When Sam goes on a gay website looking for romance, he finds more than he bargained for. Rejecting all the usual requests for hook-ups, he searches for something more sincere. And he finds it in the most unexpected of places, as he is drawn to the profile of a man in a faraway place. Amir, an Algerian descended from desert nomads, has posted a profile looking for the love of his life. Sam finds it amazing that a gay man born in the Algerian desert has the bravery to not only declare he is gay, but also to admit his dream is to find a husband to spend his life with. While Sam doesn’t consider himself the marrying kind, he starts chatting with Amir, telling himself he just wants to learn about another culture. His friends laugh at him, saying this man just wants to use him to emigrate to the west and take him for his money. But he refuses to believe it, sensing a sincerity he has never seen with anyone else. The two begin a dialogue that moves to weekly Skype sessions, discussions of religion and world politics, assistance with life challenges and, finally, a declaration of love ... and an invitation. Can these two men from vastly different worlds and cultures meet and find common ground for a romance? The challenges are great, and spending a life together seems like an impossible dream. While Sam’s friends continue to discourage him, he knows he cannot give up this man. Is Amir sincere, or is Sam being used? There is only one way to find out if Amir is really sincere. And Sam knows what he has to do.

Not on My Bucket List

Amir found us a coffee shop and we decided to have our refreshment inside out of the hot sun. The place was quite busy, and again I had the impression we were in an establishment that was a morning hangout for the locals. We found a table and I sat down while Amir went to the counter. There were three chairs at the table, and as the place was quite crowded, a man soon asked me in Arabic if he could sit at my table. I nodded, as there was no place else for him to go. We sat in somewhat awkward silence as he drank his coffee. Amir returned with two espressos and the usual three pastries, and the man left almost immediately. Amir gave me a questioning look, then shoved all three pastries in my direction. Excellent choices, the cream-filled goodies resembled a Napoleon, a crème-filled filo pastry, and a torte of some kind. In spite of the high decibel animated Arabic conversations on all four sides of us, we relaxed and enjoyed this break from walking in the sun.


Chapter 33