For All The Souls in The World

The first thing you notice about Tennessee is the sky. The rich blues with dashes of pink and fluffy drops of white are like looking into a painting. But the life of one Rhiannon Davis could be defined by surreal beauty and picturesque landscapes.

The girl, tried to open her eyes, but the heavy painful lids resisted her. Her eyelids weren’t her only source of pain, her back felt as though it had been slammed against a brick wall. Everyone who knew Rhiannon would have described her as an electric personality. She never left home without bright colors and a smile. She often kept her coily hair artfully braided. But today her hair was askew, her usual smile replaced by a grimace.

“Right. Can you hear me?” a male voice hollered over Rhiannon’s head. She nodded her head as she slowly opened her eyes to see and noticed the hospital monitors surrounding her bed.

“Good. I am Dr. Roebuck. You were badly hurt in the collision, but after a day or two you should be ready to be released to CPS.” He said still too loud idlily flipping though some papers. Rhiannon struggled to sit up on her pillows and asked, “What’s CPS? Are my sisters here?” Without sparing a glance the doctor replied, “I’m sorry to tell you but your parents passed before the paramedics arrived on the scene. CPS will take care of you.” He turned to a nurse whispering and gesturing at the chart.

“How do you say your name, baby?” the nurse asked.

“Rhiannon,” Rhiannon replied still trying to make sense of her situation. She remembered the car accident but nothing else. They couldn’t be all gone! She and Cari, her older sister, had been side-by-side in the captain chairs, while her younger sister Iona had been securely belted in the back.

“Where are my sisters?” she asked again. Dr. Roebuck blinked stupidly finally looking at her, concerned.

“Rihanna, you were the only child at the scene. There are no sisters,” he said shaking his head. Before she could ask more questions, he stacked his papers and sauntered out. The nurse watched with a lovestruck look in her eyes.

“Isn’t he great, “she breathed. Feeling quite the opposite Rhiannon kept silent.

Not twenty-four hours later a social worker had descended upon her, reminding her that she was now an orphan and a would be moving to a girl’s home in northern Tennessee. Lost in a cage of despair Rhiannon allowed herself to be packed off to the North Hallows School for Orphans.

Once there her torment of emotions faded away leaving only sadness. Gone were her mother-made wax print blouses and 1940’s wide-leg pants replaced with a black ensemble and tiny veil. The girls at the home took every opportunity to bully her for her eccentricities. Everything at the home made her sick and sad except for her bi-weekly visits with Ms. Andrews, the home’s counselor. Ms. Andrews understood Rhiannon’s grief having lost her own family only a year before.

“Maybe you should try journaling. I think it could help you to get your feelings down on paper,” Ms. Andrews said during one of their sessions.

“I don’t know. Sounds sad,” Rhiannon replied starring out the window.

“I happen to have this empty little black book. A friend gave it to me for this very purpose, but I feel you can make better use of it.” Ms. Andrews whipped a black leather notebook from her bookshelf and offered it to Rhiannon.

At first Rhiannon ignored the little black book. But then as her thoughts began to recur, she decided it was time to get them out. First, she wrote what was bothering her, but as she freed space in her mind plans started to emerge. She planned various ways of finding her sisters. The plans ranged from unbelievably simple to outrageously complicated. But they all began the same way with her freedom from the home. She silently waited and prayed for that day and the day did come but not in the way she had planned.

“Someone is coming to the home today. I think they mean to adopt a teen,” Ms. Andrews told Rhiannon conspiratorially one day at breakfast. Rhiannon shrugged. It made no difference to her as she didn’t feel like a black teenage was at the top of anyone’s adoption list.

“I recommended you. I think they are welsh. You could learn more about your name,” Ms. Andrews continued. Rhiannon’s eyes bugged, she hadn’t realized you could nominate and orphan.

Sitting outside the home’s proprietor office, Mrs.Prue, waiting to meet the prospective parents Rhiannon watch as three girls desperately tried to spy. Each took turns placing her eye to the keyhole hoping to see the people within. She could hear the girls whispering a name, Luke Evans. Rhiannon didn’t know who that was, nor did she care. Maybe he’d pick one of these ninnies and she could go back to serving her sentence, so to speak. As Mrs. Prue opened the door to her office, the spying girls scattered not wishing to be caught peeping. Upon meeting Luke, Rhiannon they forged an instant bond. Many years later he would tell her he had been charmed by her dramatics and unique character. But in those moments, they found themselves bound by a mutual desire for a better life. So, it was settled, Luke Evan’s, the famous actor, adopted Rhiannon Davis the black girl with the welsh name.

Wales was not Tennessee, but Rhiannon loved it. Wales was filled with epic rock faces and inviting hideaways. With her Dad often gone, Rhiannon spent weekends with her new Granny Yvonne who had one shtick.

“He can’t be single forever. I think you need another parent. I met a nice lad the other day that would be perfect for him,” Granny Yvonne bemoaned. Rhiannon was scared to see who Granny would have picked out, but it did get her thinking. While she was grateful to have a father, two was always better than one.

“Dad?” Rhiannon asked one day as she and Luke drove down the coastline taking in the scenery.

“Yes, Rhiannon,” her father replied.

“Would you like to get married?”

“Aye, I would. If I could find the right person,”

“So you didn’t adopt me to just close down the subject,” Rhiannon said with suspicion.

“I wouldn’t trade you for all the souls in the world. So, you needn’t worry I didn’t adopt you to prove anything to me mum,” Luke snorted shaking his head, “Mum’s they have a way of not dropping a subject,”

Rhiannon thought that sounded true, as Granny Yvonne spent most of her time worrying.

“You know, you should come with me on my next shoot.” Luke said. Rhiannon thought that sounded capitol, she’d never been to Hollywood before.

Once there Rhiannon found herself swept up by the glitz and glam of it all. Her Dad moved from event to event maintaining his down to earth sensibility, but Rhiannon was captivated by the attention. Luke took pains to keep her out of the limelight, saying that the internet was no place for a growing girl. But he needn’t have been concerned about the internet because his sleazy manager, Waldo, saw dollar signs every time Rhiannon entered a room. Waldo wanted Rhiannon to audition for commercials and so did Rhiannon. So, the two made a pact neither would breathe a word to Rhiannon’s Dad.

Weeks later one of Rhiannon’s auditions led to a commercial gig and that commercial aired on national television. Luke was furious.

“You are just going to have your face all over the TV? Didn’t you listen to anything I said?” He shouted upon seeing the commercial. Rhiannon had expected him to be upset but not this upset. “I thought maybe if I could make a little money, I could find my sisters,” she replied waving her little black book.

“I told you that I was looking for them. I’ve spent hundreds of pounds trying to track them down. Rhiannon the entertainment industry is a machine that grinds you up. Tabloids think all of your business is their business and they are constantly digging. You are my daughter, and I am responsible for you.”

Rhiannon hadn’t thought of the repercussions for him.

“ Ok. I’ll stop. I’ll tell Waldo that this one was all.”

True to her word the next day Rhiannon went to see Waldo. For the most part Waldo was understanding, even if he was annoyed. He had hoped to get more commissions from building up both Luke and Rhiannon’s career, but alas.

“Well kid before you go, I might as well give you the check that came in today,” He handed over an envelope that had Rhiannon’s name on it, “Don’t spend it all in one place.” She nodded and ripped open the envelope as she walked out of his office. She gasped as she read the number on the check, $20,000. It was more money than she had ever had in her life. She tucked the check in her orange and purple striped sweater and hurried home to show her dad.

“Well Kiddo, what are you going to do with the money?” Luke asked after Rhiannon had showed him the check. She was glad he’s asked.

“I want to start a library. In Liberia,” she smiled, “would you help me?”

“Liberia? Right, where your Mum and Da’ were from. Of course, I’ll help, love.”

Thus, the two boarded a plane bound for Liberia. Rhiannon was please that money went a long way in a place like Monrovia. The money was cleverly spent on the build, books, and a grant writing contractor. Invested in the project Luke also put forward some of his own money to hire the first librarians. It was there that Rhiannon started to miss her sisters again. They would have been proud of her giving back to their home country. As the two boarded the plane bound for Wales, Luke told Rhiannon about meeting a charming fellow named Rhys before they had left LA. In love with love Rhiannon’s imagination took off filling with daydreams of welsh life, an end to her broken home, and the three of them singing Disney songs together. But before she could suggest a proposal method her father informed her that Rhys had adopted daughters of his own. Her heart sank what if these girls were like the jerks from the girls’ home.

“I invited them for dinner. I think you’ll like Rhys,” Luke said confidently. Rhiannon wasn’t worried about him but the little hellions that he came with.

Rhiannon and Luke had barely dropped their cases when the doorbell rang. The housekeeper answered while Rhiannon watched from the stairwell. From her perch all she could see was the girls afro textured hair. Their whispered voices echoed in the entryway as the trio headed for the sitting room. Rhiannon tripped down the stairs in her hurry to get to the sitting room. Bursting in she saw her Dad pouring lemonades for everyone.

“Oh, good timing. Everyone this is my daughter Rhiannon,” Luke draped an arm over her shoulders and offered her a lemonade. But Rhiannon just stared at the girls with her mouth agape. Her sisters! Seeing her Iona dashed over to Rhiannon and grabbed her in a tight hug almost knocking Luke over. Cari crumpled to the floor in a faint. Luke hurried to Cari’s side and began fanning her with a pillow. Rhys looked from his daughters back to Rhiannon.

“Oh dear,” said Luke, “Seems were in a bit of a pretzel, aye Rhys.”

Coming to Cari said, “What are the odds of all being adopted my single welsh Dads.”

“Let’s let the girls catch up. Would you like a tour of the house Rhys?” Rhys nodded and the two walked off arm in arm. As they reached the door Luke looked back at Rhiannon and winked.