Golden Bird

“What is this all about, Hogan?”

“I don’t know, Excellency. He wouldn’t tell me anything, but he did threaten me with kidnapping charges.”

“Do not worry, Mr. Hogan. I will make sure you don’t go to prison. Where is he now?”

“I put him up in a room, complimentary, of course.”

“Of course. Well, put me through to him.”

The phone rang several times before David groggily answered, “Hello.”

“Mr. Wilson, I understand you wish to speak to me of some matter of urgency.”

David sat up on the bed, awake at once. “I guess you could call it that,” he said sarcastically into the phone.

“Please Mr. Wilson, I am a busy man. I do not wish to play games. Tell me what this is all about. What is it that you want?”

“It’s not what I want at all, it’s what Sara wants ...”

“She made her choice.” Rashid said flatly.

“Choice! What choice? You gave her no choice. Did you ever discuss the future with her?Did you try to work something out? No. You dismissed her without so much as a good-bye.”

“I thought it would be best. But why am I explaining myself to you? I owe you nothing.”

“Not me, but you owe her—she’s expecting your child.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and David wondered if they had been cut off. “Are you still there?”

“Yes.” answered Rashid when he could. A baby. “Are you sure it is mine?” he asked, still in shock.

“Of course, it’s yours, you fool. She loves you, not me, as much as I hate to admit it.”

“But she left with you.”

“Of course, she left with me. She’d been away from her family, with them not knowing whether she was dead or alive, for a long time. For crissakes, man! She didn’t leave you. She certainly didn’t leave you for me. Though I wish that were true. But she feels betrayed by you, she thinks you only used her, then cast her aside.”

“But that’s not true. I’ve always loved her.”