A Price Above Rubies

Chapter Seven

Acelya likes coming with him to church. They make the afternoon mass after bringing Yorgo home after their fishing trip. A successful trip. Yorgo is giddy over his two little fish as if they are massive whales. Hilal promises to fry them up along side Papa's fish for dinner tonight and their little boy is so proud. Leon bathes and changes, helping Acelya with the buckles on her shoes when Hilal finishes dressing her in a pretty pink and white lace dress.

Something is off with his wife, but he doesn't want to press her while they don't have time to get into it. He's also not willing to answer any of her questions in case she can sense something is off with him as well. Leon needs time to think about what he's going to tell her. If he tells her what Luchas had told him, Hilal will get herself involved and head straight for the line of fire, danger be damned. The idea chills him to the bone. He's finally found some peace of mind in his home. His wife, while still politically active restrains her activism to sometimes helping him at the newspaper and attending meetings here and there, nothing that would put her or their family at risk.

He needs to know more before he informs his wife about what's happening in Greece.

His first thought is for his brother and mother, but Luchas assures him the last time he saw Ali Kemal, he was fine. Still, the unease remains. They're fine, but for how long? He starts to think maybe the safest thing is to get his brother and mother out of Greece.

His daughter tucks her hand in his as they walk up the steps. She likes the entire experience of the church, the statues, the stained glass, the music and the whole ritual of it all. Yorgo is scared of the statues but likes the 'cookies' otherwise known as the eucharist. Acelya finds some of the statues sad when Leon tells her the stories associated with them. She listens; though he's not sure how much she understands.

Leon and Hilal allow their children to attend both their houses of worship whenever either child shows interest. They've known too much pain caused by lines and boundaries, blood spilled in the name of this or that God. Leon meant it when he kneeled before her in the dark years ago, asking her to be his wife, his God, his religion is love.

Hilal allowed him to have both their children baptized just so they would able to attend services with him if they wanted.

"Daddy, did you know in 'nother church they go into a closet and tell the priest all their bad things? Then the priest punishes them," Acelya says as they sit in the pew, staying for a while after the service is over.

Leon cocks an eyebrow. "Catholics? Where did you hear about Catholics?"

"I saw a picture book in the library of so many pretty churches, Daddy, but we couldn't bring it home cause the lady said that one wasn't to borrow. Mommy helped me sound out the word cause it was in English and Mommy knows some English words. It was funny cause at first I thought she was talking about licking cats so I was really confused. Mommy laughed so hard when I said that the librarian told her to shh! Then I laughed cause Mommy's a grown up lady and the librarian was scolding her so we both had to get our books really fast and leave."

Leon snorts, the sound echoing in the church, some departing parishioners looking their way. He really wished he'd been there in the library with them.

"I like that we don't have to go in closets when we do bad things. Don't like spankings but then you and mommy say you forgive me and Yorgo cause we're sorry and we try and do better even though sometimes it's hard. I don't like the dark," Acelya explains although Leon and Hilal both know this. She looks up at a statue of Jesus on the cross. "Daddy, do you think he goes in the closet to punish people when they do bad things?"

Leon thinks about how best to answer his little girl. "No. He's kind of like all our fathers. He forgives us when we're truly sorry and wants us to do better."

Acelya bites her lip. "He's not still like that, is he, Daddy? In heaven? God let him come down so he's not hurting on the cross anymore, right?"

Leon wraps an arm around his little girl. "No. He's all healed up. Promise."

"That's good. Do you think he and Muhammad are friends up in heaven?"

His daughter, the little philosopher always has so many questions. Leon and Hilal don't usually mind but sometimes her questions make his head spin. He encourages her curiosity though. "I think so," he replies honestly.

Acelya nods as if she thought so too. "It's sad they didn't know each other before. Jesus healed lots of people. Maybe he could have healed Muhammad too and then he wouldn't have gotten sick and died or he could have had a vision and told Jesus that Judas was really bad and not to be his friend then Jesus wouldn't have died too." She suddenly presses her lips tightly closed as if she's thinking of something but can't figure out how to word it. "He was 'apposed to die though, huh, Daddy? That's the story you said. He died for me and Yorgo and you and Mama and everyone so that's how come the priest can forgive us when we do bad things. It's like a gift."

Leon nods, proud of his little girl's understanding.

She leans her head on his arm and his breath catches at her next words.

"Just like grandma and grandpa died for us, right, Daddy? They were heroes and went to heaven so we could win the war and no more people would die."

Even after all these years. The hot punch of grief still seizes his chest sometimes. "Yes, they did," he manages to choke out.

"But Daddy, because the war is over..."

Leon feels her little body suddenly shiver against him and looks down at his daughter.

"You and Mama don't have to do that, right? Give nobody a gift like that, right? And go in heaven?"

A cold shiver moves through him as he thinks about Luchas, who Lutfu has agreed to let stay with them in hiding for a little while until Leon can explain his presence to his wife. He wants Ali Kemal and his mother out of Greece. A dread growing in him that pushed a sense of urgency. He'd send her a letter and book her and his brother passage on a ship as soon as possible.

And if they couldn't get them out in time? Leon feels paralyzed with the fear of what that might mean, of what he might have to do. He looks down at his little girl, the words sticking in his throat but he forces them out. "Your Mommy and Daddy love you and will never leave you," he vows. He looks up at the ornate crucifix hanging behind the altar. Please don't make me a liar to my little girl.

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