excerpt
“Would you like me to be with you, my sweet Talal, when you return to
Iraq?” she asks, as though the world hangs from the answer.
“I’d love you to be with me any place of the world, my sweet Emily. I love
you.” This woman feels the brightness of the sun warming her right to the depths
of her soul.
Rassan and Abdul, with the help of the skipper and the cook, have put
everything into the yacht. Ibrahim and Mara board first, followed by Emily and
Talal. The yacht has three secluded bedrooms each with their own head, a living
room, a dinning room, and large kitchen. There is a control station inside and
another above on the command bridge. A ten-foot dingy for emergencies is
secured on the rear deck.
Ibrahim and Mara lead Emily and Talal to their separate bedroom where they
put on shorts so they can sit up in the sunshine and enjoy the sights while
preparations are made for the cruise toward the gulf, a few kilometers through
the canal system to the open Persian Gulf waters.
Ibrahim and Mara come to the stern and sit at the small table. Rassan has
opened a large sun umbrella because Ibrahim doesn’t like the direct sun on his
face. Talal and Emily join them, and all four enjoy a cool glass of water as the rest
of the people put things away. Mara smiles at Emily, “You don’t need to worry
about your scarf here, my dear Emily. Sit back and enjoy the beautiful afternoon.
The sun goes down late; there is plenty of time to get a tan, if you start it slowly
today.”
“Oh, thank you, Mara. I’d like a tan.”
Her blonde shoulder-length hair dances to the tune of the light breeze as the
yacht motors out of the marina and slowly increases her speed. The water is
blue—dark blue—different from the blue of the Pacific Ocean Emily is familiar
with off Los Angeles. There’re a lot of other vessels traveling toward the gulf, and
they pass a lot of small islands on the way.
Rassan informs Ibrahim, “The cook will have dinner ready in about an hour,
boss. Would that be okay?”
Ibrahim looks at his watch. It’s 4:30. He nods his approval.He also tells Rassan
that since the weather is so nice he would prefer to remain overnight on the yacht;
he doesn’t need to return to Basra tonight. He’d rather visit to the office on their
way back, the day after tomorrow. While he’s there the two women with Talal and
Abdul might go shopping in the new Basra shopping mall. Rassan takes note of all
this and knows he needs to call the hotel and let them know Ibrahim won’t be
showing up tonight or tomorrow night.
Their route follows the Basra waterways until they’re in the open waters of
the Persian Gulf heading southeast. Within an hour they arrive at a small bay.
Libros Libertad 