"That's what he called you.Ishtar.The goddess of joy and beauty.And you - " she said turning to Alice."You are Alice, correct?You, he likened to the shammal - a whirlwind, he said." She smiled at the bleary-eyed LA reporter."He was so fond of you all.It brought him great pleasure, and honour to work here."
She looked back at Tina and Bette, and saw the immense sadness on their countenance."He had such a admiration for you both He would come home sometimes and just talk about the Nur and the Ishtar.He felt he belonged.That here, his life made sense.That it was worthwhile.For him, it was all worthwhile." Her voice choked in her throat.
"He died doing what he loved. He died in service of his country," she finished barely able to contain her grief.
Bette, Tina and even Alice stayed in amazed silence.
"These are our sons - Ismail and Sayeed.I just wanted them to meet you and see where their Papa spent all his time" she smiled through her tears.
Tina got on her knees, and looked at her friend's eldest child.He was holding on to his mother's trousers, and staring up at the bureau manager.
"I knew your Papa very well - he's a hero," she started to sayand then couldn't help the flow of tears.Bette put her hand on Tina's shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Ismail - Sayeed - I am Bette and this is Alice" Bette pointed out the quiet writer smiling shyly at them from her chair."Your papa saved our lives"
Bette knew they were too young to understand, heck they probably didn't even speak English but they were words she needed to say, as much for them, as for their mother.
"Thank you Ishtar" Hala addressed her."Thank you"
Each woman was embroiled in her own individual grief.
"I will go now I just wanted to be here for a while" Mohammed's widow said.
"We are so, so, sorry Hala" Tina said rising back to her feet."If there is anything more we can dowe didn't know he had children I will arrange for their schooling for them to be taken cared of you all will be taken cared ofI.N.N. will make sure of that I will make sure of that"
"Thank you Nur.I know you will keep your word thank you.If only there was some way to bring him back" she said sadly.
Tina bent her head in guilt.Bette felt her pain, and gently, furtively, took her lover's hand in hers.
"Oh" Hala spoke again."Here - Ammar said he found this in Mohammed's pocket the day hethe dayhe was killed", she brought out a crumpled piece of paper, and handed it to Tina.
"I know he carried this with him always - I think he would have wanted you to have it," Mohammed's widow ushered her children towards the door, and then turned to hug each woman.
"Salaam," she said, wishing them peace.And a few moments later, they were gone.
Tina looked sorrowfully at Bette, and then at Alice.They huddled close together as the bureau manager slowly opened the crumpled paper in her hand.It was faded and well-worn, a sure sign that Mohammed had read it endless times.She could still feel him in its ink.
