“Nothing but the best for my girl!”
“No, I don’t want to go to school. I want to help Mohammed and his brothers in the house.”
Ahmad sat upon his mattress as Chief Naseer woke him up after his morning round with Aisha in the mountain.
Aisha lounged next to him, but he ignored her. Rebecca had explained to him how Aisha had worked hard to find him. He liked her and the way she took care of him, but Ahmad felt too overwhelmed. He hated the school and the hard work that Chief Naseer expected of him and Mohammed.
“Mohammed is also going to school with you,” said Chief Naseer making up his mind. “You both can help earn and get the house ready after you come back from school.”
“I don’t understand anything in school,” Ahmad mumbled, frowning.
Though he liked the people here, he missed his carefree days in the mountains. He felt so stupid in school where kids younger than him knew so much more and seemed to laugh at him. “Aisha is going to be spending some extra time with you to help you catch up. You’re smart; you’ll learn,” Chief Nasser encouraged.
Ahmad looked up at Aisha, who was smiling patiently.
“Abba,” Ahmad articulated this word, knowing how much it meant to Chief Naseer though it still felt so weird to him. “Why don’t I learn only from Aisha and not go to school as there’s so much work to be done here.”
“No, Ahmad. It’s important to attend school. I’ll tell Mohammed to get ready too. Come on, get up.”
Grudgingly Ahmad stood up, knowing fully well how futile it was to discuss this further. The thought of having Mohammed with him in school was encouraging. Maybe together they both could teach a few things to the kids in school.
As he ran to Safia to get his breakfast of the buttery dates, he knew Mohammed was not going to like this at all. He had so much responsibility on his head with running his independent house, take care of his brothers and sisters, and to look after his mom.
It was another four months later that they all came by again. For a wedding. Shahzad and Zeina’s wedding!
Rebecca, Ismail and Phil found themselves winging their way to Pakistan once again.
“It’s lovely to be back,” Rebecca cheered joyfully, eager to see the chief and his family and friends again. Her leg was perfectly healthy except for a barely recognizable bend, which she called her medal for her time here. They were sitting in the same old car, and Rafiki had been delighted to see them again as were they to see him.
“How’s Ahmad doing?” was Rebecca’s first question after they settled down for the long ride.
“The early days were difficult for Ahmad and Mohammad, but Adnan has helped the boys a lot. The effects of the brainwashing on these impressionable youngsters will take some time to clear. It’s hard for them to adjust, but the therapy Clooney arranged for them, plus being among a loving family, makes me hopeful that they’ll turn around.”
“I can imagine the culture shock!” Ismail added. “Education will help them out of their radical mindset.”
“They aren’t ready for a regular school yet and are homeschooled to catch up with their level. We tried, but they kept getting in trouble. Zeina’s school is doing wonders, and now they have two buildings, one for boys and one for girls.”
Zeina’s marriage was a shock for them all. Because of the school, Zeina and Shahzad had kept their communication on and one thing had led to another. Zeina had finally decided to drop out of school and focus on the community that she liked with a person she had gotten to love.
“Ahmad loves to read, Safia told me. So, I have bought a lot of books he will enjoy. And I have an Xbox for everyone to enjoy. If that doesn’t get him out of his radical mind, I don’t know what will,” Rebecca teased, blinking at Ismail.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t swap one addiction for another,” Phil said laughingly.
“His family keeps a very watchful eye on Ahmad, and every step he takes,” Rebecca smiled. “I trust they’ll monitor his time spent on games.”
“I keep up with the news and see that there are still insurgent attacks,” Ismail reported. “Schools, certain mosques, and security posts are targets for their bombs. All this despite the tribal councils keeping a keen eye on terrorist activities. The chief has his hands full!”
“Unfortunately, terrorism doesn’t recognize borders,” Phil sighed. Recent activity in his own country had him worried.
Rebecca recognized his concern and put her arm around him.
“Those of us who value independence must strive to work towards the preservation of peace and freedom, even during the bleakest of times,” Rebecca vowed, finishing his sentence for him.
“Shahzad has added the solar panel business to his portfolio, and Adnan takes care of the office after school. Shahzad has promised to make him a partner if he completes college, and he has agreed!” Rebecca summarized, trying to lighten the mood; she was too happy to be depressed by negatives.
“It was a real shocker to hear that Mullah Shaheen survived,” Phil said. “His body was riddled with bullets!”
“He can’t speak or walk or do anything for himself…if you call that survival or just fruits for his villainy!” Rebecca replied with a shiver. “But the best news is that Gulnoor is now cancer-free. She has been given land on the farm and enjoys life there with her boys and her brother! She’s so enterprising and makes pickles and jams that Fiaz-ul-Muhabat markets in Peshawar and Islamabad. The demand is so large that she has engaged other women on the farm to help. Is that a success story or what?”
“Amazing!” Ismail replied. “I wonder what happened to Sheikh Sahib and his wife Zakiya; I asked Zeina once, and she said the Saudis dealt with them. It seems the kingdom does not encourage radicals; they’re afraid they could turn on the royal family.”
“But what I find most amazing is the wedding!” Phil remarked. “I never thought Zeina’s resignation from school would amount to this. I’m so happy for them. Shahzad and I have kept in touch, but he never mentioned a thing about the upcoming nuptials! When I got the invite, I was shocked, though that’s an understatement.”
“Yes, who would have thought?” said Rebecca. “I should have read the signs; I guess I was just too involved with my own stuff. They make a gorgeous couple, don’t they?”
She held out her phone to show Phil and Ismail the most recent picture of Shahzad and Zeina looking ecstatic. On the ring finger of Rebecca’s left hand, the diamond flashed as it caught the light.
“Hmm…that must have cost you a fortune, buddy,” Ismail teased as he laughed and pointed at the sparkly diamond.
Phil lovingly gazed lovingly at his fiancée and replied, “Nothing but the best for my girl!”