Free The Other Half of My Soul by Bahia Abrams Page B

an Ashkenazie Jew into the family, and she encouraged a relationship between her daughter and Jonathan.
    * * *
    On New Year’s Day, the two families left the hustle and bustle of New York City for a week’s vacation at a kosher resort in Curaçao. Rayna and Jonathan went swimming, banana boating, snorkeling, and jet skiing in the calm waters of the Caribbean. Evening entertainment and good food enhanced the blissfulness of the warm climate and the relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Sarah watched with delight as her daughter and Jonathan took pleasure in being together. She secretly hoped for a full-fledged romance to blossom.
    * * *
    Returning from their vacation, the Mishans were greeted with bitterly cold weather and freshly fallen snow as they emerged from Kennedy Airport. On the drive home, they made a stop at the post office to pick up the mail being held for them. Entering the house, Rayna dropped her luggage on the floor and excitedly attacked the mound of envelopes until she found, buried at the bottom, the letter from InterContinental Weekly . Snatching it, she dashed upstairs to her room. A loud shriek followed. The family bolted up the steps, not knowing what caused Rayna’s sudden outburst.
    “I got it! I got the job!” She was euphoric. After competing with more than five hundred other journalism students across the country, Rayna had captured the coveted summer internship with the most widely circulated weekly magazine in the world. Working during the upcoming summer at the World Trade Center Towers in New York City would earn her six college credits and a chance to get one of her pieces published. “They want me to come in and sign some papers and discuss the scope of my internship.” Rayna could hardly wait to tell Rami. He had helped her with the application and with writing the three short stories required for submittal.
    * * *
    That night, lying in bed with a myriad of thoughts vying for her attention, Rami’s energy persisted in dominating her senses. Rayna yearned to be with him, while at the same time praying not to love him so. Jonathan is right, she tried convincing herself. Mixing a Jew with a Muslim is like mixing water with oil; they are compelled to separate. Yet Rayna could not separate herself from Rami. In just a few days, she would ride back to school with Jonathan. In just a few days, she would begin her second semester. In just a few days, she would see Rami.
    * * *
    Rami and Omar began the last leg of their journey, boarding a London flight back to Washington. The jet taxied out to the runway and was soon airborne. Omar dozed. Rami tilted his seat back and closed his eyes, but he could not sleep. Greatly anguished over events of the past few weeks, Rami was experiencing the hollow sensation of living on borrowed time.
    The special connection he had always shared with his father was gone. Never again could he trust Omar, his once closest friend. Al-Shahid had him locked into an unsettling situation. Yousef now ruled his life. And a Jew had captured his heart.
    * * *
    On a bright Sunday morning in early January 1997, Jonathan arrived to pick up Rayna for the trip back to Maryland. Sarah insisted he come into the house for some breakfast. Jonathan wanted to get on the road. Sarah’s persistence won out.
    Half an hour later, Abe marched out to the driveway with his youngest son, Eli. Each man carried an armload of Rayna’s belongings. With the two back car doors open, they calculated how best to cram the stuff in the back seat.
    “Sorry the trunk is so full,” Jonathan apologized.
    Eli handed Rayna’s hair dryer to Jonathan and chuckled, “Don’t drive away without this. It’s my sister’s lethal weapon. If her hair doesn’t look good, she becomes deadly.”
    Smiling and shaking her head, Rayna approached the car, “Are you making fun of me?”
    “Never in a million years would I dare to make fun of you,” Eli teased.
    Jonathan opened the car door and gallantly gestured,