A Price Above Rubies

Chapter Eighteen

"You mean we get to see her for real?" Acelya asks, following her mother around their hotel suite as Hilal is picking out clothes for the concert tonight. 

"That's right," Hilal says trying to maintain her cheery facade. 

Yorgo is rolling around on the carpet singing lyrics he doesn't understand in the least at the top of his lungs. He hasn't stopped singing in excitement since Hilal announced that they were going to see Josephine Baker in concert tonight, live and in person. 

Hilal would be excited about seeing such a glamorous singer but the concert has a more important purpose. 

Josephine Baker has a secret underground network helping sneak victims of persecution from other countries into France. She helped hundreds during the first world war and Yakup has discovered through his own connections that she's still active in the network. If they can get her help getting Ali Kemal out of Greece...hence the concert. 

Being reunited with Veronika has been wonderful. There's still a slight dislike between Yildiz and Veronika stemming from her early relationship with Leon but the two women are cooly respectful and civil to each other. 

Yildiz meeting with Clara, Ali Kemal's wife has been a touch more frigid though Yildiz does her best to let her behavior be nothing short of respectful when Yakup is around, knowing that her husband is watching for any sign of jealousy from his wife. 

The children being around helps. Veronika took Hilal into her heart early on once she realized Leon's love for her, but after Acelya and Yorgo were born, Veronika is so warm towards Hilal that Leon jokes that his mother likes her better than hI'm.

"Can I wear sparkles?" Acelya asks, pulling out one of her favorite party dresses from the closet. "I think I should wear sparkles, Mama, 'cause Josephine's dresses always have sparkles! Ooooh and a sparkly hat! Please, Mama!" 

Hilal smiles as she holds the dress up against her daughter. "Well, we don't have any sparkly hats but I think we better get one last use out of this one because I think it will be too small for you next year."  Her daughter is outgrowing another outfit. Hilal feels a little pang in her chest. Acelya looks to be inheriting Leon's height. She doesn't know if a growth spurt will change Yorgo's small stature and he'll surpass his sister once puberty hits but Hilal somehow doubt it. Acelya will be too tall for this dress and most of her others in a few months. And Leon is missing it, she thinks with a twinge of anger. It's only been a little over a week but the lack of word from her husband has been infuriating and terrifying. She thought he would at least send a message through his mother to make sure Hilal was complying with his orders if nothing else. Oh yes, let her husband think she was playing the dutiful wife staying behind while he ran into danger. Her beloved husband has another thing coming. 

"Ali Kemal says he hopes it will be a boy, but I have a feeling it will be a girl," Clara says stroking her belly as they sit out on the terrace after dinner. "I hope he won't be disappointed."

"Of course he won't," Veronika assures her. 

Hilal looks at her sister and can recognize her attempt to hide her pain. It's not just any lingering feelings Yildiz may have for Ali Kemal, but the fact that Clara is pregnant hurts all the more because Yildiz knows there will be no more children for herself. 

Hilal takes her sister's arm and guides her back inside. "How about we start getting ourselves ready for tonight, hmm?" Clothes and makeup are a helpful balm for almost any of Yildiz's moods. 

Josephine Baker is an electrifying entertainer and her voice is as exquisite in person as it is on a record. The venue is packed with a mix of white and black people which Yakup assures Hilal isn't that surprising because Paris is much more racially tolerant than other places and the main reason Josephine lives here now. It's also the one of the reasons she works so hard to help others. "I even heard rumors she was a spy during the war," Hilal says and the way Yakup doesn't deny it, yet doesn't volunteer any contrary opinion tells Hilal all she needs to know. 

They are allowed backstage after Yakup slips one of the attendants a message. Acelya is open mouthed as Josephine Baker greets her with a hug and tells her in Turkish what a beautiful little girl she is and what a handsome little boy Yorgo is. Acelya does a little curtsey that makes Hilal smile and Josephine laughs. "You're just the sweetest little darling!"

"Mama, she knows how to speak like us!!!" Yorgo exclaims in delight. "Wanna come home with us?" Yorgo asks Josephine. "My Papa got me a train set and he makes yummy food too! Mama's okay. She's gotten a lot better since my Papa taught her."

Hilal blushes and lowers her face into her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Oh don't be. Ma petit, I would love nothing more than to come home with you but think how very sad all those people outside would feel if I couldn't sing for them anymore," Josephine says playfully holding his chin. 

"They can come to our house. Right, Mama?" Yorgo insists with a pleading look at his mother. 

Hilal presses her lips together not to laugh and shakes her head. 

"Of course she can't," Acelya says. "Mrs Baker needs a stage. She needs lights and instruments and microphones and-"

"We have lamps," Yorgo points out. 

Acelya huffs. "Of course you don't understand. She needs maaaagic. The magic of the stage like this, right?" She asks Josephine who leans down and kisses her cheek. 

"Exactly, my darling girl." 

"See, Mama. No matter if you wanna have adventures in other places, home is always better," Acelya says with a meaningful look at her mother. 

The color drains from Hilal's face and Yakup coughs behind her. So her little girl knows what she's planning. Hilal has feared Acelya has been listening despite their best efforts to keep their plans secret. 

"It's getting late, little ones. How about we get grandma Veronika to take you guys back to the hotel to bed, hmm?" Yildiz says and Hilal gives her sister a grateful look. 

When it's just Yildiz, Yakup and Hilal alone with Josephine, Yakup puts forward his request. 

Josephine pours them each a drink. "The GSD are the ones being used as a cover for what's happening but according to my contacts they're being paid off to look the other way while an organization called the Greek Justice Directorate are the ones doing the actual dirty work. Find the leader of that group and you have a chance of finding where your brother is being held. I have friends working on getting the prisoners out but until we can dismantle the entire organization they can't risk just going in there and freeing everyone. Not until we find the place, the prison." 

"So you'll help us?" Hilal asks, her eyes pleading. 

"Of course I will," Josephine assures her, pulling her in for a hug. 

They work out the rough details for a plan of how to get Ali Kemal out of Greece and into Paris but Josephine gives her the name of the man who is her contact in Greece who they'll need to help get Ali Kemal out of the prison. 

"Alcon…" Hilal says. "Where do I know that name?"

"He was a Bolshevik during the war," Yakup explains. 

"That's it! Leon knew him," Hilal says. She swallows nervously. "Your contacts, they haven't heard anything about a man named Leonidas Papadopoulos, have they?" Hilal holds her breath afraid of what this woman will tell her. 

Josephine shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry I don't know that name. Someone close to you? I can see by your eyes."

"My husband," Hilal admits.

"Ah, the good cook," Josephine says with a smile that makes Hilal laugh a little. "Would you like me to ask my contacts?"

"No," Yakup says. "He's probably using an alias and we don't want to put him in danger in case it tips the wrong people off." 

Hilal nods, hoping that's the reason Josephine doesn't recognize Leon's name and not that anything has happened to her husband. 

"Alright, now that we've got a plan to get Ali Kemal out, we need to discuss the other part of our plan," Yakup says.

"Other part?" Josephine asks.

"We need you to help us get in," Hilal says.