Who can be ready for this type of predicament?

Youseff is stunned. He is not prepared to face this dilemma.

His father is half dead. And the very idea of leaving Mary behind almost kills him.

Who would be ready for such a predicament?

Love calls for transparency and loyalty.

Love calls for transparency and loyalty.

Youseff can´t share with Mary what is going on back home. He thinks he should not bring her into his world. If he did, she would be in great risk. What should he do?

His father had been severely wounded after a drone attack, and may not survive. Youseff doesn´t see any alternative other than return home. He is the first-born. Does he have a choice?

Blood and history

Dark clouds are on their way. Youseff knows that and is concerned with his family safety. He feels he is the only one who can get them out of that terrible situation. A plan must be quickly thought up.

Mary is now more aware of what is happening but resents Youseff´s difficulty to openly share with her what really is at stake. She loves him and wants to be part of whatever moments, good and bad, they might face. The truth is that she has to come to grips with the fact that his blood and history are tied up to what is going on in the Middle East.

But there is something else, even more critical perhaps, he is hiding from her. Will their love resist the challenge they will soon face?

Mary is lost

Youseff is scarred. The news from home are not encouraging at all. The whole world is perplexed. His home backyard has turned into a haunted house. Unspeakable barbarity.

Things had gotten a whole lot worse since he left his country. He can no longer concentrate on his studies. There is something wrong but Mary doesn´t know what to do. She feels totally lost.

Love and drones don´t fly together

Youseff became very concerned after noticing a great deal of stress in his father´s voice, during their phone conversation held the day before. 

Why would his father mention drone´s activities? Was his family in any danger? His thoughts soon turned towards his beloved family. Lovely younger sisters, dear parents and relatives, living happily in a large beautiful house in his Middle Eastern home country.

For a while Youseff had forgotten about his father´s obscure activities, besides being a prosperous merchant in the furniture business. He hoped Mary would never find out. Wishfull thinking. Love and drones don´t fly together.

Caught between Mary and Drones

Youseff´s first months of study in the US have been tremendous. His International Relations classes exceed his expectations. Yet, nothing compares to what Mary means to him. She is the one for him, no doubt about it. He already plans to introduce her to his family in the Middle East. He calls home at this New Year´s eve. His father is not happy with that idea. How could Youseff forget about his father´s activities, besides being a businessman? Youseff called to talk about Mary and his father wanted him to find a way to stop the drones.

The world upside down

A whole lot is happening and the world is turning upside down.

A Leaf of Hope

It didn´t take long and Youseff learned about Mary´s interest to create an NGO to help orphans in the Middle East. Studying International Relations was part of that plan. She wanted to see how governments interacted and resolved conflicts involving children. She was a born visionary and, at the same time, had an amazing gift to interact with children.  Youseff decided to start calling her using a nickname:  Dove. He said she reminded him of the dove presented in the Genesis account of the flood, described in the Old Testament Scriptures. That tiny dove had taken in its peak a leaf of hope to Noah, indicating that the waters were finally going down. Mary, now Dove, was like that. A courageous and selfless person who always had a word of hope to impart to others, particularly children, even in the midst of great tragedy. Youseff loved Mary even more.

Nothing but a miracle

Youseff and Mary started a relationship that would lead them from visions of a life of bliss, a nest of love for them and their children, to adventures and dangers never imagined and to a sudden and painful rupture that would break their heart to pieces, leaving both of them distanced from one another, disoriented, lost. Even so their destiny was bound to create a movement that would spark life and hope to future generations in a region of the world that, for centuries, has seen only conflict and hate. Nothing but a miracle would make that happen. But they don´t know that yet, after all, they have just met.

Her name is Mary

“No, thanks, I´m fine. By the way, my name is Mary, and, who are you? Where do you come from?” Youseff went blank for a few seconds. The conversation went on. They talked about world affairs, issues they both wanted to study about and find the solutions for. He found out she had great interest for the region in the world he came from.  He was particularly struck when he learned about her plans to devote her life to orphans in the Middle East. He simply could not imagine he would meet someone with that type of ideal in life. Someone who would want to inspire life to little, abandoned ones. That was how he met Mary. And that Mary would make all the difference in his life.

An unthinkable invitation

It didn´t take long and Youseff was pulled into the group, as students, professors and some administrative staff happily interacted with one another. The overseas students were kind of overdressed for the occasion. Some even wore ties. The grilled chicken and potato salad were simply great. He had never tasted anything like that. As he slowly moved around trying to find a place to sit down, he heard a female voice coming in his direction. It sounded like a whisper. One of his new class mates, as he would soon find out, was inviting him to sit next to her. That type of invitation would be unthinkable in the culture where he came from. He knew he was in a different place though and was not bothered by that. He timidly accepted and said: “Thanks! It is very nice of you to invite me to sit with you. My name is Youseff.” As he said that and made himself comfortable he noticed she didn´t reply. Impressed by the graciousness of her presence he looked straight into her beautiful blue eyes and said: “Is everything ok? Can I get you anything?” She smiled at him. And that was it.

A personal spring: the spark

The Incoming Students BBQ Party has already started, but that is not a problem for Youseff, a Middle Eastern. Life flows and is not tied to a watch. As he walks by the bookstore, at the Student Union, a magazine cover grabs his attention. It´s about the Arab Spring, now turning into the Arab Winter.

His excitement for being at the place he dreamed about for so long is being disturbed by recent news. It is impossible not to be worried about his family. Will they be safe staying where they are at? Even though his father would do everything possible to protect the family, it was natural for him to be concerned, being the older brother. He remembered the contingency plans to have the family evacuated to a neighbor country, in case something more drastic happened. His childhood memories included those long hours playing hide-and-seek inside those tunnels dug by his father and uncles, forming a complex labyrinth, leading to well disguised entrances, or exits, in a family farm near the border with that other Arab country. Only family members had access to that tunnel, which was accessed through a fake cabinet filled with homemade fruit jam jars, in the basement of their home. That spacious and cozy area, with a large rustic table and chairs, referred to as the “dungeon”, was normally used for family time.

Youseff though, remembered that his father sometimes used the privacy provided by the “dungeon” to hold more private meetings with close relatives and friends. Business stuff, as he used to say, making sure the children were kept away from it.  After a short walk being entertained by these memories, he finally arrived at the place where the reception party was being held. He was suddenly struck by a different vision and sensation. Great live music was being played by a professional band. Something he had never experienced before.

Different nationalities and accents together. Concerned and highly motivated people sharing the same food and enjoying one another, making jokes and laughing, yet respecting the differences. It was as if they formed a family, bonded by the same ideals and dreams. There was a different spirit, entirely different than that shown in the news. Two different worlds.  The future in a BBQ party. He knew he was in the right place, at the right time. He was about the enter his personal Spring

When was the last time you had this feeling? Did you ever feel the same way, at one point, in your life?

The future in a BBQ Party

Classes will start in a couple of days. In the meantime Youssef takes care of the red-tape, paper work and so forth,  in the university administration Office. He meets other grad students. He´s eager to find out who will be taking classes with him. He promptly accepts an invitation to a Barbecue Party, as part of the “welcome activities” for incoming students. He is afraid he will not fit in. Will there be any other student from the Middle East? Will people think he is a radical, a Fundamentalist?

Did he do the right thing going to study International Relations in the US? How does this moment fit into his future? Only God knows. At the same time he believes the future walks hand in hand with him. We plant the future in the present, says Youseff to himself as he walks towards it. His future. Something inside says it is about to happen. The future in a BBQ Party.

This is not America

Youssef arrived in DC around dinner time. He was picked up by two Grad students, one typical american and the other a british fellow. They were a bit uneasy at first. On the way to the university campus they stopped at a pizza place.

Youssef was amazed at the atmosphere, the people, the laughter, the free spirit, the music in the background was great. As soon as they stepped in the song being played was “This is not America”, by the Pat Metheny band, which he particularly liked. The coincidence was quite interesting, he thought. He was in America, at last.

Icons of a dream world

The typical Fall scenario allowed for a beautiful landing in New York. As the plane approached the city he was able to see Manhattan and the Central Park. Icons of a dream world. After he got through Immigration and Customs he found his way around rather quickly. As he rushed towards the gate H-55, where he would get his connecting flight to DC, Youseff was able to see the world passing around him, going in every direction. Strangers of all nationalities, away from home, heading somewhere, perhaps back to their families or loved ones. Or, perhaps, like him, away from them and going to an unfamiliar place, where no one knew him, except for some of the University staff, who knew about his enrollment in the International Relations Graduate Program. They had information about him, his nationality, his DOB, address, passport number, but that was all. He was going to a place strange, to him. Not only that, for a while, he would be a stranger to those around him, in that new place. He would look, speak, dress and act like a stranger. And he knew it.

Departures and Arrivals

It had been a long flight to the JFK airport in New York, including the connection at London´s Heathrow. He had just finished his breakfast as other passengers moved around the cabin getting their stuff together. Some near him still sleep. Flight attendants do their usual job in preparation for landing. Fortunately the children seating behind him  kept quiet most of the time. Family images, younger brothers and sisters, loving and dedicated parents, cousins, nephews and nieces flash through his mind while glancing at the clouds, near and distant. He misses everyone already, even the family dog. He can´t wait to see the first signs of the Big Apple, its buildings and highways down below. Something he dreamt for since his teenage years.

He is taken over by a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Ipod plugged to his ears listening to his Jazz collection. Tries to relax.  A great deal of preparation, investment and hard work on the part of his parents and study, on his part, have been put into it. Will it be worth it? Shouldn´t he have had remained in his country to help his father in the family business? There is no turning back.  Future will tell. He is on his own now. The thought of having to catch another flight makes him apprehensive. There won´t be much time to get off the plane, go through Immigration and Customs and find his way around JFK´s madness, find the gate for the connecting flight to Dulles International airport in the Washington DC area, his new home for the next couple of years for his graduate studies on International Relations.

Once at the airport, a couple of people from the university will pick him up and take him to the University campus. This is what he had been informed anyway. Will they recognize him as he comes out the Arrival area? Will they have one of those signs with his name – “Youseff so and so” - on it? Is his English good enough? Zillions of questions go through his mind and make him even more apprehensive. Is he ready for everything he is about to experience? Off course not. No one is.