Page 53

First, I found out she was my mother.

Now she was telling me that Rami and Khalil actually had a different father and somehow my dead uncle was standing in the middle of all of it. They were Quatar men, just not Mecca’s children.

"Hassan loved me way more than your father ever did. I’m almost certain your father killed him because of it.”

I sat there staring at her.

The room suddenly felt smaller and I dragged my hand across my mouth and looked away for a second, trying to process what she had just told me. Every answer she gave me seemed to uncover three more questions in my head.

“I know how ugly it sounds but when I got pregnant with you, your father made me move to America with him to have you. He said he hated that I was pregnant, but he couldn’t have his bloodline living in poverty in Cuba with me. So, he made me come to America, put me on apron and told his wife that I was a pregnant maid he hired instead of the woman who was pregnant with his child. After that I fell for your uncle. He showed me way more love when I got here. He was patient, he was kind. He understood how much I would endure to be around you.”

“But why endure all of it instead of you and Hassan doing something about your situation? Then you stayed quiet even after Mecca died? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I wanted to tell you for years Amir but your father, was a very smart man who knew exactly what to do to keep everyone around him in check. He funded my mother’s bills, my father’s lengthy hospital stays because of his cancer for many years, and he also made sure I had this house to live in when I wasn’t there with you. He was supposed to send me back to Cuba once you were born but I begged him to be in your life, even if it was just a little bit. Even if I had to spend my time cleaning up your messes, I did that to see you every day. After he got killed, I was just too scared to say something to you. I feel like I failed you by letting him raise you the way that he did.”

Her honesty came with tears, and I didn't know what to say.

“But I don’t know what I’m going to do about Khalil. Even with me having a child by Mecca, I still don’t have the money they are asking for, and I know Amelia wouldn’t give it to me if I told her I would work for the rest of my life for free. She has barely been paying me as it is lately.”

The silence in the room and tension could be cut with a knife, but I knew I had the right tool to cut it.

“I have the money, and I’ll make sure he comes back safe. Don’t worry yourself. Do you have the number that they called you from”

“Yes, I do.”

She jumped up from the couch and went over to the dining table grabbing a piece of paper.

“Here is the number that they told me to call once I have the money.” Her hands were trembling as she gave me the paper.

“Okay, call them, tell them I will go and get the money that he stole. I’m sure it wasn’t $400,000, but what they are asking for is a street tax. Unfortunately, we have to abide by it.”

“Will you really do this for us, Amir?”

“Of course. Khalil may not be a Quatar, but he’s still my brother. He’s my blood, some of the only blood that I have left.”

I replied, and she placed her hand over her chest.

“Okay, I’ll call them now.” She picked up the phone and dialed the number on the paper.

“Hel, hello. This is Erika, Khalil’s mom. I found someone that is going to get the money for us.”

She listened on the house phone for a minute and then hung up.

“They said for me to call them back once I have the money in my hand.”

“Okay, I got you. I’m going to run and get it now.” I stood up from the couch and walked to the door.

“I’ll be back.” She nodded her head with her hands clutched in front of her. I could tell that she was hopeful and I wasn’t about to let her down. Not for any amount of money in this world.

As soon as I walked out of the house, I dragged my hand down my face. My whole world had got heavier in the last five minutes alone when this trip here was supposed to be a lighthearted one. I shook off the way I felt inside and crossed the street to get into the car with Jasmine. Once I shut the door, I looked over towards her and saw that she had a face full of tears and just that quickly I was on protect mode.

“You, okay?”

“The hospital just called about Rj.”

I was silent for a moment because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what words she was going to say next, and I wasn’t trying to here two words specifically.

“He woke up. He’s asked for me. My baby is up.”