“I think you’ll live,” she said matter of fact.
“You look a bit shook up yourself. How did you get here?”
“They let us out a few days ago. I came in the van. I can’t stay long. My brother is waiting. I told the nurse I needed a private chat with you. She is very good.”
“Yes. And how did your father treat you?”
“I am the prodigal returned. I think he would have hit me a belt except I am so hit already. But he welcomed us home. I was not raped Adizua. I am still pure.”
“All that matters to me my love, is that you are alive and well,” Adiuza said, squeezing her hand.
“Itinerants are not like settle folk Adizua. My father is an alcoholic and a rough man but he has his values. In going to stay with you I put you at risk. He should kill you for taking me in. He does not know and I won’t tell him, that you were a gentleman. He thinks I am ruined.”
“Ruined? You are wonderful. I love you.”
“I love you to Adiuza.”
They kissed again and Megan moved as close to him as she could without causing both their bruisings to hurt.
“You can be born an Itinerant,” Megan explained, but you can’t become one, even if you came to live with us. We will always be different.”
“Will you marry me?” Adizua asked, his brown eyes looking softly into Megan’s blue green.
“Yes and stay by you till the day I die,” Megan said passionately.
Adizua smiled at her conviction. “We must tell your father.”
“I have spoken to my father. He has given me an ultimation.”
“Yes?”
“He says he would like to do what Itinerants always do. He would like to arrange a marriage for me with one of his kin. He is worried that with my history he won’t get me a good match. But he says either I do that or…” Megan paused.
“Or…?
“Or I go with you. He was dead against you Adizua. But when Maureen explained how you nearly sawed your arm off trying to get free and how you killed the two men, he took a respect for you Adizua. Said you were sound.”
“Sound?”
“Yes, that’s’ a lot from him. I have to marry one of his kin or go with you.” Megan smiled, happy to get out what she had bottled up inside her all the way in to see Adizua.
Adizua smiled. “They will send me back to Africa.”
“I will go to the ends of the earth with you Adizua, if that is what you want. Daddy said he would give you a wedding first. We have to marry. That will make you an Irish citizen and you will be able to stay.”
“I would not marry you just to stay in Ireland,” Adizua said stiff and proud.
“Why would you marry me?” Megan asked arching her eyebrows to match the challenge in her voice.
“Mainly because I want you naked in my bed,” Adizua said seriously and Megan blushed.
“That might be arranged,” she said bravely through her blushes.
“But mainly because I love you.”
“I love you too.”
They sat in silence just looking at each other, savouring each the presence of the other.
“Could you get a passport?” Adizua asked after a few moments.
“I think I already have one” Megan said, puzzled. “They made me apply in Morehampton road.”
“Then we will go to Sweden when my papers are sorted out,” Adizua said.
“After the wedding?”
“For the honeymoon,” Adizua said, reaching over and pulling Megan under the blankets.
Outside the Connor the guard sipped his cup of tea and attempted to chat up Noreen the Nurse.
“Will he go to jail?” Noreen asked
“No, probably be deported. They have to sort out his papers. He said the Russians destroyed his papers. He is not on the European finger print list for illegal immigrants so this is the first time he has surfaced. But he has not broken the law. Just self-defence. The simplest thing will be to get him to testify at the inquest and then get him out of the country.”
“Did you hear that?” The nurse said.
“What?” The guard said becoming alert.
“I thought I heard her giggle. Do you think they are up to something?”
“What?”
“Not that, something.”
“What?”
The nurse gave an exasperated sigh and stuck her head around the door. “Can I get you two anything?” she asked as Megan stood up red faced, dishevelled hair over her face, reacting as the door opened.
“No,” Megan said embarrassed.
“Five more minutes,” the nurse said, pleased to notice that Adizua seemed well on his way to recovery.
“Nurse.” Adizua asked. Can you tell us where Sweden is?”
END
Love on the Dark Side of the City Page 29