“Mom didn’t want your help at first either.”
“She nailed you on that one, Nick,” Gus added.
Nick straightened, pointing at Gus. “You stay out of this, whiney. I have my secret identity to protect. Everyone at the school only knows I write novels. How do I offer to help as a writer? I’ll talk to the teacher first as a concerned parent, whose nosey daughter is upset at the way this Ms. Kader has been acting.”
“That sounds great… except for the nosey part,” Jean said. “You and Uncle Whiney can check out all her data on-line then after you get a feel for the case.”
Jean skipped down the street with Deke’s leash in hand, leaving Gus issuing sentence fragmented protests concerning disrespect for elders.
“Great. Nice one, Uncle Whiney. We’ve been contracted by a nine year old girl.”
“What we need to worry about is Jean deciding to follow in your footsteps.”
“No worries there.” Nick stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. With head down he led the way after Jean. “Once Rachel finds out what Jean wants to be, she’ll kill me in my sleep.”
*
“Ms. Kader?” Jean walked over with Nick in hand. The teacher, who was stationed outside her classroom while greeting the children arriving, smiled down at Jean, and then with recognition at Nick. Dimah Kader, five feet, five inches tall, a lean but angular frame, beautiful face, and shoulder length black hair, held out her hand.
“You must be Nick McCarty. Jean has spoken of you often, but I have not seen you at the parent/teacher meetings. I have read all of your Diego novels. They are incredibly violent.”
Nick shook her hand. “Yes, they are. I was wondering if I might have a word with you in private.”
Ms. Kader seemed surprised, but nodded her head. “Ah… certainly. I have a few minutes before class. You go on inside, Jean, and help your fellow students find their seats in an orderly way.”
“On it,” Jean agreed, drawing a chuckle from Nick. “Bye, Dad, see you after school.”
Nick walked with the teacher a few steps away from the classroom. “I know this seems strange, Ms. Kader, but-”
“Dimah, please, and may I call you Nick?”
“Sure. Jean’s worried something’s wrong. She’s noticed you’ve been visibly upset, and that you had a family member cause a scene ending in school security guards being called. She asked me to speak with you. Jean and I wondered if there was anything I could do to help. Jean loves your class.”
Nick watched Dimah’s eyes without looking away or down, but with what he hoped was compassion. He knew Sharia Law all too well. She leaned against the hallway wall, arms folded across her chest, eyes avoiding Nick’s. He could tell she was trying desperately to hold her emotions in check. Nick placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“I am familiar with old, dangerous views being transported into the country by people who should be adapting to new more compassionate ideals. I recently visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia, researching my new novel. It reminded me of unpleasant observations from my time stationed in the Middle East with women held as virtual slaves under Sharia Law.”
Dimah glanced at Nick, her eyes filling with tears. “I…I have done a horrible thing, Nick. I slept with a man out of wedlock. My parents found out. Since then, my life has been unbearable. I am in love. We will be married as soon as he returns from overseas, but that means nothing to my family.”
She turned away, but Nick kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “So, you do have your own place then?”
“Yes, but my family watches every move I make. I do not leave my apartment for fear of a confrontation. They would have never forgiven me even if Bill and I had married before he shipped out to Afghanistan. He is an unbeliever… an infidel to them. His niece Sophie is in your daughter’s class with me. We met when he accompanied her to school at the beginning of the year - during a project where a relative shares their occupation with the class. Your wife Rachel is very funny. She brought breakfast for everyone from her job at the Monte Café, accompanied by the owner, Joe Montenegro. It…it was love at first sight when I met Bill that day… if there can be such a thing. Bill is in the Marine Corps. I cannot worry him with this. There is nothing he can do anyway.”
Dimah pushed away from the wall, taking a deep breath. “I should not have burdened you with this, Nick. Jean is a wonderful girl. I should have been able to keep my feelings more in check with the children. My Uncle’s arrival at the school nearly cost me my job. He is the patriarch of our family on the West Coast. Uncle Naseer immigrated many years ago from Iraq before the wars. He rules us all with an iron hand. It is one of the many reasons I left home to be on my own. Uncle Naseer and his son Saif are domineering forces in everything.”