Love Across The Border

Love Across The Border

In the middle of the night, Layla had adopted Talia. It is not what you think.

7 months before “The Incident…”

In Israel, they were asleep and Talia’s 24-year-old mother, Lily, a pregnant Ashkenazi Jew at the time, & her 34-year-old Israeli father, Isaac, had taken in 27-year-old Layla who was homeless. Layla was Palestinian. They were great friends, they hung out & cared for each other.

3 months before “The Incident.”

Lily gave birth to Talia & Layla prayed over Talia because Layla was a Christian, so she saw Jesus Christ as the true & living God. Isaac was a messianic Jew, so he prayed to Christ for Talia. Layla became a certified member of the family very quickly since Layla was the babysitter so the mom could have a break & Daddy could go to work.

Layla would also go on to teach Lily how to be a good mother since Lily's mother, Rina, & father, James, had already died of old age and had died without really teaching their daughter about motherhood. Layla helped out because she noticed that Lily's lack of knowledge on the subject not only made motherhood hard but extremely scary!

The month of “The Incident.”

It was 2023; Rockets were commonplace in Israel. Talia was asleep in Layla’s arms. Layla had her bedroom in the basement with the baby to protect her from the bombs, but Isaac & Lily had forgotten to go down to the basement to sleep as the basement had a crib & two beds for the household members. Lily & Isaac were married, so they shared a double bed.

Upstairs, Lily & Isaac fell asleep accidentally on the couch. One of the 5,000 bombs that flew out that day had started being disarmed with perfect precision. They were all asleep as the bombs were dropping.

One of the bombs missed and dropped near the house. The baby was safe underground In their bunker, Lily & Isaac awoke to the force of the bomb, Lily died first after 34 minutes of struggling under Rubble while she could hear her baby & Layla crying as Layla panicked.

Isaac died 35 minutes after trying to save her later, he was carrying her into the street & when another bomb hit him. Stuck under the house, Layla was panicking with baby Talia. Layla was too afraid to dig herself & the baby, Talia, up, so she stayed underground until the invasion was over. Underground, they had a mini-stove, a small cooker & a mini-fridge.

Layla is not ready to see the dead bodies, so even if the bombs stop dropping, Layla will not go up until she is sure she doesn't have to see the dead bodies of her friends & always calls out to Lily & Isaac, not knowing they were dead. Layla couldn't bathe the baby because she was conserving the water for herself, plus, she needed to stay alive to care for the child. Layla was a virgin and thus had no children of her own.

Layla never bathed to conserve water and she didn't like showering anyway. She fed the baby, changed the baby, and cuddled the baby, as babies will die without love. They did a study in another country where they deprived ten newborn babies of love; half of them died. Even though they tried to save one baby by placing them in a normal household, the baby still died.

They took care of all the babies' physical needs like food, water, and so on, but without touch and love, the babies died regardless. Babies need love just as they need food, or else they will die of failure to thrive. Babies get this stressed out without love. It is extremely rare for emotional neglect to get this bad.

Once the disaster had stopped, Layla went up above the ground and saw her friends, Layla & Isaac dead on the ground, Laula panicked & bawled. Layla got them medical attention, but they were confirmed to be dead & she had a mental breakdown. Layla ran & took Talia & fled to the airport. Layla had gathered their credit cards, money, clothes, food, and baby stuff. Layla flew to America & learned the language and chose to become a citizen.

On the plane there, Layla had copied by seeing the baby as Lily & Isaac both mixed, like a fusion of the couple. Layla told them, "You have become one. Yes, that's what happens. The Bible says the two shall become one. That's because we have babies." Layla then bawled on the plane and mourned her dead friends. Baby Talia was alive, thank goodness, but Layla was scared that she'd die without her mother. Layla was horrified.

Layla lived alone in a shelter provided for refugees by the American government. It was the worst time ever. Layla was attacked by two Americans for being Palestinian. Many Palestinians who fled to the U.S. called her a traitor for adopting a Jewish baby and beat her up while her baby was with a black babysitter, Lyla Jenkins, at home. Some people felt that no unity included her because all those who cared for her were either in Palestine or dead. The only one she had left was the 3-month-old Talia.

Eventually, while some people were kind to her, many were not due to political reasons. This led to Layla cutting off all Americans, even Her kind. The Jews were kinder to her because she loved the baby, but many were resentful of her, insulted her, and even called CPS on her. Luckily, the social worker, a white man named Mr. Paul, didn’t see anything wrong and scolded the person, Mr. James, for falsely making calls to CPS.

CPS stands for Child Protective Services. It's a special group whose job is to ensure that kids are safe and well taken care of. Think of them like superheroes for children's safety. They help kids who might not be getting the care they need at home, or who might be in danger.

Sometimes, grown-ups have problems and they might not be able to take care of their children the right way. Maybe they are very sad, sick, or have other big problems. When that happens, someone might call CPS to make sure the child is okay.

CPS workers talk to the child, their family, and sometimes their teachers or doctors to understand what's happening. Their main goal is to make sure the child is safe and happy. Sometimes, they help the parents learn how to be better at taking care of their kids. Other times, they might find another safe place for the child to stay for a while, like with another family member or a foster home.

A foster home is a special place where children can live for a while when they can't stay with their own families. It's like a second home where kind adults, called foster parents, take care of them and make sure they are safe and happy. Foster homes are there to give kids a place to live, eat, play, and go to school, just like in their own home, until they can either go back to their families or find a new permanent home. It's a place filled with care and support, helping children feel loved and looked after.

Remember, CPS's job is to help children and make sure they are in a safe and loving environment. Every child needs to have a place where they feel cared for and protected.

Layla was so much happier when she isolated herself. Layla felt safe, Layla felt happy, Layla felt like no one would hurt her. Layla struggled with the baby, so she allowed Lyla back into her life because she trusted her and she became great friends with Lyla.

After 5 years.

Talia was living with Layla, Layla was a happy woman at this time. Isolation was therapeutic for her, so now she was ready to rejoin the world. Layla was put in therapy by Lyla, who believed that she was responsible for Layla’s mental health as Layla was alone in this country. Lyla was only 29. Layla thrived under therapy and learned that she had C-PTSD.

C-PTSD, or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is when someone feels scared, sad, or upset because of terrible things that happened to them, not just once, but many times. It's like if you fell off a 45 foot tall cliff and hurt your head, but instead of just hurting your head, your feelings get hurt over and over again.

When someone has C-PTSD, they might have times when they feel scared or worried, even when they're safe. They might have bad dreams or sometimes feel like they are back in those scary times again. It's like having a scary movie playing in your head that you can't turn off.

But just like a scrape or a cut, these hurt feelings can get better too. Some special doctors and therapists know how to help. They can teach you and the person with C-PTSD different ways to feel safer, calmer, and happier. 

It's important to know that people with C-PTSD are not weird or bad; they have just been through some really tough things. With the right help and lots of love and understanding, they can start to feel better and enjoy things again. Remember, it's always okay to ask for help when you need it, just like it's okay to ask for a bandage when you have a scrape.

Talia had been put in therapy as well for OCD, but it wasn’t too bad. She wasn’t very emotionally distressed by it, but because she was a mere child, she genuinely believed it. Her OCD was wild; in her imagination, it blended perfectly with her imaginary world, imaginary friends, and enemies. The enemies were at odds with her three best friends, one was a girl named Elarien, another girl named Thalindra, and a boy named Jorixar.

OCD, which stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, is like having a tiny, persistent bug in your brain that keeps telling you to worry about things, even small stuff, and to do certain actions over and over again.

Imagine if your brain kept telling you that you need to wash your hands exactly five times every time, or else something bad might happen, even though you know your hands are already clean.

That's a bit of what OCD feels like. It tells you a bunch of lies and blackmails you into doing things you don’t want to do.

People with OCD have these thoughts (obsessions) that make them feel anxious or scared, and they do certain things (compulsions) to try to make those feelings go away. It's like having a rule book in your head that you feel you must follow, even if the rules don't always make sense.

But just like any challenge, people with OCD can get help and learn how to handle these thoughts and actions better. It's important to remember that having OCD doesn't mean you're weird or alone; it's just a part of how your brain works, and with support and understanding, you can still do all the amazing things you dream of doing!

Five-year-old Talia, with her bright imagination, faced a unique challenge. In her mind, a fake demon had spun a tale that filled her with fear. This demon convinced her that if she didn't lick the dusty TV 12 times, something terrible would happen: “The world would blow up because the sun had exploded!” The fake demon said, but it wasn’t true. This thought scared Talia a lot. She believed that by doing this odd task, she was somehow keeping everyone safe.

But Talia's therapist, Aureliandor Starwhisper, a kind and understanding person, was there to help her. In therapy, Talia was hesitant to talk about the demon and its demands. The fake demon had tricked her into thinking that if she talked about her three best imaginary friends and the enemies they faced, the world would end. This made therapy a bit tricky, as Talia was battling not just her compulsions, but also the fear of revealing them.

The therapist, Mrs. Starwhisper gently guided Talia, helping her understand that these thoughts and fears were fake stories from her mind. Mrs. Starwhisper worked with Talia to show Talia that the world was safe and that her actions weren't holding the sun together in the sky. It was a journey of trust and understanding, where Talia learned that sharing her fears wouldn't make them come true and that she had the strength to face her OCD.

Therapy is like having a special friend who is good at listening and helping you understand your feelings. Imagine if you had a big box of mixed-up puzzle pieces inside you. Sometimes, you might feel sad, scared, or angry, and you don't know why. A therapist is someone who helps you sort out those puzzle pieces and understand them better.

When you go to therapy, you get to talk about things that bother you, things that make you happy, or even things that confuse you. It's a safe place where you can share anything, and the therapist won't get mad or tell your secrets to others. They're there to help you feel better.

A therapist can also teach you fun games and activities to help you deal with tough feelings or worries. It's like learning new ways to solve problems or make the scary things less scary. 

Remember, going to therapy doesn't mean you're weak or there's something wrong with you. It just means you're getting some extra help to be the happiest, strongest you. It's like having a coach for your feelings and thoughts!

Talia went home with Layla and ended up playing hide and seek with Layla in the yard, so Talia hid in a bush in the forest behind the yard and saw a big, black portal. It was the shape of a hexagon!

A hexagon is a shape with six straight sides, all of equal length, like a honeycomb cell. A honeycomb cell is a hexagonal wax chamber in a beehive created by bees to store honey and nurture their young. Imagine a portal in this hexagon shape. It gently wiggles and writhes, almost like it's alive with mystical energy. The edges of the portal seem to dance and shimmer, giving the impression that the portal is playfully jumping around, yet it stays in one place. This movement makes the portal look enchanting and otherworldly, as if it's a gateway to a magical realm, pulsing with a mysterious and captivating energy that invites you to step through and explore what lies beyond.

Go ahead and wiggle like the portal if you want to, that’d be fun! Just don’t jump on the bed or you could hurt yourself! Talia looks around and decides to look inside by peeking only her head in. She saw a gothic world. She loved the style of the gothic, but not what they do. She always wanted to dress like one in black lace! She found it so pretty, but right now she’s in white and cool with that.

In this wonderfully odd world, you could spot portraits of people dressed in the most amusing outfits. They wore big, fancy hats that looked like grand castles on their heads and they dressed in beautiful Victorian dresses with lots of lace that twirled and swirled like frosting on a cake. It was like peeking into a fantastical wardrobe, where every outfit told its own giggly, whimsical story!

Talia peeked her head out of the realm, and Layla found her, but also discovered the portal! Horrified, Layla took little Talia inside the house and banned her from going into the portal, to which Talia agreed because going into other dimensions scared her. She was afraid of being taken away from her family by one. That’s why Talia never fully walked into the portal and would only stick her head in; she did not want her full body inside the portal, fearing she’d be trapped in it with no way out!

3 Years Later.

Layla was lying in bed with Talia. Talia is 8-years-old, now. Layla is 35. Lyla is 32. They’re asleep. It is the dead of the night. Suddenly, a groan that sounded like the mixture of an owl hooting and a tiger growling was outside of her window. This scared Talia, so she hid and ducked her head a little under the window so that the monster wouldn’t catch her and eat her.

That Morning.

Talia is on the right, and Layla is on the left.

Talia was baking a cake for herself as it was Talia’s 8th birthday, and Layla was helping out. Layla loved Talia more than anything, only God held a higher place in Layla’s heart, Layla's love for Talia, her adoptive daughter, was profound and unwavering, transcending their Israeli and Palestinian backgrounds. Over the eight years since she adopted Talia, Layla nurtured a bond with her that was rooted in deep affection and understanding. She embraced Talia's heritage with respect and love, creating a home where differences were celebrated as strengths.

Their bond was evident in the simple, yet precious moments they shared, like baking a birthday cake together. As they mixed batter and laughed over flour-dusted faces, their kitchen became a place of joy and unity. Layla carefully taught Talia not just how to bake, but also imparted lessons of kindness, resilience, and the beauty of diverse cultures.

For Layla, Talia was not just a child she had adopted; she was a cherished part of her heart and life. Every birthday cake they baked together symbolized another year of love, growth, and shared experiences. Layla saw Talia's birthdays not just as a celebration of age, but as a celebration of the life they built together, blending Palestinian and Israeli cultures into a unique tapestry of familial love. Their relationship was a testament to the power of love in bridging divides and creating a harmonious life out of different cultures.

To be continued…