For the Love of a Son: One Afghan Woman's Quest for Her Stolen Child

permission from a court in
California. We will meet at the court on Monday.’
    I knew Kaiss would not give up easily. I
warned my sister. ‘Nadia, if Kaiss comes to the door, do not let him in. He will steal Duran away. We will never see Duran again
if that happens. He has threatened to take Duran to Afghanistan. We
must be vigilant.’
    But Nadia tried to reason with me. ‘Oh come
on now, Maryam. You have put the family through so much trouble
with this marriage! You are separated from Kaiss. He can’t do
anything to you now. Don’t blow this into something bigger than it
is. Let the poor man in. He just wants to see his son.’
    I couldn’t believe my sister’s reaction.
Although from the time of my birth we had had a roller-coaster
love-hate relationship, now that we were both adults I had believed
all that was behind us. Besides, I had told her everything that had
happened between Kaiss and me. My sister knew he had tried to kill
me. Surely she would stand by me against Kaiss.
    To my shock and amazement, Papa agreed with
Nadia. ‘What can happen, daughter? We are all here. He is, after
all, the boy’s father. We are only asking you to let a man see his
son.’
    ‘No!’ I shouted. Trying to show them I wasn’t
overreacting, I reminded them, ‘The lawyer himself said we should
not let Kaiss be around Duran. There is no way. No!’
    Nadia pulled me by my arm into the bedroom we
shared. ‘Look, Maryam,’ she said. ‘Dad and I were very happy living
a nice quiet life out here until you had to come back with your
dramatics. Can’t you see you are making a big deal out of nothing!
What can he do with the three of us here? Nothing! ’
    Papa followed us and ganged up on me with my
sister. ‘Maryam, we must be nice to him now. If we are kind, he
will return the kindness and understanding. And if you won’t allow
your son to see his father, your son will grow up to hate you. Is
that what you want? Do you want Duran to hate you?’
    I stared at my father in disbelief,
remembering that his life had been threatened by Kaiss, too. What
was going on? Evidently during the time I had been in Virginia, my
sister had convinced my father I was exaggerating. Finally I spoke.
‘I know this man much better than either of you. He does not know
how to be kind. He can only be cunning. The lawyer said—’
    ‘Oh yes, we know about lawyers,’ Nadia said
dismissively.
    ‘We are living in a democracy,’ Papa said as
he started walking out the door. ‘Be reasonable. I will go down and
bring him up.’
    I tried to follow to stop my father but Nadia
pulled me back and I fell back on the bed. My sister ran for the
door, securing the lock behind her. I could not believe what was
happening! I pounded on the door. I shook the handle. I screamed. I
listened at the door. I heard voices. I imagined Kaiss grabbling
little Duran and dashing from the building, catching a plane and
taking my baby far away where I would be unable to find him.
    Then the door handle moved and my sister
stuck her head round the door. ‘He wants to see you. Do try to
control your emotions.’
    I ran into the room to see Kaiss kissing my
son. He smiled warmly at me, and then at Papa. ‘I will be moving to
Los Angeles to be near my son,’ he explained. He looked back at me.
‘I want to be your friend, Maryam, nothing more.’
    He then turned his full attention to Nadia,
his voice a singsong of false pleas. ‘If only Maryam would take me
back. Even though she tried to have me arrested and put in jail, I
have forgiven her. I still love your sister.’
    I clenched my fists, enraged by his smooth
pretence. Through gritted teeth I told him: ‘Never again will I
live with a man who beats me.’
    ‘When I hit you, Maryam, it was only because
I love you.’
    Outraged, I stalked from the room, unable to
stand the charade another moment.
    Kaiss called out, ‘All right. I will not ask
you to live with me. But I am moving to Los Angeles to be with my
son.’
    Papa and Nadia moved as one force, both
insisting that he join our invited guests for dinner.
    Clever Kaiss recognized he had a friend in
Nadia. He redoubled his efforts to ingratiate himself with her and
with my father.
    When the guests had arrived, with Nadia’s
backing, Kaiss presented himself as the host, offering them tea and
juices. He was such a talented actor that he won them all over. His
actions were unbearable. When I couldn’t abide the situation a
moment longer, I lifted Duran in my arms