Karl was so proud he was no longer touching the ground with his feet. Abu was busy walking in a funny way, to get glimpses of Nalini and to show Janoma that they were like, totally in control. They owned the streets, practically. He knew Janoma knew better but he couldn’t help himself. A visitor from Nigeria? He would polish the pavement if he could. You had to show proper hospitality; this wasn’t a happens all the time thing. Karl hadn’t said very much since they had all met up with Nalini, Afsana and a couple of the other young women who had been around that time when Abu went all deep on the economy and the riots. Then Mark had texted – he must have heard somewhere – and Kyle and him had joined too. They had taken her to Giraffe at the Brunswick. World Kitchen. It seemed appropriate. Had taken over the restaurant and driven the waiter up the wall with their changes to the menu. Abu had organised it this time because Karl had become useless. Couldn’t talk properly, couldn’t think properly and certainly couldn’t organise shit. All he could do was smile at her, hold her hand, and nod along when she spoke. Abu knew they were speaking when it was just the two of them but with others Karl seemed to find it hard to keep his cool. Janoma.
She had brought Abu music. ‘I’m so excited to meet you. The Abu!’ She had hugged him. Abu thought Karl must have had a hand in that but Karl said it was all her. She had done the same when he was in Nigeria. ‘Education,’ she called it. ‘You know we have the tightest beats. You don’t even have any idea yet.’
They left the restaurant and turned into Judd Street. Nalini and Afsana had taken Janoma in the middle and were telling her about the neighbourhood.
‘It’s famous really for the Bloomsbury Group. A bunch of writers and whatnot. But then there is this other history. People who were involved in enslaving others lived here.’
Behind them, Kyle was telling Abu a joke. Karl was staring ahead. Mel and Tammy, the other two young women, were trailing behind with Mark.
Tell her about Mary Prince, Nalini.’ Afsana turned around to smile at Kyle.
‘She wrote a book about her experiences of being a slave. The History of Mary Prince. A West Indian slave. They had brought her from Antigua. It was the first book about a black woman in the UK. Can you imagine? All she went through and then she wrote a book when nobody wrote books!’
The fire in Nalini was obvious. Janoma nodded. They had stopped at the traffic light across from the new fancy hotel.
‘Powerful!’
‘You also write? Karl told me you’re part of a magazine or newspaper.’ Nalini pointed down the road. ‘You see there is the train station we told you about earlier. The Eurostar goes to Paris and stuff.’
Janoma followed her hand with her eyes. Karl and the others had caught up and they were all crowded around the traffic light post.
‘I just go along to some of their bigger meetings. My friends write for the paper. I’m useless at writing. All I can do has to do with the sewing machine and the drawing board.’
Afsana touched Janoma’s jacket. It was navy, tight fitting with strips of African cloth sewn on. They fanned out from one point on the lower back. ‘Did you make this?’
‘Yes.’
‘Wow.’
Janoma smiled. ‘You just need a bit of patience.’
‘And inspiration!’
‘I’m sure you could come up with something. Once you sit down.’
The light turned and they crossed. Janoma turned back to Nalini. ‘And I guess no one is talking about this Mary Prince?’
‘I know this from home. Everyone likes to talk about the oil or, in fact, make money from it. No one wants to talk about the devastation.’
‘Here too. Not oil, of course. But some of these streets are proper poor. People, I mean. But if you look at it from the outside, how does it look to you?’
‘Yeah, I understand. Especially here.’ They had stopped again. The construction here took over half the street and the whole facade of the train station. They looked back at the hotel that had recently reopened and towered above the whole block. ‘Very … what is the word …’
‘Posh.’ Afsana put her arm through Janoma’s. ‘Posh, and let me just say it: a bit over the top.’
Karl held on to Abu’s sleeve and the two whispered. Janoma looked at them. Karl jerked his head back.
‘Hey, I want to show Janoma something before she has to be back at her aunt’s. We’ll catch up with you later.’
Abu led the group away after Janoma promised to meet with Nalini and Afsana again. Like very soon. As soon as possible. Karl pulled Janoma into the smaller street opposite. He pointed at a bench ahead and they sat.
‘Me and you.’ Janoma was grinning.
‘Finally.’ He ran his hands over her back and played with her neck. His lips followed and his tongue played with her ear.
‘I couldn’t even speak with everyone around.’
‘I noticed! I come all the way and all you do is walk around like your legs are made of wood. Without a joint for the knee.’
He laughed. She put her arms around him and pulled him closer.
‘I like your people.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Thank you! This was a real welcome party. And I already had one.’
He had been at the airport three days before. With flowers and everything. Her auntie was picking her up but he couldn’t not go. Auntie came with a cousin and her two children. Karl managed to hide the flowers in a plastic bag – it was too early to lose Auntie’s support by way of suspicion – and hitched a ride. Unfortunately, he had to sit in the front. No secret hand-holding. They had dropped him at the tube back in town and all he had managed was a hug. The day after, Janoma had to do the family rounds. Meet everyone she hadn’t seen in years or ever met in the first place. On her second day, she could finally get away for a couple of hours but Rebecca demanded to be kept in the loop. ‘I will give you time but I want to meet her first. Not last again.’
They had spent the rest of the short afternoon in Karl’s room before she had to rush back.
‘I liked your texts yesterday evening.’
‘Which part?’ Karl could smell her body. It made his nose flare the slightest, his eyes unfocused. He put his head on her shoulder.
‘The part where you said I was even more beautiful than you remembered. That you missed me. That you couldn’t believe how lucky you are, we are, and I’m here.’
She took his head into her hands, looked at him.
‘Pretty much all of it then.’ His lips were curling upward. She laughed and pulled his face closer. Took his upper lip between hers. Played with it travelling from one corner of his mouth to the other and back on the bottom lip. When she extended her tongue, Karl felt the dizziness.
‘Mum is out.’
At his, she sat on top of him. He reached inside her jeans, underneath the underwear and entered. She pulled her top over her head before she leaned in, moving into his hand. His free arm wrapping around her naked torso, he took her nipple inside his mouth, rolled it between his lips. Sucked. Released. Bit. Released. Looked at her as she moved on top of him.
‘There is more here.’
The how to do it. The more of it. The futures that have to be made otherwise they disappear before they have been. How do you do it? How?