Story – 34°09’10.8″N 70°19’02.5″E (blow grandma and grandpa a big kiss!)

Definitions:

Go-Bag: A collection of supplies needed when a sudden evacuation from your current living location is necessary.

These are common items found in a Go-Bag.

• Water – 3 bottles
• Food – 3-day supply
• Warmth/Shelter – Emergency blanket, 3 12-hour body warmers, poncho
• Medical Supplies – First Aid/medical kit, pain reliever, 3 pairs of medical gloves, and a 3-7 day supply of any required life-saving medications as well as copies of prescriptions. Also include an N95 and/or Cloth Mask and hand sanitizer
• Lighting – Flashlight with batteries or crank flashlight
• Radio – AM/FM emergency radio with batteries
• Support Supplies – Whistle, pair work gloves, sturdy shoes, change of clothes, 3 face masks, pack of Wet Wipes, pocket tissue package, 30-gallon plastic bag, 3 10-gallon plastic bags
• Packaging – 1 bag, backpack, or bucket with handle
• Medical Consent Forms and Medical Information for dependents or minors
• Copies of important documents – Including identification, insurance cards, deeds
• Spare eyeglasses and personal hygiene supplies
• Emergency cash
• List of emergency contact phone numbers including an out of state contact

Ms. Jennifer Klein-Burke and her daughter Tina Klein, were in Afghanistan on a charitable mission working with the Afghani Women’s Empowerment Movement. They were teaching economics.

They were in the 18th month of their two year charitable mission when they were suddenly told that they needed to evacuate immediately.

The U.S. was pulling out.

They were completely surprised by this but they were more surprised that their corporate sponsor, U.S. embassy or consulate hadn’t contacted them to make arrangements for their safe departure.

Mrs. Burke called her husband in the upper east side of Manhattan, and he said he would get back to her.

He never was able to call her back as cellular service would cease to exist in Afghanistan a few minutes after he hung up.

She told Tina, who just turned 14, that they needed to evacuate immediately.

They grabbed their go-bags and headed to the nearest U.S. airbase.

Unfortunately, every other American and Afghani spy had the same idea at the same time.

It was reminiscent of the fall of Saigon.

A few days passed, and they slept just outside the airbase gates. Many Afghani citizens, and American sympathizers, wanting to flee the coming fascist Taliban rule, were also amassing on the surrounding dirt roads.

Finally, they were let in and immediately escorted to a transport plane with a large open deck in the back where passengers would board and large cargo could be loaded.

They got on board, and took a seat along the fuselage. The captain said, “Taxiing for take off.”

Tina suddenly saw one of her students trying to climb the fence and being struck down by a Marine.

She immediately stood up and ran towards the back of the plane. The plane was moving and the deck was slowly being raised.

She ran full speed and slid on her butt and down the deck and onto the tarmac.

When she looked back the deck was fully closed and the plane was speeding away on the runway.

Tina was already screaming at the Marine before she was up against the fence.

Tina: “You racist pig! Leave her alone! You and your white privilege better back off!”

The Marine, completely ignoring Tina, jumped on the tarmac and ran towards the last U.S. transport plane that would ever peacefully take off from a former Afghani U.S. Air Force Base.

Tina scaled the fence and tried to comfort her student who still lay unconscious.

Tina did not see the Taliban forces coming down the dirt road as she was busy tending to her student.

Tina was about to have her first direct contact with the Taliban.

She was violently thrown into a Toyota Land Cruiser. She thought to herself, wow, this is the same model my dad has, our peoples can’t be that different. 

Tina was very wrong.

She was passed around to hundreds of soldiers in the local Taliban and sexually assaulted repeatedly for a month.

She was eventually given as a bride to a well respected sheep herder named Naabhi, who lived at 34°09'10.8"N 70°19'02.5"E.

4 years after the U.S. evacuation.

Tina awakens in her cave, ½ of her mummified foot hangs above the cave entrance, a constant reminder she should never try to escape again.

Her husband, Naabhi, was up and out at sunrise as always tending to his flock.

She suckles her third son. He is just 2 weeks old. She limps outside to see what her other two sons, who she affectionately calls the terrorists, are up to.

Motherhood is something she was always taught was a form of slavery and to wait well into her thirties before bearing children. She was 18 years old now, and a mother of 3 boys. She loved being a mother more than anything she could ever imagine. She wished her parents could see what a great job she was doing.

Her husband was a simple, but just man.

A stranger approached her cave entrance. He was dressed like a local.

The rules for burka wearing were not as strict for herding communities, so most of Tina’s face was exposed.

He said: “Tina Burke?”.

She hadn’t heard her given name in many years so it sounded foreign and odd.

She answered in English: “No, I am Tina Klein.”

Stranger: “I am Timmy Kawolski, a privately contracted soldier, hired by your parents. You are to come with me now.”

Tina laughed: “Uh, no. What about my children and husband?”

Stranger: “They cannot come now ma’am. We only have room for you.”

Tina: “Tell my parents I am doing well and happier with my life than I have ever thought I could be. Would you take a picture of us and get it to them and include my GPS coordinates so they will know where we are and we are safe and happy?”

The stranger was dumbfounded.

He eventually pulled out his phone and made sure the camera was set to save the GPS location as part of any picture taken.

She was still suckling her newborn and she called her two older terrorists over. A few pictures were taken and then the stranger turned to leave. Those were all he needed for proof of life, and the guarantee he would be paid in full.

Tina: “Mr. Kawolski, would you come closer and take a video as well?”

The stranger did, and then disappeared into the dry, sandy Afghanistan wind.

The last time her mother saw her was out of the plane window running towards the fence, her go-bag in her right hand.

That was four years ago. Her parents expended all of their life savings trying to find her.

4 days after the video and pictures were taken, Tina’s parents got an email from the privately contracted soldier they had hired.

From: anonymous@rescuethemwhenotherscant.com

Mr. & Mrs. Burke:

Target Tina Burke was located. She seemed healthy and in very good spirits. ½ of her right foot was gone, due to an attempted escape. She refused to leave with me as she would never leave her children and husband behind.

She is living with her three sons and shepherd husband, Naabhi, at 34°09'10.8"N 70°19'02.5"E. Attached are some pictures and a short video I was able to smuggle out of the country.

Please wire my last payment of $50,000 to my account you have on record.

T. K.

Tina’s parents looked at the pictures and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Tina looked vibrant, healthy and peaceful.

They played the video.

Tina appeared, on one knee, suckling her newborn, with the two terrorists flanking her left and right sides.

They would learn from people in the U.S. Embassy that she spoke in the native Pashto, as speaking English would have caused her to be stoned to death had the video leaked.

Tina, in Pashto: “ مور او پلار. زه له تا سره ډیره مینه لرم او مینه لرم. له خپلو لمسیانو، اکرام، زلمي او ابراهیم سره ووینئ. “

Translation: “Mom and Dad. I miss and love you so much. Please meet your grandson's, Akram, Zalmai and Ibrahim.”

Tina, in Pashto: “ زه دلته ډیر خوشحاله یم. زه د ښه سړي سره واده کوم، یو شپون چې زما سره ښه چلند کوي. زما د ښي پښې 1/2 څو کاله دمخه ونیول شو کله چې ما د تیښتې هڅه وکړه. “

Translation: “I am so happy here. I am married to a good man, a shepherd who treats me well. 1/2 of my right foot was taken a few years ago when I tried to escape. It hangs above my cave entrance as a reminder.”

Tina, in Pashto: “ مهرباني وکړئ ما د موندلو لپاره نور مه لیږئ. دا به زما میړه او ماشومان په جدي خطر کې واچوي. موږ به یو بل سره بیا وګورو، زه تاسو سره ژمنه کوم. “

Translation: “Please don't send others to find me. That would put my husband and children in grave danger. We will see each other again, I promise you.”

Tina, in Pashto: “ زه باور نه لرم چې زما دوه کوچني ترهګر دې دومره ښه چلند کوي. راشئ تاسو دوه ، انا او دادا یوه لویه ښکل کړئ! “

Translation: “I can't believe my two little terrorists are being so well behaved. Come you two, blow grandma and grandpa a big kiss!”

And all three of them did.

All the while her newborn son was cooing like a dove suckling his mother’s breast.