MOTHER'S GRIEF. " Feeling and being powerless over the loss of one's child can lead to ambiguous loss - where a parent can never get the closure to resolve her grief."
***
Maha's life as a militant INTEL had resumed. She now worked closely with Tristan. Maha may not be officially the second-in-command, but it would likely seem so to anyone because nothing passes by her unnoticed. Maha had immersed herself once again in her role and she'd gladly take on one mission after another if that would take her mind off her extreme grief.
Maha's pain over her separation from Amir is boundless. She had wrapped it tight in her heart and no one knew and no one will ever know. Only Farah knows and she misses her so much. If she will have the chance, she would like to see her again. It's their love for Amir that binds them. It's their sacred secret. She would want to talk to her again to reminisce about their times with Amir.
***
It's been too long, Farah said. She misses Maha and Amir from time to time. She wondered how Maha was doing. And Amir too. She wished there is a way to talk to Maha since she's still in Libya. But Amir is in Dubai. She hoped he's fine and happy. But surely, he is in a better place than his mother; she said. She's now in the market to buy some provisions that she could stock for quite a while so she won't have to go out again.
She came from a relative whose teenage daughter gave birth. They don't have the means to take her to a maternity hospital for her child's delivery. Allah must have given her this vocation for a purpose; glad she could be of help to some people. Like Maha before, but Amir's father paid her back more than twice over. She still has Maha's money with her. She wished Maha could visit her again soon.
Farah went inside the grocery store. She hoped to buy rice, milk, bread, and canned goods. She was now at the check-out counter, right behind someone who seemed to have come from the airport. The man had a lot on his arms and hands, his luggage, laptop bag, jacket, newspapers, grocery bags.
Exasperated, as his hands were full, he left the newspapers at the check-out counter when Farah was about to put her purchases on the same. Farah removed the newspapers and put them inside her bag. She'll have something to read at home, she thought.
She reached home half an hour later. It was late evening when she emptied her bag and saw the newspaper again. Gulf News, United Arab Emirates, and today's date, she said. As soon as she unfolded the newspaper, she saw the photo. The baby looked like Amir; she thought. But who were the adults with him, if he is indeed Amir? Naseem and Mona Al Abdallah. Wait! that's the woman with Amir's father. The mother of Jamil! Jamil Al Abdallah! These are Amir's grandparents. Farah cried. It is Amir, their little prince. How she wished Maha could visit her one day. She'll keep the newspaper for her. Oh, my! Amir looked so happy. Thanks to that man for leaving this newspaper behind. She wished to see Maha soon. She would love to see this.
***
After Jamil's call that morning, Yasmin could hardly focus on her job. She looked for the local paper's website for the news article and found that. Indeed, Jamil's parents, with little Amir, graced the headline for the day. She read the article written and yes; it mentioned Jamil as the father of Amir. But why would the writer mention his engagement in the same article if this isn't a presage of a malicious mind?
For sure, this would arouse anyone's curiosity. Jamil was a well-known bachelor, never was there a mention of a child of his. And suddenly, there was one. They won't believe the baby was theirs either. The newspaper had interviewed her that time they announced their engagement and she had told them she was single, never married, and there was no mention of a child of hers and Jamil's.
"Yasmin! Earth to Yasmin! Earth to Yasmin! Over!" Naira jested.
"Naira! Yes, what did you say?" Yasmin asked.
"You were practically somewhere else! You're zoned out! Have you orbited any planet at all? I've been talking to you for over 10 minutes and it seemed you're in a trance! What's going on with you?" Naira asked.
"Naira, close the door, please. I'll show you something," Yasmin said.
Naira immediately closed Yasmin's office door and positioned herself behind Yasmin's desktop.
"Read," Yasmin said as she pointed to the article on her desktop. It took a few minutes and Naira looked at her.
"Have you talked to Jamil?" Naira asked her.
"He called me this morning to tell me about this. The press will hound him for this, for sure. Our worry is if they insist on knowing who the mother of Amir is. He couldn't tell them. It could be dangerous for Amir and the mother," Yasmin said.
"I'll call Jamil tonight. I'm worried, Naira," Yasmin said.
***
Yasmin went home as soon as the clock showed 5 p.m. that day. She was in a hurry. She'd been worrying the entire day. How could he have gone to work with that article in the newspaper? They confirmed us to be both singles during our engagement photoshoot and suddenly, Jamil has a son. He can't tell them too that they adopted the baby when anyone could see that Amir resembles Jamil.
Has Amara seen this on the internet? If she will see this, will she contact Jamil again? Could she have married? What if she hasn't married yet or is not in a relationship? Will she and Jamil meet up again? Yasmin stopped her bike. And sat on the stone seat at the park.
Why do things keep happening in our lives? Are we meant for each other? Yasmin is staring at the fountain in the middle of the park. She'd better move. She planned to call Jamil as soon as she gets to the apartment.
She left the bike below the apartment inside the gate and padlocked the gate before she went up. Yasmin removed her shoes and stepped into her soft house slippers. She left her backpack on the sofa in the living room and called Jamil as she locked her bedroom door.
"Hi," she answered when Jamil said hello.
"Did you go to the office today?" Yasmin asked.
"No, I called Julie first and learned that a member of the press was waiting for me to arrive," Jamil said.
"I suspected so too. I read the article right after your call. I just thought that the writer was making some sly innuendoes. She was arousing curiosity from readers, mentioning you to be a long-time bachelor and the father of baby Amir," Yasmin said.
"I'm afraid they would insist on knowing who the mother of Amir is. I had a weird thought today that it scared me. What if Amara had a man and would have thought he was the father of the baby? Then Amara told him she lost the baby when Ibrahim tried to kill her. If anyone would know Amir's mother and the guy would come to know that the baby is alive, hah! It scared me. I hope that was not the case," Jamil said. Yasmin was quiet.
"Indeed, that is scary!" she said.
"I'll ask my father to handle it. I don't want to talk to the press at all," Jamil said.
"Please advise me. Let me know what's happening, always," Yasmin said.
"I will. You take care there. I love you," Jamil said.
"You too. Take care. I love you," she replied.
***
"Jamil!" Naseem called. He was knocking on Jamil's bedroom door. But there was no response.
"He must be in Amir's room," Mona said.
"Okay," Naseem said as he went down the stairs.
"Jamil, your mother told me," Naseem said.
Jamil was holding Amir, but when Daisy saw Naseem enter Amir's room, she took the baby from Jamil.
"Come, let's talk inside," Naseem said.
They moved to the study. As soon as Jamil had closed the door, he told his father about his fear.
"I have a nagging fear. What if there is a man involved here? What if Amara tried to hide her pregnancy and hooked up with a man in the organization? But when the incident happened with Ibrahim, she feared for the baby's life, if she could have gone to jail or died. Will her man take care of the baby if he'll come to know that he was not his? That was why she gave me Amir, and she must have told the man that the baby died," Jamil explained.
"If the press will know the name of the mother and this gets on the internet or the local news, the man will come to know that the baby is alive. What if he will come after the baby? I am worried about Amir too. It could be dangerous not only for the mother but for Amir as well," Jamil added.
A long silence followed.
"What do you want me to do? This is my fault, and I want to stop this," Naseem said.
"I don't know too, Baba. I fear for Amir and his mother. I told this to Yasmin as well. She understands me," Jamil said.
"I will have to call the management of the local paper," Naseem said.
"I hope that will work. I just hope they will not write any more articles about this. The baby's life is at stake here, too," Jamil said.
***
"It's me," Mona said while she knocked at the door.
"Come in, dear," Naseem invited.
"Have you thought of what to do?" Mona asked.
"I'll take care of it. It was my fault anyway. I'll talk to someone tomorrow," Naseem said.
"Stop worrying and go to the office tomorrow. I will ask Security not to let in any press into the building," Naseem said.
Jamil nodded while he covered his face with both his hands and bowed his head.
"Let's have dinner, so you could both rest early," Mona said.
***
"What have I done now to Jamil?" Naseem said as he was getting on the bed in their room.
"I apologized earlier for us. I told him that happened when we included Amir in the photoshoot," Mona said.
"I haven't thought of that at all. Now, he's facing another problem. He was right to worry about Amir if his suspicion is true," Naseem said.
"I'll have to issue a strict order to security never to allow any press inside the grounds, not only in the building. The scenario Jamil mentioned gave me goosebumps. If that was the case, no way should we let Amir out of the house. After one kidnapping in the family, we can't afford another one," Naseem said.
"What do you mean?" Mona said.
Naseem told Mona about Jamil's suspicion. What Amara could have done. Why she gave up on Amir. It could have been to save the child from her man; that she feared being discovered that the man was not the child's father.