We Are Called to Rise

Baba visits Bashkim in his foster home for the first time. When they reunite, Bashkim cries with happiness and knows he wants to be back with his family. He tells the case worker and Mrs. Delain he wants to live with his family. Baba is crying and hugs Bashkim so hard they fall to the ground. Baba hugs Bashkim so tightly that Bashkim can’t breathe, and they have to be separated. Eventually, they settle in, and Bashkim sits in Baba’s lap. When Baba leaves, Bashkim learns he won’t see Baba until the court date.

Later that week, Bashkim received a visit from Robbie and Mrs. Reyes (Luis’s abuela). He is uneasy and unsure about their visit. Everyone is polite, and Mrs. Delain dismisses Bashkim so she can talk to the visitors. Upstairs he ruminates on how much he doesn’t want this life with strangers, and even though Mrs. Delain is nice, he wants Nene back. He recalls a story Nene told him about being in Albania with her mother and grandmothers, overlooking the natural beauty of the village.