Chapter 5
"What do you mean 'adopt?' Aamira asked. Her dark eyes piercing back at Henry and Elizabeth, while her brother put his head down. Elizabeth watched him knowing exactly what he was thinking.
"Well," Henry started.
But her brother answered her, "It means they would become our family."
She looked back at him, scowering a bit, "How would that work since we live here and they live in America?"
Asim didn't look at his sister but kept his eyes on Elizabeth, "No, we would move and live in America with them." He was clearly more street smart and worldly than his sister.
Elizabeth gave him her small grin. He didn't smile back.
"Like now? Today?" she turned to Elizabeth and Henry with the most beautiful smile on her face. Her brother still unsure.
Elizabeth reached over and put her hand on her shoulder, "No sweetie, not today. We have to get some paperwork done for it first."
"Who's sweetie and what's paperwork?" Aamira looked up at her, crossing her arms in front of herself. Henry couldn't help but smile as Elizabeth would do the same thing in an argument when on the defensive.
"Sweetie is just a nickname." Elizabeth explained, Aamira gave her a blank stare.
"A term of endearment," Elizabeth tried again.
"Still not understanding. Nicknames are what mean kids use. We only go by our names," she explained not unfolding her arms.
Henry sighed and said, "If that is what you want, we will honor that, for sure."
"How about you? What are you thinking?" he asked Asim.
"After we spent time with you, the kids were mad because they said you were some special person from America. What does that mean?" he asked. He was fiddling with his fingers and his soccer ball at his feet.
Henry started, "Well, I am a professor. So I teach at a university. Elizabeth is the Secretary…."
"Are you the President?" Aamira interrupted, smiling at Elizabeth.
"Aamira!" Asim corrected her, "My question, not yours. Stop doing that."
"Sorry, I am just excited," she giggled back at her brother, who rolled his eyes.
Elizabeth finished Henry's statement, "No, I am the Secretary of State, which means I am in charge of the United States' relationships with other countries."
Aamira's eyes grew wide as she turned her head and shot a look at her brother, who was now smiling.
"Why did you come here?" he asked her.
"We are on what is called a diplomatic trip. Also a bit of a family vacation for everyone on my staff. I have been working on climate change specifically for this trip. Director Goombay and I were meeting about this and education the other day when our family met both of you," she explained.
Henry jumped in, "Look we know this is not easy. We weren't expecting this either. But, when we met both of you the other day, we felt a deep connection with you. I am sure this is unexpected for both of you as well. An American couple comes here with their family and two days later they are offering to adopt you into their family."
Asim interrupted, "Oh no. We want to go with you. I just always ask a lot of questions. And I don't want to go on a boat to America." He shared a small smile.
Elizabeth and Henry sat back and shared a shocked look with each other.
Meanwhile, Aamira piped up, "I don't care how we get there. Let's just go. Stop questioning it, Asim."
Elizabeth chuckled tilting her head to the side, staring at the girl. Her immediate thought was "This one may give me a run for my money, but she'll be worth it."
Henry spoke again, "First of all, there's no boat. You will fly on a plane with us. The process will take some time. Our hope is to be able to come back and get you in a month or so."
Aamira's face turned to sadness, "But, why can't we go with you now?"
"Aamira, we may need to work a few things out first," Director Goombay spoke up.
Asim looked back at him, "But, she has a big job. Why can't we go now?
We want to go now. Nobody is coming for us here. We have no future here."
Aamira backed him up, "Yeah. Why would you want us to stay here?"
Elizabeth sighed and looked at Henry, the desperation in her eyes. Her heart beginning to win the battle over the optics.
Director Goombay caught the glance between the Henry and Elizabeth. He turned to the children from his metal and green chair behind his desk.
"Children, I want you to go back to class so we can talk. Okay? I will come and find you soon."
Elizabeth and Henry said their goodbyes and hugged each of them. Elizabeth hanging on just a little longer. She could feel the lack of bathing on them. Their skin hot and sticky from the heat and dirt. All she wanted was to give them love, unconditional love. The love any parent gives to their child.
After the children left, she excused herself from the room. Stepping out of the office, Blake and Jay were there, just outside the building. Standing in the sweltering heat.
"Sorry, guys. I am going to need to talk to Russell Jackson," she said to Blake.
She put her hand on Jay's elbow guiding him with her, "Let's take a walk."
Meanwhile, back in the gray office. Henry sat across from Director Goombay.
"We understand we can't take them today, but we would like to do so in the next few days. Elizabeth left to make a phone call to make that happen on our end."
Director Goombay rocked back in his chair, thinking. His hands, palms together, up at his mouth as he rocked.
"Asim is a little more hesitant to jump into things. He questions everything first. Aamira is the opposite. She makes deisions easily, sometimes too easily. They are both tough and brave like their mother. Asim is always on the move so he goes to bed easily. Aaamira doesn't like to go to bed. She would stay up all night with the other girls if I let her."
He turned his chair and got up going over to the dark, gray filing cabinet. He pulled open the drawer and it made a strong, creaking sound. He pulled out two files. Turning back to his desk, he placed them on the desk.
"They don't know much of anything outside the orphanage besides their impeccable English and football or what you call 'soccer' in America, which I will never understand why." He shook his head at Henry and he laughed.
Henry gave him the impish grin and said, "Elizabeth was an athlete. Our two girls have played soccer for many years. Elizabeth coached them. Allie is the goalie on her high school team. We are used to hours on the field."
"As for food, Aamira is picky and Asim will eat whatever he can get his hands on. They will have to take it slow with eating to avoid getting sick. Meals here often consist of matooke, vegetables and roasted meat. They don't get a lot of sweets here."
Elizabeth re-entered the office and the conversation paused. "Director, I am sorry for leaving. I had to make a call."
He smiled at her and said, "That's quite alright. I received a call the other day for a request for their files. However, my rule is that these files only be given to the parents." He handed Henry and Elizabeth each a file.
"That has all their birth, vaccinations and health records," he finished. "You will need those to process them in the States. For now, they will have to get a passport here."
Elizabeth smiled, "Well, I am well aware of that. I believe my Chief of Staff is working on it."
Goombay's kind eyes shined back at Elizabeth. "Well then, we just need to go over the paperwork and sign a few things. Then, the children are free to go with you. Today."
Elizabeth and Henry were stunned. He would just let them go just like that.
Elizabeth questioned, "Today?"
"Well, they won't be leaving the country for a few days but there is no reason to keep them here. You heard them. You are their future. They want to be with you and your children." He smiled at them.
Elizabeth gave Henry the smile of doubt. They definitely weren't expecting or prepared to leave the orphanage with the children today.
Goombay was also good at reading people and emotions. "Look I can understand that this is unexpected for both of you. There's a few reasons for this. The twins' feelings and your feelings rise above all of those but let me give you the other reasons.
"You hear Asim tell you that the others knew who you were. Asim and Aamira are too young to understand. But the older children know and they will be jealous. They will be picked on for it. I try to prevent any bullying right up front before it happens. I have seen the connection with your family and them. It is in their best interest that if they are going to go with you, the sooner the better."
Elizabeth turned to Henry, "Uhhh…I guess we can make that work." They both shrugged their shoulders at each other.
"They will have to stay in the hotel with us for a few days," Henry added. "Hopefully, everything will be expedited and we can all leave on time."
"I am sure that will not be a problem," Director Goombay said. "I was assured nothing will be held up on our end."
"Do we need to help them pack?" she asked. She glanced over at Frank and noticed the look on his face.
"No, my staff will do that and help facilitate their goodbyes to the others. They should be ready to go in a half-hour. They don't have much," Goombay smiled at them.
Elizabeth and Henry signed the paperwork and shared a small smile with each other. Not sure how any of this was going to work out so quickly.
Elizabeth was ushered to the vehicle by Frank and the other agents for a quick meeting while Henry waited in Goombay's office.
He called the kids.
"Listen, this is all happening very quickly. Faster than we expected. Mom is right now meeting with President Dalton and Diplomatic Security," he said evenly not giving Stevie even the slightest chance.
"They are coming home with us? Today?! That's amazing," Allie yelled back in the phone.
"Allie stop being so dumb. We don't even have a place for them to sleep. This is ridiculous," Stevie barked back at her.
"Stop calling me dumb," Allie shouted back.
Henry held the phone out from his ear.
Jason barked at his older sister, "You know you need to stop being so critical of everyone and everything around you! These are two kids who desperately need parents and a home. The fact that Mom and Dad can provide that for them is amazing. Nobody has to care about what you think all the time."
Henry heard his oldest daughter stomp away and slam the door. He rubbed his temples and his face.
"It's okay, Dad. Jason and I will help out and make room for them to stay with us in our rooms," Allie whispered back.
Jason, chuckled, 'Wait…what?!" Allie threw him a look.
"Yeah, no that's cool." Jason corrected himself.
Henry smiled, "Thanks. We'll let you know when we are on our way back."
He hung up the phone and Elizabeth re-entered the office with Frank.
"Are we both in agreement that this is completely crazy?" she asked.
He looked at her and sighed.
"Well, not the adoption but the fact that it is happening today. I just spoke to Russell…" Elizabeth was whispering as she sat in the seat beside him.
"You woke him up?" he asked.
"Henry! We are about to walk out of here with two children who will officially become ours later today. Yes, I woke him up!" she barked back at him.
"What did he say?" Henry asked.
"Well, he said the timing is unexpected but that legally we can take them. He said many adoptions over here go this quickly. So, he's not worried about the optics. Jay is having a panic attack out there," she threw her hand back at the door while Frank chuckled a bit. She shot him a look.
"As soon as the East Coast wakes up, we need to call your siblings. I have time set up to speak with Will once we get back to the hotel," she shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay. So soon?" he asked.
"Well, Daisy has a press release ready to go but they are going to see us walk back into the hotel with the two children they saw us with during our visit here two days ago," she emphasized almost rolling her eyes at him.
"Listen, Babe. Settle down. We got this. They will be fine," he reassured her as the office door opened.
Aamira came bounding in ahead of the Director and her brother. "We are ready to go!" She had put on a cleaner yellow sundress. Asim walked in wearing a blue button down short sleeve shirt and darker blue shorts.
"Ohh, you are! And you are both in going home outfits," she looked at Henry with a grin and he rolled his eyes at her.
Aamira did a little hop, "They make us wear fancy clothes sometimes. They don't want us wearing our dirty clothes to leave."
"Ahh, I see. Well you look very pretty. Asim you look very handsome," she moved herself behind him and put her hands on his shoulders.
He looked up at her, "Are we ready to go?"
Henry said, "We are. Let's roll, as we say in our family."
They walked out into the hot sun. The dry, reddish dirt kicked up as they walk. The twins had small backpacks and Asim carried his soccer ball under one arm while holding Elizabeth's hand with the other. Henry held Aamira's hand.
Asim jumped up into the SUV. Henry picked Aamira up and placed her inside as she was the smaller of the two. "Tiny" is how Jason described her.
They were scuttled to the back of the third row. Henry climbed in with them and buckled them in.
Jay got in on one side of Elizabeth, glancing back at the kids he whispered to Elizabeth, "Looks like booster seats for you again, Ma'am." He laughed as she said, "Very funny!"
Blake hopped in the other side as Frank and Matt closed the doors.
"Hey kids! I'm Blake," he reached back and shook their hands.
Asim asked, "Do you play football?"
Elizabeth piped up, "In America, it is called soccer. No, Blake doesn't play. He's my assistant."
Aamira asked, "Assistant for what?"
The SUVs sped away from the orphanage and Asim watched out the window and turned to look out the back.
Aamira never looked back.
"Assistant for her job. He's an executive assistant. He helps keep her schedule and books all her meetings," Henry answered.
"Who's he?" Asim asked pointing at Jay.
Jay turned as much as he could, "I'm Jay. The Secretary's Chief of Staff."
Aamira shook her head, "I don't even know what that means."
Asim almost interrupted her, looking around the vehicle, "Where are the other kids? Why aren't they here?"
Henry laughed, "They are at the hotel waiting for you. They are so excited for you to join our family."
"What's a hotel? I thought we were going to a home. Did you do this thing call 'adopt' with them too?" Aaamira fired at them.
"No, they are our children," Elizabeth chuckled.
"So, now you will have five children, instead of three," Asim said as more of a statement than a question.
Elizabeth did a breathy laugh as Blake and Jay shared a comical look across the car.
Henry leaned up and put his hands on her shoulders in front of him , "Yes, we will."