Three Stories (Story One: I Am Sarah) Part four

Three Stories One Middle East

Nader Habibi

(Story one)

Part four

I Am Sarah

That evening both men told their wives what they had heard from the neurologist. Shahrzad cried most of the night. Jennifer had mixed emotions. She had already gone through the initial trauma of Sarah’s disappearance, and the bizarre possibility that Sarah’s brain was indeed found was a strange relief to her. By next morning, only Fatima and Yasmin were still in the dark about the test results. "What next?" was the big question in everyone’s mind.

Shahrzad had a hard time controlling her feelings when she saw Yasmin the next morning.  Aside from her red eyes, the only other thing that Yasmin felt was different about Shahrzad was her occasional long stares. She would stare at Yasmin for as long as a minute or until Yasmin told her to stop it. She also tried to engage Yasmin in conversation about important family events but, as usual, Yasmin had no memories as a member of the Khan family. Shahrzad was desperately searching for any clue that could help her reject the notion that the original Yasmin had disappeared.

Jennifer and John did not visit or call Yasmin for the next few days, although she asked about them several times. Jennifer wanted to see her, but Dr. Kahn told them that until they all figured out what to do next, he wouldn’t allow them to visit Yasmin. Instead, John had several phone conversations with Dr. Khan and Dr. Iqbal.

The news of John and Jennifer’s trip to Pakistan and its possible link to the disappearance of their daughter was finally leaked to the local media and was even briefly covered in NBC’s evening news. The next day it was reported by most newspapers in Pakistan and several journalists tried to contact Dr. Khan for an interview. He refused to talk to them but various rumors were spreading, and all of Dr. Khan’s relatives and neighbors were aware of their ordeal. The Karachi police and the Pakistani intelligence office, ISI, were also aware of this strange case. The ISI agents interviewed Dr. Khan and had a brief meeting with John and Jennifer in the presence of a representative from the American Consulate in Karachi.

As news coverage of the story spread throughout the United States and Pakistan, the FBI increased the amount of resources devoted to Sarah’s case. At Dr. Khan’s request, top neurologists from several medical centers in Pakistan examined the two EEG records and confirmed Dr. Khorshid’s conclusion.

The media attention quickly deteriorated into media harassment for both families. Photographers and journalists were camping around Khan residence and the hotel in which the Goldbergs were staying. In both locations, the Pakistani police were keeping them at a distance.

During the few days after the EEG test, Yasmin never got a clear answer from her parents about the test results. They kept telling her that they were waiting for a second opinion. Yasmin, however, was becoming more impatient. She had also noticed Shahrzad appeared very depressed and, on two occasions, she had seen her crying. The behavior of her younger sister, Fatima, was also different. She was very cold and hardly looked at Yasmin anymore.  All of these changes convinced Yasmin that Dr. Khan and Mrs. Khan were hiding something from her. She suspected that they knew the truth about the EEG results, but she needed to hear it from them. She wanted to know if they were finally convinced that she was Sarah.

On Friday night, Yasmin didn’t wait in her room to be called for dinner. She decided to go downstairs to help out in the kitchen and perhaps find out what she could. Dr. Khan was reading a newspaper and didn’t notice Yasmin walk downstairs until she reached the last step.

“Hello! Any news about the tests?” asked Yasmin. Dr. Khan suddenly folded the newspaper and put it down on the sofa. “Hi dear! No, nothing yet.” From Dr. Khan’s sudden and nervous reaction, Yasmin guessed that there must have been something in the newspaper that he was trying to hide from her. She looked at the newspaper for a second and noticed that it was written in English. She didn’t say anything and walked to the kitchen. Fatima and Shahrzad were surprised to see her.

Yasmin was quiet over dinner. The others were quiet as well. As soon as everyone had finished, she put her plate in the sink and asked if she could return to her room. Since this had been her usual routine for the past few nights, permission was granted. As she entered the living room and walked toward the stairs, she looked around to see if she could at least read the headlines of the newspaper, but it was not on the coffee table or the sofa. She wondered if Dr. Khan had deliberately hidden the newspaper, and this thought made her even more eager to find it later.

Yasmin turned off the light and went to bed around half past ten but stayed awake. For the few days after she had run away from home, her parents had locked her in her room at night but, for the past three nights, they had left it unlocked. All the entrance doors to the house, however, were securely locked. Yasmin waited until 2 am to make sure everyone was asleep. Then, very carefully, she got out of her bed and, without making any noise, walked downstairs. Two small nightlights generated enough light to let her find her way toward the sofa. Very slowly, she searched for the newspaper and found it under one of the sofa cushions. A minute later, she was back in her room.

The next morning when Shahrzad walked downstairs, Yasmin was already sitting behind the kitchen table. This was the first time that Yasmin was up early since her transformation, and Shahrzad could not hide her surprise.

“Good morning! I didn’t expect to see you up so early,” said Shahrzad.

Yasmin didn’t say anything and just looked at her. Shahrzad suddenly noticed the newspaper that was lying on kitchen table. A picture of Sarah Goldberg appeared under the headline: “EEG Test Links Missing American Girl to Karachi Girl.” Dr. Khan had shown this article to Shahrzad last night.

“Where did you get this?” asked Shahrzad.

Anger was clearly visible on Yasmin’s face. “Why did you hide the test results from me? You and your husband lied to me. You kept telling me the results weren’t ready, but you knew all along. Why did you lie to me?” said Yasmin, as her voice grew louder. She nearly shouted the last sentence.

Shahrzad was quiet for a second.

“We were going to tell you.”

“Don’t lie. If I hadn’t found this newspaper, you would have kept me in the dark for God knows how long. But why?. For God’s sake, why?” Yasmin stood up. “I know why. It’s because the test results proved that I was telling the truth, and you don’t want to face the truth.”

Before Shahrzad had a chance to say anything, Dr. Khan entered the kitchen in his pajamas.

Yasmin’s loud voice had awakened him, and he had rushed downstairs. “What is going on?” He asked in Urdu before noticing the newspaper. He looked at Yasmin: “Where did you get that?”

“I found it last night after you tried to hide it from me,” said Yasmin.

They both looked at her without saying anything. “How could you be so cruel? You knew the result but didn’t tell me,” she said and broke into tears.

“We were going to tell you, but Dr. Iqbal recommended that we wait a few more days for your own good,” said Dr. Khan. He was lying.

“For my own good! What do you mean my own good? The only thing that’s good for me is to be with my real parents right now.”

“You are still our daughter, and we love you,” said Shahrzad.

“Your daughter? Didn’t you see the results?” said Yasmin as she breathed heavily. “I am not your daughter. When are you going to accept this fact? For how long are you going to live in denial?”

Dr. Khan suddenly rushed towards Yasmin. She thought for a moment that he was going to hit her, but Dr. Khan had something else in mind. He firmly held Yasmin’s arm and pulled her forcefully into the living room. Yasmin had no way of getting her arm out of his firm grip. He pulled her in front of a full size mirror near the entrance door.

“Who do you see in the mirror? Huh? Is this Sarah?” he asked, still holding Yasmin’s arm. “Do you see Sarah Goldberg?” He shouted as loud as he could into Yasmin’s ear.

Yasmin was frightened. Shahrzad who had followed them into the living room said something to her husband in Urdu, but Dr. Khan shouted something back at her. Then he turned his attention to Yasmin. Meanwhile, Fatima, who had woken to all the shouting, rushed downstairs. Her mother told her to go back to her room. Fatima went upstairs but stood in the hallway and listened.

“I don’t care who you claim to be and what the EEG tests have proven. You –whoever you happen to be – are in my daughter’s body, and I won’t let you take her body away from us. There is only one way that you can go back to your supposedly real parents and that is if you give us our daughter back. Do you understand? Until then you are staying with us,” said Dr. Khan.

Shahrzad came forward and pleaded with her husband until he freed Yasmin’s arm. Yasmin was still crying, but she tried to control herself so she could talk. “I can’t give you back your daughter, because I didn’t take her from you. I’m as much a victim of this nightmare as your daughter. Don’t blame me for what has happened. Okay! It’s not my fault!”

Shahrzad helped Yasmin walk back to her room and then tried to comfort Fatima who was silently crying in the hallway. After taking Fatima to her room, Shahrzad joined her husband in the kitchen. They were not in the mood for anything other than tea.

“She would have found out sooner or later so don’t blame yourself,” said Shahrzad. Dr. Khan was expecting her to be angry with him for being rough with Yasmin. His rage had given way to remorse. “I’m sorry if I got so angry. It’s just that I can’t stand it when she denies that we are her parents,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what she says. We both know that she is our daughter and nothing is ever going to change that,” said Shahrzad as she looked into her husband’s eyes.

Dr. Khan took a sip of his tea: “I spoke to John Goldberg yesterday.”

“Did he again ask you to let his wife visit Yasmin?”

“That and more.”

“More what? “ Asked Shahrzad. She sensed that her husband had something important to say.

“He wants us to let Yasmin go to the United States with them.”

“What? How dare he ask such a thing?”

“He thinks the solution to this puzzle can only be found in the United States. He wants Yasmin to undergo additional neurological and psychological evaluations.”

“He is lying. He wants Yasmin, because his wife wants her. Yasmin reminds her of her missing daughter. How clever of them! Do they think we are stupid to give up our daughter so easily? What did you say to him?” asked Shahrzad.

“Naturally I said no. Then he said that we could also go with her and stay in their house.”

“I’m sure it’s a trick. Once Yasmin is in America, there is no way that we can bring her back with us if she doesn’t want to go. In the US, she will be considered an adult, and we will no longer have parental custody over her. You rejected his invitation, right?”

“Well, I said I would talk to you about it and let him know, but I see that you are opposed to it.”

“Of course I am and so are you, right?”

“Yes. The only problem is that I spoke to Dr. Iqbal and two neurologists after talking to John Goldberg. They all think that it is a good idea to take Yasmin to the United States.”

“Why?”

“They say neurology is more advanced in America, and there is a better chance that an explanation or even a cure for Yasmin’s condition can be found.”

“I don’t think it’s worth the risk. If they can’t find a cure, she will insist on being Sarah, and we won’t be able to bring her back.”

Dr. Khan was quiet for a few seconds. Shahrzad sensed that he was still undecided and it worried her.

“Is it worth keeping her here if she continues to be Sarah. This is risky too you know! She might try to run away again, and we both know the consequences of that for a young girl. Even worse, God forbid, she might try to kill herself.”

“If you are so concerned about her feelings, then why were you so cruel to her?” asked Shahrzad.

“I’m sorry I lost control. I shouldn’t have said those things.”

Now Shahrzad began to have second thoughts as well. Either way there was a risk that she might lose her daughter. 

****    

Yasmin was not sleeping, but she didn’t move or say anything when Shahrzad knocked on the door. She deliberately closed her eyes and turned her face the other way. After the third knock, Shahrzad opened the door and walked near her bed.

“There is someone here to see you,” said Shahrzad. Yasmin didn’t react. It was probably Dr. Iqbal or some other psychologist friend of the family, she thought to herself.

She heard the weak sound of footsteps on the carpet and then a most unexpected voice. “Hi sweetie!” said the unexpected guest, and Yasmin immediately recognized Jennifer’s voice. She turned around and could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Jennifer standing next to Shahrzad.

She only said one word “Mom!” as she lifted herself into a sitting position and hugged Jennifer as tight as she could. She cried for a few seconds, at times shaking hard. Shahrzad watched them for a moment, still resentful and jealous of Yasmin’s attachment to Jennifer but at the same time realizing that this encounter was good for Yasmin. She left the room without saying anything.

“Please take me with you. Don’t leave me here,” said Yasmin, still crying and holding on to Jennifer.

“Calm down dear.”

“Do you know about the EEG test result, or did they try to hide it from you as well?” asked Yasmin.

“Yes I do.”

“How did you convince these people to let you visit me anyways?”

“It’s a long story. A lot has happened, and I have some news for you.” 

A lot had happened indeed since that Saturday morning. Yasmin refused to talk to anyone after the commotion with Dr. Khan. She stayed in her room all the time and went downstairs only when they called her for lunch or dinner. She went down to eat mostly because she was afraid of disobeying Dr. Khan. She avoided eye contact with the Khan family, even her sister Fatima.

On Sunday night, she tried to escape, using her bed sheets to climb down her bedroom window. Her attempt was aborted by one of the policemen that were guarding the Khan residence twenty-four hours a day. When they caught her under her bedroom, she started screaming and woke up some of the neighbors, causing embarrassment to Dr. Khan and his wife. Much to Yasmin’s surprise, Dr. Khan didn’t shout or threaten her when the officers escorted her back into the house. He just looked at her and told her to go back to her room. 

After failing to run away, Yasmin isolated herself even more than before. She even refused to come downstairs for food. Shahrzad or Fatima took her food to her room, but she barely ate anything. Fearing that she might commit suicide, Dr. Khan, Shahrzad and Fatima frequently checked on her using various excuses to enter her room. She never objected or said anything. Fatigue and depression were visible in her face. It was very painful for Shahrzad to watch Yasmin. She worried that her condition would continue to deteriorate.

Similar to the past few days, Shahrzad prayed to God to save Yasmin. She ended up crying for a few minutes while still siting in prayer position facing Mecca. It was in that moment that she finally decided it was better to take Yasmin to America rather than watch her suffer like that.

She raised the issue with Dr. Khan over breakfast. Dr. Khan admitted that he had also come to the same conclusion but was hesitant to say anything because he thought it might upset her. Now that they had both agreed on what must be done, they decided not to waste any time. Dr. Khan called John Goldberg around 8:30 am and told him about his change of heart. John and Jennifer were delighted to hear that Dr. Khan and his wife had finally decided to take Yasmin to the United States. They were convinced that this was their only hope for finding Sarah. It was Shahrzad who suggested that Jennifer come to their house to see Yasmin that afternoon while Dr. Khan prepared the documents for their travel. And now, Jennifer was holding Yasmin in her arms and trying to comfort her.

    

Yasmin looked into Jennifer’s eyes: “What?”

“Dr. Khan and his wife have agreed to take you to the U.S. We will all soon fly back together.”

Yasmin could not believe her ears. She was overwhelmed and, before saying anything, hugged Jennifer again, this time even harder than before. Soon her ordeal would be over, she thought.

“Thank God we are finally going home! You have no idea how much I have missed you and dad and Swarthmore,” said Yasmin. “When are we going back?”

“As soon as Shahrzad and her husband are ready.”

“Why are they coming back with us? Why can’t we just leave and go home, you, me and Dad.”

“They still see you as their daughter. They won’t let us take you back alone.”

“What are they going to do there? Will they be able to bring me back to Pakistan again? I’m not coming back. Where will they be staying, in our house?” asked Yasmin. Her initial excitement was giving way to the bitter realization that her ordeal was not over yet.

“They are bringing you to America so that you can undergo more medical examinations.”

“But why? They saw the EEG test results. What else do they want? Why can’t they just admit that I’m not their daughter?”

“Just as John and I want our Sarah back, they want their Yasmin back exactly as she was before this nightmare. There are more advanced medical tests available in the States that will hopefully help us find out what has happened to both of you.”

“What if the tests are inconclusive? Will you let them take me back?”

Jennifer didn’t know what to say. “Don’t worry about these questions for now. What matters is that we are all going back to the States. That by itself is a positive step.”

“Mom, you do believe me that I’m Sarah don’t you?” asked Yasmin. Jennifer looked at her. She had asked this question from herself many times in the past few days and wasn’t exactly sure what she believed. A part of her wanted to believe that this girl was her daughter, but she still had many doubts. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, would I now?”

This answer was comforting to Yasmin. She hugged her mother again as she thought about Joshua, Zoe and her cat Shady. After a few minutes, she walked downstairs with Jennifer and, when Shahrzad looked at her, she didn’t look away as she had done in the past few days. She looked back at her.

“Thank you.” That was all that Yasmin said - just those two words.

Shahrzad didn’t say anything for a few seconds. She smiled at Yasmin, who smiled back. She was glad to see her daughter finally looking happy.

It took three days for Dr. Khan and Shahrzad to finally get ready for this important trip. They arranged for Fatima to stay with Shahrzad’s sister. Dr. Iqbal and other neurologists in Agha Khan University, who had examined Yasmin, contacted their counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital to let them know about Yasmin’s arrival. John Goldberg also informed Detective Owen about their expected return date. Yasmin wanted to stay with John and Jennifer until their flight, but Dr. Khan said no. Instead, he allowed John and Jennifer to visit Yasmin one more time on Saturday.

The change in Yasmin’s mood was quite visible. She even walked into Fatima’s room for the first time since her transformation and spent sometime talking to her. Fatima was surprised, but it was a welcomed change. When Shahrzad wanted to pack some clothes for her, Yasmin initially refused but then changed her mind after she realized that her new body was shorter and smaller than the original one.

It was raining on Sunday morning and several close relatives had gathered at the Khan residence. They were Yasmin’s aunts and uncles on both sides of the family. They were all going out of their way to show affection to Yasmin, despite the fact that she didn’t recognize any of them. Nonetheless, she fully understood their affection for the old Yasmin and tried to be nice to everyone. The only annoying part was that many of them initially spoke to her in Urdu, and she had to explain to them that she only spoke English. The younger relatives found this amusing and talked to her in English. To the older relatives, this was a reminder of Yasmin’s mental problem.

On a few occasions, Yasmin saw some of the women – her aunts, she assumed – crying quietly. If Shahrzad happened to be near them, she also cried. When it was time to leave the house, one of the women stood near the entrance and held a Quran (the holy book of Islam) in her hand. Before stepping outside, Dr. Khan kissed the Quran and touched it with his forehead three times while reciting some Arabic words of prayer. Then the woman raised the Quran, and he walked under it.

Shahrzad was still kissing the relatives goodbye when Yasmin approached the door. The woman held the Quran in front of her face so she could repeat the ritual, but Yasmin didn’t react. “What do you want me to do?” she asked in English. The woman looked at Shahrzad.

“Kiss the Quran and say a prayer,” replied Shahrzad.

“But I’m a Christian.” said Yasmin. Suddenly everyone was quiet. The woman was still looking at Shahrzad.  Shahrzad said something to her in Urdu, and she raised the Quran up in front of Yasmin. Shahrzad then told Yasmin to just walk under the Quran, which she did.

One of Dr. Khan’s brothers drove them to the airport. A cousin, in another car, was carrying the luggage, and a police car was following them. For the first time since her transformation, Yasmin felt happy and was looking out the window with curiosity, almost like a tourist. She even pointed to a few locations and asked Shahrzad about them – locations that the original Yasmin had seen many times. Dr. Khan and John Goldberg had both tried hard to make sure the news of their flight did not leak to the media but, with all the publicity that surrounded Yasmin’s case, it was not surprising that a few journalists were already in the airport when the Khans arrived. They managed to take a few pictures of Yasmin and shouted a few questions before the police intervened and kept them away.  

John and Jennifer arrived at the airport about 15 minutes later. They were escorted by Matthew Sacks and Susan Brown from the American Consulate. Yasmin recognized Susan and thanked her for helping her in the embassy.

The flight to Philadelphia was uneventful. During the Karachi-London leg of the flight, a few Pakistani passengers recognized Yasmin and occasionally looked at her.  Yasmin sat between Jennifer and Shahrzad but mostly spoke to Jennifer. Shahrzad tried a few times to join the conversation, but Yasmin didn’t show much interest in what she had to say. Even Jennifer tried to generate three way conversations, but it was useless. Shahrzad was so disappointed that during the London-Philadelphia leg of the flight, she sat next to her husband and allowed Yasmin to sit between John and Jennifer.

It was a little after 4 pm when their flight landed at the Philadelphia airport. Detective Owen was waiting for them along with three policemen. More than a dozen journalists and photographers were also waiting to catch a glance of Yasmin and her two families. As soon as the five passengers walked out of the restricted customs area and came into sight, the photojournalists and cameramen started taking pictures. Detective Owen and the policemen shielded them from a few journalists who were trying to talk to Yasmin.

Yasmin could hear their questions.

“How do you feel about being in America?”

“Did you know Sarah before her disappearance?”

Yasmin didn’t say anything, although she found some of their questions frustrating.

All five of them got into a minivan and drove out of the airport. John was sitting in the front seat next to the driver. Yasmin and Jennifer were sitting in the second row, and Dr. Khan and Shahrzad were in the third row. Detective Owen followed them in a police car. Yasmin was disappointed that Joshua hadn’t come to the airport to greet her. She was hopeful that he would be waiting for her at their house. Surely he must have heard about their arrival from the media. As the minivan exited the highway and turned onto the Baltimore pike toward Swarthmore, Yasmin became more emotional.

 “What day is it?” she asked, while looking at Springfield Mall.

“It’s Monday,” John answered.

“I know it’s Monday. What day of the month?”

“It’s July 9^th,” said John.

“The last thing I remember from being here is the Friday night party at Zoe’s house. That was June 15^th, so I have been away for three weeks.”

The minivan entered Chester Road and then turned right onto Elm Street.

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe it. I’m finally home,” said Yasmin as she broke into tears. “I can’t believe this nightmare is finally over.” She cried even harder as the minivan pulled into the driveway of Goldberg residence. Several journalists and photographers were standing on the sidewalk near the house, but police officers made sure they didn’t get too close. As soon as Yasmin stepped out of the car, she ran toward the family cat that was sitting on the porch.

“Hi Shady, I really missed you,” she said as she lifted the cat and hugged it.

The door opened and John’s brother Thomas Goldberg stepped out. Yasmin put the cat down and walked toward him.

“Hi Uncle Tom, it’s so nice to see you,” she said as she raised her hands and hugged Thomas.

Thomas was confused by this gesture. Although he was fully aware of what had happened to both Yasmin and Sarah, it was still hard for him to respond to this Pakistani girl’s affection.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he responded.

Yasmin didn’t pay any attention to his reply. Instead, she turned her attention to his wife, who stepped out of the house after him.

“Hi Aunt Judy! How are you?” said Yasmin and hugged the woman before she had a chance to react.

“Hello!” said Judy while looking at her husband with disbelief.

“Is Lisa here?” asked Yasmin with excitement.

“No she is at home with Mark,” Judy responded, wondering how this girl with pitch black long hair and light brown skin who had just arrived in the United States knew her entire family.

Without asking for permission Yasmin walked inside the house. She stood in the middle of the living room for a few seconds and looked around with excitement.

“I can’t believe I’m finally home. I’m home,” she said and started walking around the living room and touching various things, as if she wanted to make sure they were real.

Surprised by Yasmin’s behavior, Jennifer walked into the house even before she had a chance to say hello to Tom and Judy, but they didn’t mind because they were also busy watching Yasmin.

Yasmin continued this strange behavior for about ten seconds and then suddenly ran up the stairs. “I’m going to my room!” she shouted as she ran.   

Jennifer introduced Dr. Khan and his wife to Tom and Judy and showed them inside the house. After all that had happened in the past three weeks, Yasmin’s behavior was no longer shocking to Shahrzad and Dr. Khan, but they felt embarrassed by what she had just done nevertheless.  Judy and Tom had prepared the guestroom for Dr. Khan and Shahrzad. Initially, they wanted to stay in a hotel, but John and Jennifer asked them to stay in their house. The Goldbergs thought this was better for Yasmin, since they expected her to stay in Sarah’s room. This way both couples could be close to her. 

Yasmin felt even more overjoyed when she entered Sarah’s room. Everything in her room was the same as the Friday night that she had last slept in it. The only difference was that someone had cleaned up the room and made the bed. Yasmin sat on her bed and looked around the room. Then she stood and walked toward a picture of herself and Joshua. She thought of the cold winter day that they took that picture in front of Joshua’s house. She lifted the picture from the wall and carried it with her toward the mirror. Yasmin looked at herself and then looked at Sarah’s face in the picture. She looked nothing like the original Sarah. She touched her face and wondered if she would ever get her original body back. Would Joshua still love her or would he reject her new image? She asked herself. 

“Hello!”

“Hi Mrs. Robinson, this is Sarah. How are you?” said Yasmin. After worrying for more than 10 minutes about how Joshua might react, she finally decided to call him. His cell phone was off so she tried his home phone. Joshua’s mother was always very kind to Sarah. She would have recognized Sarah’s voice immediately, and this wasn’t her voice.

“Who is this?”

“It’s Sarah. I just got back from Pakistan with Mom and Dad.”

Like everyone else in Swarthmore, Mary Robinson knew about John and Jennifer’s trip to Pakistan and the rest of the story. She had even seen a picture of Yasmin on TV.

“Are you the Pakistani girl who claims to be Sarah?” she asked. Yasmin felt offended by the way Mrs. Robinson asked this question. It felt as if she was accusing her of being an imposture.

“Mrs. Robinson, I am really Sarah. I’m just trapped in this girl’s body for now. Can I please talk to Josh?”

Marry Robinson hesitated for a few seconds. “Josh is not here. He and Austin went to Upstate New York with their father. They will be back Friday night.”

“Well, do you have a number that I can call him there?” asked Yasmin.

“I think you better wait until he is back.”

Yasmin didn’t expect such a cold reaction from Joshua’s mother. It was as if she didn’t really believe that she was Sarah. Yasmin wondered if this was how others were going to react to her? What if Joshua rejected her? She laid on her bed for a few minutes as these thoughts made her anxious and then dialed another number. After several rings, the call was directed to an answering machine.

“Hi Zoe, this is Sarah. We just got back from Pakistan. I’m home, and I can’t wait to talk to you. Call me, okay?”

She laid back again thinking who else she could call. She felt a little sleepy because of her jet lag. After all, it was almost 4 am in Karachi. She hadn’t had a good sleep for the past 22 hours.

***** 

After half an hour, Dr. Khan and Shahrzad came downstairs. In the hallway, they passed by Sarah’s room and decided to check on Yasmin. She was asleep. They both felt tired because of the jet lag, although it was only six o’clock in the evening and it was still light outside. Judy and Tom had prepared some food for dinner, but they didn’t have much of an appetite. Over dinner, the conversation turned to Sarah and Yasmin. Everyone was trying to sound optimistic about the medical exams that Yasmin was supposed to undergo over the next few days but deep down they were all worried. By 8:30, Shahrzad and Dr. Khan could barely keep their eyes open and went upstairs to catch some sleep. John was also very tired and went to bed after a few minutes. Jennifer stayed up and talked to Judy and Tom for a while before they finally left at a little after nine.

No medical exams were scheduled for Yasmin on Tuesday morning because, based on their past travel experiences, John and Jennifer knew that they would need at least a day of rest to overcome the initial disorientation and fatigue after such a long flight. Having fallen sleep around 7:00 last night, Yasmin woke up around 4 am. She immediately checked her cell phone for messages, but there was no message from Zoe. She felt hungry and came downstairs to eat some food. Shady was also awake. Yasmin took her back to her room and listened to music. Why hadn’t Zoe called back? she wondered.

Dr. Khan woke up at three o’clock in the morning but remained in bed quietly until Shahrzad also woke up a little after four. Around five o’clock when Shahrzad came out to go to the bathroom for the ritual hand and face wash before her morning prayer, she heard music from Yasmin’s room and decided to check on her. Yasmin was sitting behind her desk and writing something in a notebook that looked like a diary. She placed the pen in the middle of the notebook and closed it when Shahrzad approached her. First Shahrzad said something in Urdu, unintentionally.

“English please” reacted Yasmin.

“You were asleep when we had dinner last night. Did you eat later?” asked Shahrzad.

“No. I didn’t wake up until four o’clock. I went downstairs and ate something.”

“Your father and I were so tired we went to bed before nine.”

“You mean you and your husband, because my mom and dad are sleeping in the master bedroom,” said Yasmin looking directly into Shahrzad’s eyes.

Despite all that had happened Yasmin’s response came as a shock to Shahrzad. She was lost for words for a few seconds. “Please don’t talk that way. Look at yourself. You look like us. You have your father’s eyes.” 

“I’m sick and tired of telling you who I am. If you want to believe that I’m your daughter, fine. Live in denial for as long as you want. Just don’t be shocked when you see the results of the medical tests over the next few days, because I have no doubt who I really am. Now I want to be alone, if you don’t mind,” said Yasmin as she turned her face away from Shahrzad and looked at her diary. She wasn’t shouting, but Shahrzad could feel the anger in her voice. She left Yasmin’s room without saying anything else.

Yasmin spent the next two hours writing in her diary. The last written page was from the morning of Friday, June 15^th – the last day before her transformation, and she was more than three weeks behind. She tried her best to remember what had happened to her in Pakistan from the first moment that she woke up among a family of strangers. She went into detail about her impression of the Khan family and other people that she had met while there. Recalling some of the events, such as her failed escape attempts and her confrontations with Dr. Khan, was emotionally difficult for her. By seven o’clock, she had covered most of the events and was writing about her final days when Jennifer came into her room. In contrast to her cold encounter with Shahrzad, Yasmin was very kind to Jennifer. She told her that she had called Zoe.

“It’s so strange. She didn’t return my call.” 

“Maybe Zoe came home late. Why don’t you call her again later today?”

Jennifer asked her to come down for breakfast at eight o’clock. Yasmin resumed her writing after she left.

Everyone was sitting around the breakfast table when Yasmin came downstairs. She was wearing Sarah’s clothes: a white T-shirt and a blue miniskirt that was a little bit too large for her. John and Jennifer were a little surprised that she was wearing Sarah’s clothes, but they both remembered that Sarah often wore these pieces together. Shahrzad and Dr. Khan, however, were shocked. For a Pakistani girl, Yasmin was showing way too much skin in this outfit, particularly since she wasn’t wearing any socks or tights. Dr. Khan was outraged but, before he had a chance to shout at Yasmin, Shahrzad squeezed his hand under the table and looked at him. Despite knowing that Yasmin was not really herself, it was still very difficult for Dr. Khan to see his daughter dressed so shamelessly, and Yasmin acted as if it was completely normal.

Angry and ashamed, Dr. Khan turned his eyes away from Yasmin and tried not to look at her. Yasmin sat next to Jennifer and said good morning. She looked around the house as Jennifer poured her a glass of milk. Shahrzad passed her the breadbasket, but she didn’t want any. She just drank the milk slowly and listened as John and Dr. Khan talked about Swarthmore.

“Well, I’ll see you guys later. I’m going to Zoe’s house. I want to surprise her,” said Yasmin and stood up to leave.

“No, Yasmin. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you call her,” said John.

“Please dad, don’t call me by that name. Now that we are back, why don’t you call me Sarah…and what’s wrong with going there. I’m sure she is up by now.”

“There are reporters and photographers all around. They will follow you and try to interview you. I don’t think you will be comfortable going out by yourself today.”

“Well, then you can drive me to her house.”

“Why don’t you call her first?” asked Jennifer.

“No! I don’t want to call. I want to see her. If you don’t want to take me, I’ll go by myself,” said Yasmin and walked quickly toward the door. John walked after her as Dr. Khan shouted, “Yasmin! Yasmin!”

“Okay, let me get my keys. I’ll drive you,” said John.

Yasmin stopped but didn’t look at any of them. Dr. Khan was angry. He wanted to walk toward Yasmin, but Shahrzad held his hand and stopped him.

John pulled the car out of the driveway and drove past a few reporters who where shouting questions at Sarah as the car passed by them. Others were taking pictures of her. A minute later, John parked in front of Zoe’s house. Yasmin was very excited. She quickly got out of the car and walked to the front door. John remained in the car and watched her. Mrs. Deegan opened the door.

“Hi Mrs. Deegan how are you?” asked Yasmin with excitement and took a step forward with open arms. She quickly hugged Mrs. Deegan who was visibly surprised and kept quiet. Yasmin noticed her cold reaction and felt that she didn’t recognize her.

“Mrs. Deegan, it’s me Sarah!” said Yasmin with a smile. The woman was still quiet. “I’m sure you know what has happened to me, and I look different but it’s really me. Is Zoe home?”

Mrs. Deegan could see John sitting in his car looking at them. John waved at her, and she simply nodded with her head and looked at Yasmin again.

“Sarah?” she finally said with a sigh. There was still no warmth in her eyes and no smile. 

“Yes. It’s really me,” said Yasmin looking deep into Mrs. Deegan’s eyes as her smile gave way to sadness, and her eyes filled with tears. She heard a footstep approaching and suddenly Zoe appeared behind her mother. Yasmin took two quick steps toward her, almost pushing Mrs. Deegan to the side. Before Zoe had a chance to react, Yasmin kissed her and hugged her tight.

“Hi! Hi! Hi! I missed you so much!” said Yasmin with a trembling voice that gradually became mixed with crying. Zoe looked at her mother with a facial expression that revealed her surprise. Then she slowly put her arms around Yasmin, who was about three inches shorter than her.

She only said one word: “Hi.”

Yasmin could tell that Zoe’s embrace was not as tight as her own. Yasmin pulled back and looked at her. Zoe tried to smile but could not hide her shock and discomfort. This was not how Yasmin had pictured her first encounter with Zoe. She thought Zoe would be very excited to see her and that they would both shout and scream and hug each other – jumping up and down. But Zoe looked at her as if she was a stranger.

“So, you finally listened to me and got a short haircut?” said Yasmin.

Zoe responded with only one word: “Thanks.” 

“Hey. Let’s go upstairs to your room. I have so much to tell you,” said Yasmin and took a couple of steps forward, expecting Zoe to join her. But Zoe didn’t move. Yasmin felt awkward. She turned and faced Zoe. Both Zoe and her mom were staring at her.

“Zoe, what’s the matter? Don’t you believe me? It’s really me, Sarah,” pleaded Yasmin. Zoe remained silent. After a few seconds, Yasmin spoke again: “Okay! I’ll prove it to you! You have a mole behind your left shoulder. On Friday night, when we were all here for your graduation party, you told me that you were thinking of having it removed. Do you remember? No one else was there. How would I know this if I’m not Sarah?” Zoe looked at her mother and looked back at Yasmin. What Yasmin said was true, but she still couldn’t bring herself to see this girl with long black hair as her best friend Sarah.

“Zoe!” said Yasmin and took a step toward her, but Zoe suddenly took a step back with a frightened look.

“This is so freaking bizarre,” she said as she took another step back. Yasmin didn’t move any closer.

“It’s so freaky. I…I…I can’t. I’m so sorry, but I can’t,” said Zoe as she broke into tears and ran quickly toward the stairs and then up to her room. Yasmin called her name twice. She was also crying as she looked at Mrs. Deegan. She felt so helpless and disappointed. This wasn’t how she had imagined it. Without any hesitation, she ran out of the house and got into John’s car.

“I’m so sorry. This is why I wanted you to call first,” said John.

Yasmin didn’t say anything. She tried not to cry but couldn’t stop her tears.

When they returned home, she didn’t say anything or look at anyone. She just walked upstairs to her room and locked the door. John discouraged the others from going after her.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Deegan called and apologized to Jennifer for what had happened. Jennifer didn’t blame her or Zoe but felt sad for Yasmin. It had been a difficult first day in America for Dr. Khan and Shahrzad as well. Later that day, Detective Owen and two police officers visited the Goldberg residence and interviewed both couples at length. They also wanted to talk to Yasmin but she refused to leave her room, and Detective Owen decided to postpone her questioning until after her medical exams.

At around two o’clock, the phone rang. Jennifer didn’t recognize the voice but noticed the strong foreign accent. The caller was a Pakistani man who lived in Swarthmore. He had learned about the arrival of Dr. Khan and his family from the media and wanted to talk to Dr. Khan. When Jennifer passed the phone to Dr. Khan, he didn’t recognize the voice either, but it was nice to talk to a fellow Pakistani.

The caller politely introduced himself as Dr. Nasir Naim, a biology professor at Villanova University. Although he didn’t know Dr. Khan and they had never met, as a fellow countryman he was calling to see if Dr. Khan and his family were interested in staying at his house. Dr. Naim was married and had two young daughters of his own. Dr. Khan and Shahrzad were touched by the offer.

While John and Jennifer were doing everything to make them feel at home, they thought it would be easier for them and for the Goldbergs if they stayed with a Pakistani family. Besides, Dr. Naim’s house was only a five-minute drive from there. They accepted the offer after talking to John and Jennifer.

Shahrzad went upstairs and knocked on Yasmin’s door, which was locked. Without opening the door, Yasmin asked who it was. Shahrzad asked her to open the door but she refused and told Shahrzad to go away. Shahrzad explained to her what had happened and asked her to come with them to Dr. Naim’s house.

“This is my home. I’m not going anywhere. You and your husband may go if you want to,” responded Yasmin.

Shahrzad and Dr. Khan had a feeling that Yasmin might not agree to come with them but, surprisingly, it didn’t bother them. Shahrzad was heartbroken by the way Yasmin had treated her earlier that morning and knew that Yasmin might disappoint her again. Besides, now that they had seen the Goldberg residence and knew that Yasmin was safe and well cared for, they felt more comfortable leaving her there. 

Dr. Khan didn’t bother to talk to Yasmin. He was beginning to regret his decision to bring his daughter to America. What if her condition didn’t change and she refused to go back to Pakistan with them, he wondered.

Dr. Naim arrived around five o’clock. He was a thin man in his late forties with a mustache and a pair of thick glasses. Since Shahrzad had already brought their luggage downstairs, they were ready to leave, but Dr. Naim accepted Jennifer’s invitation and sat down for a few minutes. It didn’t take long for Nasir Naim to see the anxiety and sadness in the faces Dr. Khan and his wife. He could also tell that Shahrzad had cried earlier that day by her red eyes. After only a few minutes, they were ready to leave.

“Isn’t your daughter coming with us?” asked Dr. Naim as he helped Dr. Khan put the luggage in his car.

“No. I think its better for her to stay here,” replied Dr. Khan without offering any explanation.

Dr. Naim felt that was odd but didn’t say anything. Yasmin didn’t leave her room as they left. John and Dr. Khan agreed to meet early the next day and to take Yasmin to the hospital for her first evaluation.

A reporter tried to talk to Dr. Khan as they drove out of the driveway. Dr. Khan followed Detective Owen’s advice and kept quiet.

Dr. Naim lived on the northeast side of Swarthmore, near the public pool. He had a beautiful stone house with a large backyard.

Later that night, Yasmin joined John and Jennifer for dinner. Jennifer tried to comfort her, but she kept quiet and went back to her room after finishing her meal. She was no longer eager to meet Joshua, as long as she was trapped in her current body. It took her a long time to fall asleep that night.

The next morning, Jennifer went to Yasmin’s room around 7:00 to wake her up. Their appointment at the hospital was at nine. To her surprise, Yasmin was already up and dressed. Her eyes were red, and she looked very sad. Jennifer did not say any thing. When they picked up Dr. Khan and his wife, Jennifer could tell that Shahrzad had also been crying. On their way to the hospital, hardly anyone spoke.

Two neurologists examined Sarah and conducted several tests, which lasted until three in the afternoon. On their way back, everyone was quiet again. Sarah was scheduled to undergo more tests on Friday July 13^th. She stayed in her room for all of Wednesday and Thursday and devoted most of her time to writing in her diary. Dr. Khan and Shahrzad came to see her on Wednesday, but she acted so indifferent toward them that they did not bother to contact her on Thursday.

Like Sarah and her American parents, Dr. Khan and Sharhzad were eager to hear what the doctors had to say after the tests were completed on Friday. 

*****       

When Yasmin opened her eyes, it was a little after nine in the morning and bright sunlight was coming in through the half-open window. As soon as she had a chance to take a look around, she was shocked by the unfamiliar place that she was in. This wasn’t her room and nothing looked familiar. She jumped out of her bed and stood in the middle of the room.

“Where am I?” she said quietly in Urdu. Then she saw herself in the mirror and didn’t recognize the nightgown that she was wearing. Several pictures were hanging on the wall, but she didn’t recognize any of them. She could only tell that people in those pictures weren’t Pakistanis.

“Ammi (mother)..Baba (father)..Fatima!” she shouted without moving.

There was no response. It was quiet everywhere. She cautiously walked toward the door as she called her mother again. She kept calling her parents and her sister as she walked down the hallway and then downstairs. There was no one in that house, and Yasmin was so frightened that she could only take small steps.

After a few seconds, she stopped talking and just looked around until she saw the phone. She decided to call for help but the phone was dead. Then, a newspaper on the coffee table caught her attention. It was an English language newspaper called the Philadelphia Inquirer. Yasmin picked it up and looked at some of the headlines. She wondered if she was in the house of a foreigner that was living in Karachi.

Then, suddenly she saw the date and was shocked by what it said: “Thursday, July 12, 2001.”

But that was impossible. Last night when she had her girlfriends over for her graduation party, it was Friday June 15^th.

“Today must be Saturday, June 16^th,” she thought to herself.

Yasmin dropped the newspaper and walked toward the main entrance door. Before opening the door, she realized that she was in a nightgown and couldn’t go out like that. She cautiously walked back upstairs to the room in which she had awakened. She looked in the closet and recognized some of her own clothes. How did her clothes get there? She wondered. There were so many questions in her mind but for now all she wanted to do was to get out of that house. She quickly changed and found her shoes and ran downstairs.

She cautiously opened the entrance door and suddenly a cat walked in without even noticing her. The sight of the cat was so unexpected that she screamed and ran out. The street and the surrounding houses didn’t look anything like her neighborhood in Karachi. Two minivans with large receiver dishes and antennas on top were parked outside the driveway on the street. Both vehicles had large newscast labels painted on them. It was there that it occurred to Yasmin that she might be in a foreign country. Confused and frightened, she started walking on Elm Street. But there were no people around and no cars were moving either. She kept walking until she reached the intersection of Elm and Chester Road. There she saw an oriental woman walking toward her while waving her hand to attract her attention. The woman was breathing hard and looked stressed.

“Excuse me, excuse me, have you seen a six-year old boy and a four-year old girl around here?” the woman asked.

Yasmin looked at her. “What’s the name of this town?” she asked in English instead of answering the woman’s question.

“Please, have you seen my children?” the woman asked again.

“No,” answered Yasmin. The woman turned around and started running north on Chester Road towards Baltimore Pike. Yasmin followed her.

“Wait. Wait. Please, can you tell me where is this place?” Yasmin asked.

The woman stopped. She could tell from Yasmin’s accent that she was a foreigner.

 “Are you lost?” she asked.

“Yes! What’s the name of this city?”

“Swarthmore.”

What a strange name for a city, thought Yasmin.

“Which country?” she asked.

The woman looked at her with disbelief.  “The United States.”

“You mean the United States of America?” asked Yasmin.

“Yes! Yes!” said the woman and started running. As she ran she yelled the names of her children, “Cindy, David, Cindy,” and then shouted something in Chinese.

Yasmin didn’t follow her. She stood there, looked around for a few seconds, and then began walking in the opposite direction. She had to find a way to call home and let her parents know where she was. As she walked south on Chester Road, she saw a car that had collided with a utility pole. She didn’t see anyone inside the car. Cautiously, she opened the front passenger door. Yasmin first searched the front seats and the glove compartment but didn’t see any phone.

Then she turned her focus to the back seat and was shocked by what she saw. A young girl with short brown hair was lying on the back seat. She was no older than six or seven years old. She had no hands and only one leg. Yasmin only looked at her for one second before she broke into a load scream and walked away from the car. Frightened and confused, she slowly walked away from the car as she screamed. Then suddenly she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. It was a motorcycle. She ran to the middle of the street and waved her hands as her shaking legs gave in and she slowly squatted on the ground. The biker slowed down and stopped in front of her. He was a man in his thirties with fair skin and dark hair.

Yasmin was saying something in Urdu to the man as she pointed to the car. “Do you speak English?” he asked.

“Child! Child!” Yasmin yelled, pointing at the car and then broke into tears.

The biker looked inside the car and saw the child’s amputated body. For some reason, he wasn’t shocked by what he saw. He opened the back door and put his hand on child’s neck. “She is alive, just unconscious.” He then held Yasmin’s arm and helped her stand and walk to the sidewalk.

“Do you have a phone that I can use?” asked Yasmin.

“No,” said the biker as he immediately recognized Yasmin’s Pakistani accent and realized something important about her.

“Hey are you from Pakistan?”

“Yes.”

“Is your name Yasmin?” asked the biker.

“Yes, I’m Yasmin Khan. How do you know my name?”

“I have seen your picture in newspapers and on TV,” said the biker.

“Why would my picture be in a newspaper?” asked Yasmin.

The man looked at her in silence.

 “Please! You must help me. I have no idea how I got here. I live in Karachi Pakistan. I woke up this morning and found myself in an empty house in this town. Do you know how I got here?” asked Yasmin.

The man looked at her for a moment. “Then you are not claiming to be this American girl called Sarah anymore?” he asked.

“Who is Sarah? I never claimed to be anyone else. I’m Yasmin Khan.”

The man looked at his watch. “Look, I don’t have much time to explain, and it’s a long story. It looks like you have regained your original personality after what happened this morning.”

“I don’t understand!” said Yasmin.

“Look, that is not important now. From what I have read about your situation, you came to the United States with your mother and father a few days ago. So your parents must be somewhere around here.”

“You mean my parents are here in this town?” 

“Yes. And since they are not Americans, it is unlikely that they have disappeared.”

Under different circumstances, Yasmin would have been curious to know what he meant when he used the word “disappeared” but, at that moment, her only concern was to find her parents. The possibility that her family could be nearby gave her hope. 

“Are you sure my parents are here?”

“I’m not sure of anything, but the last thing I read about you was that they were with you, when you arrived to the States. The newspapers even had a picture of you and your parents at the Philadelphia airport.”

Yasmin had no recollection of any of this.

“Please, could you help me find my parents?”

“I’m here to find my own brother who lives in Swarthmore. You can ride with me, but first I need to find my brother’s house and figure out what has happened to him.”

Although Yasmin felt uncomfortable about sitting in such a close proximity to a strange man, she had no other choice. It was better than walking around alone in this town.

“What about this child?” asked Yasmin.

“We can’t do anything for her now, but I can come for her later. Are you coming?” said the biker as he sat on his motorcycle and turned on the engine. Yasmin sat behind him and gently put her hands on his sides.

“You better hold on tight or you might fall.”

“What is your name?” asked Yasmin as she wrapped her hands tightly around his waist.

“It was Ronen up until a few weeks ago, but now I don’t really know,” said the biker. It was a strange answer, but Yasmin had too much on her mind to care. 

Ronen had never been to Swarthmore before, but he had an address for his brother’s house: 201 Princeton Avenue. Since he didn’t have a map, he was driving around hoping to meet someone who could give him directions. It took him nearly five minutes before he spotted a man. It was an older man with dark skin and white hair. He was walking on the sidewalk at a normal pace, but as they got close and he could hear the bikes roaring sound, he started running.

“Excuse me!” yelled Ronen but the man kept running. Ronen drove in front of him. “We are not going to harm you. I need directions.”

The man finally stopped. He was breathing heavily. His lower lip was slowly bleeding.

“What happened to you?” asked Ronen.

“A couple of men hit me and took my money. It’s not safe. There are no police. There is no one around. Where are all the people?”

He had an accent that was clearly not American. Ronen had no time to answer his question.

“Do you know how I can get to Princeton Avenue?” he asked.

The old man cleaned the blood off his chin. He was still bleeding. “You are on Swarthmore Avenue now. Keep going until you cross the railroad tracks, and then turn right onto Dartmouth Street. The second stop sign is Princeton Avenue.

Ronen thanked him and gave him a twenty-dollar bill before riding away. After a short distance, he saw the railroad tracks and was reassured that he was near his destination. He was just about to cross the tracks when someone shouted “Yasmin!”

Ronen stopped right on the tracks. He and Yasmin both looked back. They heard it again. An older man was shouting “Yasmin! Yasmin!” and running towards them from the street that ran parallel to the tracks. Yasmin recognized the image of the man and quickly got off the bike.

“That’s my father. Baba! Baba!” shouted Yasmin as she ran toward her father. Ronen turned the bike around and drove slowly behind Yasmin. Yasmin ran into her father’s arms in tears. Dr. Khan was also crying as he embraced his daughter. Initially, he was so overwhelmed with joy that he didn’t notice that Yasmin was speaking Urdu. Then he suddenly became aware of this fact. He also realized that Yasmin responded to her own name rather than insisting to be called Sarah.

“Yasmin, you are speaking Urdu. You called me Baba. It is a miracle,” said Dr. Khan and then kissed Yasmin on both cheeks.

“I always speak Urdu and you are my aba.” said Yasmin.

Dr. Khan could not stop his tears. “It’s over. Thank God you are our Yasmin again.”

He hugged Yasmin again as they both continued to cry. Yasmin didn’t fully understand what her father was talking about but it didn’t matter at that moment. All that mattered was that she felt safe in her father’s arms.

Ronen was watching this drama from a short distance. He was anxious to say goodbye and leave but didn’t want to disrupt this emotional moment between Yasmin and her father. Finally, after a few seconds, he stepped forward to let them know of his presence.

“Father, this gentleman is Ronen. If it wasn’t for him, I would still be wandering on the other side of this town, and we might have never found each other,” said Yasmin in English.

“I am Mohammad Hossain Khan. I am forever in your debt. Thank you for helping my daughter,” said Dr. Khan as he shook hands with Ronen.

“I know all about you and your daughter’s problem. I’m glad she is back to her original self. Now that she has found you, I can go.  I need to find my brother as soon as possible,” said Ronen.

“Sir, before you leave, could you tell me what is happening in this town? There is no one on the streets and some people have disappeared. There is no electricity, and the phone isn’t working either.”

“It’s not just this town. It happened everywhere a few hours ago. All Americans suddenly disappeared. There is no logical explanation for this, but it seems to have happened.”

“But my host is a Pakistani man and one of his daughters has disappeared.”

“Was she born in America?” asked Ronen.

“Yes! It makes sense now. His older daughter who was born in Pakistan is well, but the younger daughter that was born here is missing. They are all driving around town searching for her.”

“I’m sorry, I have to get going,” said Ronen and rode his bike away.

“Are mom and Fatima here with you?” asked Yasmin in Urdu.

“Shahrzad is here, but Fatima is back in Pakistan. Let’s go. We must find your mother. She is also searching the streets for you.”

“Baba, how are we going to go back to Pakistan?” asked Yasmin.

“Don’t worry about that my dear. Right now I’m just glad that God had mercy on us and cured you,” replied Dr. Khan.

He and Yasmin quickly walked to Dr. Naim’s house, which was only a few minutes walking distance.

Shahrzad was sitting on the stairs in front of the house. Earlier that morning, she and her husband were woken up by the scream of Mr. Naim’s wife Tahira. She had just found out that their ten year-old daughter was missing. Initially, Dr. Khan and Shahrzad didn’t think that Yasmin might be in any danger, but when Mr. Naim tried to call the police, the phone was dead and soon after that they realized that there was no electricity.  That’s when Dr. Khan felt that something must have happened to the entire city.

They wanted to ask Dr. Naim to drive them to the Goldberg’s residence, but how could they ask such a thing when his own daughter was missing. Finding their child was the only thing that mattered to the Naim family at that moment. Dr. Khan and Shahrzad became even more concerned about Yasmin when Nasir Naim, his wife and their older daughter went out to see if any of the neighbors had seen their child. They all returned to report that there was no one home in any of the houses in their neighborhood. How could they all be out so early in the morning?

When the Naim family left the house to search for their missing child, Dr. Khan decided to walk to the Goldberg’s residence to make sure Yasmin was okay. Shahrzad wanted to go with him, but he told her to stay home. Shahrzad insisted but to no avail. Soon after Dr. Khan left, Shahrzad decided that she could not bear staying at the house and decided to go to the Goldberg’s residence on her own. She wanted to ask directions to Elm Street, where the Goldbergs lived, but she didn’t see anyone on the street. She eventually walked from Ogden Avenue all the way to Swarthmore Avenue.

There, she heard some voices and saw three people about 50 yards away. They were busy arguing about something and didn’t notice her. She decided to approach them and ask for directions but stopped after only three steps when she saw one of them, a young man, punch an older man in the face. The old man fell on the ground. One of the two standing men pressed the old man to the ground while the other one pulled his wallet out of his pocket. Then the two men ran away.

Shahrzad was so frightened by this scene that she couldn’t move. Luckily for her, the two men ran in the opposite direction and didn’t see her.  She didn’t go any further. Instead, she turned around and walked as fast as she could back to Dr. Naim’s house. Unfortunately, she had locked herself out and there was no one home. She sat on the stairs to catch her breath. She didn’t feel safe and started to say a prayer. Then, she started thinking about Yasmin. She had been so heartbroken by the way Yasmin had been treating her ever since they arrived in the United States that, for a while, she felt as if she hated her. But now, Yasmin’s unkind words didn’t matter. Yasmin was her daughter and even if she had transformed into someone else, Shahrzad still loved her.

“I think that’s your mother siting there,” said Dr. Khan as he and Yasmin approached Dr. Naim’s house.

Yasmin looked at the figure standing 100 yards away.

“Amijan! Amijan!” she shouted as hard as she could and then began to run, leaving Dr. Khan to walk behind her.

Shahrzad looked to her right. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Yasmin. She stood up and ran toward her daughter.

“Yasmin! Yasmin!” 

A few seconds later, Yasmin was in her mother’s arms, crying and talking in Urdu. First Shahrzad didn’t notice the change. She was just so happy that they had found Yasmin. Then it suddenly clicked. “Yasmin, you called me amijan! Oh my God, you called me amijan!” cried Shahrzad in Urdu and hugged her daughter again.

“Thank God she is speaking Urdu again,” said Dr. Khan, who had reached them a few seconds after Yasmin. Shahrzad looked intensely into Yasmin’s eyes. Then she looked at her husband.

“Is she still…?” She didn’t dare to finish her question.

“No Shahrzad, she is not Sarah anymore. She is 100% Yasmin. She has got her memory back. It’s a miracle,” said Dr. Khan.

Shahrzad stared into Yasmin’s eyes. “Thank God. I thought we lost you forever. Thank God, thank God,” she said and kissed her daughter again.

“Baba, how are we going to return to Pakistan?” asked Yasmin.

“You don’t worry about that. I promise you I will find a way to take us back. We have no reason to stay here any more,” said Dr. Khan.

“I can’t wait to see Fatima,” said Yasmin. They sat on the stairs waiting for their host to come and unlock the door, but none of them minded the wait. Shahrzad and Dr. Khan had so much to say to Yasmin about the events of the past few weeks. 

End of Story One 
Continue to Story Two

To my second offspring, who asked me to dedicate my second novel to her after realizing that I had not dedicated my first novel to anyone. She was eight years old then. 

Acknowledgement: I have received valuable editorial assistance from Marilyn R. Horowitz, Tiffany Roberts and Laila Batool. Tiffany and Laila also offered valuable suggestions for improving the segments of the novel that dealt with the national culture and local institutions in Israel and Pakistan respectively. 

Note: All characters in this novel are fictional. Any resemblance to real world characters is purely accidental.

All copyrights reserved (2014)

The cover page image is a public domain file that was downloaded from the following source: http://www.parstimes.com/MODIS/bm3_m.jpg

* Also by the same author:  Atul’s Quest (2003)