#16 Family Ties

A couple of days ago at lunch I asked Buze if she still talks to Lily's father....I then got the whole story. When she was 13 she went with her friend to a clinic because her friend has hurt her arm. She met this doctor and they have been together for the last six years. Since doctors don't get paid more than any businessman here her parents gave her to a merchant. What? Hold on....wait a minute. You are married??? She was only married for a couple of months before she got pregnant with Lily. Her boyfrined told her to run away and that he would come and get her but she was three months pregnant by the time she actually left her husband- who doesn't know about Lily. In this culture you never accept the children of another man as your own. This said he didn't want Lily. Buze was fine with this at first she didn't want Lily who wasn't the child of the man she loves. I think being here away from both men has allowed her to look at Lily as her child and not either of the men and she loves her- oh how she loves her. It is going to break her heart when she leaves. Anyways, back to the story. I asked her if in the Orthodix religion if she can divorce her husnband...then it took 5 mins. to explain what divorce was to Tesfanesh so she could translate properly. I received a very surprising answer...yes. it's not a big deal in their religion. I was secretly happy for her. I do not think that divorce is right but she didn't have a choice in whom she married and she is in love with someone else. I wouldn't want to be in that situation at all. So, when she leaves the house she is going to go back to her boyfriend and marry him. She chose a man (who could possible leave her) over her child but I know this is what is best for Lily.