Sweet Fire

17.

 It was the best weekend of her life! There she was, in London, with the two men she loved the most, her brother and boyfriend. The trip that she thought would be the worst, turned out to be the best. Thanks to her father, she found her brother and got a weekend to spend with her love.

  On Saturday, Vulcan took them on a trip around London. They visited the Tower of London, the Buckingham palace and other interesting places. When they needed a break, Vulcan took them to his hotel where they had lunch at the hotel’s restaurant.  

On Sunday, they went shopping, upon Samira’s insistence of course. The boys sat around and watched her pick out dresses. However, when it was time for her to try them on, Eros had wanted to go into the changing room with her, but she kicked him out and Vulcan had a good laugh. They left the shopping center by midday, with handfuls of shopping bags. Once again, they went to Vulcan’s hotel for lunch.

“Vulcan, your hotel cooks the best jollof.” Samira spoke, after swallowing a spoon full of tasty rice. “It tastes almost the same as mother’s cooking.” She added.

“Yes, it is mother’s recipe I gave to the chef.” Vulcan said, dropping his cutlery.

“Aw, you still remembered.” Samira smiled and he nodded, forcing a smile. She dropped her own cutlery and reached for her brother’s hand across the table, giving it a little squeeze. From the look in his eyes, she could tell how much he missed their mother.

Sighing, her anger towards their father resurfaced. Why had that grumpy old man disowned his own son? Vulcan did not deserve that punishment because he did not commit any sin. Argh, that old man was the devil! He kicked out his son and then turned his daughters into workaholics. Now she resented him even more.

“Vulcan, don’t worry. When I get home, I will let mother know where you are and…”

“No.” He interjected. “No one can know where I am.” She looked puzzled.

“Why?”

“That’s the way I want it.” He replied, as she shook her head.

“No. You cannot want to leave the rest of your life away from your family. We love you and we miss you too. You have no idea how many nights mother cried because you are not home. She never stopped worrying about you ever since you left.” Samira held his hand between hers and gazed into his eyes. “Don’t you miss your family as much as we miss you? Don’t you want to go back home?”

“No.” Samira’s eyes flared at his reply. Her hold on him loosened and she stared in shock at her brother. “I do miss my old family, but I do not want to go back.” He said.

“Why?” She asked before it dawned on her what he just said. Old family? Why did he refer to them as his old family, perhaps does he…?

“I have a new family. And this family will never abandon me, so I will not abandon them either.” He explained.

Samira’s mind was into frenzy, asking who his new family was. Did he marry? Does he have kids? Was that why he cannot go back?

 “I have a new family.” He smiled.

Before she could ask who they are, someone came and whispered something into his ear. “I will be right back.” Vulcan pushed back his chair and walked away. She looked after him, hurt that he spoke those words. Why would he say that he would never come back and be happy about it? Did he not miss them?

 “My love, are you okay?” It was after Eros spoke, that she remembered him. She had been so engrossed in the food and her conversation with her brother that she forgot of her love.