A Price Above Rubies

Chapter Eight

Hilal sends Vecihi a message asking him for help with Ali Kemal. She will let him handle getting her brother, or the man she still thinks of as her brother, even though he is now her brother in law, out of wherever the Greeks have imprisoned him. She can trust Vecihi not to say a word to Leon, if she asks him not to. The man is a friend to them all, but he will understand the importance of this secrecy.

She has to trust him to do this because she cannot. Everything in her screams to run and save her brother from the clutches of the GSD, but she can't. She is someone's wife. She is someone's mother. All the ties she fought against when she was young and wanted only to fight for her country's freedom. Those ties bind her now, as much as if they are the bones, forged together in body, as if they are arteries pumping life through her blood.

This artery is Leon.

Pump. Pump.

This artery is Acelya.

Pump. Pump.

This artery is Yorgo.

Pump. Pump.

She is proud of her little girl for not mentioning Veronika's telegram to Leon. Hilal doesn't feel the least bit guilty for lying to her and saying that Acelya shouldn't say anything to her father yet because Veronika wants to surprise Leon. Hilal is beyond grateful that it had been Acelya with her when the telegram had come and not Yorgo. Yorgo would never have been able to keep quiet about a note from 'gammy'.

Telling Yildiz is out of the question. Telling Yakup is as well because he'd have to keep it from Yildiz and Hilal isn't sure how much Yakup knows about the... history between Yildiz and Ali Kemal. She and Yildiz never talked about the confusing feelings the two had for each other and that that was what had sent Ali Kemal to Greece when it was discovered that he and Leon were brothers. The knowledge had been a furious blow to both young men who were not friends, but over time, they'd become close and Ali Kemal had learned to embrace the chance to start fresh, away from the potential destructiveness of the feelings Yildiz and Ali Kemal had for each other.

No, Vecihi was the only one she could trust. He would be coming to visit under the guise of a friendly stay and he'd let her know what he'd learned and what the best course of action would be.

She finds Leon on the carpet with Yorgo, working on putting together a train set Osman had bought for the little boy when he'd returned from a trip to London with his English wife.

"This bit, here, Papa," Yorgo says. "I think it goes this one." He fits a wooden piece over a raised part of the track. "It fit, Papa! See?"

"You're right, my son," Leon adds the last bit in Greek and Yorgo beams proudly not only at the praise but because those were the first words he learned in Greek from his father.

Hilal stays out of sight and watches them for a while. This is why. This is why she has to let Vecihi be the one to face the danger, for these two and the little girl reading upstairs.

She fights a giggle when she hears Leon cursing in Greek under his breath as he tries to figure out a difficult piece of the motorized little train that will be going on the track. His finger pushes a tiny little switch and the sound of a small puff and whistle makes him jump and drop the train, startled.

Yorgo bursts out laughing, his little body falling over because Papa was scared, then Leon joins him, unable to help a reluctant chuckle himself.

"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" She watches as he tickles Yorgo on the carpet for a moment, watching the little boy squirming and squealing before Leon stops and they return to the task at hand. A few minutes later, the little train is making puffing and chugging noises, followed by the occasional whistle as it glides around the track.

"You did it, Papa! It works!" Yorgo is on his feet chasing the little train along the track, clapping with delight. "Oh, thank you, Papa! Thank you so much!" He throws his little arms around Leon. "You the nicest Papa in the whole wide world, Papa! Mommy, come see! Papa made a choo-choo train!" Yorgo bolts down the hallway and Hilal calls him back with a laugh through her tears, moved by his sweet show of appreciation to his father.

She remembers Leon telling her when he was little, Vasili would always buy him toys that were already put together because he thought it was 'a waste of time' to have to put them together themselves. Veronika would try and remind Leon that his father had many things to do; so his time was very precious.

Yorgo turns in surprise to find his mother by the doorway and rushes back as Hilal steps into the sitting room and she can see that Leon's eyes are glistening like her own are. She's so happy he can have this moment with his son, when he was denied it himself as a child. He tells her his mother always showered him with affection, sometimes stifling him, but Hilal can't help but imagine the sad little boy Leon had been.

She leans down and kisses the top of Leon's head, as happy for him as she is for their son to both have this moment. She watches the train go around the track and laughs at the puffing sounds it makes like a real train. "How wonderful!" She marvels as Leon gets to his feet and wraps his arms around her from behind.

Hilal decides if she doesn't break away now, dinner will never get started. "Okay, I'd better get to the kitchen."

"Oooh! I help, Mama!" Yorgo insists.

"No, no, you can stay playing with your train if you want to, sweetheart," Hilal assures him.

"We can play more after dinner, right, Papa?" Yorgo asks. "I really wanna help Mama make yummies."

Leon nods. "Sure. You want two extra pairs of hands or will we be in the way?" he asks Hilal.

"Papa, I little! I not in the way," Yorgo insists taking Hilal's hand. "Come on, Mama."

Hilal gives Leon an amused smile and allows herself to be dragged to the kitchen, Leon following after turning off the train.

Leon is actually the better cook between the two of them, but Hilal has learned well over the years and he lets her rule the kitchen because it's expected. Acelya is like her mother in that she tries to help in the kitchen but has no real aptitude showing yet and it is Yorgo who despite his young age, loves learning how to cook. Leon calls his daughter down now as Hilal shows Yorgo how to spread olive oil all over the chicken. The little boy is giddy as his little hands slide over the skin while Hilal chops up herbs and shows him how to sprinkle them on top.

"Mama, in my book, there's people that eat sheep's tummies," Acelya announces as Hilal hands her a bowl of potatoes to peel.

"Ew!" Yorgo exclaims.

"It's called haggis. It's from Scotland and they fill the sheep's intestines with things like oats and spices," Leon explains and Hilal can't help her own expression echoing that of her son's. "And then they drench the whole thing in whiskey," he adds with a conceding smile.

"Ah, well that explains it then. You men will eat anything if you drench it in liquor," Hilal replies with a snort.

"Mmm, how do you think I survived our first year of marriage?" Leon teases grabbing some dishes from the cupboard and setting them on the counter before filling an extra glass with water after Hilal pelts him with a potato.

Hilal turns and sees that Yorgo has gone very quiet and is studying the chicken's small neck that has been separated from the body of the bird. His small round face is a picture of confusion before his brown eyes go wide and he drops the neck and scrambles away from the island in horror.

"Mama! They cut off his peepee!"

Hilal feels a burst of wetness hit the back of her head as Leon is caught mid drink and the water shoots out as he bursts out in laughter. She is so caught off guard she can only bend over, joining her husband in uncontrollable laughter as Acelya rolls her eyes and explains to her little brother that the small object was the chicken's neck and not a 'peepee' and goes on to explain that chickens don't have 'peepee's'.

All over the choking, wheezing laughter of their parents.