

Sarah wrote that she had often thought about Gina through all the years, especially after she had lost touch with Gina’s mother. She wrote about how she had been aware of the terrible depression that had ruined her mother’s life (and mine, thought Gina). She wrote about the sadness she had felt when she had heard about her mother passing away.

Sarah also wrote about how she had visited South Africa before, and had seen Gina in the street, and at the church, but she had kept her distance.

Until now.

Now she could see that Gina was all grown up and that she was the spitting image of her mother.

Sarah kept the most thrilling information until the end.

I still know your father very well. You see Gina – I am married to his brother. Your mother and I dated them together. But your father was young and so was your mother. Your dad had a basketball scholarship to university and your mother never told him that she was pregnant with you. She told no-one – she just said that she was homesick and then she left and went home. He was heartbroken.

It was only much later that I found out. She told me long after she had given birth to you, and her life was in tatters, and she was in despair. None of us here in America ever knew how bad it all was until it was too late.

Your dad knows about you and would love to meet you. We all thought it was best to leave you in peace with your aunt. She told us in no uncertain terms that we had to leave you alone or else there would be trouble.

It seemed to us that you were being well looked after, and that your aunt had the means to look after you.

If you do not want to have anything to do with any of us we will understand and leave you in peace. I look forward to hearing from you.

Gina covered her face with her hands. She could not control the tears that spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Tyler moved over to her and took her in his arms. He began to kiss her and Gina kissed him in return.

He led her gently to his bed and lay her down against his soft pillows and crumpled, discarded pyjamas. Gina let him remove the layers of her school uniform and cover her body with his duvet. He crept in next to her and she shut her eyes as she felt his hands exploring her slim, brown body.

“I love you so much Gina, my love,” he whispered into her tumbling black curls as they escaped from her hairbands. “How am I ever going to be able to let you go?”

Gina could not think about that as she surrendered herself to his gentle love making. “I love you too Tyler,” was all she could say to him, but already thoughts of her father were overwhelming thoughts of anything else.

“I must meet him,” were the first words from Gina’s lips later, when they lay side by side in Tyler’s bed. She climbed over Tyler’s body, and, pulling his gown on, she returned to the computer.

“Want some coffee?” asked Tyler, as he stood up and put on his trousers. Gina hardly heard him; she was already googling ‘Caring Careers’.

“OK then,” said Gina, taking the cup of coffee from Tyler, her eyes firmly fixed to the screen. “It says here that I can apply to be an au pair in the States. I’m going to need some money, but if I’m accepted then I can go for a whole year.” Gina took a sip of coffee. “Once I’m in America I could get to see my dad.”

“America is a big place,” said Tyler, adding, “and it’s a long way from South Africa.”

Gina turned to look at him. “I know it is, Tyler,” she said, reaching out her hand to touch him.

Just then Gina heard her phone buzz. It was a message from her aunt.

Hope you are home now Gina. Your
exams have just begun and I expect
you to be studying.

Gina replied quickly:

I am on my way. Be home soon.

Gina pulled on her school uniform and Tyler walked her home.

“She’s not going to stop me Tyler,” she said to him as they walked. “I won’t let her. I have plans now. Plans for my future.”

Tyler nodded slowly. At the corner he stopped. The neighbours would be looking out for Gina and they would tell Aunt Sophie if they saw Tyler. He kissed Gina on the cheek and looked into her eyes.

“And I’m going to help you Gina. In any way I can. You know that.”

Gina nodded, smiled, and then began to walk back to her house.

***

Tell us what you think: Why did Aunt Sophie behave the way she did? Does Tyler mean it when he says that he will help her?