Part 13 (1/2)
Mandy nodded. ”In that context, my son was lucky.”
Zarlasht studied Mandy for a moment, then shook her head. ”It is poor luck on all sides.”
”Do you have children, Zarlasht?”
”A daughter. Two sons.”
”Then you know what it is...”
”To see one of them hurt? Yes I know.” She hesitated, then added: ”Compa.s.sion is a luxury here. We don”t have extra to spare.”
Mandy suddenly felt the settling in of a deep-seated weariness. ”Thank you for sharing the girl”s story,” she said.
”I think it is enough for this time,” Zarlasht said, touching above her heart with her right hand.
Mandy did not protest. She was glad that she”d have the rest of the afternoon to herself. Her visit to the refugee camp was not until tomorrow.
”If you still want, I will try to set up a session with some of the nurses.”
”That would be wonderful,” Mandy said.
Zarlasht leaned forward. ”It is hard,” she said softly, ”to be a woman in this country.”
”I”m learning that.”
”And when you are a strong woman, men don”t like it.”
”Maybe it will change, in time.” Mandy knew this was not a meaningful response, but the conversation was taking a turn she didn”t quite understand. She felt something else was expected of her, but she didn”t know what.
”You have connection with Amin, yes?” Zarlasht asked.
”We met with him at the beginning, after Todd, Mr. Barbery-” Mandy hesitated, as though it was somehow impolite to mention the kidnapping.
”And you can speak with Amin now?”
Mandy shook her head. ”He”s traveling. A driver from his office brought me here.”
”But you can pa.s.s on a message to the driver? Ask him to get it to Amin urgently?”
”Yes,” Mandy said, surprised. ”I can try.”
”He will do it if you insist. You are a foreign woman. Amin must be told to remember that if Najib had agreed to leave, the story would have ended differently.”
Najib? Story? Mandy wasn”t sure what Zarlasht meant, but on its surface, the message hardly seemed urgent. Still, she felt Zarlasht”s intensity.
”Can you write it down, to make sure you remember these exact words?” Zarlasht got up and produced a pen and paper from the desk. Mandy bent over to write. Zarlasht read over her shoulder, and then nodded. ”He should be given this message right away,” she said. ”Today. As soon as you leave here. You can do that?”
”Sure. I”ll ask the driver.”
”Make certain Amin is told.”
Mandy looked directly at Zarlasht. ”Can you tell me what it means?”
Zarlasht hesitated a moment. ”It means I believe in friends.h.i.+p between our countries too,” she said. ”Or at least between individuals from our two countries.” Then she gestured, leading Mandy back down the stairs, past the emergency room, back to the entrance. She bid Mandy goodbye with two final words-”Make certain”-and watched as Mandy headed out of Maiwand and onto the Kabul street where her driver waited.
A Call in the Dark Clarissa, September 16th Clarissa reached her hand through the dark, lifting the noisy receiver and pressing it to her ear. ”h.e.l.lo,” she said, not fully awake but already beginning to feel adrenaline run through her.
”This is the wife of Todd Barbery?”
The kidnappers. She knew it. She couldn”t speak.
”h.e.l.lo?”
”Yes,” she managed.
”Wife of Todd Barbery?”
”Yes,” she said. ”This is Todd”s wife.”
”Good. I want you to hear from our guest.”
”Who is this?” she asked. She heard the sound of a m.u.f.fled voice, something said in the background that she couldn”t make out.
”h.e.l.lo?” It was Todd”s voice.
”Oh my G.o.d.”
”Clari.”
”Todd. I love you.”
”I love you too.”
”Are you okay?” She was standing now, grabbing a pen to take notes, even though they were surely recording the call.
”Yes. I”m fine. I miss you, but I”m fine. Worrying about you.”
”We”re all good here, Todd. Ruby”s fine, too. We”re strong. We”re fine. We”re working to get you home, that”s all.”
”Clari, I”m sorry.” His voice faltered. ”Really sorry.”
”Todd, it”s not your fault.” Clari took a deep breath, so that her own voice would sound solid, would give him strength. She tried to think: what had Jack told her? What was she supposed to say? ”Is there anything you want me to know, Todd?”
”I”m all right. They said I could tell you that at least.”
”Any advice for us? Anything we should be doing?”
”Just keep-” Todd broke off. Clarissa heard a rustle, the sound of the phone changing hands.
”So you see, wife of Todd Barbery, that your husband is fine.”