He was tired after a long day of web programming for Mark, but he still had to put in an hour of studying. Back in his college days, juggling a full c...ourse load with a job seemed easier. A decade latter, studying just an hour each day after work took significant willpower. Benjamin woke up his computer and plugged in his microphone. He started the language learning software. ‘Bonjour,’ it prompted. ‘Bonjour,’ he replied into the microphone. An hour of drilling brought Benjamin a little bit. He was certain that one day he would marry a virgin and they would make many sons to help him establish his name on the wild and dangerous western lands. He spoke perfect English because the priest at the mission insisted that all the altar boys spoke the language of the new country with correct pronunciation and educated diction. He was one of the smarter ones who appreciated the wisdom of speaking the language of your adopted country and to do your best to keep your original native language. Finally able to form an intelligent sentence, I said, "I thought that ... when you said you'd lost someone special, that you could never replace in your life, you were talking about your Aunt Fran."Roberta smiled sadly and stared off into space for some time before replying. "Fran is just fine, but she's hurting too, little one. We were both very fond of Noah, and losing him hurt us both so badly, you will never know. I didn't want to upset you, since you'd just regained consciousness, which is. “My brother had two children. His wife was not ... fit to take care of them. I married her, because the Prophet says: ‘The one who looks after a widow is like a Mujahid.’ But she doesn’t like me. So I decided it was best to let her live in their home in Hail, and take care of my niece and nephew myself.”I almost gasped. This man married a widow against her will and then took away her kids?! What the actual fuck?! Obviously I was quite keen to give him an earful about this, but Asim just nodded..