Between Two Kingdoms

Suleika gets accustomed to driving and no longer worries about the rules of the road. She plans to visit Howard and his wife, Meral, in Columbus, Ohio, but she continues her slow pace and stops first in Buffalo, New York, and visits Niagara Falls. The next day she stops for a walk and returns a call from Jon. She tells him her plan to visit Howard, and he is silent. The call disconnects. Suleika wonders how to know if someone is a good partner for her. Howard responded to Suleika’s first column to share his own experience with chronic illness. He and Meral host Suleika for the evening and take her out to dinner. At dinner, they ask Suleika about her pre-illness interests, and she describes her travels and ambitions. She reflects, “I feel as though I’m touring someone else’s life” (263).

The next morning, they watch the news. Howard mentions that he plans to write a letter to the New York Times in response to an article. Suleika asks him if he has always written letters. Howard explains that he first wrote letters to stay connected to Meral while they were living in different countries. Suleika asks Howard for guidance as she leaves.