"I would never talk!"
"Yes you would and so would any agent they got their hands on. They know how to make you spill everything you know. You would be singing like a canary in a short time. And what's worse is they would enjoy doing it. You stay here and we will try to find another way. You can consider that as a direct order from the President of the United States. No heroics. Promise?"
"You are the boss. Besides I hear it gets too hot in Syria this time of year." The soldier said and he bid farewell to the FBI agent and hung up the phone.
Since it was getting late, they decided not to take the long trip out to the Island. They spent the rest of the weekend resting and eating out and having fun. They even found the time to attend a Sunday matinee movie, after which they made love. It was a relaxed love, one that he could never have or even want with Fazzi.
Monday Joseph returned to base and was teaching when the news broke that Ibrahim had arrived in Syria and then had been flown to Germany for a medical exam. He had called his mother and told her he was on his way home. Joseph called her and she was excited to say the least. She told Joseph that Ibrahim had said to tell him that he was going to buy him the biggest bacon sandwich in history. Joseph smiled as he put down the phone. Later he caught Ibrahim in a news conference. He was telling the reporters how glad he was to be free and that he looked forward to personally thanking the Arab/American community of Paterson and others for their efforts and help in arranging his release. He said "I'm doing it here and now in public but I sure look forward to being able to meet personally with and thank each and everyone that helped arrange this."
Later that evening at Fazzi's place Joseph was able to talk by phone with Ibrahim and both he and Fazzi officially invited him and his mother to the party on Saturday. He said that he would be glad to attend if he could clear it with the government.
Joseph assured him that everything would be arranged. A special effort was made to arrange all the details, and by Friday everything was arranged. Ibrahim and his mother were reunited in a New York City hotel and Saturday morning they were picked up and driven to Fazzi's Estate where they had a grand reunion with Joseph. After hugs and kisses, Joseph introduced Mrs. Smith to Fazzi and told her that he was the one that arranged for Ibrahim's return. Fazzi, ever the grand host, took her on a tour of the estate while Joseph and his buddy went into the Library and talked about what had happened.
"OK, you're home now, what was it they did to you." Joseph asked.
"It is really too embarrassing to talk about. Until that man you sent came they had me hung up like a side of beef. I thought they were going to hang me or cut off my head. There were four of them. They questioned me in relays, not letting me get any sleep. It went on for hours, or at least it felt like hours. They would stop, feed themselves and then..."
"Then what?" Joseph asked. "What did they want to know?"
"I don't think they wanted to know anything. They just wanted to play mind games with me. They were playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse before it kills it. One of them put his pistol in my mouth and cocked the trigger. I thought I was a goner. My head blown to smithereens. However, he just moved it around my mouth and ran it over my tongue. He made me suck on it and get it wet. Then he removed it and pushed it up my ass. The bastard raped my black ass with that cold steel barrel, pushing it in and out. Then he made me suck on it again. I passed out and when I woke up I was tied to a bed and the four of them took turns fucking me. I passed out again and when I woke up this time, it was as if I had become the guest of honor. I was told it had been a mistake and that my interrogators had been shot. I doubt that but... I never saw them again. The new guys kept saying how sorry they were and that had they know I was 'one of them' they would have never... I did not know what was going on, but they gave me medical attention and food. It was all kind of fuzzy - then this Syrian shows up and gives me that message. I cannot explain to you how those few words just drilled their way into my brain and I began to believe that there was a God and that he was good. All at once like a miracle the sky opened and the sun came out. After that things got better and better. I can't tell you how glad I am to be home and to be able to thank you in person."
"Well it was not only me, Fazzi really took control and then there was Kassie and her mother in Michigan who helped. You, yourself, had a big part in the transformation of this community. Until your kidnapping this community was afraid to show its humanistic side, but you changed that." Joseph said as Fazzi and Mrs. Smith rejoined them.
"Yes your capture changed us. It forced us to take a really hard look at ourselves and made us begin to think of how others have seen us. Some things we saw we do not like and perhaps in time we will change. It is hard to express in words, but we are very proud to have helped, but also we are ashamed that an outsider had to teach us. Don't let him fool you, the whole thing was Yussef's doing. I was only his tool." Fazzi said. "Now it's time to celebrate. We have dedicated this bazaar to you, Ibrahim. As soon as Richard gets here we will leave. I am told that the entire downtown area is filling up with people and it has been turned it into a real Arab Shuk. Dina has arrived and the men are lined up to see her dance." The doorbell interrupted him. "I'll bet that's Richard and Sarah now."
It was and after introductions were made, they all piled into a van that Fazzi had rented for the occasion and traveled down into the center of town.
"Where is your son Richard? Is he not coming?" Fazzi asked.
"I hope he will join us later. He says that he does not want to take anything away from the "Star of the Day", Ibrahim." Richard said laughing. "To tell you the truth I think he is going 'Broadway' on us. An entourage always trails him these days. I'm afraid it has given him a big head."
"Well if what I read in the papers is true, that young man has a great future ahead of him." Fazzi said. "You must be very proud of him. About as proud of him as I am of my son-Yussef. Has he told you I have made him my son and heir?"
"Yes he has and I'm very glad about it. It is so nice when we fathers have sons that they can brag about." Richard said.
Sitting in the rear seats Sarah turned to Ibrahim's mother and said, "I'm Sarah, I'm sorry but I did not catch your first name."
"Bessie, Bessie Smith. It's nice to meet you."
"Bessie, you must be proud and happy to have Ibrahim back. We were all so concerned about him." Sarah said. "Regardless of what the men may say, we woman also take a special pride in our sons."
"Yes that's true, but I do remember when Ibrahim's father was alive there was this special bond between them and I'm sure that he is feeling that pride in heaven right now."
When they arrived downtown the cheers and the applause of thousands of town's people and many outsiders met them. Most had come to celebrate Ibrahim's release. Some had come out of curiosity. The town fathers, after originally opposing the bazaar now tried to take it over. They had tried to tone down the involvement of the Arab community. They had even wanted to move it completely out of Fazzi's Arab committee's control. When the Arab committee protested, the council tried to refuse them the needed permits. The Muslim community together with the Black community then threatened to stage a mass march on city hall and burn the mayor in effigy. The politicians, after realizing that there was an election coming up, reluctantly agreed to allow Fazzi's committee to handle the entire thing, but not before warning them that they would have the State Police and National Guard on standby in case things got out of hand. Now however, with Ibrahim's release, they were falling all over themselves helping and playing like it was their idea in the first place. Not only the Mayor but also the Governor and members of the congressional delegation, all were on hand to welcome Ibrahim home and play up to the community as a whole. Speeches were long-winded and repetitious. Finally Ibrahim got up and thanked all the people and his friends for their help and then introduced Fazzi as the man who was responsible for his being alive today. Fazzi then took the microphone and invited them all to partake of what the Arab community had to offer. In his speech he noted that the Army Language School had accepted his personal invitation and sent a large contingent of soldiers.
"I remind you all that they are here at my invitation, and as my guests. Most if not all of them are my son's students and a while back I had the honor of being a guest lecturer at their school. While we disagreed on many things, they treated me with the respect due to royalty. I repeat they are OUR guests. You are to treat them as such. They are here to learn and enjoy themselves. Let us show them and all our other guests here today the hospitality that the Arab Nation is known for. Now lets have fun!"
And fun they did have. Politics were forgotten. Old hatreds and fears evaporated. Food, music and entertainment were the order of the day. Dancing and storytellers filled the streets. Food vendors served dishes that most Americans had never tasted or even heard of. Mr. Amoz, the owner of Cafe Casablanca, had outdone himself and prepared free food, (at Fazzi's and the 'Fund's' expense), for the bazaar. Everyone had a great time and there was no trouble at all. Ibrahim, Worthington, Joseph and Fazzi joined hands and danced the Dabbke. During the dance the members of dance group formed a circle around Fazzi and Joseph and applauded as the two danced alone together. Then the two of them insisted that everyone join them in the dancing. Everyone laughed to see Ibrahim and Richard stumbling in the dance line. The men even enticed some of the soldiers to join them in the line. There were hugs and kisses and good feelings all day long. Dina did her performances and used Joseph as well as other men in her act. For some reason the women cheered her on more than the men. Joseph overheard one of them talking in Arabic to a friend saying that she was glad to see a woman making the men look like fools. Dina was especially nice to Ibrahim. After she had used him in her dance, Joseph saw her give Ibrahim one of her cards and he knew what that meant. Joseph smiled as he recalled the showers he had taken with the black soldier; I'll bet she loves riding that big long cock of his.
