by Tony Criddle
“No problems mate. So we got what we wanted.”
The rest of the drive back was uneventful.
Laleh hugged them both when they got back. The one for Nick was fiercer and longer, and it seemed quite natural to her by then. He handed her a hold-all of clothing that Minu had packed, and Sinclair ambled in shortly after with a glass in his hand. It called for a mini conference.
Sarah wasn’t there so Laleh beefed up the inevitable meaty stew with curry powder before putting it back on to heat. There was some time to go before it would be ready, so she swooped up the glass that Nick poured for her and took up her position against him. Amini started talking excitedly about his day.
Inevitably Nick pulled it all together in the end, but he didn’t mention his own official screed. He wasn’t sure how Laleh would react to it, and had already learned not to double guess her about anything. Love him – maybe she did – but she wouldn’t hold back if the presumption upset her.
“Okay guys. It’s beginning to look good, but there’s no need to get carried away. I’ll drop Fred off in Qom on Sunday morning and you can pick him up on Monday Jock. We’ll try to avoid patterns, so we’ll take the girls shopping with us, and if we need to make any decisions after we’ll have a lot more to work with. Any other ideas?” There were several solemn head shakes.
“Okay guys, an easy Saturday all round.”
Later, when Sinclair got up to leave, Laleh showed him out. She clung to his arm as they crossed the yard and when he opened the outer door she leaned towards him.
“Sunday we roast a leg of pork with real potatoes.” She grinned at his look of astonishment.
It was mid-morning before Nick took off along the highway to Qom. Farhad Amini was in his standard rig with the Shemagh ends pulled loosely across his face. He’d memorised a house number on Rostak Street near the southern edge of the open-air markets. The stalls were alive with jostling, vocal people by then, but there was no real belligerence just a few dusky glances.
The elderly façade sported several chipped, eroded red bricks where they’d tried to escape the binding mortar, much like those around it. It was just one more anonymous house in a row of them, and it wasn’t hard to find. They agreed on ten the next morning when Nick dropped Farhad off in a nearby side-street and Laleh was well into preparing dinner by the time he got back. Sarah knew they were roasting pork and had already gone home. It wasn’t a criticism, it just wasn’t her thing.
Nick raised expressive eyebrows at Laleh, who nodded, and while he was making the brews Sinclair rolled in. His ‘me too’ wasn’t voiced but his expressive eyebrows got the message through. Laleh smiled. God these guys could be so predictable. She carried on with dinner and her coffee humming a quiet tune, and after she’d prepared the roast, knocked them up a lunch. Nick filled Sinclair in as they sat around the table chewing.
And this time Laleh occupied her own chair. At first the Scot thought they had argued, but when he intercepted a look between them he realised he was wrong. They were secure with each other now, no longer needing constant reassurance. That was when he began to envy them.
“There’s a sheep and goat sale at the other end of town this afternoon, do you two fancy it?” Nick automatically looked at Laleh.
“I’ve never seen one in all the time I’ve been here, but I’ve thought about it. You ever been Jock?”
“Never.
“That settles it then, we’ll give it a go.”
Twenty minutes later they ambled down town. Laleh was between them with her arms linked in their’s again.
Both the Scot and Welshman had been on nodding terms with their neighbours before but not with many others. It all seemed different now. Sure, something had been building up since Laleh had arrived, but the New Year’s parade had certainly made a difference. Now the locals seemed to go out of their way to greet them, to insist on shaking their hands, and when they got to the yards they were quickly hemmed in by animated crowds clamouring for their attention. What was going on was shrilled in badly fractured English or with Laleh translating.
The broiling dust came close to choking them as animals charged in every conceivable direction, chased by silent black and white collies. There were sheep underfoot almost everywhere, and bleats, barks and high volume voices competed constantly around them. It all seemed totally confused, but really it was remarkably well ordered. Animals were sold hardly before they’d completed a circuit of the pen, and the next lot was auctioned as the others cleared. The experience was invigorating and exciting, although they hadn’t a clue about the condition of the animals they were looking at.
After the market they returned to the house, joking and gesticulating as if they had always been friends, and it stayed relaxed and casual throughout dinner. Nick carved, they all fought over the crackling, and the pork got re-visited several times over. Jock Sinclair was bloated, close to groaning when he finally made his goodnights.
As usual in those latitudes, darkness fell as if it were in a race, but it wasn’t late at all. Nick had built up a fairly extensive library of books and magazines that dribbled over every available shelf in his time there, with little else to distract him. And with not a lot of stimulus in the evenings Laleh had slipped back into perusing other than text books herself. They read for a while, and maybe it was because they were on their own for the first time, but she nibbled at him incessantly before she kissed him good night.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Nick hadn’t been turned in for much more than ten minutes max. He certainly wasn’t asleep when the curtain rings pulled along the door rail. The bedroom windows weren’t huge either, but it was a near full moon and some light did struggle through the long, narrow panes. He turned and saw a shape hovering near his bed. It had to be Laleh.
“Are you awake Nick?”
“I’m awake Lil, can’t you sleep?”
“I’m not stupid. I know this is very difficult for you, but I do so want to sleep with you holding me Nick. Can we do that?”
It wasn’t a queen, it was a double, but space wasn’t the problem. “Maybe Laleh, but you’re a very beautiful and sensual woman, and you probably don’t appreciate it, so it won’t be all that easy.” He knew what she needed but felt he ought to warn her just in case. It was himself he wasn’t sure about. She half turned away. He could see that.
“I’m sorry Nickie, this isn’t a smart idea. I’ll go back to my own room.”
“Don’t Laleh I really want you here with me. I’ve been looking forward to when it did happen but I knew we’d have to take this step by step. I don’t sleep in pyjamas either, so you’d better keep that bloody night shirt on.” He held the bedding open and she slipped in.
His left arm was outflung and her head fitted into his shoulder as if they’d been whittled to do so, but his other arm flopped restlessly around his chest. Laleh solved that one. She pulled it onto a soft, warm stomach and hung onto it as if her life depended on it. She didn’t realise how provocative that was either, nor when she nibbled, rather than kissed him. It was an exquisite agony he’d never known before and he couldn’t stop himself swelling.
“Lily this is difficult enough as it is. Do you think you could turn over and go to sleep now?”
“Sorry Nick.” She didn’t sound it.
A smooth back and shapely buttocks thrusting hard into him was another, intense sort of agony, but she was asleep within minutes still holding tightly onto his arm. He hardly slept at all, acutely conscious of the warm body touching him from chest to toe for the whole night.
It was early when Nick awoke, very early, but he dozed as dawn slowly invading through the small slit windows. Laleh slept on as innocently as a child, barely moving at all, and he was reluctant to rouse her. He didn’t really care who knew where she’d slept but he thought that she might, so finally he wriggled the arm she was lying on. She looked at him though bleary, half closed eyes.
“What time is it?”
“Nearly seven. Sarah wil
l be here within the hour.”
“A few more minutes then.” She closed her eyes again.
Nick accepted more punishment, and when he shook her again another half hour had passed.
“Time to get up Lil.”
“Okay.” That was drawled sleepily. She sat up, and he used his reclaimed arm to help her before nuzzling her neck. “I don’t think we’ll try that again Lil. How the hell I kept my hands off you I’ll never know. If I hadn’t been knackered you’d have been in deep trouble.” He grinned to soften it. She didn’t look when she spoke.
“I know that Nickie and I could tell you were aroused, but I was sure you could do it.” She paused. “Iran was always pretty progressive, but it’s still an Islamic state, and women are still second-class citizens. In this country it’s always been about what men want, not what women might.” Now she turned towards him. “I really needed to know that my feelings mattered to you, that you could deny yours if what I needed was more urgent. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately because I’ve never actually slept with anyone before.” She pecked him. “I know now. It doesn’t have to happen again.”
“Jesus woman, that’s a bit profound for this time of the morning. I’ll have to think about that one. Shift your bum and I’ll make the coffee.” They swung their legs in opposite directions. She wandered off to her room while he showered and got dressed.
They were drinking coffee and sharing a naan stuffed with pork slices when Sarah arrived. Jock Sinclair turned up not long after and couldn’t resist a pork roll either. Fetching Farhad Amini was the only thing on the agenda and it was too early for that yet.
“Can the boys borrow the rods Nick? They’re going to take a jeep up into the hills this morning?”
Nick fetched them and the tackle box and stood them by the door.
“When you go in, park next to that small church on the south side of the market.” Sinclair knew where Nick meant. “Don’t cruise around looking for Fred either, he knows where you’ll be so let him find you. He won’t make a move until he sees the girls return from shopping.”
“Aye laddie, relax, I’ve done this sort of thing before.” Jock turned aloof eyes on Nick. “You just make sure you don’t have a bloody heart attack before we get back again.”
“I’m sorry Jock, but it’s your fault. A few months ago I doubt if I’d have given a stuff.”
“Bullshit, it was always there, I just saved us a bit of time. You don’t think about things before you’re ready to that’s all. You’d got out of the habit. Now, is there anything you want while I’m in there?”
“There’s a chemist thing right next to the church. Some razors and sunglasses for Lily would be nice.”
While Laleh peeled and diced vegetables, Sarah cleared up the rooms, starting with Nick’s. It was her day to dust and Laleh had virtually finished preparing the vegetables when she got out again. The housekeeper bustled into the girl’s room next but wasn’t in there all that long. Laleh blushed when she realised her bed was still made up.
When Sarah came out and moved towards the kitchen Laleh’s head automatically came up with the familiar, defiant tilt. She didn’t know how the housekeeper would take it and wanted her to know she didn’t really care much either, but as Sarah drew level she stretched out gentle fingers and stroked Laleh’s face. The girl hadn’t really known what she would see in Sarah’s eyes, but encouragement and understanding probably weren’t part of it. She touched the older woman’s hand. Nick didn’t notice and probably wouldn’t have understood anyway. Neither woman said anything, but for Laleh it was if lightning had struck. So many people were there for her, wanting what was happening to happen, and Nick had certainly made his views fairly clear. He didn’t see her as diminished or soiled in any way and he’d turned out to be just as strong mentally as she suspected. Who the hell was she to be demoralised anymore? She was humming quietly when she went to drag on the chador parts.
Surveying had always been hours of mind sapping boredom followed by a few moments of frantic activity, a bit like a day in combat without the adrenalin rushes. And Nick hadn’t realised it before, but having Sarah and Jock around had somehow mellowed it. The days seemed shorter and more eventful, the nights cosier and easier, but with Farhad and Laleh Amini in his life it had changed well beyond that. He’d experienced blank spots before, but never like this, never as if he was rattling around aimlessly in an empty tin drum. He finally understood what Jock meant by him rejoining the human race.
Nick told himself he hadn’t been listening for its return when the vehicle ground to a halt outside, and pretended not to hurry when he went to meet them either. He nonchalantly swung open the courtyard door just before Farhad got to it, and barely recognised them at first. Sarah followed behind, humping a basket with two hands while Sinclair brought up the rear with another. To his complete surprise his housekeeper planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek as she entered.
Nick waited impatiently while Farhad got rid of his gear and Laleh her chador. He kidded himself that he was only agitated because he needed to know what had happened, but even Sarah seemed slow in unpacking her bags. The Amini’s were closeted in their bedrooms for what seemed hours. When they did finally crowd around the table, Laleh hoisted herself onto his knee again and it calmed him almost instantly.
“Was it worthwhile Fred?”
“Excellent Nick, really good. I feel a lot better about getting out now.”
“Seems strange that a Christian group are doing this.”
“They can see they might be next unless some brakes are put on it, so their network seems fairly widespread already. Nothing much was said about that, but they did know I was coming and they cover both the Turkish and Pakistani borders. I could go either way, depending.” Nick raised surprised eyebrows.
“There’s a larger Christian population in the northern Zagros, so the Turkish border is monitored more closely, but that’s mainly where roads and the railway run into Turkey. They said I should get on at Karaj, about sixty clicks from Tehran, then run right through to a place called Khvoy, which is only fifty clicks from Turkey. They’ve got a large organisation there which can truck me close to the border.”
“It would probably be better if you did go towards Europe wouldn’t it?”
“We’ll have to see what happens Nick. I can get on a train at Qom and get off at a place called Zahedan as well. It’s less than sixty clicks from Pakistan, and there’s a group to help me over the border in that city too. Either way, they can take care of tickets and extras.”
“Did they say when you should do it Farhad?” That came from Laleh.
Farhad looked at his sister. If he had ever doubted it, she had just confirmed that her destiny was now tied to the Welshman’s. No matter what. The Persian was happy about that. Nick had a British passport and therefore a much better chance at a normal exit.
“They said the same as Nick did. If it’s quiet don’t do anything. The more they use their routes the more the chance of discovery. Things could still change so they’d rather wait until they have to. Is that a problem Nick?”
Nick Evans shook his head. “You said the other day we’ve become pretty much like brothers Farhad. I’m surprised you thought you had to ask it.”
The girl twisted and touched his face gently.
Jock spoke for the first time. “Aye, well that’s all settled then. We’ve got lots of options now so we can back off, and it’s been bloody morbid around here lately, so let’s liven it up. What games have you got Nick?”
“How about Scrabble, I’ve got that somewhere. I’ll have a light beer as well. I don’t want any whisky yet.”
Sinclair poured himself a large one. “Welsh fairy” he pontificated loud enough to be heard. His wide grin belied his words.
The game started noisily and got steadily more riotous, and they barely noticed when Sarah left. Some of the words the Aminis used were dubious to start with, and got more outrageous as the evening wore on, but it was all part o
f a plot. Both Aminis were quick to claim second language status. Eventually Jock staggered home burping involuntarily. The others had been much wiser.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Nick hadn’t been in bed long before he heard the scrape of the curtain rings again. A groan wasn’t far away. He guessed she needed more reassurance but he couldn’t go through that again, couldn’t cope with a repeat of the night before. He couldn’t think of anything to say that she wouldn’t take as a rejection either. He steeled himself.
“I’m here again Nick.” She sounded as if she were ten years old.
“I don’t think I can keep my hands off you again Lil. You’d better know that.”
“I’m not worried about that anymore.”
He threw back the bedclothes. It was later in the evening, the moon’s light more intense as it thrust through the small windows, and this time he saw her tug the night shirt over her head before she got in. Even so he was unprepared for the satin feel of her skin as she slid down the whole length of him. He was erect instantly.
She had little idea of the physical side of a relationship, and he hadn’t been there for some time himself, but the testosterone had been waxing and waning for weeks. A clean, exotic taste of cinnamon went with a few deep kisses, their tongues touched briefly, and a minor sortie around her honeyed breasts after was enough. She climbed on top of him before he realised what she was doing, and when she enveloped him he couldn’t stop himself letting go almost immediately.
A little later on Laleh had her head on his left shoulder, happy but nowhere near sleep. She didn’t know her inexperience had showed, but it did. A few adolescent fumbles and a vicious rape were obviously the only thing she knew about men and sex.
