London

An excerpt of my 12th book "On both sided of the abyss"/

They had to pass the night at Hilton London Heathrow Airport, and on the next morning after breakfast at the hotel's restaurant they hailed a cab and drove to the American embassy in London.

At the embassy Ken had some difficulties to enter with Amina, but he asked the embassy duty officer to call the press attaché who was waiting for him in his office despite the weekend furlough, as they have planned it before hand when Ken called his colleague from Beirut. Jeff Foresight Ken's colleague came down, nodded his affirmation to the duty officer, and led them to his office.

'Well this is Nour Jeff and thanks old man for your trouble, sorry to have spoiled your weekend leave.'

'It's alright Ken and I'm very glad to meet beautiful Nour.' He Added and shook Amina's hand. 'Sit down please both of you and how can I help you?'

'And who's Nour if I may ask?' Amina turned to Ken in English teasingly with a surprised smile.

'It's your code name honey,' he answered but he some more urgent issues to solve with Jeff.

'I didn't manage to communicate with Langley yet to get the confirmation, and I need a genuine passport of some Arab country except Syria and Lebanon of course for Nour, and the address of the embassy's dentist.'

'No problems Ken I've a Tunisian passport for Nour to be filled up after the visit at the dentist, here's the dentist address I'll give him a call while you'll be on your way to him, and I'd a call from Langley yesterday night they expect a detailed written report on your next steps, you'll have to do it when you'll return.' 

The idea was to use a special kind of a Balters' bionator appliance In order to change Amina's facial appearance temporarily, whenever she'll fix it in her mouth; and dyeing her hair to ash blond plus a new name that will complete her change of identity that was the basis of the emergency plan. But Ken had first of all to persuade Amina to accept it.

'It won't hurt the visit at the dentist? I never had any dental problems… Must I change my face appearance, would you still love me?'

'Of course my love I won't stop loving you and you'll have to put it in your mouth only when you'll go out, it won't change your face forever.'

'But what's the use of changing my face if I return on Monday to the same apartment?' 

'We can't return right now to Beirut Amina and I can't train you in that apartment.' He took a long breathe of air into his lungs; he did not expect the delicate and submissive Amina to object to the plan so stubbornly.

'We were exposed you see? I know that it sounds strange to you, but you'll understand after the first days in which I'll instruct you… Well, I've a diplomatic passport they can't do a thing to me, except to demand my expulsion from Lebanon, while you can't return neither to Damascus nor to Beirut they may arrest you…'

The possibility of arrest mentioned in Ken' last sentence reminded Amina her stay in Al Maza jail, which she did hide successfully from her lover; it made her realize that she'll have to adapt the changed reality, but then came another revelation, as she kept listening alarmed to Ken:

'That's why we've to send you to Ankara to pass there your training, with a new identity.' He added after a short nerve wrecking pause.

'And you aren't coming with me, you're leaving me forever… You're passing me to another just like Murad passed me to you…! Am I some kind of a merchandise?!?' She cried out and fell into hysterical weeping.

'No I'm not leaving you my love I'll never leave you but I must return to Beirut it's my duty, and I promise to visit you twice a month at least up to the end of your training.'

'Swear by the name of your faith and god that you'll never leave me!' She demanded raising a face flushed with tears with beseeching eyes to his worried face.

'I swear by Jesus Christ my only love that I'll never leave you, and I'll come to visit you in Ankara.'

She hugged him and buried her face in his chest, while Ken kept caressing her hair and back. As soon as he felt that she was reconciled with the new situation, he urged her to go down to the waiting cab and meet the dentist. 'It won't hurt you and won't take long, but we've to take your photo after dyeing your hair and prepare your new passport.'  

'What passport will I have and what name?' It seemed so strange to her all those tricky preparations.

'It's a Tunisian passport my love and we've chosen a lovely name for you, it's Nour Ramzi.

She smiled at last and wiped her tears. 'Yes it's a lovely name I like it Ken and I'll get used to it very easily. But the Tunisian dialect must be somewhat different from ours…'

'Yes of course but you don't have worry dearest Nour, you'll all the time needed it watching their television channels during your training. Well let's go Nour honey we're wasting precious time.'

© Haim Kadman October 2013 �" all rights reserved.