Africa (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Kam wasn't sure what Charlie had in store for him, but he was eager to find out. Following Charlie inside a little hut, Kam saw a woman lying on a bed made of sticks and woven grass. She was holding a baby wrapped in a cloth. Kam didn't recognize the woman and wasn't sure why this was the surprise Charlie was so excited to show him.

Kneeling by the bedside was a man with tattered clothes and long scruffy hair. The man turned to look at the two men would had just entered. They locked eyes. Then the man slowly rose to his feet with an expression like he was staring at a ghost. He walked toward Kam to get a better look.

"I don't believe it," the man said.

"Bill?" Kam responded.

"I'll leave you folks alone so y'all can catch up," Charlie said, leaving the hut.

Bill was hardly recognizable, but so was Kam. The closer they stood, the more they started to recognize one another. They embraced in a powerful and emotional hug, and both immediately started to cry.

"It's so good to see you," Kam said, with a whimper.

"Likewise," Bill said. "It's been too long."

When they disengaged, Bill stood aside to allow Kam a better view of the woman holding the baby. Now with the proper context, he recognized her.

"Nancy?" he said, approaching closer. "My god, it's so good to see you."

"Oh my gosh, Kam. I hardly recognize you," she said.

Kam looked down at the baby — its mullato skin and African features told a story that broke his heart. He was at a loss for words, but his face said it all. He knelt down and greeted her and the baby.

"He's beautiful," Kam said. "What's his name?"

"Kamaru," she said with a smile. "Kam for short."

Kam was speechless and his eyes welled up with tears once again.

"How have you been?" Bill asked.

"I want to say something," Kam said, choking up. "No, I need to say something. I am so sorry, and ashamed, for how everything went down. I should have been there for you, and I failed. I have to live with that. Just know that I have thought about you guys every single day, almost an unhealthy amount. I have really tormented myself for how I failed you two."

"Please, no need to apologize," Bill said, placing his hand on Kam's shoulder to comfort him. "The reality is, there was no good outcome. We all went through a crazy situation together. Let's just be thankful that we're all still alive and well."

"I'm haunted by thoughts that something that I did, or failed to do, caused you too so much pain."

"No need to punish yourself," Bill insisted. "Whatever you did, or didn't do, may have been the best outcome. Perhaps any other action would have gotten us all killed. But look at us, here we are, all together healthy and alive. That was in the past so let's not dwell on it."

"The last I saw you Nancy, you were taken by those nasty men. I'm afraid to ask you what happened after that."

"As you can imagine, it was a very traumatic experience for me, and since then I've tried my best to compartmentalize the events so I don't really want to relive those moments," she said.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

Nancy took a deep breath and a moment to gather her thoughts, while the others hung in silence.

"The night the men came, they tossed Bill overboard and I thought for sure he was dead. I didn't expect to ever see him again, and I wasn't sure what had happened to you, Kam. I assumed you were still onboard. That night..." Nancy paused before breaking out in tears.

When she was ready, she continued.

"That night, when everyone was asleep, I grabbed a life preserver and jumped overboard. I remember the water was freezing cold. I plunged in and floated for several days. Eventually, I was found by some Canadians who pulled me onboard and saved my life.

"We all went to some African coast where there was a community made up of mostly North Americans. By sheer luck, I met Charlie and several days later, I saw Bill walking aimlessly through the crowd. He was listless with this blank look on his face that carried so much pain. I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around him before he even knew who I was."

"I couldn't believe it was her at first," Bill added.

"Despite everything, we're just really blessed."