Page 240 of The Sun Sister

‘I’m off to the bank this morning – hopefully they’ll have found the right forms I need to sign so I can have my funds released to me. Then I can get out of your hair.’

‘Lizzie, seriously, I absolutely love having you here. In fact, I’d be so upset if you left right now. On my road to self-discovery, I’ve found I’m not cool living by myself. So how about if you move in permanently?’

‘Oh Electra, I’d jump at the chance, but I simply can’t afford what must be an exorbitant rent.’

‘For one thing, you know money isn’t an issue for me and for another, I’ve also been thinking that I might like to live elsewhere in the city. My lease is up in a few months’ time. I went to Harlem with Miles the other day and it has a real community feel. Up here, you could just about be anywhere, couldn’t you?’

‘If you mean that it’s impersonal, like a hotel, then yes, you’d be right. Harlem with Miles, eh?’ Lizzie grinned at me. ‘I never did get to hear the lowdown on him last night. I mean, it’s obvious howhefeels, but what about you?’

‘You’ve got it wrong, Lizzie. Miles and I are just good friends; we’re helping Vanessa and working on a project together. Even though he’s had plenty of opportunity, he’s never even tried...well, anything.’

‘Maybe he’s shy, Electra, or overwhelmed. I mean, you are officially one of the world’s most beautiful women. He probably feels he’s punching above his weight,’ Lizzie said as she stood up and went to the counter. ‘Fancy some avocado on toast? If I can’t eat it, I’ll enjoy making it for someone who can.’

‘Yeah, why not?’

‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘that’s my theory on Miles. He might be a serious piece of man-hunk, but he’s hardly the kind of brand name celeb-slash-billionaire you normally date, is he?’

‘No, I guess he isn’t, thank God. You know what? I never thought about it like that.’

‘Then maybe you should. Oh, and changing the subject for a minute, when I was in the kitchen last night making myself scarce, I hope you don’t mind, but I looked through your sketchbook.’ Lizzie indicated it lying on the table. ‘Some of those designs are really, really great.’

‘Thanks, but they’re just doodles. I started drawing again in rehab, remember?’

‘You should do something with them, Electra. I’d definitely buy them. I love that whole ethnic look.’

‘As a matter of fact, I was thinking about that yesterday. Like, maybe having the materials ethically sourced and putting the profits from the collection towards the drop-in centre. I mean, I don’t need the money, do I?’

‘Oh, how I wish those words rang true for me too. I think it’s a fabulous idea,’ she said as she spooned the avocado onto rye toast.

Once Lizzie had left to go to her bank and Mariam had arrived, I took a shower and thought about whether I was up for seeing Stella today. And decided I was. Or at least, I had to be. I just needed toknow.

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards...

Pa’s quote for me on the armillary sphere kept floating into my brain. Perhaps he had chosen it because he’d known that Stella was going to make contact with me and ultimately tell me the story of my heritage. If he felt it was right for me to know, then I really had to trust that it was. After all, he’d loved me more than any other human on the planet...

With that thought empowering me, I called Stella, who picked up immediately, and asked her if she could come by later today.

‘Of course, or maybe you’d like to come over to me? You could see where Cecily and I lived together.’

‘You’re still in the same apartment?’

‘I am, yes, and it’s not changed much since,’ Stella chuckled.

‘Okay, I’ll come to you. What time?’

‘Three o’clock would suit. We can drink tea out of Cecily’s bone china service.’

I wrote down the address, then hung up and went into the kitchen to see Mariam.

‘Morning,’ I smiled at her.

‘Good morning, Electra. How are you today?’

‘I’m good. I’m heading out this afternoon to visit my grandmother and probably won’t be back until later.’

‘Oh, okay.’

I looked down at her covered head and her neat little fingers flying across the keyboard as she typed. There was just something about her body language that told me all wasn’t well. But it wasn’t my business to pry.