Part 2:
JM: Well tell me...Let's just start with Zahra. How about that? Let's start with Zahra. Talk to me about how you knew Zahra.
AY: Ahm, I met her the first day they came over here. Me and Brittany actually went and picked them up at the airport. I drove Brittany up there. And, ah, she bopped downstairs and come up and hold me and said "Hey uncle Aaron." (giggle) And, (pause), that's one of the reasons why I didn't tell Adam about the brother thing as soon as I did because I didn't want to break her heart.
JM: Do you think, um, Zahra immediately took a liking to you? Did you feel that way?
AY: Yeah. I think she took a liking to everybody.
JM: Everyone I've talked to has said that she was the most affectionate child. A lot of people want to know how Zahra was. Describe Zahra.
AY: She was always, always happy. Smiling, laughing, cuttin' up, pickin' (?) with other kids. She was always happy, I never did see her down and out.
JM: Umm, we've heard stories of Zahra battling bone cancer, and, umm, I heard that she had lung cancer. We know that she lost her leg and her hearing, but you had said something to me before about Zahra not being disabled. How would you describe how Zahra's overcome her health obstacles?
AY: Ahh, I know she was disabled, but she could do, she could do as much as any other kids could do, if not more. I know we took her swimming back in August and had like five kids there and she could swim just as good, or better than, all five of them.
JM: Did she ever let it slow her down?
AY: No. (laughs) No, she's...
JM: And she never seemed to have a negative attitude or be down about it?
AY: No. Ahh, she never even mentioned it really as far as the cancer and stuff.
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AY: Me and her got married in August of '98 and was married for ten years. She left for Australia in May of 2009. Is that right?
JM: 2008
AY: Yeah, 2008. May of 2008. And she had told me that Adam was taking care of our divorce but I never got anything in the mail or never had to sign nothing. So, that's why I didn't believe it. So I filed on my own up here. So I would know that it was legal.
JM: And, umm, our sources are saying that she was married when she married you. Have you heard that also? Are you under that impression?
AY: Uhh, yeah. I just, I seen that on the internet 'bout three or four weeks ago, that she was married to the guy. And their divorce, I think, went final in '99 and we got married in '98 so ... I'm not really sure on that one.
JM: On the outside, and you've seen this on the internet, a lot of people posting on the internet, people have so many questions. Do you, knowing Elisa, knowing a lot more than the rest of us, do you feel like you have more answers than other people? You see what they're asking, you see what they wanna know. Do you feel like you know a little bit more than other folks, or are you just as confused?
AY: Umm, I'm just as confused. Ahh, I've not heard anything in the past ...two months. Ahh, there's actually a lot of stuff on there yet that I don't know. I don't know if they're true or just (shrug) allegations, but a lot of stuff I don't know either.
JM: Do you think something bad happened to Zahra?
AY: Uhh, I would like to think not but, uhh, more than likely, yeah. Just from the emotional abuse that I seen. I never actually saw the physical abuse but I seen a lot of the emotional abuse and ...
JM: A lot of people have wondered why no one reached out to help Zahra? Did you ever reach out to help her since you were in her life and around and you just said that you saw some emotional abuse what did you do to maybe help her?
AY: Ahh, well I wrote, I wrote a letter to, ahh, Social Services back in January or February and told them everything that was going on in the house: How Lisa kept her in her room 99% of the time, and how she gave her a time limit to eat. And all that, and explained to them that she had cancer and everything.
JM: Umm, a lot of people, on the outside, are blaming DSS for not protecting Zahra. How do you feel about that?
AY: Ahh, I think they could have done a lot more. In my opinion. Uhh, from what I hear, there's numerous calls to Social Services against Elisa.
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I swear my ears are bleeding. One more break and I'll transcribe the last one.