Hidden Memories (44 page)
Authors: Robin Allen
Tags: #love, #romance, #campaign manager, #political mystery, #race, #PR, #political thriller, #art, #campaign, #election, #Retro, #voting, #politicians, #relationships, #suspense, #governor, #thriller, #scandal, #friendship, #multicultural, #painting, #secrets, #Politics, #lawyer, #love triangle
She turned around slowly, her stomach churning with anticipation. Peering into her father’s eyes, Sage saw his confusion as he struggled to grip reality. She walked over to him, her steps slow and deliberate.
“Who are you?” Shakura asked in a choked whisper.
“My name’s Sage,” she replied softly. She wasn’t sure she should explain their relationship. Green eyes stared into green eyes, both lost in the prism of the past. Sage averted her gaze from her father’s probing stare. She looked around the studio, a tender smile warming her face at the different paintings—some bright and literal, some colorful and abstract. She noticed a painting that was similar to the one she’d bought from Tawny.
A series of pictures hanging on the wall behind Shakura suddenly caught her attention, sending a jolt of excitement that vibrated from her heart to her stomach. Beautiful paintings of a little amber-colored girl with olive-green eyes.
“I’m…your…”
Shakura’s eyes followed Sage’s gaze. “You’re the little girl I paint. You’re the one I dream about.”
Smiling at the man she never imagined ever seeing again, she softly said, “I’m your daughter.”
A door was unlocked in Satchel’s mind when Sage explained who she was, releasing a floodgate of memories.
“My, how you’ve grown,” he said tenderly, then took the last step between them and tightly hugged his long-lost daughter.
* * * * *
Boxes were scattered around Sage’s bedroom in her new house. Some boxes were opened, but most were closed. The furniture was properly placed in new surroundings, but everything else still needed to be organized.
Instead of unpacking the boxes marked for the master-bedroom closet, Sage sat on the bed, staring at her father’s painting of butterflies, leaning against the wall. The excitement of moving into a brand-new house was lost in the wonder of finding her father. Sage didn’t notice Ramion’s quiet entrance. She didn’t know he was in the room until she felt his lips graze her neck. “My father is alive,” she said, repeating the words she had uttered a hundred times in the past twenty-four hours.
“Unbelievable,” Ramion said, easing down on the bed.
“When I was little I used to fantasize that Daddy was lost in Vietnam, that he was a prisoner of war and that one day he was going to return,” Sage said.
“He was lost all right,” Ramion said. “Losing his memory, not knowing who he was or where he came from.”
“He still doesn’t remember what happened to him. Doesn’t know how he was injured. All he remembers is waking up and being cared for by a Vietnamese woman.”
“Apparently she saved his life,” Ramion said wryly.
“She took him home to her family, and they took care of him.” She sighed, remembering her father’s answers to the questions rolling around in her head. “When he got better, they kept him hidden for many years because they were afraid if they turned him in, he’d become a prisoner of war. I guess by that time he’d fallen in love with the woman’s daughter, Song.”
“But he never really forgot you, baby,” Ramion said, massaging the tight muscles in her neck.
“I know. He painted what he remembered,” she said wistfully. “But now we have so much to learn about each other.”
“I’ll be right here with you,” Ramion said, then kissed the woman he never wanted to lose. “Right by your side.”
About the Author
Robin Allen is the author of
The Starters
,
Breeze
,
The Promise
,
The Best Thing Yet
, and
If I Were Your Woman
. She has written articles for several national publications, including
Black Elegance
,
Today’s Black Woman
and
Diversity Careers
. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and now lives in Atlanta, GA, with her two daughters. She is currently working on a sequel to
Hidden Memories
and other book projects.
Robin loves to hear from readers. You may email her at:
[email protected]
.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Hidden Memories
Copyright © 2015 by Robin Allen
ISBN: 978-1-61923-507-6
Edited by Amy Sherwood
Cover by Syd Gill Designs
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Original Publication by Genesis Press: 1997
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: December 2015
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