excerpt
This time he acts strangely and differently; he’s much more
aggressive than usual.
Suddenly he asks, “Jen, do you know what kind of work your father does?”
“Why are you asking me that now?” she asks, surprised.
“It has been on my mind the last two days. Do you know what he does?”
“Yes, I told you once before he works for the government.”
“I remember that, yes, but do you know what he does in particular, or what
department of the government he works for?”
She tries to think, but she admits that she doesn’t know details.
“No, I don’t. Come to think of it, I don’t know what he does.”
“Have you ever wondered where he goes when he leaves the house, whom he
sees, where he stays, and all that?”
“I know he goes to Washington. I know he stays in a hotel he calls from all the
time, but I don’t know anything else. Why are you asking these questions,
today?”
“Do you want to know?”
“Why, do you know?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“The point is not how I know; the question is do you want to know.”
She stays silent and he takes the opportunity to tell her about Matthew’s job.
What he does, with what results, where he works, which department of the CIA.
She listens attentively and shows that she cares to know the details.
At one point he decides not to mince words and says, “You can say his work
resulted in the waging of war against Iraq back in 2003, a war that caused
thousands of dead, including my parents and Talal’s parents. It’s as if he killed
them himself.”
“My dad has not killed anybody, ever! You cannot say that.”
“No, he hasn’t literary done so. Yet his work has resulted in that, which
makes him no different from the person who pulls the trigger.”
“Well, since you know about this, then other people do as well, who?”
He doesn’t answer her, but asks, “Does your mom know about all this?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“Well, it’s time she finds out, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean? Do you want me to tell her?”
“Why not? She’s your mom. She has been his wife for so many years. Don’t
you think that she deserves to know the truth?”
“What are you going to do? Are you going to say anything to my dad?”
“No, I don’t want anything to do with your dad from now on, sweetheart.
Libros Libertad 