Page 70 of My Turkish Fling
But I knew what he meant. When you hung out with the rich kids, the bar was so much higher. I didn’t want that for him. That constant comparison, perpetual feeling of inadequacy. It had followed me in Auckland like a bad smell. Poor Josh was only thirteen. He didn’t have the maturity to look at the big picture. At that age, your friends were your world.
“Having a bigger house or better computers won’t fix anything. You know why?”
“Why?’ He rolled his eyes.
“Because it’s a game you can’t win. Someone will always have something bigger or better. If you hang out with people who measure your worth in that way, you’re not with true friends.”
“I miss Benji. I want to go back to Napier Intermediate.”
I patted his arm and laughed. “You can’t go backwards. And I’m pretty sure Benji is in high school now too.”
His eyes lit up. “He’s at Colenso! Can I go there?”
I sighed. “I don’t know.”
Colenso was a good enough school, an easy choice that wasn’t too far. If I could somehow get Shaun onboard, maybe Josh could finish high school in Napier. Small town schooling wouldn’t open every door, but he’d still have a life ahead of him. And maybe a happier last year of his childhood.
I’d fight for it. I had to.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Josh nodded and followed me into the kitchen.
“What’s that?”
Josh pointed at the dining table, and I did a double take. A tray filled with nuts, dried fruit and small sandwiches sat in the middle next to a pot of steaming tea.
“Oh. Emir must have made these.”
“For you?”
“For us.”
Josh stared at me, then the table again. “Is he like a butler or something?”
I burst out laughing and somehow got tears in my eyes. “He’s just very considerate.”
“Sweet.” Josh sat down, filled a plate and tucked in.
“Should I get him? I should introduce you guys since he’s staying here. It’ll be less awkward.”
Josh shrugged, his expression non-plussed, which was teenage speak for enthusiastic agreement.
I found Emir in the guest room, sitting in the corner, reading the thriller he’d picked up the previous night.
I stood in the open doorway, waiting for him to notice me. I loved that he’d left the door open but retreated to the far corner of the room. For someone scathingly honest who never sugarcoated his words, Emir seemed to consider others in a way not many people did. It was easy to be offended by his manner and words and miss those actions. The more time spent with him, the louder they seemed. Much louder than the words.
“Janie. Are you okay? Is your son okay?” He stuck something between the pages and dropped the book on the nightstand.
“Yes. Josh is a bit upset but he’ll be fine. Thank you for the snacks you made. Have you eaten? Come join us. I’ll introduce you.”
He stood up, but hesitated. “Introduce me as…”
The question hung in the air as his eyes implored me.
“A… friend?”
He looked a little defeated but nodded. “Okay.”
