83 pages of legal documentations, six months of running up and down the same building, 35 years of being alone and countless unanswered questions. Finally this is it. She sat anxiously on an empty seat in the middle of the empty hallway. She closed her eyes and took a long deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was probably the hundred-th time she did that just today and counting. Every breath that she took, she knew what she felt. She felt closer and closer to what she has been anticipating.
The long prayers, the sleepless nights, the pro-con lists, the counseling, the thinking, the rethinking, the weighing everything that gave meaning to her life, it all comes down to his moment. On the other side of that door is her end of time. She knew what was on the other side of that door would mean so much more that her life itself. She was ready for it.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a tall man with a black suit approached her.
'Frau Jensen, Kommen Sie bitte mit mir' He asked her to follow him
She stood up and took another long breath before initiating her steps. Every step felt heavier than the last. The walk along the hallway felt like the longest walk. In her mind, she imagined a thousand things, a thousand scenes. Every image left her smiling wider and wider, making her feel like this decision is the best decision she has ever made. Their footsteps interrupted her thoughts and finally they were standing in front of a room at the end of the hall. The man stopped and turned and prepared himself. He patted gently on his suit, clearing almost invisible dusts that might have been on it. He cleared his throat as a sign of preparing himself for the next step.
'Sind Sie bereit?' The question that she has been asking herself for the past six months. Are you ready?
She nodded with full certainty. Her eyes watched closely at his left hand that knocked lightly at the door. His knock was a sign acknowledging the person behind the door that they are finally there. He reached for the silver handle. Within that two seconds she thought about how many times he must've done this in his life. He looked so calm and emotionless as though this life changing moment for her meant nothing to him. The truth was, he was as nervous as she was. But he had to be professional.
The door was opened ajar, just wide enough for her to see the bright lit room and a person sitting on a sofa. There she was, for the first time in her life, she finally saw her. It was that exact moment when their eyes met, a tear dropped.
'Frau Jensen... hier ist Jannah' The man introduced her to the 10 year old girl who was sitting nervously at the sofa. She was wearing a simple blue dress and her hair was covered nicely with a black scarf. Jannah stood up and walked slowly to her, their eyes locked between each other. Through her deep eyes, she saw myriad of emotions. Pain, hope, fear, happiness, sadness.
She knelt down slowly. The moment froze. She smelled an unfamiliar yet soothing scent that came from the girl that was walking slowly but surely towards her. She embraced her with the warmest hug. She is officially a mother to an adopted Syrian Refugee named Jannah, which means Paradise in Arabic. It felt like paradise for the both of them.
'Assalamualaikum' Jannah greeted her.
'Walaikummussalam' she replied. It was that moment that she finally understood what it's like to be a mother.
The man in the suit witnessed this from the corner of the room. He could not help but feel happy for them. In his heart, he never forgot about his long lost son, and hopes to hug him once again,,,
