Follow The Money: 2

I was glad the blindfold was off.  Being a female in a country with little rights for women, I was more than concerned about my safety.  But both sides seemed to want me there.  I wasn't sure why. But I did agree to tell an honest story.  From both sides. The Times does have that history.  Besides, both men were educated in this country and apparently read my work.

Dick said it would be an hour or so before our meeting to set the deal in place in Kabul.They even allowed me to use my laptop.  I knew they were monitoring it so it didn't matter.  Just family stuff which crosses all geopolitical boundaries.

My sister, Katherine, blind carbon copied me an e-mail she was sending her daughter, my niece.

From             Katherine Reed<kreed@gmail.com>
To:                Beth Stillwell <bethstillwell@aol.com<
Subject:         ALERT - it's time
Date:             Sat, April 27, 2013 at 5:38 p.m.

Sis, take a look at this.  I know you are travelling so if you have time, see what you think.

"Honey, most of what you learned was bullshit. The world isn't nice, people aren't always nice. Grandma wasn't a very nice mother but neither is our world. I really believed that when I had you that we could and would change the world more than we had.  Fact is, we bought into what the advertising industry sold us.  Hence the heaps of trash we now pay other countries to take.  We can't even store our own trash for goodness sake.

Your Dad, you should know, and I do believe you do know by now, is a cheater. Many times over. When he infected me with his STD, I went into denial.  My Cinderella world collapsed and I didn't know what to do. It wasn't just that he spent everything we had. Or his government retirement. He was emotionally bankrupt from the beginning.  Of course, I didn't see that. I just loved him.  In the beginning.

I am sorry our country, your father and your grandmother were so messed up.  But you have always been so much more than that.  I guess it skips a generation.

I love you more than life itself.

Love

Mom"

                                                                             ~

 I had just finished reading Katherine's e-mail when I heard propellers in the distance.  Another black hawk was circling the house and dust was blowing everywhere.  Cranking the heavy windows as fast as I could, I went downstairs to await my company.  The attache case was still attached to Dick's wrist.