Saemira reached for our daughter. “You’re going to spoil her rotten, Daddy.”
I let my daughter go to her mama. “I’m definitely going to spoil her. How can I not? She’s my princess. But she’s not rotten. She’s perfect.”
“True.” Dad reached for Bella, and she almost leaped from Saemira’s arms to get to him.
“Pompa,” Bella said, and giggled as my dad started kissing her chubby cheeks.
I turned away from the disgusting display of undeserved love my daughter heaped on him. “Are you ready to go?” I asked my wife.
Saemira nodded. “Just call if you need anything. Angel’s up in his room studying. He knows where everything is if you need help.”
“We know the routine,” Mom said.
Saemira gave a few last kisses to Bella and Altin before letting me tug her into the garage.
I opened the door of the Jag. She paused before getting in, catching my face in her hands and pulling me close for a sizzling kiss.
“You’re not going to get fed if you keep that behavior up, Mrs. M.” I winked.
“Is that a threat?” she said.
“It’s a promise, baby.” I hurried to my side and climbed in next to her. “Have I told you yet how sexy you look tonight?” I started the car.
“Not yet.”
“You’re beyond sexy, my beautiful, amazing, incredible, breathtaking wife.”
She took my hand as I backed out. “It’s been a good year, hasn’t it?”
“The best. Definitely worth celebrating.”
Duke and some of his gang had gone to prison. Angel had undergone extensive facial reconstruction. He still couldn’t hear out of his restored right ear, but the improvement in his appearance had buoyed his self-esteem. His eye issues had improved as well. They weren’t quite normal, but they were much less distracting than before.
“Your dad’s come a long way, don’t you think?”
I grimaced, not wanting to ruin our night by talking about my father. “I guess.”
She gave me an impish smile. “You guess? Haven’t you noticed how much happier your mom is lately?”
I scowled. “Buying her a few bouquets of roses doesn’t make up for years of neglect and cheating.”
“Now, who’s being grumpy?” Saemira said.
“I just don’t want to talk about him.”
“I think he’s changing. He hasn’t said anything rude to you for months.”
I rolled my eyes. “Because he knows I can keep Bella from him.”
She looked thoughtful. “He hasn’t been a jerk to me either. I can’t remember the last time I had to demand an apology.”
“He knows I’ll bust his jaw if he screws up again.” Like he had in the early days of our marriage when he’d made jabs about her ethnicity. I’d shoved him against the wall and told him in no uncertain terms that he was banned from my house until he could treat my wife with respect. I’d let Mom still come and have dinner with us or hang out with Saemira, but Dad had stayed clear until about six weeks after Bella’s birth. Then he’d promised to be civil if he could see his granddaughter.
He’d kept his mouth shut since. But that didn’t mean he’d changed his colors as my sweet wife seemed to hope.
“How’s that project for Statics coming along?” I asked, to change the subject.
Saemira leaned over the gear shift to kiss my cheek. “It’s so fun. Angel and I finished the required labs two days ago. Now, we’ve been experimenting with concepts in the next chapter.” She kissed me again. “Thanks for the lab. It’s seriously the best gift ever.”
I’d had the contractors build a basement science lab in the renovation of our house to surprise my wife. Several of my development techs had helped with the specs. Saemira had thanked me almost every day since I’d unveiled the room to her.
Best money ever spent.
Angel was in his sophomore year in mechanical engineering and was working through the naturalization process. Saemira had started last fall in the same major. She was still a freshman. But they’d worked out several classes to take together this semester. Both of them were geniuses, which was shocking considering their dysfunctional lives during their formative years. I wished I could’ve known Saemira’s father, Taavi. He must’ve been one hell of a teacher to inspire such brilliance in his daughter and her friend.
“What are you thinking about?” Saemira caressed my clean-shaven chin.
“About how brilliant you are. And how much I love you.”
She patted my face. “I can live with that.”
I grinned. My wife was seriously the light I’d searched for all my life. She reminded me in many ways of my little sister Cora—her goodness, her zest for life, her genuine love for others. Altin could be a challenge, but I loved him as well and couldn’t imagine life without him. And Bella, my precious princess—I loved her beyond words. My family was everything to me.
At the steakhouse, I helped my wife out and handed my keys to a valet. I paused for a moment to admire Saemira. The Bohemian style she pulled off so well had definitely grown on me. I’d become adept at picking out other women in crowds who sported the style as well. But nobody came close to doing it with quite as much flair and elegance as Saemira. She was in a class all her own.
And she was mine.
Author Note
Thanks for reading Of Stone and Sky. If you enjoyed Saemira’s and Lincoln’s story, please leave a review on Amazon or another site. Reviews help authors out a ton, and bonus—no one grades you.
Roma throughout the world are looked down upon and labeled as gypsies or thieves. They often have higher unemployment rates and subpar housing. In some places, they are refused medical care and educational opportunities. Some stereotypes are founded in truth. But the danger of stereotypes is that they keep people in boxes or become self-fulfilling prophesies. They make you think you know someone when you don’t.
Zinzan, a minor character in the book, is based off a man my son knows (name changed for privacy). He can fix anything, from broken door handles to automobile engines. Yet even with those valuable skills, he’s had difficulty finding steady employment due to his heritage. When he arrived in Montenegro, he received permission from the city to build on a plot of land outside of town. Later, the city built a dump there. Now, smoke from burning trash is the new air Zinzan’s family breathes; trash their new vista.
I recently got to meet Zinzan when my son Skyped him. I didn’t speak Montenegrin, Romani, or German, and he couldn’t speak English. We did little more than smile at each other as my son translated between us. But his smile has stayed with me. Zinzan was completely happy, and goodness radiated from him. I want to be more like him: happier with less, kinder to more, grateful for all God has blessed me with.
Racism in any form belittles and demeans. It divides and blinds us to the hearts of others. The best way I’ve found to get rid of prejudice is to listen to those who are different than me. Learn from their stories. When you learn more about someone, you can’t help but start to love them.
Justice for all
I’ve included some quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. His autobiography was life changing when I listened to the Audible version. I highly recommend that version, as it has live speeches. My book lightly touched on racism, but I hope you will learn more and always stand for justice for all, even for those you don’t agree with (maybe especially for them).
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their characters…”
Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream speech, 28 Aug 1963 at Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.)
“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., letter from Birmingham Jail, 16 Apr 1963
“Actually, w
e who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive…Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension this exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.”
Ibid, King
“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right….Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.”
Ibid, King
“Was not Jesus an extremist for love: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.’ …So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime—the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth, and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.”
Ibid, King
Book Group Questions
1.What misbelief was planted inside Saemira’s mind as a little girl on her first trip to the Roma village? How did this influence her decisions and actions later in life? How can you challenge your worldview to ensure you don’t hold on to misbeliefs that could make you stagnate?
2. Saemira’s baba asks her to do an experiment regarding dignity. In the process, she befriends Engjell. What prejudices does she still hold against him even after they become friends? Do you judge those closest to you at times? How can this hurt your relationships?
3.Saemira’s baba teaches her the following principles about forgiveness and choices. What do you think of these?
We are all responsible for our own choices. We are not to blame for the bad choices of others that affect us negatively. But we do have the choice to forgive and move on.
God requires more from us than what makes us comfortable.
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean what they did was right or acceptable. It means you break the chains binding you to the person who hurt you. You give judgment to God, who allows you to move on and be happy again.
When you don’t forgive, you take the role of judge upon yourself, a burden too heavy for any mortal.
4.Gypsies (magjup) are a stereotype in this story. What other stereotypes did you notice? What factors lead to people stereotyping others? How can you overcome the tendency to stereotype? What are the benefits of seeing people as they really are (not how you believe they are)?
5.The theme of prejudice is woven throughout this story. There is the obvious example of treating someone differently because of the color of their skin, but there are other ways we judge others. This feeling of superiority (whether due to religion, sexual preference, weaknesses, economic status, career choice, family status, political party, etc) is ALWAYS a sign that our hearts aren’t right before God and our fellowmen (and women). How can you keep your heart right before God?
6.Saemira believes she isn’t as good as Lincoln and others who are white. She doesn’t seem to be aware of this misbelief, but it creeps out in the way she sees groups and experiences. You see it in how she compares the shade of her skin to others in her mind. How can misbeliefs about your own perceived shortcomings hold you back? How can misbeliefs that others may be judging you (even if true) lead you to become prejudice against them (becoming what you hated, so to say)?
7.Gramps tells Saemira to savor each day as if it’s her last. He says she’ll never regret doing that. How would your day be different if you took this advice to heart tomorrow? What things would you do differently? What activities would you leave out?
8.At the end, Saemira is hopeful that Lincoln’s dad is changing for the better. Lincoln isn’t so sure, due to the scars he carries from his dad’s neglect and verbal beatings. How can past history taint hope for future change? How can you turn hope into a catalyst for positive change?
9.What one thing will you do (or not do) to be more merciful in your judgment of others? What one thing will you do to stand for justice for ALL?
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my awesome cover artist, Susie, for her beautiful work. A huge basket of gratitude goes to my amazing editors, Jenny Proctor and Emily Poole, for keeping me from releasing garbage into the world. It’s terrifying to hand over my manuscript because I know they will never say, “Wow! This is awesome.” I hand it over anyway, with confidence that they will find weak spots, holes, and glaring errors, and respond with graceful honesty. Thanks to my son-in-law Matthew, my son Curtis, and my daughter Jessica for sharing their stories about the Roma people they met in Albania, Montenegro, and Georgia. And thank YOU for taking a chance on this book by reading it.
Also by Charissa Stastny
In this series of stand-alone stories, star-crossed lovers meet, but rule each other out. Life though, with its quirky twists and tangled turns, brings each of the unlikely couples together to discover their unique happily-ever-afters.
Game Changer - 1
Can he catch her with charm?
“…a fun and flirty new adult romance. It’s a sweet indulgence that keeps you turning pages.” - Jennifer Peel, author
Package Deal - 2
Angels come in different packages.
“…a fantastic read. The romance was divine, the characters perfect.” - Mylissa Demeyer, author
Collateral hearts - 3
Can a bet lead to love?
“A heartbreaking & sweet romance all rolled into one!” - Taylor Dean, author
Will hope be enough to bring them together?
“…I don’t think I’ve cried or laughed so much while I’ve read a book in my entire life.” - Jessica, Hunt for Paperbacks blog
“…Perfect blend of plot twists, sizzle, witty dialogue, & even gems of wisdom. I am so in love with this book…I think I will actually read it again—which I never do! (Excepting Jane Austen’s of course).” - Amazon reviewer
What do you do when forever unravels?
“An epic romance that will leave you rooting for true love to triumph.” - Taylor Dean, author
A gripping saga that both inspires and captivates.
Finding Light - 1
Discovering love can be a dark journey.
Guarding Secrets - 2
Time reveals all secrets.
Embracing Mercy - 3
True love must sacrifice.
“A great conclusion to an emotional, fast-paced trilogy. If you like an intense read, lessons in redemption and such, check out this series.” - Rebecca Belliston, author
About the Author
Charissa Stastny is an avid reader, happy writer, wasp-hater, flower-lover, and food connoisseur (especially sushi and chocolate, but not together). She was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, but has never pulled a handle of a slot machine and can’t shuffle cards to save her life (thank goodness for auto-shufflers). She lived in beautiful Idaho for ten years (yea for potatoes!), but currently lives in central Utah (yea for fry sauce!). She’s the author of nine books and ‘imagine-eer’ of many more. To learn more, visit: www.CharissaStastny.com.
p; Charissa Stastny, Of Stone and Sky
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