Chapter 22: ?aram

October 19, 2001, Los Angeles, California

🎤 Steve

I was about halfway back to the hotel when my mobile phone rang. I fished it from my pocket and saw that it was a 213 number, which I assumed was Aisyah.

“Steve Adams,” I said after flipping open my Motorola RAZR.

“It’s Aisyah. I’m sorry about what happened after dinner. My parents...”

“No need to apologize,” I interrupted. “I totally understand.”

“Where are you?” she asked.

“On 6th, walking back towards the Omni. Why don’t you meet me by the fountain at California Plaza in about forty minutes?”

“I’ll see you then!”

We said ‘goodbye’ and I snapped the phone shut and slipped it back into my pocket. A minute later, I took it out, flipped it open, and speed-dialed home.

“I’m missing my cuddles!” Birgit declared when she picked up the phone.

“Hello to you, too, Pumpkin!”

“Hi, Dad. How is California?”

“It’s fine. May I speak to your moms? Then I’ll speak to you girls and Albert.”

“I suppose...”

Thirty seconds later my wives were on the speakerphone in my study.

“Hi, beautiful wives!”

“How is California?” Kara asked.

“That’s the exact same question your daughter asked! It’s fine. How is Chicago?”

“Everything is good here. How was your visit to the mosque?”

“Rest assured that I’m not going to convert to Islam.”

“No kidding!” Jessica exclaimed, “Though you could have four wives...”

“Speaking of which, I need to talk about an exception to ‘Rule 3’.”

“Risky, Snuggle Bear,” Kara declared. “Who?”

“Aisyah.”

“How did that happen?!” Jessica asked in surprise.

“That’s a whole different problem, which I’ll deal with next week. Someone talked to Aisyah about The Club.”

“Who broke «omertà»?” Kara demanded.

“I’m not sure. Aisyah promised to tell me if I agreed to her request.”

“That sounds awfully close to extortion,” Jessica protested.

“It’s a quid pro quo,” I replied. “In exchange for knowing her, I’d get to know who violated my confidence.”

Both my wives laughed.

“Actually,” Kara said, sounding serious, “you have to take action against whoever opened their mouth! I’m fairly sure that’s the actual risk in this situation.”

“I’m positive that’s the case,” I replied. “Especially with Janice Parker lurking and looking for ways to cause trouble.”

“When I teased you before about four wives, your response implied more than just a, well, I’m going to guess a ‘random deflowering’ not a ‘dalliance’.”

“She’s not a virgin, but has just a little experience,” I replied. “We can discuss it later, but were she a virgin, I’d probably have turned her down immediately, because of the implications of Islam, rather than giving her request proper consideration. Anyway, in the conversation we had, which I can explain in more detail when I get home, she actually suggested moving to Chicago. That derailed almost immediately when I revealed I was unable to father children.”

“Wait!” Jessica protested. “She wanted to be another wife?”

“I can explain more when I’m home, but if anyone would understand that concept, and what it means, it would be a Muslim woman. She had her reasons, and they make logical sense.”

“Did Birgit talk to you about Fatimah?” Kara asked.

“Yes. And much to our daughter’s frustration, Fatimah wants to go back to Saudi Arabia.”

“So you know Birgit was thinking ‘wife number four’?”

“Yes,” I chuckled. “But something like that, which has significant implications for the entire family, is not something the Empress of the Universe gets to decide, no matter how much I love her! Did she tell you she hired an attorney?”

“She what?!” Kara gasped.

“She gave Patricia five bucks as a retainer so she could ask questions about Fatimah under attorney-client privilege.”

“Only your daughter!”

“She’s YOUR daughter as well! If you think about it, Birgit is around adults all the time, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when she does truly adult things.”

“We can discuss it later, as you said,” Kara replied, “but were you seriously considering a fourth wife?”

“I give all requests serious consideration. The ones not actually worthy of that are rejected immediately, others are given more careful thought. In this case, I quickly discerned that the kind of relationship she wanted involved having children, so I revealed that I’d had a vasectomy, and that was pretty much the end of it, as that’s not what she had hoped for.”

“So then what?” Jessica asked.

“She’s calling it a show of extreme appreciation. I’d add affection, too, given how our relationship has developed. Based on a two-hour conversation between the mosque visit and dinner, I’m convinced she has her head screwed on straight.”

“Until YOU get done with her, Tiger!” Jessica teased. “I’m inclined to say ‘yes’, though you have to take action against whomever it is who talked.”

“I agree with Jess,” Kara added. “Have fun! But I guess that means no writing tomorrow.”

“We’ll see what happens,” I replied. “I’m not committed to any course of action just yet.”

“What’s causing you to hesitate?” Jessica asked.

“The rules violation mainly. I’m walking back to the hotel, and I asked Aisyah to meet me at the fountain in the plaza. It’s about an hour’s walk, and the reason for the walk is I seriously violated my carb limit today to show hospitality. I was concerned, so right before I had tea and cakes after the prayer service, I took one of my fast-acting propranolol tablets.”

“What prompted that?” Jessica asked, her voice now in ‘doctor mode’.

“An abundance of caution. I knew my blood sugar was going to be out of whack, and I didn’t want to take any chances. It had time to act before Aisyah surprised me with a kiss on the cheek, which is what precipitated the conversation. I didn’t have any symptoms of my adrenaline intolerance, and no near-syncope.”

“But your judgment is likely impaired.”

“Kara?” I asked.

She was quiet for a few seconds before saying, “He sounds calm, cool, and collected.”

“How long ago did you take the propranolol?” Jessica inquired.

“I’d call it about three-and-a-half hours, and it had time to act before Aisyah kissed my cheek.”

“And your meals today were so important that you were willing to risk a health event, take pharmaceuticals, and likely suffer from what amounts to a carbohydrate hangover for a week or two?”

“Yes. Remember, the entire point of this trip was to reassure our Muslim staff that NIKA will not tolerate ANY bigotry and that we believe Muslims who live in America are not responsible for the actions of a terrorist like bin Laden. Eating with the imam, accepting his hospitality, and listening respectfully to what he had to say goes a long way to build trust. And there’s a business angle, too - there are plenty of Muslim doctors and lawyers, and if NIKA has the reputation of respecting and accommodating their faith, we’ll be much more likely to bring them aboard as customers.”

“But couldn’t that hurt your business in other ways?” Kara asked.

“I’m not going to allow close-minded people or bigots to control my business,” I replied. “I’ve pushed back on that before, along with harassment of employees for ANY reason. You do remember Dante, right?”

“Yes, of course. It was just a question.”

“A legitimate one, too. But you’ve seen how our friends have been treated, and the threats made against their mosque. And while I have serious concerns about how Christians are treated in some Muslim countries, we have to set the proper example. We can’t very well complain about how other countries behave unless we have our house in order. Speaking of business with Muslims - I had dinner with her parents and I may invest in their business. Aisyah’s dad is going to send me the financials.”

“What business, Tiger?”

“Convenience stores. He came over as an immigrant, and despite having a degree in engineering, couldn’t find a job. He worked as a cabbie to make enough money to buy the first store with two investors. He bought the second one on his own, and he’s looking to buy two more. I’ll have Bo review the financials, and if everything checks out, the three of us will discuss it.”

“You’ve made really good decisions before,” Jessica said. “We have a nice monthly income from the investments you’ve made so far. Your business acumen is awesome!”

“Thanks to my dad and Don Joseph,” I replied. “So, what do you say, Jess?”

“No anxiety? No compulsion? No feelings of being out of control?”

“None at all. If you tell me ‘no’, then I’ll have tea or coffee with Aisyah and send her home.”

“Document everything in your food, sleep, and exercise diary, and then, if you decide to do it, I think this falls under ‘manage your sex life’, Tiger.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“Then would you get the kids, please?”

“Albert is with Dave’s boys for a Scouting thing,” Jessica said. “He’s racking up merit badges faster than you’re collecting ‘V’ cards!!”

I chuckled, “Nice analogy.”

My girls were in my study quickly and we chatted for about five minutes about school and the party they were having for Fatimah on Saturday. When we finished, we all exchanged affirmations of love, then said ‘goodbye’. I closed my phone to disconnect the call and put it back into my pocket. Ten minutes later, I arrived at California Plaza and found a table with two chairs and a good view of the fountain. Aisyah arrived about five minutes later and sat down after greeting me.

“May I ask a question?” she inquired.

“Of course.”

“Did you agree to help my dad because of me?”

“Yes, and for the exact reasons I gave - I know you, and you were obviously raised with an excellent work ethic and integrity. Remember, too, that I’ll do my due diligence on the financials before any agreement is reached. Ultimately, it’s about getting a good return on my investment. I am, after all, a capitalist.”

“But you don’t run your company that way!” she protested.

“Sure I do! Remember our conversation about exchanges of value? That is what drives my thinking at NIKA. The difference is, for me, that money is not the only measure of value. I also believe that proper capitalism has to return a significant portion of that value to those who help create it, and that some portion of it ought to be shared with others, if only to ensure they don’t join together to take it away, which they will, if the capitalist refuses to behave in a responsible manner.”

“It’s an interesting view I’ve never heard before.”

“It goes much further, in that any exchange of value has to benefit both sides, and I believe it should benefit the person with whom I’m making the exchange at least as much, and usually more, than it benefits me.”

“Why?”

“Because there are intangible benefits in every exchange. If a person thinks they got the better part of a deal, are they more likely to want to make another exchange with me, or less likely?”

“More, I think.”

“And if they feel I got the better part of the exchange?”

“Less, because they might feel that you had taken advantage of them.”

“And that’s how I conduct business. I simply don’t place the same value on money that others do, and instead, focus on the overall benefits. A perfect example is our pay scale - it’s not the highest in the industry, and we never negotiate. Some people turn down our offers, but most don’t, because when all the benefits are taken into consideration, our offer is better than almost any other they could receive, even if the other offer included more money. One of the important selling points is our «kami», which is addressed in the Employee Handbook. And that is something which, in my opinion, money can’t buy.”

“Including your care for your employees.”

“Exactly. And I apply those principles to everything in my life. Every interaction with another person involves some exchange of value, even if it’s just listening to the other person speak and caring about their wellbeing. Those are the primary building blocks of friendship, and, ultimately, of any relationship. In fact, you made that exact point about an exchange of value.”

“My virginity for the welfare of my family.”

“Exactly. Who got the better part of that deal?”

Aisyah laughed, “I believe he, and most men, would say he did, but I think you believe that I did.”

I nodded, “I do, in part because I place a much lower value on virginity than you do in your culture. But in the end, the question is what YOU believe.”

Aisyah smiled, “On balance, I believe I did. Twenty minutes in his bed, in exchange for my father’s dignity and success for my family, which included me going to college and coming to work for NIKA. What I didn’t calculate correctly, because I didn’t understand, was the difficulty I would have in finding a devout Muslim man who could accept that I was not a virgin. Despite that, I’m still convinced I made the correct decision at thirteen, and don’t regret it, because everything that happened since led to the opportunity to give myself to you in that way.”

“Why is that so important to you?”

“I’m not completely sure, but it is something I very much want to do.”

“Then back to my question - what happens after tonight?”

Aisyah laughed softly, “You may have me again tomorrow night, if you wish!”

“Fine,” I replied with a smile, “After I have you all night tonight, all day and night tomorrow, as well as on Sunday morning, then what?”

The smile disappeared from Aisyah’s face, “I may be more naïve than I thought.”

And I had just seriously put my foot in my mouth, electing to tease when I actually had no idea how she would respond. I should have known better, given that her entire sexual history was limited to twenty minutes when she was thirteen, half her life in the past.

“I’m sorry,” I replied.

She shook her head, “No, please don’t be. I was, well, overwhelmed by what you said. Nobody, not even my closest friends, would dare speak that way, even in private.”

“Which is why I shouldn’t have done it.”

“It’s OK, given I expect you to see me naked at some point tonight. As for what happens, I thought about it a lot after you told me about your inability to father more children, and if, by the end of next year, I’ve been unsuccessful in finding a devout Muslim man to marry, I would like to speak to your ‘Senior’ wife to see if she’s amenable to adding a fourth wife, assuming you agree.”

I could see, in her mind, a clock ticking. At twenty-six, she was already an ‘old maid’ in her community, if my experience to date with Muslims was any indication, which I thought it was. Every day that passed made it more and more unlikely that she’d find a suitable man to be her husband and father her children.

I wondered if she’d considered a much older man - a widower, perhaps - but my gut told me that I was at the very edge of what she would consider a suitable age difference. Again, from my limited experience about ten years was the usual gap in ages, with girls marrying between age fifteen and eighteen. That was changing in some countries in the Middle East, but not among the most devout.

And that made me once again think about Aisyah’s decisions, both thirteen years in the past, and in the present. For her, it wasn’t a question of sin, per se, but rather she saw sex as transactional, something a woman used to gain something of value. I didn’t disagree with that assessment, as I saw it that way as well, though the value we each sought was different. For me, it was bonding; for Aisyah it was safety and security, either for herself or for her family.

That wasn’t a problem in my mind, as I felt sex was always transactional, even if the transaction was merely mutual pleasure. The government disagreed in the sense that it felt it could limit the terms of the transaction in any manner it felt appropriate, including time, place, permitted value exchange, and even, who could engage in the transaction. The more prudish members of society generally rejected the transactional nature, and had declared it to be limited to certain approved pairings, and only for certain approved purposes.

I considered everything that Aisyah had said, and concluded that this transaction made sense in her mind, no matter what the end result. If nothing else, it was a return of value for the support and protection she’d received, but also a down payment on a future relationship, even if that relationship might not materialize. In other words, it made sense.

“So long as you understand that right now I can make no promises beyond this weekend.”

“I understand. So, have you decided?”

I was very pleased that she hadn’t simply assumed that the answer was ‘yes’ when I’d asked her to meet me in the plaza. It was another positive sign that the decision I’d made several hours earlier was the correct one. That meant we were at the true inflection point, as my answer would resolve the question she’d asked and determine what happened next.

She wanted to be with me. I wanted to be with her. My analysis of the risk was minimal, and my wives had not objected. There was, though, one thing I had to verify, and hoped that my luck held. It wouldn’t have mattered had I asked earlier, but in my mind, there hadn’t been a good time to ask. Now, though, my hand was forced.

“Before I answer, there’s one thing my wives require - I need to know if you’ve taken advantage of the health benefit that provides free screening for sexually transmitted diseases?”

Aisyah nodded, “It’s included in the regular check-up, along with the other blood tests, and I saw no reason to decline it, even though after the first one four years ago was negative, there really wasn’t a point.”

The Universe continued to have a perfect record in that regard, aided by my insistence that an annual screening test be included, as a covered test, in all of our health plans.

“Then, would you like to stay with me for the rest of the weekend, and share my bed?”

“Yes,” Aisyah said, demurely, but with a smile. “I would.”

I stood, took her hand, and led her towards the entrance to the Omni. When we reached the lobby, I asked her to wait, and went to reception.

“I’m in room 815, and a friend decided to stay over, so I’d like to make it double-occupancy for the next two nights. Charge this card for the overage, please.”

I proffered my Amex gold card, but the desk clerk refused it.

“There’s no additional charge for a second guest in our suites, Sir. Enjoy the rest of your stay.”