As N?m?t?v?’s ???s m?t th? ??illi?nt ?l?? ?n?s ?? h?? ???n?s?n, ???? ?i???? th????h h?? ????.

“M? s?n [S?w??i] c?ll?? m? ???m th? h?s?it?l ?n? s?i? his ???tn?? h?? ?iv?n ?i?th t? ? s?n c?ll?? Sh?k?l, ??t h? w?s sick ?n? h?? ?i?????nt c?l???s,” s??s N?m?t?v?. “I t?l? him it w?s ?k ??c??s? th?t’s h?w G?? c???t?? him. H? s?i? h? h?? n? m?n?? ?n? th? m?th??’s ????nts h?? ch?s?? h?? ???m h?m? with h?? ????. I ?i?n’t kn?w wh?t t? ??, s? I t?l? him t? ??in? th? chil? ?n? m?th?? t? liv? with m?.”

T?kin? th? sm?ll ??n?l? ?? ?l?nk?ts ???m S?w??i, N?m?t?v? l??k?? ???m Sh?k?l’s st??tlin? ???s t? th? ?i? ?? whit? th?t ??n lik? ? sc?? ??wn his ??c?. Un???lin? th? ?l?nk?ts ???th?? sh? ???n? ??tch?s ?? whit? skin ?c??ss his ????, ? c?n?iti?n th?t w?s c?m?l?t?l? ?n??mili??. “I w?s ?st?nish??. I w?s sc????. I w?n????? i? h? w?s sick, [s?] I c?ll?? ? ??i?n? ?n? s?i?, ‘will this chil? s??viv??’ Sh? s?i? h? w??l? sinc? I w?s n?w c??in? ??? him,” ??c?lls N?m?t?v?.

Sh?k?l ?n? his m?m m?v?? in with N?m?t?v? ?n? sh? ??ll inst?ntl? in l?v? with h?? ????ti??l n?w ???n?s?n. H?w?v??, ?s N?m?t?v? ??n???, his m?m ??c?m? inc???sin?l? ?ist?nt, ????sin? t? ????st???? ?? int???ct with him. A ??w m?nths l?t?? sh? ?nn??nc?? sh? w?s ??t??nin? t? h?? ????nts’ h?m? with Sh?k?l. N?m?t?v? w?s ??v?st?t?? ?n? ????l? w???i??.

“Pl??s? n?v?? ???n??n th? ???. I? ??? ?v?? ??t st??n???, ??t??n th? ???? t? m?. I’ll c??? ??? th? ???,” N?m?t?v? t?l? h??.

D?s?it? h?? ?l??, Sh?k?l w?s ???n??n??.

O??nin? his ????, S?w??i ???n? his s?n n?k?? ?n his ????st??. As h? ?ick?? him ??, h? ??lt his c?l? skin ?n? ??nic ??n th????h this ????. Ev?n th???h it w?s 3 ?m h? ??n? N?m?t?v? ??? h?l?.

N?m?t?v? kn?w th?t i? Sh?k?l w?s t? s??viv? sh? n????? t? c??? ??? him, ?v?n i? sh? ?i?n’t h?v? th? ?in?nci?l m??ns t? ?? s?.

Ev?n th???h it s??m?? im??ssi?l? with th? ???nin?s sh? ??c?iv?? ???m w?shin? cl?th?s, N?m?t?v? t??k ? st?? ?? ??ith ?n? ??c?m? Sh?k?l’s c????. S??n ??t??, sh? w?s ?iv?n th? ?????t?nit? t? c??k l?nch ?n? s??v? s??ns???? chil???n ?t th? n????? C?m??ssi?n ???j?ct in K?m??l?. With n? ?n? t? ????sit Sh?k?l, sh? t??k him with h??. Sittin? in th? kitch?n th? visit??s ?n? st??? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t n?tic? th? littl? ?l??-???? ??? ?n? s???kin? with N?m?t?v? th?? ??c??nis?? th? ??mil? n??? ??? ?xt?? s?????t. As s??n ?s th??? w?s ? ?l?c? ??? him, Sh?k?l w?s ???ist???? int? C?m??ssi?n’s Chil? S??viv?l P?????mm?.

C?m??ssi?n ????n??? ??? Sh?k?l t? ?? t?k?n t? ? m??ic?l ?x?min?ti?n wh??? h? w?s ?i??n?s?? with W?????n???? s?n???m?, ? ????? ?? ??n?tic c?n?iti?ns th?t c?n c??s? h???in? l?ss ?n? ch?n??s in ?i?m?nt?ti?n ?? th? h?i?, skin, ?n? ???s.

Sh?k?l ???sn’t h??? w?ll in ?ith?? ??? ??t N?m?t?v? is c?n?i??nt his h???in? is im???vin?.

At th? C?m??ssi?n c?nt?? Sh?k?l is ????l? l?v??. As A?n?s, ?n? ?? th? ???j?ct st??? ?x?l?ins, “H? is v??? ?ctiv?, ?n? th? chil???n l?v? him ? l?t. H? ???sn’t t?lk ??t h? is ? ???? c?mm?nic?t??. H? int???cts v??? w?ll with ?th??s ?n? h? l?v?s c?min? t? th? c?nt?? – h? n?v?? w?nts t? l??v?! [His ??v???it? ?l?c?] is th? ?l?? c??n?? ?n? h? l?v?s sh??in?.”

N?m?t?v? s??s th? l?v? ?n? c??? sh?wn t? h?? ?n? Sh?k?l h?s h?? ? l?stin? im??ct ?n th?m. R?c?ntl?, sh? ?cc??t?? J?s?s ?s h?? L??? ?n? S?vi??? ? ??s?lt ?? th? kin?n?ss sh?wn t? h??.

“Fi?st ?? ?ll, th?? h?v? sh?wn m? l?v? ?n? m? chil? l?v?. Th?? ??v? m? ?m?l??m?nt t? c??k [?t th? ???j?ct] ?n? I ???n s?m? m?n??. Th?? ??v? ?s ???? ?n? s???. B?c??s? I ?i?n’t h?v? ?n?wh??? t? ??t ????, I w??l? w?k? ?? ????in? w?n???in? wh??? t? ??t ????,” s??s N?m?t?v?.

N? l?n??? ???n??n??, Sh?k?l is ? littl? ??? wh? is ???wіп? in c?n?i??nc? ??c??s? h? is kn?wn, l?v?? ?n? ???t?ct??.