Chapter 39

Shawn

I look out the window before looking back at Evelyn and Tanner.

A range of emotions cross her face. I can tell she’s coming to terms with the horror of a war-torn country. If you’re not used to seeing this kind of destruction, it can be a lot to take in.

Tanner’s eyes are just as big as saucers, and I can tell he’s not quite sure where to look. His eyes dart left, right, and back again.

When he sees kids play with a stick and an old tin, his eyes grow even bigger.

“Mom,” he whispers, and Evelyn looks at him.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Why don’t these kids have toys?”

Evelyn strokes his head. “Not every child is as lucky as you. These people are a lot poorer than we are. And there aren’t as many shops.”

It’s hard to explain what effect a war has on a country, that Afghanistan has a range of problems, none of which can be fixed overnight.

I watch Tanner look at the kids again. They’re laughing.

“Doesn’t Santa Claus visit them?”

Ouch. Fair question.

Evelyn shoots me a helpless glance.

“Of course, he does,” I jump to Evelyn’s aide. “But you have to remember, these kids aren’t exposed to the things you are. Many don’t have television. I bet they just ask for different toys than what you ask for.”

Tanner stays silent for a while and goes back to looking out the window.

It hits me how much we take for granted. I vow to also look into helping a charity who works over here.

The car bounces along the rough road, and Evelyn coughs. “How can people live here in this heat and dust?”

I shrug. “I guess they’re used to it.”

We travel along a narrow gravel road to a small Afghan village.

“So, tell me again about these people we’re going to visit?”

I glance at Evelyn. “After I spent some years working at Doctors Without Borders, I was kidnapped. It took me some weeks before I managed to escape. This family, who has very little, took me in.”

Evelyn puts her hand on my thigh.

“I’m always amazed by how generous people who have very little are,” I add. “This family shared what little food they had, their small living space, and their water.”

A sheep walks onto the road, and I swerve.

“How do they make a living?” Evelyn asks.

“Agriculture,” I say, steering the car back onto the road. “But it’s tough around here. The continuing drought and the war means the resources they need are practically nonexistent.”

I hear Evelyn sigh.

“People are tough around here,” she observes. “It’s amazing what they can do with this unforgiving land.”

For a while, we drive in silence.

Being back here leaves me with mixed emotions. From time to time, panic threatens to grab hold and take over. When that happens, I remind myself I’m here of my own choice and that I’m here with my family.

Evelyn immediately agreed to come with me when I told her I wanted to go back to the family who took me in and gave me food and shelter when I needed it most.

I throw a sideways glance at her and thank my lucky stars yet again for guiding me back to her.

I’d hate to imagine how empty and meaningless my life would be without her. Not to mention Tanner.

I glance at my son.

He’s such a delight. I can tell right now he’s absorbing every minute detail and that, later, he’ll have about a million questions.

Some of his questions are totally out of left field and amaze me. How can a six-year-old be so full of wisdom already?

“Here we are,” I say and point to the sand-colored buildings ahead of us. At the back of the village are steep gray mountains, with not a bit of green them. They almost look as if they belong to another planet.

Skinny sheep are grazing on the outskirts of town. A few of the older boys of the village are in charge of making sure nothing kills them.

“I didn’t realize how different their world is from ours,” Evelyn murmurs. I grab her hand.

“It’s okay, babe,” I reassure her. “These people are happy people.”

And I think this is true, to an extent. Of course, they’d be happier if their country wasn’t ravaged by war. If their government did more to help get people’s lives back on track.

But at the end of the day, they make do with what they’ve got.

“I should have brought a cake or something,” mumbles Evelyn, and the image of us arriving with a cake makes me smile.

“It’ll be fine,” I reassure her again as I maneuver the rather narrow street through the village.

The family I stayed with lives right on the other side.

When we finally get there, a few kids are following us.

Tanner sticks close to his mother.

“They won’t bite, Tan,” I assure him and reach into out luggage.

We didn’t come empty-handed. I grab a couple of soccer balls and hand them out to much chatter.

“Let’s show them what to do with it,” I invite Tanner and kick a ball to him.

Somewhat reluctant, Tanner kicks back. My next kick goes to a small boy, a little younger than my son.

This kid must be a natural soccer player, because he kicks it right across the road to another kid.

Seeing the children now busy with the new balls, I’m about to head to one of the sandy-colored homes when I hear shouting.

Before I can turn around, I find someone’s arms wrapped around my waist.

“Shaaawn,” mutters this little girl about Tanner’s age.

“You come back,” her father appears behind her and shakes my hand.

I nod. Suddenly, I feel a lump in the back of my throat and tears well in my eyes.

I pick the little girl up and swing her through the air. She squeals with delight.

When I put her down, she turns to her dad and says something. Then she turns to back to me.

“More,” she says and throws a glance in her father’s direction, who nods and gives her the thumbs up.

“More?” I repeat and throw my arms up in the air as if not understanding.

But sign language knows no boundaries.

“What’s her name?” Evelyn appears beside me.

“Darya,” I say and pick the little girl up again to swing her around in the air.

“You come in?” Darya’s father asks.

“Isaad, I’d like you to meet my wife, Evelyn, and my son, Tanner.”

The Afghan man nods in their direction. According to their customs, he won’t shake their hand.

Evelyn bows her head a little and smiles.

“You come in. Meet my wife,” he says and leads the way.

I carry young Darya on my shoulders.

“She’s quite taken by you,” observes Evelyn and smiles.

Inside the mud hut, a woman dressed in traditional clothing is working away in the kitchen. Her husband goes up to her, and I hear them exchange some words.

“Shawn,” she exclaims and comes toward me.

Knowing that, as a man, I can’t touch Isaad’s wife, I place my left hand over my heart and nod at her.

“Tela,” I turn toward her. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Evelyn, and my son, Tanner.”

Tela walks up to Evelyn and embraces her before giving her the three customary kisses on each cheek.

Tanner is eyeing the daughter of the house, who by now is standing in the middle of the room.

“Maybe you could show this young man your room?”

I’m surprised Tela is speaking to her daughter in English. Tela herself spent some time in the city at university. She’s had an unusual upbringing, with her father believing a woman needs an education to get ahead in life.

“You speak English very well,” Evelyn says, and Tela smiles.

“Thank you.” She returns to what she was doing before we came in. “I can offer you some tea?”

I can see Evelyn digest this offer of a hot drink on a hot day.

“Try it,” I encourage her. “You’ll be surprised how good it’ll make you feel. Tea will be lovely. Thank you, Tela.”

Isaad is sitting at the table, and we join him. Soon, I’m telling them about reuniting with my wife and finding out I have a son.

There’s much rejoicing for our good fortune. They want to know if we’re going to stay for dinner, but we decline.

“I just wanted to make sure Evelyn got to meet the good Samaritans who were there for me when I escaped the terrorists.”

Darya comes back into the room, followed by Tanner.

“Do you want to give her our presents?” I ask Tanner.

Tanner seems a little shy.

“Come here, young lady,” I invite Darya, and she instantly hops onto my lap.

I hand her a bag filled with goodies. We brought books, dolls, and games. Her eyes light up, and she straight away asks me to read one of the books.

Several hours later, we leave again. There’s much thanking each other, handshakes, and kisses on the cheek.

As we leave the village, Evelyn turns to me.

“You and that little girl got on like a house on fire.”

I smile. “She’s a gem, don’t you think?”

Evelyn nods.

She leans toward me, pressing her body into mine as I’m driving.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.”

I glance at her and wait.

She leans even further toward me and whispers into my ear.

At first, I think she’s joking, but then I notice her radiating glow, and I know she’s telling the truth.

Wow.

And here I thought life couldn’t get any better.

I was wrong.

With the news that Evelyn is pregnant, it just did.