The Visitor Page #4

Thank you for your help.

Where are you going?

I'll find a hotel.

You can stay here.

You can use Tarek's room.

Thank you for your offer,

but I cannot accept it.

I don't want to impose on you.

You're not imposing.

Please. I would like you to stay.

Thank you.

But I will manage.

Good-bye.

Good-bye.

Um... Mrs... Mrs. Khalil?

Please.

I was with Tarek

when he was arrested.

He was in the subway

in the first place because of me.

So...

please.

Even if it's just for one night.

Um, the bathroom is across the hall.

Thank you, Mr. Vale.

No. Call me Walter.

And I'm Mouna.

So... do you need anything else?

No, thank you.

Well... good night.

Good night.

Okay?

Bye.

Oh. Good morning.

Morning.

Mmhh...

Tarek says hello.

How is he?

I can't really tell.

He wants me to leave.

Well... you're welcome to stay here

as long as you need to.

Thank you.

That's very generous of you.

Well... thank you for the paper.

You're welcome.

Do you spend a lot of time in the city?

No, no. Not really.

I'm just here

presenting a paper at a conference.

Well...

You wrote it?

Mm-hmm.

Congratulations.

I co-authored it, really.

And what happened after the hearing?

We appealed. It took two years.

And your appeal was denied?

Yes.

And did they send you

your bag-and-baggage letter?

- No.

- What's that?

Basically, it tells you

where to show up and be deported.

But you didn't receive it?

No. I would remember this.

Did you move?

Eventually, we had to.

But we had our mail advanced.

Is it possible that it

just never got there?

Yeah, it's happened before.

And pre-9/11, it wasn't much of a priority

trackin' people down,

but if you got it and you just ignored it,

then there's nothing I can do.

So... you can help him.

I'm gonna try.

But you should know it's still a long shot.

The government's approach

has changed radically.

It's very black and white now.

Either you belong, or you don't.

Tarek's lucky.

Most of them don't even have lawyers.

Lucky.

Relatively speaking.

We just have to move quickly

to get an emergency stay,

and then we'll stick with a motion

to reopen, pending his green card application.

Yeah?

Okay.

Can you explain

what that means, please?

Actually, I don't have

the time right now.

I'm sorry.

I have to be in court very shortly.

How long will he be in detention?

I can't predict that. I am sorry,

but I am gonna have to wrap this up.

Do you have any children, Mr. Shah?

Yeah. Two kids.

And for what it's worth,

my uncle was deported

after raising a family here for 23 years.

If I can get your son out... I will.

Thank you.

Where are you from?

Queens.

Which one is she?

The one closest to us.

That black woman?

Mm-hmm.

That is Zainab?

Mm-hmm.

She's very black.

Mm-hmm.

Zainab.

Oh. Hi, Walter.

Uh, Zainab, this is Mouna Khalil...

Tarek's mother.

- Oh...

- Hello, Zainab.

Oh, I...

It's a pleasure

to meet you, Mrs. Khalil.

You, too.

Uh... I'm s... I'm sorry.

I... I didn't know

you were coming.

Neither did I.

Your jewelry is very nice.

Oh.

Oh, thank you.

Do you think we can go out

for a cup of tea sometime?

Oh... yeah.

We could go right now.

I... I am...

I'm just watching Zev's table,

but I... um...

I just need to... find someone to...

Hey.

Hi.

Is it a necklace?

I think so.

I like that one in the front.

Um...

It's all handmade.

Ooh.

I've lived here for two years,

and I was in France

for a year before that.

Do you miss home?

Yes, sometimes.

But I don't want to live there.

Do you miss Syria?

Sometimes, too.

I miss Damascus...

the smell.

But this is my home now.

When did you meet Walter?

Walter? Uh...

about ten days ago.

Ten days? That's all?

Mm-hmm.

How did you meet him?

Uh...

through Tarek's friend.

Ivan. That's how we

ended up living there.

You live there, too?

Just for a little while.

Oh.

So... have you spoken to Tarek?

Yes.

He called me this morning.

He sounded in a good spirit.

I was so afraid this was going to happen.

Tarek used to tease me

that I worry too much.

But now...

I just don't know what to do.

I miss him so much.

I'm sorry.

Zainab.

I'd like you to do something for me.

I'd like you to show me

something you and Tarek like to do,

somewhere you like to go.

Like what?

Whatever you like.

Okay.

Okay.

So what is in Staten Island?

I don't know.

We would just go there

and then come back.

We never got off.

Why?

It was free.

We felt like we were going somewhere.

Oh. That's where the Twin Towers were.

I never saw them, but... Tarek did.

Oh. And...

there's the Statue.

And behind that is Ellis Island.

Sometimes Tarek would point at the Statue

and jump up and down

like we're arriving

in New York for the first time.

It was very funny.

Can you go up in the Statue?

Oh, yeah.

I think so.

You haven't been there?

No.

Never?

Nope.

Oh.

Excuse me.

Hello?

Hey, Charles.

What's that?

Um, yeah. I'm still in New York.

I'm sorry, Charles.

I couldn't make it back yesterday.

I said I couldn't make it back!

Well, I'm on a boat.

A boat!

Listen, Charles, I'll explain it to you

when I see you.

But I have to go now,

so I'll call you back.

Bye.

You went on the ferry?

Yes.

No.

- My mother, too?

- She liked it.

You know that they don't even have

an outside space here.

They just have a room

with its roof cut out.

Really?

Some crazy stuff, man.

And they seemed to get along...

Zainab and my mother?

Yes. I think your mother

likes her very much.

My mother's not going home, is she?

I don't think so.

I know she's thinking about my father.

Why?

He spent seven years in jail in Syria

because of something

he wrote in the newspaper.

By the time

they released him, he was very sick.

He died two months later.

That's why we moved here.

Would you like a glass of wine?

No, thank you.

Mouna. Um...

I need to go back to Connecticut

tomorrow, for work. I told Tarek.

How long will you be gone?

Um, I don't know yet. I...

I'll try to get back

and visit him as soon as I can.

Walter, you don't have

to keep visiting him.

I'm sure you're busy.

I'll see what I can do.

Dinner will be ready soon.

Oh. Okay.

Walter. Do you go to Broadway?

No, not really.

Tarek sent me the CD

I think I know every word.

Tarek is teaching me the drum.

Really? How is that going?

Well, I... I sound a lot better

when he's playing with me.

How's your teaching?

My teaching?

Yes.

It's fine.

How many classes do you have?

Well, I have a lighter schedule

so I can focus on my book.

Your book?

What is it about?

Well, it... covers quite a bit,

so it's hard to explain.

You're almost finished?

I'm close.

Ahem.

You don't like

to talk about your work?

Mmm, it's, uh... just not a process

that's easy to talk about

with somebody who's not a writer.

Oh.

I shouldn't have

spoken to you like that.

It's okay.

- I'll get it, sir.

- Thanks.

Well...

um, you have my number

if you need anything.

Thank you. I'll be fine.

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