Darejani Pt. 11

In the end it was left up to me. Go and I worry my wife and risk my entire future, and jf I didn't go I piss off Yasmin. On the surface, it was a no-brainer. My wife and daughter were my primary responsibility. Mehdi was far down the list of important people, especially since his own behavior was responsible for his being in Iran (stealing, not because he was gay). Besides, if I went, even for just a few days, I would have to bring extra cash for myself for my hotel and food; my credit cards wouldn't work in Tehran since they were issued by American banks.

Dar pleaded with me not to let her mother guilt me into going. My inclination was to stay, to do whatever I had to in order to make my wife happy. Beyond the danger of going as a Jewish American, I had no real desire to do this. Even if I did, there was no doubt in my mind that Mehdi would be calling multiple times every year for more help. Sooner or later, I'd get caught.

But Yasmin had been so good to me since the first day we met and I could understand her fear for her sons safety, objectively. While I thought about it, Yasmin and Dar weren't speaking to each other, something I would have thought impossible. I didn't ask my parents: I knew what their response would be, a passionate plea to stay at home. Finally, I consulted Dick Sadler. I sent a message through his secretary that I needed to talk to him about some urgent family business. He had me come up to his office at 3:30 two days before Christmas.

After a few pleasantries, I got down to business. I didn't like to waste his time. I told him the situation at home, that I really didn't want to go but my mother-in-law was practically begging me to help, and the situation was causing a major rift in the family.

He didn't even have to think it over. "Mickey, you have no real choice here. You're talking about violating federal law if you smuggle that kind of money to Iran. It's not illegal to go there to visit family, and you can bring a reasonable amount of cash since the government knows you can't use your credit cards there. But anything more than a couple of thousand dollars would, if you were caught, bring about an investigation and possible criminal charges. You could forget about any career in law and this firm would have to fire you. You'd be all but unemployable in politics or almost any business, especially if you were convicted." Then he spoke in a gentler voice. "A felony conviction would ruin your life, Mickey. And, to be honest, since I know about this, if you go, we'll have to fire you regardless whether you get caught or not. I don't want to have to do that, but this firm cannot, in any way, condone any of its employees knowingly violate the law. Don't do this, son. I'm advising you as a mentor, as your boss and as a friend. I know your mother-in-law is hurting, but this is your future and the future of your family we're talking about."

I knew he was right, and it was what my instincts told me. "Dick, you can consider it forgotten. I really didn't want to do this, and as much as I love Yasmin, I won't do it. I'm sorry for her and I'm sorry for my brother-in-law. No one should be imprisoned for their sexual orientation. But he wouldn't be in this position if he hadn't broken the law here and gotten himself deported. This opportunity means way too much to me to risk it all, and my future with Darejani and Lisa is more important than anything. I'm just afraid this is going to cause a terrible rift between Darejani and her mother. It's going to be very painful for them both." I stood up to go and Dick shook my hand. "Thank you, Dick, for your advice and your time."

"You don't have to thank me for either, Mickey. I know if you took a little more time, you would have come to the same conclusions. It's a good thing to want to help people, especially your good friends and your family. But sometimes you have to look out for yourself and what's best for you, and those closest to you. Besides, being a mentor means finding the time to advise whenever possible. Now tell me, have you been getting a jump on your reading?"

"Yes sir. I've been studying Constitutional Law, Legal Writing and Research, and Contracts and Torts. Some Criminal Law as well. I'm taking a lot of notes. It's a huge amount of reading, which I expected, and I find most of it very interesting. Except for Torts. That's a real snoozer for me." We laughed together as we walked to the door.

"It never was my favorite either. Make sure you get into a study group as soon as possible after classes start. Someone will be strong in Torts and help you through it, just as you'll help others in classes you're stronger in." Then he got serious before I left; it was also my last day at work as I was taking off a few weeks before classes started to have some time with my family. "Work hard, Mickey. If you need any advise or other help, you can always call me. You're a fine young man and you have a wonderful family. You're going to be fine." He then surprised me, giving me a brief hug before opening the door and sending me on my way, back to my office to pack my personal belongings. I'd be going in on Fridays when I could as well as working over the summer, but that work would be in the legal department, on a different floor in the building, as an intern and it certainly didn't warrant me having my own office. I might not even have my own permanent desk.

When I got home I hugged and kissed Dar, then did the same for Lisa before my wife and I sat down and talked about me not going to Tehran and how it would affect our relationship with Yasmin. Dar adored her mother, and I loved her almost as much as my own mother. I'd do almost anything for her...almost. I wouldn't risk my family's future to smuggle money to her brother. We felt terrible for Mehdi and the fix he was in, but it was his own fault he got deported. He knew the risks he was taking by stealing and committing fraud. I tried to help him, his family certainly gave him plenty of help. He was determined to throw away his life, and I wasn't going to let him drag me and Dar down with him.

We had a quiet dinner, spent a little time with our daughter, then we had a little time to ourselves when we put Lisa in her bassinet. We were going to Yasmin and Jack's the next day. It was likely to be a bad one. Not definitely, but likely.

We were cuddling on the couch, watching the tube, and my fingers were tracing up and down Dar's left arm, a very light touch. Then I turned my head and kissed her before asking her "Darling, how about we go to bed in a little while and make love together? We may not be feeling very amorous for a while after tomorrow. Hopefully not too long, and I hope we're wrong, that your mother doesn't react too harshly when we tell her I can't go to your brother. But she might. And I want you now, my Darling Dar. Nice and loving."

Her big dark eyes were a little watery, showing a lot of love and a little pain over the possibility that we'd be hurting Yasmin the next day. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, then join me in bed. Ten minutes? Can you wait that long, my Bunny?"

"As long as you need. I'd give you all the time in the world if you asked."

She kissed me and shared a sweet, small smile. "My sweet man. Ten minutes. Don't keep me waiting." She got up and went up to our bedroom, closing the door behind her. I used the bathroom downstairs, made sure the doors were locked, the alarm was on, and then, exactly ten minutes later, I went upstairs and knocked lightly on our door so as not to awaken our daughter. sound asleep in her little bed.

"Come in, Mr. Bun-Bun" she said playfully. "Your wife is waiting for you." I went inside, and Dar was sitting up Indian-style in the middle of the bed, wearing a red lace teddy, one of our favorite pieces of lingerie. The color was great on her and she just looked so damn sexy in it, even if it was a little snug on her since she gave birth. "Come to me, husband. But clothes off first, please."

I stripped down in just a couple of minutes and climbed onto the bed, sitting across from my delicious looking wife. My cock was already at attention, sticking straight up from my groin, and Dar licked her lips sensuously. "Too bad we can't make too much noise" I said, referring to where our daughter was sleeping less than six feet from the bed.

"Yes, too bad. But I think we're going to have a great time anyways, Mickey. For now we'll be gentle. But think about when we start putting Lisa in her own room. Think about how LOUD we'll be able to get then." In the meantime, she took hold of my penis and squeezed me, making me groan. I reached forward and flicked her nipples, thick and dark brown, with the tips of my fingers, and the rough lace was scraping along her very sensitive nubs, adding to her excitement. "That feels wonderful, Bunny."

"As wonderful as this?" I pulled down the thin shoulder strings and when her breasts were fully exposed, I leaned to her and we moved together so Dar was on her back and I attacked her nipples with my lips and tongue. My hands were full with her ass and hips as I kept suckling, getting small spurts of her milk in my mouth. "Mmm not bad at all. I see why Lisa is always hungry."

Dar giggled between her moans of lusty pleasure. "Don't make me laugh while we do this, Mickey! I'm enjoying it too much to want to laugh. Besides, I don't want to wake Lisa. Don't stop what you're doing." She settled back and enjoyed my mouth as I suckled, then kissed up her chest, over her fuller breasts, up her throat to her hungry lips. We kissed with great passion, loving each other as we always did whether we were being tender or wicked together. I unsnapped the clips covering her pussy, which was nice and wet and ready for me.

Dar eased me over so I was on my back and her teddy was gathered around her waist as she held my cock and lowered herself down until I was fully inside her and we were connected in the best possible way. She stayed very still, her knees on either side of my hips, before she started rocking slowly, back and forth, then right and left. Our fingers were interlocked and we were both moaning with deep desire as we stared into each others eyes. I lifted my hips to meet her slow thrusts and I said "This is amazing, like always, like every time we've ever made love, my Darling Dar. My incredible lover. My wonderful love."

"I love this, Mickey. I love sharing love with you. My handsome husband. The man who showed me what loving is, in every sense of the word."

I grunted as I tried to keep control of my body. We were in our natural rhythm, moving together with my thumb now on her engorged clit, rubbing it in a circular motion. Her breathing got rapid and shallow as her orgasm approached. She tried to squeeze me with her muscles, but she was still a little looser than she used to be. In time she'd get that control back, but for now, we both had to make it work in a different way. I pushed her gently on her back which gave me a better angle to thrust into her. Dar had her arms over my shoulders and her nails were scraping over the back of my neck. That intimate touch fired me up even more, and soon I was pumping my cock into her steamy pussy as hard as I dared. Dar squeezed my waist with her legs and that brought us both to our climaxes, almost simultaneously. I leaned all the way over, pushing my tongue into her very accepting mouth, a kiss meant to be both loving and to stifle the loudest of our moans.

We were enjoying the afterglow, but not for long, when our little lady woke from her slumber and started crying for our attention. "Let me take care of this, honey" I told Dar. "You get to attend to her all the time, aside from when Greta's here. Or our parents or your friends..," I teased her. To me, taking care of Lisa's needs was no imposition. Her diaper was damp and I cooed to her while I threw out the soiled one, cleaned and dried her, powdered her bottom, and put on fresh clothes for her. Then I kissed her nose and she giggled at me.

When I turned, Dar was up on one elbow, looking at me with an adoring smile. "You are perhaps the most loving daddy there is. I love watching you with her. She's going to be such a daddy's girl. And I love it. I love you both."

I put Lisa back in her bassinet before climbing back into bed and giving my wife her own loving kiss. "I love your mother, I love my mother, but my two favorite women in the world are right here. My Darling wife and my incredible daughter. I don't know which of you is more beautiful, especially since she looks just like you."

Dar snuggled in my grasp and we laid there, content with our world. For that night, it would be a perfect world. The next day, we were anticipating trouble, possibly deep trouble.

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Dar and I (and Lisa, of course) were invited to a Christmas Eve party the next night in Great Neck, so we went to Jack and Yasmin's during the afternoon, along with my parents. Just a casual afternoon for family, but we were also going to tell Yasmin what we decided about bringing money for Mehdi in Iran. We didn't expect her to be happy with the answer.

We kept things easy for a while, letting the grandparents dote on their granddaughter, eating a few light snacks etc. But after an hour or so, the subject couldn't be avoided any longer. Yasmin had to ask me, and we needed to be honest with her.

It wasn't easy telling her I wouldn't be going to Tehran, not for Mehdi, not for anyone. I sat next to her and held her hand. "Yasmin, I love you dearly, almost as much as my own mother. You've been amazingly kind to me since we met. I'd do almost anything for you. But this I can't do. It's not because I don't want to help Medhi; under other circumstances, I would help him. But if I got caught by the government smuggling money to Iran, I'd be done as a lawyer before I even took a class. A felon can't get a law license. I'd lose my job and the respect of a number of people I've come to appreciate professionally. And it would hurt my relationship with your daughter. And if I got caught in Iran, I don't even want to think about what they could do to me. I could end up in prison there with Mehdi, with no US government to assist me. I know he's your son, and as much as he's broken your heart over the years, you want to do whatever you can to protect him. I appreciate that more than ever since Lisa was born. But I have to say no to protect her as well as Darejani. I hope you understand."

Dar then spoke to her mother, soft words, in Farsi. By then I could follow the language enough to get the gist of what she was saying. She was telling her mother that Mehdi made bad choices when they came to America, and we tried to help him, we accepted him and helped him get away from his criminal connections, but then he went back. "Mother, please, don't be angry with us. We have to think of our future. Heaven knows we don't want him going to prison. He's still my brother. But he put himself in this position. We have Lisa to think about now, and we want more children in the future. If Mickey got in trouble, it would ruin everything."

Yasmin sighed, a terribly sad sound from deep inside her. Jack was holding her other hand, and my mother was softly crying, probably not for Mehdi but for the pain in her extended family. She loved Lisa and Dar, but she also loved Yasmin. They'd become such close friends. Then Yasmin spoke her piece. "I know Mehdi ruined his own life. I am furious with him for throwing it away and for causing us all such heartache. Most of all, for what he's done to himself. I'm angry at him for trying to get me to push you into breaking the law, risking your future. But you're right; he made his choices, bad ones. I won't hurt the child I still have, and I won't try to manipulate you into doing something that could ruin your good life. Mickey, you're the best man for Darejani. And you can have a great future together. It's just the thought of him in that horrible place, the things they can do to him..." She faded off, crying into Jack's embrace. She wailed, actually, a cry full of the worst possible pain, and I felt like shit for not helping. But my choice was the right one, and thankfully, Yasmin knew it, but it didn't make it easier for her. She knew she was unlikely to ever see him again, which hurt enough. But if he did get sent to Evin Prison, nightmarish things could happen.

Eventually, Yasmin got herself together enough to talk to me and Dar. "For you, this is the right thing to do, my children. I need to concentrate on the children and grandchildren I have. I want you all safe and happy, with long lives. And maybe someday you'll have more children for Martha and me to spoil and love like the adoring grandparents we are."

My father got into the act. "Hey what about Jack and me? We want to spoil our grandchildren as well."

My mom said "You'll get your chances. But especially for a girl, it's the grandmother's place to spoil her." And so, even though it had been a rough conversation, it worked out well for us all. We all felt bad about Mehdi, but he'd have to figure out how to take care of himself. As I've said, he made a lot of bad choices. And it turned out, when Yasmin called Iran to let him know, he had been trying to manipulate his mother; he wasn't in danger of being sent to prison. Not then, at least. He let her know as far as he was concerned, she was a 'jendeh', a whore in Farsi. It broke Yasmin's heart to hear the vitriol spewing from her son, but it also let her know he was beyond redemption. She had done everything she could to give him a good life and he consistently tried to degrade his own mother and sister. Some people are just no damn good.

Yasmin cried to Jack that day, then to Dar and me, and then she finally wrote him off. He called a few times over the next year, primarily try to get her to send him money, but Yasmin was done trying to help him. Over the years he became more and more radicalized, a regular denouncer of all things Western, especially American. Maybe it was what he had to do to stay on the good side of the regime there. Whatever. We were all done with him. I only spoke to him once more, many years later when Yasmin got sick. But that was a long, long time later.

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I started law school in January and it was a hell of an adjustment. In the first class I was in that first day, Contracts, the professor told us to look to our left, then to look to our right. Of the three of us in that little 'game', one of us would not be finishing as a lawyer. Law schools have a high drop-out rate, but I was determined not to be the one of three. Too many people had put their faith in me and others were relying on me, most importantly, my wife.

I got into a study group of 6, of which I was the oldest (an old man of 29!) and I found out I had a real talent for contract law. As long as I did the readings, it all came naturally to me, so I lead the group in Contracts. I studied most nights and all day long on Saturdays. Sundays I tried to set aside for Dar and Lisa, as well as seeing some friends or our family, but sometimes, half of Sunday ended up being study days as well. I often hosted my study group since I had the most room compared to my younger classmates, and I could see Lisa a little bit more, and she charmed my friends in the group. Dar would prepare some snacks, even a full meal for the six of us sometimes. Dar was a big hit with my group mates, some of whom were otherwise living on cups of noodles and other cheap foods. When they came over, Dar would make enough to send them home with leftovers. I felt a little guilty being financially well to do while most of them were struggling to varying degrees.

Some Fridays I went into the office to get some practical experience as an intern, sometimes helping to research briefs, sometimes being a gopher for the lawyers, even getting sandwiches or coffee. I didn't mind; it was how things went for decades. Low man on the totem pole.