Love On the Shores

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Jeremy Holden got into the taxi and cracked his neck. It had been a long two days for him and he was glad to finally be on solid ground again. The driver finished putting his luggage in the boot and walked around to his seat. As they drove out of the airport Jeremy looked around noticing that not much had changed in the three years he had been back home. Same grass thatched huts far out of the city, trading centers as you neared town, dirty streets and lots of noisy vendors advertising their merchandise in the middle of the city. Yep, welcome back to Malawi Jeremy, he mused.

He remembered clearly his very first visit to Malawi. How shocked he had been to walk in the streets of Blantyre to see beggars roaming around, some sat outside shops and restaurants looking all dirty and smelling bad begging him to give them some alms.

"Thandizeni bwana." (help me boss)

He remembered swimming in the beautiful Lake Malawi and hiking up Mount Mulanje with his buddies. Most of all though, he remembered her. A beautiful chocolate skinned goddess with a smile as bright as the sun. She had been the highlight of his first trip and since he left his mind and heart had always been here in this small poverty stricken country, with her.

Mwezi, it means moon. Her personality was a soft glow that illuminated her outer beauty. She always had a smile on her face, she was kind hearted, always helping the less fortunate. She would save the world if she could but instead she chose to help make it better, one poor soul at a time. She was the kind of person that exuded warmth, the kind you would randomly meet on the street and become the best of friends with after a five minute conversation.

Like any other guy Jeremy was instantly smitten the minute he laid eyes on her. It wasn't just her beautiful face or great body that drew you to her. She just had this appeal to her, like a magnet that attracted people, not just guys.

He remembered their very first meeting. She had picked him and his friends up from the airport. She had stood just outside the airport holding up a big sign with 'J. Holden' written on it.

"Hi, J. Holden and company." Hugh waved as they approached her. She smiled at him and introduced herself stretching her hand out for him to shake.

"Hello, my name is Mwezi. I am here to take you to the orphanage. Which one of you is Mr. Holden?" she asked after shaking hands with all of them.

Tony nudged him in the ribs and he realized he hadn't answered her question. Clearing his throat he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh that's... That would be me. Of course Mr. Holden is my dad but I guess since I'm his son that makes me Mr. Holden too right... um anyway just call me Jeremy uh.." he cleared his throat again.

Hugh scoffed beside him and he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. That had been the dorkiest moment of his entire life.

Mwezi just smiled and motioned with her hand for them to follow her.

"So I am sure you googled up the basic facts about this country but I will give you a little history and geography lesson anyway. Malawi is a small third world country in Central Africa. We rely mainly on Agriculture as our biggest source of revenue. The orphanage your fathers company sponsors is located in Blantyre city, the second biggest city in this country the first being the Capital Lilongwe which you must visit sometime by the way. Anyway the orphanage is a small place and we have about sixty children ranging from zero to ten years in our care at the moment, they are all so lovely."

She proceeded to tell them a little more about the orphanage and about the town and different places she thought he and his friends would be interested to visit.