A SPECIAL HOLIDAY ROMANCE

EPILOGUE

After years of marriage, Hakim and Mrs. Hakim had a baby. He would one day grow up to take his father’s place as Hakim Ali. They lived in a place they called Bumburet Valley. It was hidden in the North Pole. It had been there since time began. Hakim didn’t always live there. He was once a mortal. One year, as he was trying to find all of the kid’s houses in Chitral, he got lost. He had all of his reindeer but they couldn’t fly. The snow was falling so hard that he couldn’t see a foot in front of him. He finally decided that he couldn’t go any further and gathered all his reindeer together. He huddled in the middle of them to try and stay warm. He tried his best to stay awake but he was so cold that he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up he was in a warm bed.

Everything he looked at was decorated for kalash festival. Even his blanket was the color of a candy cane. He had been rescued by the kalash tribe that lived in a secret place in the North Pole. It was a magical place. Once you reached the age of twenty-one, your ageing would slow down. It would take fifty years to just get a year older. Hakim was invited to stay with them. They were great toy makers and asked Hakim to help them distribute them to all the good kids of the world. The food that the kalash fed the reindeer was magical, too. It gave the reindeer the power to fly. The reindeer stopped ageing too.

As time went on, they changed the name of their home to Bumburet House. Hakim would leave and take vacations during the summer months. This is when he met and fell in love with his wife. She returned with him to the North Pole; now they had a son. They named him Hamza.

* * *

CHAPTER 1

Hamza was now twenty- one years old. He had lived happily at the North Pole with all of his kalash friends. He attended school with them. He was well educated and was also given lessons on etiquette. He took lessons to learn to ride horse and also sword fighting. He was a perfect gentleman. He only had one problem. All of his friends were kalash and he started yearning for the company of a female that was more his size. He goes to his father’s office and sits down. His father could see that he had become a man and knew that this day would come. He had gone through the same thing when he was younger. He needed female companionship.

“Papa, I need to talk to you about something.”

“What is it beta?”

“As you know, I am twenty-one now.”

“Yea, I was at your birthday party, I believe.”

“You know what I mean, papa! I’m twenty-one. Before my ageing starts slowing down, I would like to go out and see the world.”

“Perhaps to meet a young lady?”

“How did you know, papa?”

“I was once young like you and I had the same feelings that you are having now. I wasn’t always old, you know.”

“Then you are saying it is alright if I leave Bumburet Valley for a while?”

“My dear son, your home is not a prison. You are twenty-one now. You can come and go as you choose. The choice is yours now.”

“Thanks, papa! I won’t be gone long. I just need to see what the world is like and hopefully meet someone special.”

“I’ll have one of the kalash dress as a human and go and exchange some gold and diamonds to cash so you will have enough to last while you are gone.”

“That’s great, papa.”

“It’s May. If you could, please be back before Spring. You need to start going with me so you can learn all the routes. It will take years before you are ready to take my place.”

“I promise, papa. I’ll be back before then.”

“I hope you find what you are looking for, beta.”

“Me too, papa.”

He stands up and hugs him.

“Let me tell your mother for you. I expect she will be a little upset to see you leave.”

“I’m only going to be gone for a few months, papa.”

“A few months are an eternity to a mother.

She will worry about you every day until you return. I’ll have the kalash make a special phone that you can use to call her once and awhile.”

“That would be great, papa. I will miss you both.”

“We’ll miss you too.”

Hakim tells his wife of their son’s plans and she gets sad. She understood why he wanted to leave but as a mother, she would miss him. She decided to support his decision.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

The next morning, Hakim goes into his son’s room and finds him studying a map.

“Where are you planning on going, beta?”

Hamza sits and scans the map. He points and says,” I’d like to see what it is like to not have snow all the time. I thought that I might go to Lahore and spend some time there on plain field.”

Hakim looks at the map and points.” Lahore has some good people but if I were you I would go here instead.” He was pointing at the Mississippi gulf coast. He continued,” There is twenty-six miles of beach along the coast there. People from plain lands usually go there during the summer. I have spent some time there, myself with your mama. I took her there once on vacation.”

“You did, papa? Did she like it?”

“She loved it. I promised her that I would take her back one-day. We took a boat out to small island. I believe it was “Ship Island”. He pointed at the map and showed it to him.” I believe that is it right there. We took long walks on the beach and I guess you can say we fell in love all over again. I looked like a beached whale in a bathing suit but your mama loved me anyways.” He held on to his stomach with a smile, “I wasn’t always this big, you know. Mama wouldn’t have even looked my way if I had. I used to look just like you. Your mama’s good cooking did this to me. I thought about losing weight but the kids seem to like me this way. I can’t disappoint them.”

“I love you just the way you are, papa.”

“Well, I guess I’d better go so you can get packed and ready to go. Have you decided where you are going so I can tell your mother?”

“Yea, Papa. I think I’ll go where you took mom. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find someone. It sounds like a nice place.”

“Your mama will be glad to hear that. I hope you find what you are looking for. I was very lucky to find someone like your mama.”

He walks out of the room to let Hamza have time to pack.

The next day, he is packed and ready to go on his journey for a quest for love.

Everyone gathers around to say good- bye.

He goes down the line hugging each one.

By the time he reaches his mama, she is already in tears. He grabs her and hugs,

“I’ll miss you, mama. I’ll call you to let you know how I am doing. Please don’t cry.”

“My baby is all grown up now! Please be careful, son. I’m going to miss you!”

“I’ll be back before you know it, mama.”

He steps in front of his father. Hakim hands him a wallet and says,” I had the kalash make you this. It has an ID card in it. I leased a condo on the beach in Mississippi gulf for you. The address is on your ID card. You will use my complete name. Your name will be Hamza Hakim. I have transferred funds into a bank situated there. You will have all the money you need in it. I’ll have them check your account from time to time to see that you don’t run out. The other card in your wallet is called a debit card. You won’t have to worry about writing checks; just use the card when you need cash or want to pay for something. I hope you have a good time and we look forward to your return, son. Your mama and I love you very much!”

He hugs his father and replies,” I love you, too, papa!”

As they hug, Hakim’s sleigh pulls up. A kalash was driving it. It was the head kalash named Safari. Hamza puts his suitcase in the back and sits down. He waves at everyone as it takes off and lifts toward the sky.

Safari landed the sleigh near an airport in Chitral. Hamza said good-bye to him and grabbed his luggage. It was a short walk to the airport. He paid for his ticket and got aboard the plane that would take him on his first leg of his journey.

After a few layovers, he finally landed at the Mississippi Airport. His quest had begun. 

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Hamza catches a taxi and goes to his new home. He sits his suitcase down on his bed and steps out onto a patio that was facing the beach. He scanned the area with a smile on his face. It was beautiful. The white sand reminded him of snow. He watched a sailboat in the distance. He had never seen one before except in pictures.  He sat down in a chair and leaned back. It was so different that he couldn’t force himself to get up and go unpack. He was enjoying every minute of it.

After a while he decided he had better get his things organized. He goes in and unpacks his suitcase. It had been a long journey from Chitral. He realized that he was tired so he lay down and fell asleep.

The next morning, he gets up early.

After a bath and change of clothes, he calls a taxi to take him to where the boat takes people to the ship island. That is where his father took his mother to renew their love so he decided to try his luck there.

He buys a ticket and gets aboard. It takes about forty-five minutes to get to the ship island. He watches the water as the boat cuts through it. In the distance he sees a porpoise breaking the water, another one follows behind it. A group of pelicans pass by in review as they make their way to the island. The seagulls followed closely as the tourist threw bread and popcorn up in the air. He watched as they made aerial maneuvers as they swooped to catch their breakfast in midair. He marveled at it all as he watched.

The excursion boat finally reaches its destination and pulls up to a long pier. He follows the rest of the crowd off the boat and makes his way to the island. He smiled at everyone he passed. “Good morning, how are you today?” He was happy to be away from the cold and snow for a while. It was his first time in warm weather and he was enjoying it. He walks into a snack stand and smiles at the young ladies behind the counter,” Good morning, ladies. I guess I’ll need something cold to drink before I head to the beach. Do you have any suggestions on what I might buy?” They looked at each other and back to him, “You must not be from around these parts?” He laughed and replied,” No, I’m not. I’m from Pakistan. How did you know?”  One of the young ladies pointed at an open ice chest.

“What you see is what we got. Take your choice”. He picks a bottle up and examines it with curiosity,” Are these for human consumption or do you feed it to the alligators?” Both girls start laughing.” Where are you from in Pakistan?”

“Chitral district” he replied. The young lady shakes her head as she explains,” I swear I think you just fell off a turnip truck. That drink is for us humans. You better drink one before you get in the hot sun.” The other girl leaned close to her and whispered,” I think it is too late for him. The sun’s gotten to him already.” They giggled as he paid for his drink. As he turned to leave he looked back and said,” I just got off the boat. I haven’t seen any turnip trucks.” 

After he walks out they look at each other,” You think he was just pulling our legs?” “He had to have been. Even people from Pakistan know what Gator Aid is. He was kind a cute wasn’t he?” “If he comes back, it’s my turn to wait on him!” 

* * *

CHAPTER 4

Hamza decided to head to the beach. He follows a path that led to the south side of the island. He sees people sitting on towels as they sunbathed. Some younger children were frolicking at the water’s edge. It was late May and the Gulf water still had a little nip to it. People had just started making the trek back to the island. The tourist season had just begun. In the distance, he saw a group of people his own age playing football in the sand. He decides to get closer so he can watch them. He finds a spot to sit down and takes off his shoes.

He sits and watches as the two teams take turns with the ball. Each team consisted of both male and female players.

He was amazed at how pretty all the women were. His heart was racing just to watch them as they played with bikini tops on. It was a new experience for him. It was his first time seeing women who weren’t fully clothed and it excited and made him nervous at the same time.

As he was watching, a young woman comes running his way with her head turned. She was running out for a pass and was watching the trajectory of the ball. She turned and jumped up to catch the ball. Her mamaen tum pushed her backwards.

She came tumbling down as her backside landed directly on Hamza’s crossed ankles. He screamed as the pain shot up his legs and made its way to his brain. She jumped off quickly as she rolled over to see him grimacing. The mamaent he looked into her eyes, he knew who she was. It was a new power to him. Ever since he turned twenty-one he started noticing changes in himself. He could now recognize everyone he saw and he knew instantly if they were good or bad. He inherited his father’s gift to know everyone and what was in their hearts. He could see that she had always been on his father’s good list. He forgot about the pain. He was caught up in her beauty. She quickly got on her knees and grabbed his leg to look at it.

“I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t see you!”

He kept staring, mesmerized by her beauty.

“Are you all right? Did I break something?”

  He shakes his head as he looks into her eyes, “No, I don’t think anything is broken.

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been sitting so close to the field of play. It was my entire fault. I should have yelled at you or something but I wanted to see if you were going to catch the ball.” He grimaced as he rubbed his ankle,” You made a nice catch.”

 “You’d better let me take a look at it. I’m a medic. I work here. I was on break and decided to play some football with my brother.” She continued checking his ankle.

“I don’t think that anything is broken but it looks like it is going to be a pretty good sprain.”  He tries to smile. He could see and feel her guilt she had for the pain she caused him. He didn’t want her to feel responsible for his stupidity. “Don’t worry about it, ma’am. I’ll be fine. As I said before, it was entirely my fault. I’ve never seen anyone playing football in person and I wanted to get a good view. I shouldn’t have gotten so close. Don’t blame yourself for my stupidity.”

He looked down at her while she examined his ankle and saw her cleavage bulging out of the top of her bikini top. It made him feel uneasy. He felt like a peeping tom and turned his head. A gentleman would never stare at a woman’s breast, he thought. It was a very improper thing to do.

She saw his actions and thought that he had acted like a gentleman instead of gawking at her breast. She stands up and bends over to take his hand. “Do you think that you can try to stand up?” He takes her hand and tries to push himself up. He puts all the weight on his good foot. He smiles at her with fake confidence and says,” I told you that I was okay. Go on back to your football game. They are waiting on you. I’m sorry for interrupting your game.”

She could tell that he was faking it and backed up a few feet and replied,

“I’ll go back to my game if you can walk over here to me with no problem.”

He smiled, knowing that she saw through his charade, and tried his best to take a step without showing pain. Down he went like a tree falling to the ground.

She rushed up to him and squatted to help him up. She waves at the rest of the people that she was with and yells,” I need some help over here.” He kept on insisting,” It’s really nothing. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

Her brother and another man help her take him to the first aid station. They leave her to do her job. He sits on a table with his leg lying on it as she wraps it with an ace bandage.” I am supposed to be fixing injuries not causing them!” He could feel that she still felt guilty about hurting him.

“I told you that it wasn’t your fault! Please don’t blame yourself. It will make me feel guilty if you do.”

She finally took time to actually look at him. She had been too concerned about his injury to pay attention to his looks. She finally realized that she was staring into the eyes of a very handsome man. Not only was he nice but he was nice to look at. They both stare, not knowing what to say. She holds her hand out and says, “By the way, my name is Abigail Gerard. You will need that information if you decide to sue me.”

He laughed as he took her hand,” I’m Hamza Hakim. Pleased to meet you and don’t worry, I’m not planning on suing. Abigail is such a pretty name. You must have been born during Spring season.”

“Yes, I was. I was born on February 20^th.

 My mama named me.”

“Spring has always been my favorite time of year.”

“Mine, too. I can’t wait for it to get here. As soon as it is over, I start counting the days until it gets here again.”

His foot starts throbbing. He rubs it and asks,” What’s the prognosis on my foot, doc?”

“I’m not a doctor yet but I plan on being one. I’m just like you. I am taking a sabbatical for a while from school. I was putting too much on myself and needed to take some time off. I won’t be going back to school until at least next January. As far as your injury, I don’t think that anything is broken but I think I need to take you to the mainland and have a couple of x-rays taken. It’s just precautionary. I’m afraid you won’t be able to walk on it for a while.”

“Just my luck! I just got to the coast yesterday!”

“I’m so sorry! I,.”

He grabs her hand, “I didn’t mean to blame you. I’ll be fine in a few days. I’ll be here till December so I still have plenty of time to enjoy the coast.”

She looks at her watch,” It will be another hour and a half before the boat leaves. Can I get you something to drink or something to eat?” He smiled and asked,” Do you have any of that alligator stuff?” She laughed and asked,” Are you talking about Gator Aid?”

“Yea, that’s the name of it. I bought some earlier and I thought it tasted pretty good."

She opens a little refrigerator and pulls a bottle out.” Don’t tell me that you have never heard of Gator Aid.”

“I’m sorry. Where I come from, we never get hot so we don’t have much use for drinks like this.”

“What do you drink?”

“Hot chocolate, hot tea, hot coffee, maybe a little eggnog.”

“Where did you say you are from, Greenland?”

“If I told you where I am from, you wouldn’t believe me so I am going to plead the fifth for now.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It’s none of my business anyway.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound mysterious. I am more or less a citizen of the world. My father travels a lot and I go with him. I have been all over the world quite a few times.”

“What type of business is your father in or is that a secret too?”

“I guess I can say he is in toys mostly.”

“Sounds like you have had an exciting life.”

“Not when you are alone most the time.”

“No woman in your life?”

“With all the traveling that I do with my father, I just don’t have the time to even look at a woman. That’s why I took a long vacation. I wanted to slow my life down, so to speak.”

“Well, it looks like I slowed it down for you!”

He laughs and replies,” That’s one way to look at it.”

“Would you like to go sit on the pier? I’ve got a wheelchair that can get you there.”

“If it is not too much trouble. Maybe we can feed the birds or something.”

She sits next to him and grabs his arm,

“Put all of your weight on me and I will help you to the chair. Don’t worry, I won’t drop you”

“I’m not worried, Abigail. I trust you.”

It was his first time being so close to a woman besides his mother. He loved the feel of her soft skin next to his. In a way, he was glad that she landed on him. He would have never met her otherwise. He leans against her for support as he turns and falls into the chair.

“He looks up at her with a smile.” That wasn’t so bad. I didn’t feel like walking anyways.” She could see through his presence and replied,” You’re just trying to be kind. I know this wasn’t in your plans.”

“Well, you can always tell people that you fell for me.”

She laughed at his little joke as they stared at each other. She felt a little uneasy and squatted down and looked at his ankle.

She gave a look of worry,” the swelling seems to be getting bigger. Maybe, I should go ahead and bring you back in my brother’s boat.”

“You don’t have to go through all that trouble for me. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your brother’s day.”

“My brother will probably spend his entire summer out here. He loves to fish and party. I don’t think this will be much of an inconvenience to him.” She pushed him out onto a patio and continued,” I’ll be right back. I’m going to go see if I can find him.”

He laughed, “I’ll be right here.”

A few minutes later, she returns with her brother and his girlfriend. They push him out to the pier and help him get into his boat. It was a twenty-eight foot cabin cruiser with beds inside it. They put him in the cabin on one of the beds. Abigail sat next to him as they made their way back to the coast. 

* * *

CHAPTER 5

The boat pulls up to a pier in the small-craft harbor. She looks to see where they were at.” My car isn’t far away. I’m going to go get it. I’ll be right back.”

He sits and talks to her brother while he waits. He can feel the goodness in her brother, too. He knew that he loved his sister very much and was kind to others.

“I’m afraid we haven’t formally met. My name is Hamza Hakim.”

“Nice to meet you, Hamza. I’m Nathan Gerard. Sorry about the injury. I know Abigail is bummed out about it. I never saw her worry so much.”

“She seems to be a very caring girl.”

“She is. That is why she was studying to be a doctor. She has always wanted to help others.”

“I’m sorry I ruined your day.”

“Think nothing of it, man. I was getting ready to leave anyways. I promised to take Chloe to a movie tonight. I had to get back in time for a bath and all.”

“I would like to repay you for your kindness, if you will let me.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I am glad that I was there to help. We call it “Southern Hospitality.”

Before Hamza could say anything, they heard a horn beeping. Nathan looks out and sees his sister waving from her car. He takes the wheelchair off the boat and puts it on the pier. He and his girlfriend help him off the boat and into the chair. He pulls him up the steps of the pier and helps him get in the car. They shake hands and Abigail waves at him as she pulls away.

 He turns and smiles at her.” You’ve got a nice brother.” She smiles back, “Yea, I love him to death. Ever since our parents were killed a couple of years ago, we owed to take care of each other.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents. I don’t know if I could cope with that.”

“It was tough on us both but we depended on each other for support. He’s older and wiser than me. He is my rock. Do you have any siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child. Mama and Papa waited for ages before they had me. I guess you can say I was a surprise to both of them.”

“Love them while you can. Nathan and I learned that the hard way.”

“My parents know I love them. I make a point of telling them that I love them at least once a day.”

“Is this your first time away from home?”

“Yea, it is. I felt the need to get out and spend some time by myself. My father supported me but mama was a little upset. Papa had a special phone made so I can call her directly so she won’t worry about me. I guess I’d better call when I get home.”

“Sounds like your parents love you very much.”

“I couldn’t ask for better parents.”

As he was speaking, she drove up to the emergency door of the hospital. She gets out and brings a wheelchair up to his door and helps him get in it. She pushes him inside and gets the necessary paperwork.

“Do you have a photo I.D., like a driver’s license?”

“I have an I.D. card. I don’t know how to drive.”

“You don’t?”

“Where I come from, there is nothing but snow year round. We use sleds not cars. You don’t need a license for a sled.”

“Are you an Eskimo?”

He laughs at her question,” No, do I look like one?”

“She smiles and shakes her head,” Come to think of it, no you don’t.”

She got carried away with her questions and got her mind back on track. “I need the information off your I.D. card.”

He pulls his wallet out and gives her his card.

“This is a Mississippi I.D. Card!”

“My father had it made for me since I will be living here for a while. My address is on the card.”

“Do you have any insurance?”

“No, I never needed any. I’ve never been hurt till now.”

“Leave it to me to break your streak!”

“All thinks come to an end. I’ll just start a new streak. Don’t worry about it.”

“Can you afford to pay for the hospital bill? If you can’t I will be happy to use my credit card. After all, it was my fault.”

“I told you that it wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have been in your field of play.

 I can well afford to pay any bill that comes up. Money is no problem for me.”

“I hate to see you have to waste it like this. Are you sure?”

“Abigail, my bank account will never run out of money, no matter how much I use it. My father told me that he would make sure it doesn’t run out of funds.”

“I guess the toy business is lucrative.”

“In more ways than one, Abigail. I couldn’t think of a better business to be in.”

He is finally taken in for x-rays. They sat around and wait for the results. A doctor comes into the little cubical and introduces himself.

“I’m happy to say that there is nothing broken but it is a pretty severe sprain. Looks like you will be on crutches for a couple of weeks. I’ll have the nurse come in and give you an anti-inflammatory shot for the swelling.” He nods at them and walks out. A few minutes later, a nurse walks in and gives him a shot. He pays for his visit and they leave.

“Where do you live, Hamza? I’ll take you home and help you settle in.”

“Get on the beach and head east. I live in the Chateau Rivage condos.”

“That’s a nice place. I pass by it all the time. It means,” Castle on the Shore”. It’s a little too rich for my blood.”

“My father got it for me. I guess it’ll do.”

“It’ll do?”

“It’s not like home, I mean. When you are used to one thing for so long, it is hard to get used to something else.”

She thought that he was flaunting his wealth but realized that he had meant that he was homesick. She was glad to see that he wasn’t a braggart. She turns into the condos and asks,” Which one is yours?”

He pointed and replied,” The one facing the beach.”

“Good choice!”

She pulls up and helps him out. He gives her the key and she unlocks the door.

She pushes him inside and looks up. It was a three- story condo. There was a kitchen and game room on the bottom floor. He looked up the stairs and laughed,” Thank goodness papa got me one with an elevator.

I don’t think that we could make it up a flight of stairs.”

“I don’t see an elevator. Where is it?”

“He pointed at a door that looked like a closet.” It’s right there.”

She opened it to discover a small elevator.” Well, I be! It is an elevator! Talk about good luck.”

“I don’t think my wheelchair will fit in there. Can you hand me my crutches?”

She gets them and helps him stand up. She puts the crutches under his arms and helps him to the elevator. They both get in and he pushes the button. The second floor was a formal living room with a bar. He looks around and smiles at her,” Going up!”

The door finally opens to the third floor.

It was a big master bedroom with a balcony facing the beach. She helps him sit in a chair by the bed.

“Do you mind if I look around?”

“No, be my guest. I don’t know where everything is myself. I’ve only been here one night.”

“You’ve got a nice place, Hamza.”

“Thanks. It isn’t home but I guess it will do.”

“Can I get you anything before I leave?”

“No thank you. I have to learn to do things on my own. You won’t be here to help me so I need to try myself.”

“If you need anything at all just give me a call. I’ll write my number down before I leave.”

“Could I ask you what you are doing tonight?”

“Well, I was planning on curling up with a good anatomy book.”

“Gee, that sounds like a lot of fun. I thought you told me you are on sabbatical.

I hope I don’t sound forward but I could use some company if you would like to come over and watch a movie or something.”

“It does sound better than an anatomy book. What time should I be here?”

“Whenever you are ready. I won’t be going anywhere. I think I saw a library of DVDs

on the second floor. I’ll let you pick something out.”

“Guess I’ll see you in a little bit then. You don’t go and try to do too much while I’m gone. I don’t want to come back and find you on the floor.”

“Don’t worry. The most I am going to try and do is to take a bath and change these sandy clothes. Please take one of my keys with you so I don’t have to come all the way down to unlock the door.”

She laughed, “I only know you for less than a day and I already got a key to your place.”    

He held his hand up. She took it as she looked into his eyes,” I am glad that I met you, Abigail.” She smiled as she held his hand,

“I wish it could have been under different circumstances.”

“If this is what it took to meet you then I am glad it happened.”

Her heart started beating faster as she stared into his eyes. She had never met anyone quite like him. He was totally different from anyone in the past. He was handsome, kind, and a perfect gentleman.

“She was lost for words so she measured them as she spoke. Fate has a funny way of putting people together. I’m glad I fell for you.” She pulled her hand away; hoping that he didn’t think that what she said was stupid. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

He smiled up at her,” I’ll be waiting.”

She turned and stepped into the elevator. They stared into each other’s eyes until the elevator door closed. 

* * *

CHAPTER 6

Later that evening, she shows up and spends the evening with him. From then on, after she returned from her job on Ship Island, she would come and visit him. His foot healed after a couple of weeks. He was finally able to ask her out on a real date. He took her dancing. She was surprised at how good he could dance. On the first floor of his condo was a piano. He played it for her. She laughed. “Isn’t there anything that you can’t do?” He put one hand on his head and the other on his stomach. “As much as I’ve tried, I can’t pat my head and turn my hand in circles on my stomach.”  

“Good! At least I can do something that you can’t!” She stood up and put her hands on her stomach and head. She patted her head and rubbed her stomach with no problem. They laughed and had a good time.

After a couple of months, they both knew that they were madly in love with each other. He had known from the beginning that he was in love with her. The moment that their eyes met, it was love for him. He knew in his heart that she was the one he was looking for.

He decided that it was time to let her know how he felt about her. She comes over one evening and they take a walk on the beach. They walked along as the waves lapped at the shore. He stops and faces her as he held both of her hands. She smiles as they stare into each other’s eyes. He was nervous but knew how she felt about him. He could feel it inside like a warm feeling. He finally musters the courage and says, “I guess there is no other way to say it but this way. I love you Abigail. I have from the day I met you. I didn’t want to go on any longer without you knowing that.” She puts her arms around his neck and replies, “I too love you, darling! I guess we both already knew that but I have loved you for just as long. The day I met you I knew you were the man I was waiting for.” They hold each other for a while and turn and kiss. It was a slow, I don’t want to ever stop, kiss. They turn as they smile at each other and continue on their walk on the moonlit beach. As the weeks go by, their love for each other grows stronger each day.

* * *

CHAPTER 7

The time passes by quickly for them. He spends Thanksgiving with her and her brother. He knew his time was getting short and he also knew that he was going to ask her to marry him. He just didn’t know how he was going to tell her the truth about himself. It would be a daunting task to get her to believe who he really was.

At the same time, Abigail knew that she wanted to be with him forever and hardly knew anything about him. She decided that it was time to get to know everything about him.                                                                             

He could tell she was serious when she came into his condo. He could see that she was a little nervous about something. She takes his hand as they sit on a couch. She turns to him and gives him a serious look. I need to tell you something.

He holds her hand and looks into her eyes, “You can tell me anything, Abigail.”

“You already know that I am in love with you, Hamza.”

He bends toward her and kisses her lightly on the lips. “I love you, too, sweetheart.” He looks into her eyes and takes her into his arms. He could feel her love as they kissed. It was a feeling that made him the happiest that he had ever been.

After their embrace, she turns to him and says, “I didn’t finish what I was trying to say. What I was trying to say is that I love you but I don’t know anything about you. If you love me, you can answer a few questions about yourself to me.”

He knew this moment would come; he wanted it to. He loved her and had to tell her the truth. He takes her hand and gives her a serious look.

“I’ll answer any question you want to ask but I need you to promise not to tell anyone else what I tell you.”

“Are you in some type of trouble, Hamza?”

He laughed and replied, “No! I have never gotten into trouble in my entire life. It’s just what I tell you has been a family secret forever. I have never told a sole about my family before.”

She was completely confused, “Whatever you tell me will never be repeated, Hamza. I love you! I would never betray your trust.”

“Okay, ask away.”

She put her hand to her chin, deep in thought, “What are your parent’s names? I don’t even know their names.”

“My mother’s name is Maria and my father’s name is Hakim; next question.”

“Where are you from? Where do you live?”

“This is when my answers are going to make you think that I am crazy.”

“I’ll never think that of you, Hamza!”

“Okay then, here goes. I live with my family at a very cold place named Chitral in Pakistan.”

“You couldn’t live there! No one lives there! It’s too cold for anyone to live there!”

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me. I promise you that everything I tell you is true. I would never lie to you!”

“How can you live in too much cold place?”

“This is where I know you will not believe me but I guess I may as well tell you. First I need to ask you a question.”

“What is it, Hamza?”

He takes her hands and stares into her eyes intently, “Do you believe in Hakim Ali?”

She was totally confused, “Why would you ask me a question like that?”

“Because, before you will ever believe a thing I say, I need to know the answer to that question.”

She was totally confused with his question. How could believing in Hakim Ali have anything to do with his answers?

“When I was young, I believed in him. Like everyone else, as I got older I realized that he couldn’t possibly exist. Why do you need to know that?”

He gave her a serious look and hoped for the best, “Because he does exist. He’s my father.”

She was completely shocked, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” She settled down and looked into his eyes and asked in a calm voice, “You are kidding me; aren’t you?”

He knew it would be hard to convince her. “I know it sounds crazy and hard to believe but I am telling you the truth! You’ve got to believe me!”

She decided to play along with him to see how far he would go with his story.

“Okay then, convince me you are telling me the truth.”

“Ask me anything, Abigail. I’ll answer anything you ask.”

She tried to think of questions that he wouldn’t have thought of for his story.

“You say Hakim Ali is your father, right?”

“Yes, but Hakim Ali is just a title that people call him. His real name is Haji Hakim Ali.”

“You never answered my first question. How can you exist in such a cold place?”

 “You may as well sit back and relax. It’s going to take a while to explain it to you.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I guess I better start at the beginning. It all started when my father was around thirty-five years old. He was just a mortal then. He got caught in a blizzard and almost died. A couple of kalash found him and took him to their home in Chitral.”

“Now I’ve got to believe in kalash to?”

“Yes, you do. They had lived there for thousands of years. They are originally from a planet in another galaxy called “Mars”. God first made their planet. It existed long long before on Earth.”

“So you do believe in God?”

“Of course I do. So do the kalash. They believe that there is only one creator and it is God. He put them on their planet.” He hesitated to let her take it all in and continued, “As I was saying, they came from a planet that was magical. They each possess powers that mortals don’t have.”

“Such as what?”

“They can tell who you are without asking. They know what type of person you are inside. They can transport them kalash short distances. I can’t explain everything about them. A few of them decided to leave the constraints of Chitral and go elsewhere. Some of them settled in Ireland and started their own group.”

She could tell he had spent a long time to get his story straight.

“Why did they choose Chitral and how can they take the weather?”

“They picked the north area because of its isolation. Along with the magic that they brought with them, they also brought their technology. They created a force field around their community. It still has snow inside it but it is no worse than somewhere here in the states. Their climate was cold on their home planet so it is easy for them to handle.”

“You said that your father was once mortal. What is he now?”

“They knew that my father was a good man. They didn’t want him to die so they made him an honorary kalash. They gave him all the powers that they have. Like them, he only gets a year older for every fifty years of earth time.”

“How about you? Are you a thousand years old?”

“No, I’m as old as you are. Your age doesn’t slow down until you are twenty-one. When I go back, my age will slow down just like my parents. I am beginning to inherit all of my father’s powers.”

“What all can you do?”

“My powers are just beginning. The only thing I can do now is to know who a person is before they tell me. I can also tell what type of person they are.”

“I’ll except that answer for now. Let’s move on to the next question. It has been well documented that male reindeer lose their antlers during spring. How come all of Hakim’s reindeer have antlers? Are they all female?”

“No, only two of the reindeer are female; Dancer and Vixen. The rest are male. They don’t lose their antlers because they never get old. They don’t go through seasons like a regular reindeer does. Their age stays the same and so does their antlers.”

“How can the reindeer fly?”

“As I said before. The kalash brought their magic with them to earth. They gave them the power to fly.”

“Next question; how can your father deliver presents to all of the children of the world? He wouldn’t have enough time or have the room on his sleigh to carry so many toys.”

“That was actually a multiple question. I will have to break it down and answer them one at a time. First off, he doesn’t deliver to all the children of the world. He doesn’t deliver to children who don’t believe in him or whose religion prevents it. He also doesn’t go to children’s homes if their parents are capable of getting their gifts.

He only goes to the homes of children who believe in him and their parents cannot afford to get them a present.”

“That would still take him more than one night and he would still have a tremendous amount of toys to deliver.”

“Once again, my father relies on the kalash technology. They have created a devise that lets my father step back in time. When it starts getting late, he just steps back in time a few hours. He keeps doing it until he is through delivering all the toys.”

“Okay, how does he carry all the toys?”

“When the kalash left their planet, they brought all their belongings in special bags. These bags are a part of their magic. They can hold tremendous amounts of anything, including toys.”

“This is a question that I always wanted an answer to. How does your father get into the houses that don’t have chimneys?”

“When papa first started delivering toys, people wondered how he got into their secured houses. They decided that their chimneys were the only possible way so it became a popular belief that he came down chimneys. In truth, he never did. As I told you before, the kalash can transport them for short distances. My father has this power too. All he has to do is to touch the side of his nose and he transports himself to there where he wants. When he is through, he touches his nose and ends up in the sleigh.”

“What would happen to me if I went with you to Chitral? Would you stay young while I grow old?”

“If you married me, you will gain the same powers that I have. You would age just like me.”

“Did you say marry you?”

He became upset, “I didn’t want to ask you this way! I wanted it to be in a romantic setting. I guess now is as good a time as any.” He gets on his knees and takes her hand. He looks up at her with love and asks, “Abigail, I know that you are finding all of this hard to believe or accept. What I want you to believe in the most is that I love you with all my heart. What I want you to accept is my hand in marriage.” He stopped and stared into her eyes, “Will you marry me?”

She started crying and pulled her hand away. She stood up. He could see that she was upset. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?

I know you probably don’t believe me but I swear, I’m telling you the truth!”

She looked at him with tear soaked eyes.

She thought that somewhere in his story, he would laugh and tell her he was pulling her leg. There was no way that she could ever believe that he was the son of Hakim Ali.

“I thought that if you loved me, you would tell me the truth about yourself! Instead you fill me with bullcrap about being Hakim’s son! I don’t know what you are hiding from me, Hamza! I would have stuck by you no matter what! We can’t go on with you living a lie with me. I need to know the truth about you! You didn’t love me enough to tell me! I’m leaving and I don’t want to see you again until you can tell me the truth!”

He was devastated. She didn’t believe him. “Abigail! I promise you that I am telling you the truth. I would never lie to you!”

She turned with a broken heart,” Good- bye, Hamza. Don’t call me unless you are ready to tell me the truth!” She turned and ran out the door. He ran to the door, yelling for her to come back but she didn’t answer his calls to stop. She ran to her car and drove away.

He tried to call her but when she asked him to tell the truth and he held to his story, she hung the phone up. This continued for a couple of weeks. Both of them were miserable.

Abigail’s brother, Nathan, could see her heartache. He decided to pay Hamza a visit. He and a friend were getting ready to double date. He decided to pay Hamza a visit first. He pulls up and knocks on his door. Hamza runs to it and opens, hoping it was Abigail. He sees Nathan and feels disappointed. Before he asks Nathan in, he sees his friend sitting in the car.” Aren’t you going to let your friend, Frank, come in. He might get a little cold out there?” Nathan gives him a curious look. “How did you know who he was, Hamza? I never introduced him to you before.” Hamza shrugs his shoulder, “I know everyone. Forget about it! You wouldn’t believe me if I told you; just like your sister!”

“That’s what I am here for. She’s all upset and sad and I wondered what was going on. I thought you two loved each other.”

“I do love her and I know she loves me! It’s just that she thinks I’m lying to her about my family but I am telling her the truth. She said that she wouldn’t talk to me again until I did. I told her the truth! There is nothing else that I can tell her!”

“I don’t know what you told her and frankly it is none of my business. I can see that whatever it was, it was the truth. You did tell her the truth didn’t you?”

“Yes! I told her the truth! She doesn’t realize it but I have to leave tomorrow! Could you please tell her that I love her and that I am leaving? Tell her that if she loves me, she can come with me to meet my parents. I’ve got to leave at ten, tomorrow morning. Could you please tell her that for me?”

“Yea, man. I’ll tell her. Good luck.”

He shakes hands and starts to walk out.

* * *

CHAPTER 8

Hamza waited until the last minute, hoping beyond hope that Abigail would come to him. He picked up the phone to dial her number and sat it back down. If she believed him, she would have come to him. He sits the phone back down and picks up a pen and paper and starts writing. He folds it and leaves it on his pillow. He grabs his special phone and throws it in the top of his suitcase and turns to close the curtains on his window. He had them open so he could watch to see if Abigail would drive up. As he turned to go to the window, the phone slowly slides out of his suitcase and lands on the carpet, halfway under his bed. He doesn’t notice it as he closes his suitcase. He picks it up and slowly walks out the door. It tore him apart to have to leave her. He had no choice. He had promised his father that he would be back early. He would one day do himself. He gets in a cab with a broken heart.

As he gets on the plane to go home, he turns and looks at everything he was leaving behind. A single tear falls down his cheek. He goes to his seat and watches Gulfport disappear under the clouds as the plane flies away.

At the same time, Abigail is sitting at her table doodling on a piece of paper. She keeps writing his name over and over. She was heartsick and missed him terribly.

She stares at his name and realizes something. She starts rearranging the letters to his name. She finally saw it. H.A.M.Z.A. His name was an anagram. It had to be a coincidence. She sat there staring at it. Her doorbell rang and she ran to answer it, hoping beyond hope that it was Hamza.

She was disappointed to see her brother standing there.

“Oh! It’s just you.”

“Abigail, I promised Hamza I would tell you this but I overslept. He told me that he loved you and if you loved him you would be there to go home with him to meet his parents.”

“What time was he going to leave, Nathan?”

He looked at his watch and looked worried,” I think he said he was leaving at ten. I’m sorry, sis. I didn’t mean to be late.”

Her heart started aching all over again.

She knew that she was late. He put his hand on her shoulder. He was still curious about the night before. “Have you ever noticed anything weird about Hamza?”

“She looked up at him and replied,” No, why?”

“I know this is going to sound strange but when I went by his place last night I left a friend in the car and he asked me if I was going to leave Frank in the car.” He looked at her with confusion,” I never introduced Frank to him but he knew his name.”

She smiled from ear to ear as she stood up and threw her arms around her brother’s neck. “He was telling me the truth, Nathan!

I didn’t believe him but it was the truth!”

I’ve got to find him before it is too late!”

Nathan hugged her back and replied,” I could tell he wasn’t lying to you no matter what he said. He’s a nice guy, Abigail. Maybe if you hurry, he might still be at home. If you are lucky, his flight might have gotten canceled until later. You know how flights are.

Go ahead! I’ll lock up for you.”

She hugs him and runs out the door.

She would find him even if she had to go to the top of the world.

* * *

CHAPTER 9

She rushes through traffic to get to his condo. She pulls up and runs to the door. She had a key to the door in her purse. She was in a hurry and nervous. She ran her hand all over the bottom of her purse trying to find it. She finally gets frustrated and turns her purse upside down and pours the contents out onto the porch.

She pushes everything around trying to sift through all the stuff that she had accumulated since buying it. She finally finds it and jumps up to open the door. She puts her hand next to all the loose articles and rakes them into his condo. She didn’t want to take time to pick it all up.

When she enters, she yells, “Hamza! Are you here? Hamza!”

She runs up the stairs hoping that he had been in the bathroom. “Hamza! Where are you?” She reaches the top to find no one there. Her excitement turned to sadness. He had already left. She walks around with her head down. She was trying to figure out what to do next. She notices the paper on the pillow and picks it up. Her name was written on the front. She plops down on the bed and opens the note. She wipes tears from her eyes so she can read the note that he had written to her. She had to stop between sentences to continue to wipe her tears.

“Abigail, I hope you find this letter. I am on my way to back home. I promised my father that I would be home early to help him. I just wanted you to know that I never lied to you. Everything, I told you was the truth especially the part when I told you that I love you with all my heart.

I still haven’t given up on you. If you love me, please be standing on your porch at midnight on coming Friday night. I will prove to you that I am not lying to you. If you are not there, I will understand and I want to wish you a wonderful life.

                        I love you!

                        Hamza

She continued to cry as she finished his letter. How could she be so stupid? She should have known that he wouldn’t lie to her. It was all her fault that he was gone and she didn’t know what to do.

As she stood up, her foot stepped on something. She looked down to see the special phone that Hamza had kept next to his bed. She bends over and picks it up.

She studied it. It was an unusual phone with only one button on it. She had never seen anything like it.

She sits back down and pushes the lone button and puts the phone to her ear. She gets excited when she hears a voice at the other end.

“Hello, Hamza. Is that you, dear?”

At first, she didn’t know what to say. She hesitated and finally spoke,

“No ma’am, Hamza is on his way to home.”

“It’s nice to speak to you, Abigail. Hamza has told me so much about you!”

“How did you know it was me?”

“You should know that by now, dear. Didn’t Hamza explain everything to you?”

Abigail starts crying and was unable to speak.

“By what I am hearing, you didn’t believe him; did you dear?”

She talked through her tears,

“No ma’am, I didn’t but I do now and it is too late!”

“There’s no need for tears, dear! It is never too late. Where are you now?”

“I’m sitting in his condo. I came over here to tell him that I believe him but he was already gone!”

“How did you get his phone?”

“He must have dropped it. I found it underneath his bed.”

“Fate has a way of doing things. You were meant to find it.”

“I love him, ma’am! I really do!”

“I know you do, dear. Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out. Where did you say you were?”

“At his condo, ma’am.”

“When did my son leave, dear?”

“At ten o’clock. I guess about two hours ago.”

“We have plenty of time, dear. He’s flying commercial. Is there anyway that you can get to Ship Island, dear?”

“Yes ma’am. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve got to trust me, dear. Could you be at the west end of Ship Island right after nightfall?”

“I don’t understand but I do trust you. I will get my brother to take me. I’ll be there, ma’am.”

“Just look at the Southern sky, dear. I’ll see you in a little while. Make sure you dress warmly.”

“I will ma’am.”

“Good-bye.”

“Bye ma’am.”

She hangs the phone up and rushes down stairs. She looks down on the carpet and sees all the contents of her purse scattered around. She didn’t care about it. She jumped over everything and ran out the door.

She rushes home and calls her brother.

He was as confused as she was but agreed to take her to Ship Island.

It was a cold night but they stayed warm inside the cabin as they made their way to the island. Nathan was curious.

“Could you tell me what all of this is about, sis?”

“It would be too hard to explain everything to you, Nathan. You wouldn’t believe me anyways. You’d probably turn the boat around and bring me back to be committed.

 I’m hoping that when we get there, you will see with your own eyes and I won’t have to explain anything. Please just trust me and get me there on time!”

“You know I trust you, sis. You’ve got to admit; this is a little crazy!”

“I know it is, Nathan. Thats why I ask for your faith in me.”

“You’ve got it sis! Don’t worry, we’ll get there in plenty of time.”

As promised, he pulls up to the island as the sun was setting. 

* * *

CHAPTER 10

Abigail and Nathan sat for a short while staring at the southern sky. All of a sudden they both saw it. There was something approaching them. It got bigger and bigger as it got closer. Nathan’s jaw dropped as it landed. “Tell me I’m seeing thing, sis! I can’t be seeing what I think I am seeing!”

Abigail throws her arms around him with excitement,” You’re not imagining it, Nathan! It is real. We both see it!”

They both stood in awe as they looked at Hakim Ali’s sleigh with all of his reindeer. A kalash was at the reins and Mrs. Hakim was sitting in the back.

Abigail runs up to the sleigh and bounces off an invisible force. Mrs. Hakim looks at the kalash,” Qazi! You forgot to turn off the shield!” Qazi turns and looks at her, “Sorry ma’am.” He reaches over and pushes a button.

“I’m sorry, dear. Qazi forgot to turn off the shield that protects us from the outside elements. It would get quite cold without it.”

She turns and looks at Nathan.

“Hello, Nathan. Are you going back with us too?”

Nathan was still standing with his jaw open.

Abigail walks up to him, “Nathan, are you there?”

He finally regains his senses. “I just can’t believe all this! It is so cool!” He turns to Abigail. “What’s all this about, sis?” She takes his hand and looks into his eyes, “This is Hamza’s mother. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Hakim Ali. I’m going back with her to Chitral. I’ve got to tell Hamza that I love him and that I want to marry him. He asked me to marry him but I didn’t believe him when he told me who he was. I love him, Nathan!”

He gave her a loving smile,” Well then, I guess you’d better go tell him! You go ahead, I’ve got to bring the boat back.”

Mrs. Hakim looks at Abigail and asks,” Do you still have the phone, dear?”

Abigail pulls it out of her pocket. Mrs. Hakim nods toward Nathan.” Give it to him.

He will be able to call you anytime he wants. He is welcome at Kalash Valley anytime he wants to come up. Hurry up dear. We have to beat, Hamza back home.”

Abigail hands the phone to her brother and hugs his neck. She turns to run to the sleigh. He yells as they pull into the air.

“I want to be at your wedding!”

She yells back, “I won’t have one without you!” She continues waving as the sleigh picks up speed.

* * *

CHAPTER 11

           As they approached Kalash Valley, Abigail looked around with excitement. It was just like she imagined it would be. All the street lamps were red and white striped just like candy canes. There were trees everywhere you looked. Beautiful lights were crossing every street. All of the lights were reflecting off of the blanket of snow. It was a beautiful sight. The sleigh landed in front of a large house, built to look like a castle. Mrs. Hakim and Abigail get out. Qazi drives the sleigh away. Mrs. Hakim turns to Abigail, “This is our home, dear. Please come in and meet papa. He’s been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

She takes Abigail’s hand and walks in. The inside of the house was as beautiful as the outside. Garland was hanging everywhere. The entire house was lit up with different lights. She lets Abigail look around for a couple of minutes and then says,” Papa will be in his study going over his list. Let’s go surprise him.”

Mrs. Hakim knocks on a door and opens it. Hakim was sitting at his desk looking at a long, long list. He looks up to see them walk in. He lays his list down with a smile on his face. He walks up and kisses his wife on the cheek. He turns to Abigail.

“I can see why my son fell in love with you, young lady. I’m glad to finally get to meet you in person. Hamza has told us so much about you.”

He holds his arms up. “Can you give me a hug?”

Abigail steps into his arms and puts her arms around him as best as she could. She was happy that they both liked her. She could never have imagined anything in her wildest dreams that would match the moment. Hakim looks at his watch,” You two better hurry if you want to surprise, Hamza. He’ll be here in a little over an hour.”

Mrs. Hakim takes her hand, “Come on, dear. We got some things to do before my son shows up.” They both hurry out the door. Hakim smiles as he sits down. He picks up his list and starts reading it.

* * *

CHAPTER 12

A kalash comes into the house to let everyone know that Hamza was arriving. Qazi was instructed to come to the house at a slow pace. The sleigh pulls up. Hakim and Mrs. Hakim stand outside the door at the edge of the snow- covered road. Hamza steps out of the sleigh with a sad expression. He walks up to his mother and hugs her as he kisses her on the cheek. He looks down as he shakes his father’s hand. It was the time of year when he should have been the merriest but instead he was at his saddest. His parents tried to hide their smiles.

“I’m sorry Abigail didn’t believe you, dear. I was so looking forward to meeting her.”

A couple of kalash giggled. His father tried to keep a straight face, “Maybe you’ll have better luck on your next vacation, beta. There’s plenty of fish in the water, you know.”

Hamza gave him an upset look, “How can you say that, papa? I will never look again!

I love Abigail. If I can’t have her then I will not have anyone. She is the only one that I will ever love!”

 Hakim smiled, “I’m glad you feel that way, beta. That’s how I felt about your mama.” Mrs. Hakim felt sorry for her son. She looks up at Hakim and says, “Let’s not keep the poor boy waiting any longer.”

Hamza gives a curious look. “Waiting for what, mama?”

His parents step aside as the door opened. There she was, dressed in a long red velvet dress with white fluffy trim. A diamond necklace adorned her neck. The diamonds were sparkling like tiny colored lights. She had a diamond tiara in her hair. The light behind her made it look like she was glowing. She looked like a princess.

He stood there staring at her. His heart soared as she stood smiling at him. He runs up to her and throws his arms around her.

“How did you get here? How did you beat me?”

Before he could say another word, Abigail places her hand on his mouth. He stops talking as a big grin crosses his face. He stares into her eyes as their lips meet. It was now the happiest moment of his life.

The End

* * *

PROLOGUE

After spring, Hamza and Abigail go back to Gulfport to pick up Nathan and his fiancé, Chloe. They take them back to Kalash Valley for the wedding. The wedding was performed by a kalash that had been a preacher for a thousand years.

It was a wedding fit for a king.

After Nathan and Chloe were married, they decided to make Kalash Valley their home too. Family had to stick together.

And they all lived happily forever and ever and ever and ever after.

~~~