Salvation - 56. Chapter 55

It was six weeks later when I read that the UN was meeting on World Health Care. The leaders from the Middle East and Africa were heading the discussion groups. Africa, suffering due to poverty and corrupt governments, and the Middle East because of their relations to some of the northern Islamic communities, which were also affected.

I knew then I’d have a visitor.

“It’s raining out there. You won’t have to worry about filling your pool. It's being done for you.”

“The pool is full, but this will cause us to retest the water before it’s used. I hope we don’t get flooded.”

“Well, it might be good news.”

“What’s that about Sal? In dry periods it’s good news, but this isn’t a dry period.”

“I just got word that Sultan was planning on a surprise visit, and the rain made him turn around and go back to his hotel.”

I looked at Alex; he knew what I was thinking. “They will wear everyday clothes, just like Sal and Mo do. They are your guests, and what difference if we make it look like a boys’ camp. In this country, you have summer camps that children go to for two weeks or more. With all of the additions you have made, it looks like a summer camp. I don’t think you have to worry. Nour is not leaving. The boys won’t let him even if you do.”

He’s right; the boys are very protective of each other.

I needed to calm down. I was getting to be a fanatic, which wasn’t good.

Sal and Mo took care of having the boys with dark hair getting tans. The weather cleared up, and being around the pool seems to help the tanning process.

I read the paper each day to see what was happening at the U N. The comments of the meeting involved more money being sent to those nations suffering. Alex was with me. We were reading the newspapers in my office.

”There is one thing I don’t understand. The answer is always to toss money at the problem. That only creates problems. These people in Africa need food and medicine. Why don’t they throw food and medicine at them? Money leads to corruption, and there’s plenty in Africa as we read about the overthrow of this government or this despot or that despot. People need food, and the only people I see delivering that are these charitable organizations. If money was given to them, then I could see some sense, but not giving it to the government.”

“Sometimes it is easier on the conscience of a country to claim they gave millions to a country than to say they have delivered 50 trucks of food. A lot of it is politics when they don’t care. Showmanship isn’t confined to circuses.”

As the days passed waiting for the Sultan, the boys got better and better at the Arabic phrases. The parking lot was finished. The construction of my new office building was started. There were a few governmental issues regarding my construction permits, but that was readily solved when someone mentioned the word taxes. Amazing what liens and special laws can be attributed to the best interest of a community.

The activity kept me busy and the boys. But sooner or later, that day of reckoning comes. I received word that the Sultan will be here on the morrow. I didn’t believe it and prepared for him today, and I was correct. He showed up with his entourage at 1:30.

After clearing the guards, he was shown to the living room. The boys brought in tea and small cakes that Maria had made. Alex had left us, leaving only Sal and Mo, who I introduced as Saleh and Mohammed. I noted the rise in the Sultan’s eyes when I said their names. He spoke to them in Arabic, and they answer accordingly.

“I was hoping you had my son. The minister who was found dead in the river was the appointed guardian of my son. They never recover the body of my son, so I was hoping he’d be here.”

“We have over 40 boys here. Your son would be what age?”

“He would be 12 years of age.”

“Sal, ask Jon to bring all of the boys between 11 and 13 for the Sultan to view.”

“Are there any characteristics that your son has that we could use to identify him?”

“He has dark hair, black eyes, and Arabic features.”

Sal brought all of the boys between the ages I asked into the living room. I watched as he looked at each boy. He asked the boy if he was circumcised. Some said yes, and others said no. The boys who weren’t were asked to leave.

Then he looked at each boy again. The blue-eyed and blond hair boys were excused. He next asked the remaining boy if he had seen an Arabic boy with black eyes and dark hair. As predicted, he said it in Arabic. The boys answered in Arabic, and he was surprised.

“We have a school here where we teach different languages. In today’s world, it is important to speak several languages. They heard Saleh and Mohammed speak Arabic and wanted to learn. Unfortunately, I don’t speak that language. It isn’t used much in International courts.”

“Have you received any new boys in the last few months since your return from Israel?”

“Yes, but not in your age range, except one boy we received just a few weeks ago. Sal, bring Mac and Ike. These are the two boys that are in your son’s age group.”

He looked at them, asked them if they have seen his son describing Nour. He asked in Arabic. These two didn’t understand.

“Dad, we don’t know what he said?”

Sal answered, “He asked if you have seen his son who has black hair, black eyes and has tan skin.”

Mac laughed, “We all have tan skin from swimming and being outside. But we haven’t seen anyone like that except some of the younger boys have dark hair and brown eyes.”

“Younger boys?”

“Yes, we have boys here from 5 years old to 17 years old.”

“I didn’t see any boys that old. May I see boys older than 12.”

“Certainly, Sal, can you round up the older boys.”

Sal brought in Jon, David, Daniel, and Mac again.

I waited for his comments, “I was hoping you may have rescued my son. But it doesn’t seem like it.” While he said this, Nour was pouring more tea for him. He took the cup, looked at the boy, and continued to talk to me. “You have a large home here. Did you buy it for the boys or yourself?”

“I bought it for myself initially then as I went on my business trips I began to find boys who I have spoken about at the conference. My first boy who came here is Steven. I rely on him being the host as new boys arrive. Mac, who you have met, was the latest boy to arrive.”

“How do you meet these boys?”

“I meet them on the streets begging for food, I feed them, buy them decent clothes and offer them a chance to come here. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, I don’t force the boys to come here, nor do I bring them here for sexual purposes.”

“That’s hard to believe that you are not attracted to any of these boys.”

“I’m attracted to them as any man would be to his sons. Some of these boys were attractive to their fathers. That is what landed them on the streets. No, boys are not sexually attractive to me.”

“I find that hard to believe. I see some handsome boys here.”

“If you find that hard to believe, then I think we have concluded our visit. I am sorry you have not found your son, but if you think it’s ok for men to have a sexual relationship with young boys, maybe it’s best you don’t find your son. I’d be outraged if a man saw my son sexually attractive and acts on it. For me, that would be worth going to prison to be sure that man is no longer walking this earth. I hope you have a pleasant journey back home.”

I stood, which meant the interview is over. I heard him say as he was leaving, “I think he is here, and he’s hiding him.”

I told that to Sal later when I had the chance. “If he thinks that we’re hiding his son, we must be alert to anyone who applies for a job here.”

Nour wanted to know how the interview went. I told him the truth, including what his father said when he left. He wasn’t happy. “You don’t need to worry, I hire people I trust, and I certainly don’t hire people who walk up to the gate.”