Wais Hakimi and his mother, Zarghana Aram, embrace at his home after being reunited after 35 years. (Glenn Moore/San Joaquin News Service)

A world away no more: Son separated from mother in Afghanistan is reunited

Wais Hakimi circled a terminal at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday night to pick up his mother — but he didn't know what she looked like. He'd only seen her on TV — 20 years ago.

"Do I call her mom?" he thought as he coasted toward the US Airway terminal. "Should I hug her or shake her hand?"

Sunday is the first Mother's Day Hakimi will spend with his biological mother. He and his older sister were raised by their father's parents in Kabul, Afghanistan. They grew up to believe their grandparents, then doctors and politicians, were their mother and father.

The children were sheltered from their mother, Zarghana Aram, a young, famous stage and television actress. Actors were not respected in the community in Kabul and did little for the image of the upper-middle class, political family, Hakimi said.

"Politicians will do whatever they can to win," Hakimi said. "But why do this to innocent children?"

Rumors that Aram the actress was his mother spread throughout his childhood community. He was teased whenever an image of Aram flashed on the television.

Hakimi shrugged the comments off as rumors and moved to Russia at the age of 16 to study economics.

"It's easier to believe the lies after so many years," he said.

While Hakimi was in Russia, Aram was on tour with her second husband, an Afghani film producer. In between shows, she tried to find her children, but calls and letters were blocked by her ex-husband's family.

"I gave up," Aram said. "Not because I didn't want to see them. I didn't want to make problems worse for the kids."

Her children became only a memory — until the phone rang two months ago in her Philadelphia home, where she moved last year from Afghanistan.

Hakimi's sister spotted Aram on TV. She called the theater company and, after some run-around, convinced them to pass on the phone numbers of her children to Aram.

Hakimi got the call in late March.

"This is your mother," she said.

The two didn't exchange any more words on that first call. Just tears.

They later planned to meet on Mother's Day weekend.

"In my mind and my heart, I still have questions," Hakimi said. "No matter what's happened, mom is mom."

Now 37, Hakimi owns Tracy American Home Painting and Extreme Oil Change in Modesto. He and Aram have exchanged stories and laughs over the past few days.

"I feel like he was just born," Aram said in her native tongue as she grabbed her son's arm for a hug.

Hakimi will meet his half-sister today and throw a Mother's Day party for his new family Sunday.

"This is chapter two of life," he said.

Contact reporter Danielle MacMurchy at danielle@tracypress.com.