The Sheik's mysterious cook

Chapter 5 - Secrets

        Meanwhile, Sheikh Tariq was finally on his way home. He wished that he could rest for at least a week, but important matters awaited him back home. His relatives and acquaintances tired him. Their demands were outrageous but at least they promised to donate to his foundation for education.  While he was sitting on his private plane, he was going through his upcoming schedule, hoping to take at least a day or two off soon. He dialed his sister’s cell phone hoping to discuss it with her. The next week he had some important meetings he couldn’t reschedule but after that it might work.

      “Hey Farah, how is everything back home?” I asked her once she picked up. “Great. The new cook you hired is fabulous. Everyone likes her even Mom and Dad adore her. Why are you calling?” she asked. I let her in on my plan and she promised me to keep the two days free and wouldn’t start to schedule meetings for the day after I returned. Mh I couldn’t wait to meet the cook and taste her food. If she was as good as promised, I finally accomplished something good since I took over. “I should be home later tonight, then you can update me further on my schedule in person. I can’t wait to be home. I like travelling but our obnoxious cousin is not who I like to visit. Can you imagine the outrageous demands he has. I don’t even know what to say anymore.” I sighed exasperated. “Well you know that all hope is lost with this one. Just promise me that you won’t marry me to him.” Farah replied. “I would never do such a horrible thing to you. No one deserves to be tied to him for life. I would prefer prison or being lost in the desert and dying of thirst than to have to keep him company. The woman that marries him has to be as crazy as he is.” He finished “I talk to you later. Bye” and hung up.

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        I checked the time and figured that Sarai should be awake by now. Since I took her home with me she got more comfortable around me and Bola and some of the other staff that found out about her. They all fell in love with her immediately and promised to keep her secret. I knew I had to talk to Farah soon and tell her about Sarai. I already loved her like she was my own and I couldn’t believe the trust she put in me every night when she snuggled up to me in her sleep. I felt bad that she had to stay in my room all day and I could only visit her on my breaks. But the risk that she would be discovered was too high. I promised her that I would show her the palace soon.

      Communicating with her was easier now too since Bola and the staff taught me all day in the kitchen every important phrases and words that would be useful. And in case I didn’t understand Sarai we started a journal full of pictures. I also tried teaching her English with this journal and I had a feeling that she learned a new language much faster than me. She was a bright girl and it made me proud seeing her grow every day. She finally put on some weight probably due to all the food everyone snug into my room throughout the day.

      After finishing the kitchen cleanup after breakfast and handing over my lunch menu to the staff I grabbed some pastries, bread and jam and some cocoa and went straight to my room. When I entered, Sarai was already sitting up in bed with a book in her hand. She taught herself how to read with some help of other homeless children. I promised myself to talk to Farah soon and immediately send her a message to ask for a meeting. When Sarai spotted me she jumped off the bed and ran towards me and I could barely put the food down on the table before she engulfed my legs in a hug. That how small she was due to the malnourishment. I picked her up hugged her to me tight and gave her a kiss on her cheek “Good morning my princess” I said. “Good Morning ommee” she answered with a huge smile on her face. Ommee I learned was Arabic for mommy and I still felt my heart soar to life every time she called me that. “How did you sleep habeebi? I hope you haven’t been waiting for me for a long time.” I asked her. “No ommee, I just up studied words” she answered in her broken English. While Sarai was eating her breakfast I brushed her hair and braided it. She had beautiful long dark hair that thanks to our many baths was shining and looked healthy again after I trimmed it a bit. I just started braiding her hair when my phone alerted me to a new message. I checked and it was from Farah confirming that she was on her way to meet me in my room. I panicked a little and hoped that she wouldn’t be here soon so I could hide Sarai until I could tell Farah about her. I picked up all her stuff and dropped it in my study along with Sarai who I told to stay there and keep quiet. I straightened up my bed just as Farah knocked on my door.

      I slowly opened and motioned for her to enter and sit at them small table next to my bed. “Why don’t you show me to your sitting room?” Farah asked. “Oh..well I’m redecorating and it is much nicer in here. You can see the garden from this window. Isn’t it lovely?” I stuttered and tried to distract her. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Farah asked. “Well, you know you’re a great friend and I have something to confess and ask of you. Can you keep a secret?” I asked her hesitantly. “Caroline, how long have you live with us. You know I already love you like the sister I never had. But all I got is a brother who doesn’t have any time for me anymore unless it concerns business. I still can’t wait for him to meet you.” She said “I know, and I think of you as my sister as well. I told my best friend about you and I think the three of us would get along great, but back to the topic. What do you think about children?” I tried to advance the topic slowly. “I love children, I probably should have had already a few but luckily Tariq hasn’t married me off to some weirdo yet.” Farah replied. “Good, that’s good. I mean that you like children. It’s horrible that he can just marry you off without your consent.” I replied. “No, it’s not like that it would be an honor for me and besides Tariq would only choose someone I would approve of, he would never marry me off for political reasons or any horrible rich guy that asked. He would always ask my permission. But don’t tell anyone. But why are you asking . Do you have something to tell me. Have you met someone? Are you pregnant?” she asked looking at me expectantly. “No, no nothing like that but there is someone I want to introduce to you.” I answered feeling nauseous with all this angst. I really hoped Farah would support me. I slowly got up, opened the door to my sitting room/study and waved for Sarai to come over. I turned towards Farah and introduced her “Farah, this is Sarai. My daughter for all intents and purposes.” I waited anxiously for an reaction. After a few minutes of Farah staring at Sarai, she got up and kneeled in front of her. “Hey Sarai, my name is Farah. How are you?” she asked. Sarai looked nervously up to me and I nodded to her that it would be ok for her to answer. The two started a conversation in Arabic and from what I could grasp, Sarai told her everything. About living on the streets, the full orphanages, starving of hunger until meeting me in the alley, rescuing her and finally having a mother. After Farah send her back to playing with the few toys the staff got for her, she got back up and faced me.

      “Wow. I can’t believe it. The poor girl. And there are so many poor children like her living on the streets in my country. I just can’t believe I haven’t heard about the problems with the orphanages.” Farah said angrily then she released a pent up breath as if she contemplated about something. “ So…you won’t rat me out and I can keep her?” I asked. “Of course you can keep her. As Sarai told me, you are her mother, and no mother can be separated from her child in Jamil.” She answered flabbergasted that I even asked such a question.

      “I know. That’s another favor I have to ask you. Could you get me an appointment with your brother? I want to discuss this issue with him and tell him about my ideas to help with this problem. I already started a food drive with the help of the staff to give away all the leftover food from the palace to the homeless children. With the help of Sarai I could locate a large group and there are over 100 children who already come to be fed.” I told her. “The other favor is for Sarai. I want to officially adopt her and as my employers I need official transcript about my working and living arrangements. This also means, I need to convert my sitting room into a bedroom for Sarai. So can you help me.” I asked feeling uncomfortable to ask for so many favors. “Caroline, I’m disappointed that you think I won’t help you. And those are not favors. It is my duty to help you. I will see to get you an appointment with Tariq as soon as possible and with the adoption, don’t worry. I will ask my mother and father to help. They have the best connections.” She added laughing and I joined “Yeah..” I snorted. “ I would hope that the former sheik and sheika had the best connections in their country. When do you think you can ask them?” I got serious again. “I will ask them over dinner tonight, so cook up the best meal you can. Once there in a food coma they will agree to anything I ask, oh and of course you have to bring Sarai for dinner. They would never be able to deny our request once they saw her. She is so adorable” she stated. “Good now that only leaves us with shopping to get Sarai’s bedroom all set up.” I said “It will be my pleasure to help you” Farah stated with a smile. She got up and as she left my room said “See you at dinner tonight. Give it all you have!” and she was gone. Now I only had to come up with the best menu ever.