‘I know everyone says it all the time, but I get to say it because I knew her better than anyone else.’ She takes his hand in hers. ‘And I know what you’ve been through. What you saw. And then for you to come back here, she would have been proud, Kiama, I know she would have.’ Her voice cracks. ‘And I know that if Emma had a big pile of money she would definitely want to give it to the orphanage. So if you still want help sorting out what to do with the money here, I’ll help you.’

It’s so much quicker in the car, less than twenty minutes and they are already pulling up the dirt track, close to the orphanage. Purity joins them and sits up front with Joe, they talk the whole time, both of them shouting over each other like they’re getting into it but then cracking up laughing.

The children are outside the compound walls, spread across the fields chasing each other and kicking a ball around. The girls are excited to see Yvonne again and immediately run over to claim her for one of their games.

‘You came back?’ Simeon says.

‘Yeah,’ Kiama calls as Zipporah and her sisters pull him towards the skipping rope.

They’re already so familiar with him, like he’s part of the family. Maybe Simeon told them about Mum and they now see him as one of them, part of the club. It’s something he’s had a few times before, once at school talking to another kid and realising that he also lost his mum at eight years old. It was like an instant affinity and even though they were never really the best of friends they still send each other the occasional message.

‘You need to jump in,’ one of the girls shouts.

They swing the rope slowly at first and he pauses at the edge planning his move before jumping in and getting tangled straight away.

‘It was my hair,’ he shouts, ‘let me try again.’

The children laugh and it takes him three more attempts before he manages to jump the rope.

Purity leans against the car with Joe and carries on her passionate argument and occasionally Kiama swears he catches a phrase or two he can understand.

Yvonne sits under a tree with a few of the younger girls. He’s glad she apologised, but feels wary of her now. Even if he was acting like a dick, what she said crossed the line. Still, they’ve got a few more days together and at least now she’s on board to help him with the money. What more could he ask for? It’s not like he’s after a new best friend or anything.