Chapter 5

September 3, 2000

Josh lay in bed listening to Narisa in the shower. He had a rough night's sleep because of last night's events. Even the ensuing discussion at home didn't help much. What bothered him most were Narisa's open-ended remarks that left a multiple marriage as a possibility, even if it were extremely remote.

Looking up at the ceiling, Josh's thoughts rolled over in his mind. I've grown up having been affected and shaped by my parents' mores and the culture in which we live. Like all the boys and girls I've grown up with, I've always seen my life taking the familiar path of completing school, marrying that one true soul mate, raising a couple of kids and trying to eek out our own measure of happiness. Having two wives just didn't fit the picture I've grown up with as a happy life.

When I married Narisa, I decided that for whatever reason, my life was following that perceived path, albeit a lot sooner than I expected. I threw myself into my marriage and have made it my life's ambition to love my wife and have the kind of marriage my parents have. At the moment, my love for Narisa completely envelops me and that's all I ever want.

Maybe everyone is right and I'm wrong by making a mountain out of the proverbial molehill and it's just a non-issue. Like Dad said last month, at least I know I can go forward with my eyes more fully open to the world around me, more fully aware of these types of marriages. Right now, I've got a beautiful amorous wife. That's one-third of Hasan's formula for a perfect life. What I'm going to do is work my butt off to get the other two- thirds: beautiful kids and the security to provide a happy life.

While showering, Narisa had thoughts of her own. Why did such a stupid remark affect him so much? He's been so single-minded in giving me his love. Does he think I'll throw all that away and invite someone into our little piece of heaven? Men! Sometimes they are just little boys that can't see what's right in front of them. I hope his outburst last night wasn't because of guilt ... Could he imagine Zaara and me together in bed with him? That blue-eyed hunk better not! I'll have to cut his legs off at the knees!

Narisa had come from her shower and Josh hauled himself out of bed to follow suit. After he'd finished his morning ritual, he took even more pleasure in playing Narisa's hairdresser and indulging in his now admitted fetish with his pixie wife's tiny feet. When he kissed her feet, he looked at her tiny pink toes and they reminded him of a string of little pink pearls. He started crying and immediately Narisa rose and pulled him to her bosom. He told her that he loved her more than life itself and wanted only her in his life forever.

I don't understand what you're saying Josh, but I understand your love for me. Don't be frightened, my darling. We will always be together - forever and a day.

Josh sensed that she seemed to understand, just rocking him like her child. She kissed the top of his head and whispered, "You make Narisa so happy! Dooset daram, husband."

Josh looked up and shrugged like he didn't understand and she smiled down at him and whispered, "I love you" in his ear.

Josh collected himself and stood to dress. Looking back at her tear-filled eyes, he smiled gently as he stroked the side of her cheek with the back of his hand and said, "Forever and ever." She nodded with a tender smile.

They went to breakfast, Narisa in her blue and white dress and white headscarf and he in the only suit he owned. Conversation was relaxed, but there was a little tension in anticipation of that day's meeting with Judge Stiles. Both parents reassured the newlyweds that everything would be okay and just tell the truth.

They arrived and were sitting in the outer office of Judge Stiles' chambers at nine forty-five. His secretary answered the phone and after hanging up said, "Judge Stiles will see you now," and opened the door for them to enter.

Judge Henry Stiles rose from behind his impressive oak desk dressed in a black suit and extended his hand to Josh's father introducing himself. After the introductions and handshakes, everyone was seated. Judge Stiles put on his reading glasses, perused the papers in his file and sat back, taking off his glasses and setting them on the pile of papers.

"Well," he began, "this is certainly a case I don't see very often. I must tell you that after talking to Mr. Stanley Wiseman this morning for almost an hour, I'm a firm believer that fact is stranger than fiction. I understand that these two young people are legally married with a valid marriage certificate from the country of Iran?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Steve replied as he handed him the teen's marriage license. "I have their marriage certificate right here."

Judge Stiles looked at it and said, "This is in Arabic. How am I supposed to read it? How do I know that this document, although official by the seal on it, isn't a birth certificate or something?

Steven apologized and pointing out that the documents weren't in Arabic, but in Farsi, and offered to translate them for him while offering Narisa's birth certificate. The judge looked at him as he pondered his next move. "All right, no matter." he said. "Either way, I'll accept your translation for now, but I'll need certified translations of these documents for the record as soon as you can have them completed."

"Yes, Your Honor." Steve replied, again apologizing.

Steven Williams translated every document that they'd been furnished and after a complete review of all the documents, Judge Stiles sat back, sighed then leaned forward with his hands together on his desk and said, "Here's my understanding of the case as it stands now, using both the INS and government's positions as to the legal marital status of Joshua and Narisa.

"The State department has deferred what constitutes a legal marriage between an American citizen and a foreign national to the definition as set forth in the immigration statutes. Under immigration law, a marriage is only valid when a certified marriage license is issued by a governmental agency of the country in which the marriage took place. That could be a local or municipal agency having jurisdiction. A religious marriage license isn't a valid document according to the INS. From my conversations with the State Department and reviewing the proceedings here in this court document, it appears that Joshua and Narisa do have a valid marriage license."

Everyone audibly exhaled a sigh of relief.

"However, there are certain conditions regarding INS regulations that might nullify this marriage in the United States. Those conditions being, that both parties are of the legal age of consent. It's obvious that at fourteen and thirteen, they are not what is considered legal age in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which is sixteen."

"If I might point out, Your Honor," Marie interjected, "in the country in which this marriage took place, they are of legal consenting age to enter into a marriage as adults."

"I understand that, Mrs. Williams, but the explanation I received from Mr. Wiseman is that because of several factors, all the normal and customary procedures for processing the admission of an alien spouse of an American citizen to the Unites States were waived due to the circumstances of this case. I was informed that by delicate negotiations and diplomacy the U.S. and Iranian governments arrived at a decision to expedite their trials and commute their sentences thereby sparing their lives with the agreement that the children's ages would be a moot point. That plus the fact that our government granted Narisa Assad, now Narisa Williams asylum because right here in these court documents they state that if she were refused entry to the U.S., she was facing a mandatory life sentence and she could possibly be executed at some later date without anyone ever finding out about it."

When the judge said that, Josh suddenly thought, Maybe they did negotiate the outcome of our trials after all...

"Another point of fact that cannot be overlooked is that this marriage was coerced under penalty of death. That in of itself constitutes an invalid marriage. Regardless of how they feel about each other now, at the time they were essentially forced to marry someone they'd never even met. Please don't think I'm being callous and unfeeling; I'm simply telling you what the law states. The law doesn't take into account the feelings or relationships of those involved. Law and the execution of proper jurisprudence have no feelings: only statutes. As an officer of Family Court, it is my duty to use the law and temper it with my judgment to help keep families together if possible, not tear them apart. That's why we're here today, correct?"

"Yes, Your Honor," all agreed.

"My take on all of this is as follows: Your first option is to let sleeping dogs lie and do nothing, going on the assumption that a valid marriage license is in hand because it was recognized by the U.S. government and leave it at that. There's a major problem with that though. You, Mr. and Mrs. Williams as legal guardians of these two minors, leave yourselves open to possible prosecution for contributing to the delinquency of minors by allowing them to cohabitate in a conjugal relationship should someone find out and press charges. This would probably happen sooner rather than later because the true relationship these two kids have could be discovered or disclosed to a student, neighbor, a parent or a news agency. Everyone in this room knows that this will eventually come out. Mr. Wiseman told me of the press conference that took place when you returned to the United States and I'm sure some reporter is sniffing around vital records waiting to get lucky.

"If some person, persons or organization wanted to challenge this Iranian marriage license in a Virginia court and it was ruled invalid, then you're looking at being charged with a class four felony and Joshua would be found guilty of a class one misdemeanor for having sex with a girl under the age of fourteen. A class four felony in the Commonwealth of Virginia brings with it a one hundred thousand-dollar fine and two to ten years in prison. A class one misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to twelve months in jail and a two thousand-dollar fine. I will tell you from experience that the U.S. government does what it wants and can overlook any regulation it wishes and later wash its hands of any culpability regarding settling any loose ends later, so don't expect them to help you one bit. Their opinion is that they saved the lives of two kids and brought them here to live in safety. End of story."

"Your Honor, my question now is," Marie asked, "will you grant Joshua and Narisa special permission given the circumstances, to be married under Virginia law?"

He smiled and replied, "We'll have to wait and see, won't we? What I'd like to do now is talk to each of them separately, without the parents, and determine if they have a realistic and mature sensibility towards fulfilling their obligations to each other as husband and wife. If they can prove to me that they understand all the responsibilities they have to each other in a marriage, I'll grant them a marriage license and perform the ceremony myself."

Marie replied, "Thank you, Your Honor. Both my husband and I speak Farsi fluently and either one of us can translate when you speak to Narisa, but I am her legal guardian and would like to provide that service if I may."

"By all means. Thank you, Mrs. Williams." With a chuckle he quipped, "Now, who wants to sit in the hot seat first?"

"I will," Josh offered.

"Fine. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, will you please take Narisa outside, have a seat and I'll call for you with Narisa when it's her turn to speak."

With that, everyone except Josh rose and left the judge's chambers.

"Well, Joshua, don't be afraid. We're just going to talk like two old married geezers about married life all right?"

"I'm not afraid, Your Honor."

"Good! Why don't you tell me, from the beginning, how you've come to be a married man at fourteen."

Josh then went into vivid detail beginning with that Sunday as he, his parents and their guides watched Narisa being apprehended, the stoning, their subsequent arrest and trial and what he felt at their sentencing. He told him what was going through his mind when they were sentenced and the shock at being asked to marry Narisa. Josh also explained his sudden affection and bond to her from the moment they'd met as husband and wife on the courthouse steps.

He led Judge Stiles step-by-step through their wedding night: her fear and lack of clothing and what he'd done to relieve her fears along with every detail of the evening including how he'd clothed her and even when those boxers fell and he had his hand on her butt. The judge laughed at the mental picture and was touched by the fact that Josh was excited like any boy would be, but put her welfare first. Josh told him of their first kiss, their first intimate night together and why they had not had intercourse yet.

Josh spilled his heart out to the man that held their fate in his hands and even revealed his fascination with Narisa's eyes, her hair and even her tiny feet. He explained to him how they seemed to be able to sense and know what each other's thoughts and feelings were even though they couldn't communicate verbally. He told him of his embarrassing trip to the drug store for feminine products and the judge laughed saying that he has to do that for his daughter and wife. Judge Stiles jokingly quipped, "I don't know why it is, but they always seem to need those damn things at night when everything is closed!"

Josh explained to him his overwhelming desire to protect his tiny bride and love her and treasure her like his dad does his mom. How he wanted to grow old with her, have children with her and make her happy. Josh poured out all his thoughts and feelings to this man. When he'd finished, he sat back emotionally drained and looked at the fatherly judge pleadingly and asked, "Please, Your Honor, give me my wife and let me love her forever."

"Son, your parents should be very proud of you. They've raised a good man: a man that any woman would be proud to call her husband. What you have just revealed, what you've been through and how you've accepted your fate and loved that girl is something that touches my heart. Hundreds of kids your age come through my courtroom every month without any direction or sense of responsibility with regards to their lives. What I admire most is that you didn't do what most boys your age would have done and taken that young girl because it was your marital right. To me, that is the proof of a real love and caring for a woman. Now step outside while I talk with your wife and see if she feels as you do."