“Talking about our loved ones keeps them alive.”
Rebecca turned the corner fast, much to the delight of family and friends who continued to stay close to her.
“Her recovery has been nothing short of miraculous,” the doctors admitted. “She’s young, strong, and fearless!”
At first, she sat up with help from the nurses. It was excruciating, but Rebecca realized she had to get back on her feet as soon as possible to find Ahmad. It proved a more laborious exercise than she imagined; the soles of her feet were raw, there was a dislocation of one leg at the hip, and the other had two fractures. Casts impeded her movement.
Surgery was required on one foot to reset the broken bones; if not done soon, Rebecca risked permanent damage. Her parents insisted this procedure take place in the States, but Rebecca stalled for time; she had to find Ahmad before she could think of herself.
By the sixth day, Rebecca was able to hobble around on crutches and was fully aware of her situation.
“I must get back to the border,” she announced stubbornly, much to the horror of her parents and Phil, who knew once Rebecca made up her mind, nothing could change it.
Despite her parents’ objections, Rebecca had made it very clear she was not going anywhere until she found Ahmad. She had nightmares, and she woke up screaming his name. The anxious couple finally relented and agreed to stay on for another 10 days, after which Rebecca had to go home to save her foot.
She was not shying away from the case just because of an injury! Chief Naseer knew how close she was tied to the recovery of his son and respected her for her decision to remain in the area, even at the cost of her health. He made a point of continuously updating her on the status of the ongoing mission.
“You must come and stay with us,” said Safia. “We’ll like it and will take good care of you. You can follow the progress from there; we have minute-by-minute updates of the search for my son.”
The invitation was extended to Rebecca’s parents and to all the team members who worked on the case.
“We’ll stay at a hotel,” Mr. Fainey insisted. “You’re very kind, but we don’t want to impose.”
“Impose?” Husain Sahib looked surprised, and Phil laughed.
“It takes time to get used to it, but this is the hospitality of this place; isn’t it Zeina?” Phil looked at his colleague, remembering their arguments, which now seemed so juvenile. “Anyway, there’s no hotel in the village, so accept the offer graciously and let’s go! Anyone who needs to leave the country can fly to Islamabad and onwards to the States, or Nancowry.”
“Thank you very much,” Mr. Fainey accepted the invitation. No one declined the offer; the team was now locked in to continue the search. The chieftain, with family, drove back to prepare for their guests.
Two days later, after her discharge from the hospital, against doctors’ orders, Rebecca was on her way to the chieftain’s residence. Mr. Clooney arranged for the air-conditioned minibus, while the army took care of the jeeps and soldiers that escorted the guests. Rebecca lay on the back seat quite comfortably, attended by her nurse, Razia, who was employed to take care of her since Rebecca still needed medical attention.
Yousef traveled with them, while his vehicle with a driver and armed guards followed. Though he lived in the next village, he said he would monitor the case closely and remain in constant touch.
They arrived at the chieftain’s house, and the family warmly welcomed them. Surprisingly, there were no other house guests, and Husain Sahib explained. “Considering the sensitive nature of this visit, my home will be out of bounds to others. Your safety and the protection of any disclosed information within these walls is a top priority,” he declared.
“What about Wafa?” Aisha asked worriedly. “She’s my best friend! What about the students?”
“The school can continue in one room for three hours every morning, except for weekends,” her father replied. “Use the small side gate; no relatives of students will be allowed in. Friend or no friend; nothing of what takes place here goes out; do you understand, Aisha?”
The girl nodded, thinking how difficult it was going to be to hide things from Wafa. Her father noticed her dilemma and asked his wife to impress the gravity of their situation upon the girl.
Phil, Zeina, and Ismail appreciated all the special preparations for the visitors’ accommodation. The bedroom assigned to the women guests got a fresh coat of white paint, and the window had brown blinds. Gone were the gaudy lime green walls and the flowery curtains. There were two real beds with attractive linens, while a hospital bed against a large window was equipped for Rebecca. There was even a generator for when there were power failures.
“My daughters came to fix this up,” said Safia shyly, as she showed the renovated home to the guests. “They’re modern women; they know about such things.”
“Well, thank them very much,” Zeina replied. “They did a splendid job, though your home and your hospitality were perfect before and didn’t need any changes!”
“Rebecca and her parents; we want them to be comfortable,” Safia smiled.
“This is heaven compared to where Rebecca has lived!” Zeina laughed.
“My son’s bride will be a modern girl,” praised Safia. “We have to make changes to make her feel at home.”
“Oh, so Shahzad is to be married?” Zeina asked with a tinge of disappointment in her voice.
“Well, yes; it’s time,” Safia declared happily. “He’s getting lots of rishtas, or offers for marriage; I must pick a suitable bride for him soon.”
“You’ll choose a wife for your son?” Rebecca seemed surprised. Getting settled in her bed, she could not help overhearing and commenting.
“Of course! As a mother, it’s my duty; I know best what suits my son,” Safia replied, helping the nurse. “This is our way.”
“What about love?” Rebecca had to ask.
“It’s easier to accept each other without being blinded by passion. Love grows,” Safia exclaimed very confidently, which made Rebecca give it a serious thought. Interesting!
The men’s room went through renovations, too, and Ismail said he would be sorry not to sleep under the stars. However, they were all appreciative of a new add-on, a spacious tiled bathroom with a shower instead of the bucket and mug, and a Western-style toilet instead of the squat.
“This is lovely!” Zeina exclaimed. “Did your girls organize this too?”
“Yes,” admitted Aisha excitedly. “And I helped them with the colors!”
“Well, you have excellent taste,” Zeina replied. “Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness!”
That evening, the team discussed Rebecca’s case, and the events were reviewed minutely, from the time of the bombed convoy to her escape from the cave. There was no one else about; the servants and the nurse had been told not to disturb the group. Aisha and Adnan, both disgruntled over being left out, were asked to leave the adults alone.
“We must ensure total secrecy,” the chieftain insisted. “No one outside this group must know of what we speak. Forgive me, but I mean absolutely no one! The spy is still at large, and any leaks will sabotage our efforts to find Ahmad and endanger his life.”
It was hard for Rebecca to relive the loss of Ron and her colleagues and the details about her life in captivity, yet every time she repeated her story, more and more critical information surfaced, and more questions surfaced.
Mornings, she paced impatiently on crutches, up and down the marble courtyard, gathering her strength, while her parents basked in the sunshine on charpoys, which fascinated them. They were relaxed and happy for the first time since they came to Pakistan. Safia said they could take one or two charpoys back with them since these ornamental, hand-painted string beds were simple to dismantle into a small enough package.
There was much talk about the upcoming fair, and preparations were in full swing. Safia, Aisha, Zeina and five students immersed themselves in various tasks assigned to them. Rafiq Afridi volunteered to help with the tickets at the main gate, which would enable him to see everyone who entered. Phil, Ismail, and Roddy, who now dressed in the local attire, blended in well with the other men. Phil looked forward to the event, hoping to meet new people and get more insights into life here beyond the exploits of the terrorists. He was enjoying the simple life and already knew he would miss this when it was time to leave.
It appeared Safia ruled the roost while organizing the fair. She gave orders and assigned tasks, leaving no doubt about who was in charge. Chief Naseer understood that she was trying to fill her time so that there wasn’t a moment left to think of her lost child. Rebecca found the couple’s relationship very different from how Mullah Shaheen and the others at the camp looked upon their women.
Naseer Husain respected Safia and never forgot to praise her while thanking God for giving him such a good wife. The love between them was apparent. They even shared a bedroom. Safia knew her place and did what was expected, exerting her will with such grace that her menfolk never felt pressured.
Rebecca discussed this with Phil and told him about Safia saying love grows. He agreed with Safia.
“Yes, hard to believe, right? In our world, we take fewer chances. But over here, people are geared to adapt. And seeing things here, I can believe that love can grow with respect and time,” he commented, thinking of the situation. “And also, be assured, while considering a bride for her son, Safia will take into consideration lots of things that she knows Shahzad can adapt. It’s like deciding our partners ourselves, except the experience of parents are more learned.”
“Safia and Naseer Sahib belong to a civilized society with a tremendous sense of affection and empathy for others, whereas the insurgents are barbarians with forgotten value for human life; forget about feelings for their wives!”
Rebecca gave quite a lot of thought to that. Passion, attraction, compatibility and other such things that she previously considered for a partner. Were they as significant? She could not find the right answer and quit after a lot of contemplation.
They were doing everything that was needed but had not been able to make any progress in locating the terrorists. They also knew they had to be extra vigilant as they continued to get ready for the fair; such events were a magnet for these fanatics.
When they had time, the group all relaxed on charpoys under the stars and chatted and joked about ordinary things. The nights were now becoming chilly; Shahzad decided to start a fire one evening after dinner and went with Ismail to the storage shed for the iron fire pit and some logs. The group was mesmerized by the blazing fire and stared at the flames, each lost in their thoughts.
Aisha moved next to her father and asked, “Baba, are we going to find Ahmad?”
“Yes, we definitely will find him. We’ve found Rebecca, and with Allah’s help, we’ll find Ahmad,” said Naseer Husain, looking at his daughter lovingly as he pinched her cheek.
“Ahmad loved stories,” said Rebecca, and they all turned to her. “He loved the story of Jungle Book, especially the part when Sher Khan’s tail was on fire.”
“Rebecca Baaji, does he still have his dimples? On both cheeks?” asked Aisha going next to Rebecca and holding her hand. Rebecca knew how much the girl was itching to talk about her brother.
“Yes, he does. They’re deeper now than in his picture; he’s tall, thin, and sweet, like his family.”
“We shouldn’t talk about him like this,” protested Mrs. Fainey. “It’ll upset his parents.”
“No, no! Talking about our loved ones keeps them alive,” said Safia. “It’s when we don’t mention them that they’re forgotten and cease to exist. I love to talk and hear about Ahmad; we have nothing but wonderful memories of him!”
“We can’t have the fair,” Rebecca mentioned, sitting up. “I just remembered; I heard them talking about the fair! I know that would be the ideal place for them to get rid of Ahmad.”
“Naseer Sahib, I agree; we have to cancel the fair,” agreed Yousef. “It’s an open invitation to them to create a problem. Rebecca says they talked about the fair; they could even use Ahmad as a suicide bomber.”
Safia gasped as Rebecca quietly recalled, “They tried that once before, but Ahmad’s vest didn’t detonate, and he returned to the camp.”
“Ya Allah, have mercy on us all!” Safia burst into tears and clasped her chest; while a stunned Mrs. Fainey put her arm around her and said, “Now, now, my dear; your son will be back with you soon; I feel it in my bones!”
“Aisha, your mother is tired; take her inside,” Naseer Husain said calmly, “You too Adnan; it’s late.”
“I think we should turn in too,” agreed Mr. Fainey and the Fainey’s followed the others inside, leaving the group alone to rehash the specifics of Rebecca’s experiences with her captors.
“You never mentioned this before, Rebecca,” Yousef remarked. “This is an important piece of info. What else have you failed to tell us?”
“Come on, Yousef; take it easy!” Phil jumped to her defense. “Rebecca has been through hell; it’s no wonder she hasn’t recalled everything!”
“Well, then, let’s go over the facts again; if you don’t mind, Rebecca,” suggested Yousef.
“It’s late,” the older Chieftain said, realizing everyone was on edge. “You have an hour’s drive back to your village, Yousef Bhai. We should retire and resume this talk tomorrow after we have rested.”
“It’s not late for me! And we don’t want it to be too late for Ahmad!” Rebecca pleaded. “I think of him every waking moment! I dream of him in my sleep! Let’s go over the wretched details again if it helps.”