We Are Called to Rise

Bashkim’s foster mother, Mrs. Delain, drives him to the Islamic Center. When he buckles his seatbelt, it reminds him of how Nene and Baba didn’t buckle theirs the evening of the fatal incident, and he begins to cry silently. He mentions how “nice” Mrs. Delain is by comforting him. He finds out he was placed with her because she lives close to his school, but he would rather be with Tirana and change schools. Mrs. Delain has many foster children, but most are too old to be close with Bashkim. He isn’t comfortable in his foster home and sometimes sits alone in the closet upstairs.

Bashkim has rarely visited the mosque, so he is unsure of what to do there; they are attending his mother’s funeral, and this further saddens him. He observes very few people, but there are many cameras from local news stations. Mrs. Delain is comforting and supportive. She gives Bashkim a black scarf to wrap around himself, and he uses it to cover his face from the reporters. Once inside, Bashkim sees Baba. They hold each other, crying, and Bashkim has never felt so safe around his father. He expresses how much he wants to be with Baba and Tirana, but no one speaks. He doesn’t see Tirana and wonders where she might be, still crying at the thought of his family’s situation. Tirana then appears, and they all embrace. Bashkim looks around and realizes that no one there must have actually known his Nene, and he thinks about how isolated she must have been without her family in the US. Bashkim remembers photos of his Nene’s family that she kept under the bed. Once, Nene bought a pear tree to plant because it reminded her of Albania, but the tree didn’t yield any sweet fruit and became forgotten. He overhears the social workers talking about how their apartment was taken back by the landlord, and he realizes he no longer has a home. He avoids looking at his mother’s coffin and holds Tirana closely until the ceremony ends.

Luis is ready to leave the rehab center, despite appreciating the support of the workers. Soon, he will fly back to live with his abuela, although he wishes he could live independently and alone. He keeps to himself because he is ashamed of telling others about his attempted suicide. He decides to rest but suddenly remembers he received a letter from Orson Hulet Elementary. He notices Bashkim’s usual handwriting has been replaced by a typed letterhead. He is proud of his progress in fixing the situation with Bashkim and admits that the letters “mean a lot” to him (257). He hasn’t received a letter in weeks, so he eagerly opens the envelope. Inside there are seven letters, newspaper clippings, and an official letter from the school. He skips straight to Bashkim’s letters. Bashkim explains that he won’t be able to meet Luis because he is “moving” out of Vegas and asks how Luis was injured and about the boy he shot. Luis realizes Bashkim must still be afraid of him and understands why. He is called away to therapy before he can finish reading.

In therapy, Luis can’t stop thinking about Bashkim’s questions. His therapist—a former war veteran whom Luis trusts—tries to help, but Luis doesn’t respond and contemplates his failures. Dr. Ghosh eventually visits and asks what’s wrong. When Luis doesn’t respond, Dr. Ghosh asks if he can read the letters on the desk. Luis nods yes but is surprised when Dr. Ghosh looks shocked at what he reads. Luis knows there is something he must’ have missed, so he asks about it. Dr. Ghosh hesitates, then says he will read everything aloud, starting with Bashkim’s letters. They get to the last letter, which is written by Dr. Moore; she explains what happened to Bashkim’s mother and encourages Luis to write Bashkim since she believes their correspondence has been “positive.” In the newspaper clippings, more details about the incident are revealed: Arjeta Ahmeti (Nene) was holding an ice cream scoop, which Officer Nathan Gisselberg (Nate) believed was a knife. Luis feels horrible that Bashkim is in foster care. Luis remembers a friend named Kevin who went to foster care and had an abusive foster dad—he hopes Bashkim’s situation isn’t as dire.

It has been a month since the shooting. Though Nate is still on leave from the force, things are becoming normal again. Avis is living in her new house and taking classes in business management. She is thriving in her environment, but despite her newfound independence, she worries about the Ahmeti children, seeing herself and Rodney reflected in their unfortunate circumstances. Avis is glad none of her new neighbors recognize her as the mother of the police officer who killed a woman at a traffic stop. She feels guilty that her own son has taken the mother of these children.

Lauren shows up at Avis’s house, and they catch up. Avis knows Lauren is still uneasy about her relationship with Nate, and she feels bad for her daughter-in-law. Lauren talks about Nate returning to the police force soon; his sergeant has assured him he won’t lose his job after the “coroner’s inquest.” Avis can see Lauren’s discomfort and is aware that Nate is causing both women anxiety. Avis gives Lauren a hug for support.

Avis wishes she had gone to the funeral, though she is glad she didn’t for fear of being recognized. She thinks of ways to be involved and help the family but ultimately concludes she can’t because she’s “on the other side” (276). Avis tries to clear her mind by asking to meet with Jim alone. Before they meet, she talks with her friend Cheryl and admits that she doesn’t know how to feel about Nate’s situation—she’s conflicted that he’s getting off so easy, like he’s “on vacation.” Cheryl tells her that Nate will get off without any consequences and to embrace the perks of the Las Vegas system. Avis thinks to herself how little Cheryl knows about the Vegas she grew up in.