Page 6 of Twenty-Three Years of Longing

My jaw dropped. “No. I could never do that. Joey, my son is staying with a friend until I have found a home for us to live in.” And for me to decide if I was staying.

My voice reflected the panic and frustration within me. I knew she picked up on it but didn’t let it show in her tone.

“Not much I can do at the moment, but Alex and Ziva Henderson reside here and if anyone can help you find a suitable place for you and your son, they would be the ones. They have three children, a girl and two boys.”

I knew of them but had never met them personally. “I don’t want to put anyone out. Madam President.”

“Trust me, they would love to help. And it might be nice for Joey to have some friends to show him around too,” she replied.

“Please, call me Reesa. This is more of an informal meeting,” she stated.

Using someone’s first name in the States was common. But not in Tabiq. And definitely not while addressing the president. Things really must’ve changed over the years.

Although it felt uncomfortable, I used her name. “Reesa, it is very kind of you. But...but he knows nothing of Tabiq.” Her brows rose, and I knew she was puzzled by this. Now what do I say? The truth was going to be easier than any lie. “May I speak freely? And confidentially?”

“Of course,” she replied.

This was what I dreaded most about returning here. The judgment. “When I first left Tabiq and traveled to the United States to attend college, I thought I would be there for a few years, get my degree, and return. But I met someone and got married. Things didn’t work out as I expected, and shortly after having my son, we divorced. As a...” I hated the words single parent. Single parent meant one parent doing it all. But it described my situation perfectly. “a single parent, I thought it would be easier for me to raise Joey there.”

“Because of the stigma here?” she questioned. I nodded. “Raya, I know you have only been gone for eleven years, but even in that time, so much has changed. Some of the younger couples these days are even living together before marriage. It’s not very common but isn’t unheard of either.”

I could’ve fallen out of my chair. Never would’ve believed it if it wasn’t coming from Reesa. And this wouldn’t be such a surprise to me if I kept in contact with anyone from Tabiq when I left all those years ago. But once I had learned that I was pregnant, I distanced myself even further than I originally had. It’s not as though I was totally out of the loop, but the world wide web only gave me limited information on Tabiq. Only what Tabiqian’s wanted the world to know, which wasn’t much.

If I had known all of this before now, would it have changed anything? Would I have come home sooner? Probably not. I am who I am. Stubborn and independent. Even coming now is on my terms and not because I had no choice. We have a good life in the States. We both did.

And here I am, leaving it all.

“That is a huge change,” I stated honestly. “How is the...older generation handling it?”

They were the ones that concerned me most of all.

“It’s funny. With our history of all the horrendous things that have happened, I think they are just thrilled to see their children and grandchildren happy. I’m not saying that they are pushing the youth to live together, but it’s nothing like it used to be. Tabiq is redefining itself in ways that even I hadn’t anticipated. And if the fact that a woman is president doesn’t prove that, then I’m not sure what will.”

You can say that again.

“You’re right. When you were running for president, it was the first time I wished I was back in Tabiq so that I could vote for you. And when I found out that you won, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

“I did the same thing,” she admitted.

“I’ve heard a rumor that people give the Henderson family credit for the changes. I believe you have had just as much if not more of an impact,” I told her.

Reesa shrugged. “Do you know that I wasn’t even going to run for president?”

I had no idea, but I’m glad that she did. “What made you do so then?” I asked. Running for president wasn’t something that you just decided to do on a whim. Not like, hey, I’m going to change the entire future of a third-world country and do the impossible and become the first woman president today.

“Did you know my brother Jasper was going to run?” she asked. I nodded. “Well things changed, and he talked me into doing it. At first, I thought it was the most ridiculous suggestion he’d ever made. We both know that a few years earlier a woman never could’ve run, never mind win. No one will forget the condition of women in Tabiq in those years. They received little to no respect and were treated worse than animals. There were enough of those who wanted the status quo to be retained.”

“I’m sure.” There was money to be made in human trafficking and somehow it didn’t matter who got hurt in the process. “But I believe there are more now who don’t want to ever see those days again.” I know I was one of them.

With a nod, she added, “I figured even if I did win, someone would probably assassinate me before I could do any good.”

“That’s a horrible thought,” I gasped.

She shrugged. “A realistic one, unfortunately. But I had people watching out for me. Bennett Stone has been working closely with our law enforcement. Together they made me feel as safe as anyone can be here.”

I didn’t miss that. She knew that even now there were people who would do her harm.

And I’m bringing my son here. I got to be crazy.