Khalid Abdulqaadir’s life was full of secrets. He started keeping them when he was a teenager, after his father was accused of an unimaginable crime. He didn’t want to explain his family history every time he started a new relationship. So his secrets followed him, even as he got married. Many years later, Khalid was interviewing for a job in the U.S. government, and he was required to take a polygraph test. The examiner asked him a question he could not avoid: “Have you ever kept a secret from your wife?” Khalid knew that it was time to tell his wife everything. This is the first episode of our new season! We’ll be back every Wednesday with a new story.
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I was at a new friend's apartment not too long ago where I told her that I haven't spoken to my father in almost four years.
She turned to me and said, I feel so sorry for him.
I froze, naturally, because people normally say that they feel sorry for me when I bring up my dad.
Then she said, hes missing out on how special you are with love from Cartier.
I was seated upright, brown knuckling the plastic arms of the chair.
A black wire had been placed snugly across my chest.
Another contraption was attached to my fingertips.
My heart thumped so loudly that had nearly drowned out all sound.
I felt a bead of sweat roll from my armpit, down my side, underneath my shirt.
Have you ever kept a secret from your wife?
Asked the polygraph examiner.
I replied, yes, I have.
From the New York Times, I'm Anna Martin.
This is modern love.
Welcome to a new season.
Today, a story from Khalid Abdulkadeer.
Khalid wrote a modern love essay that begins with him taking a polygraph test when he was asked a question that completely changed the way he thought about love.
Khalid, ever since I read your essay, I've had this vivid image in my head of you taking that polygraph test.
And you were asked this big question about whether you'd ever kept a secret from your wife.