In the Language of Miracles by Rajia Hassib

Author:Rajia Hassib
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

10

ENGLISH: Today’s news is tomorrow’s history.

ARABIC: The news you pay for today, you get tomorrow for free.

Khaled watched Brittany walk down Bleecker Street and waited till she joined him, her hand casually touching his for a greeting before they both headed toward the park. He walked next to her in silence. She, keeping her head low, did not glance his way but walked, hands in the pockets of her jeans, one arm covered with bangles that, surprisingly, looked similar to the ones Ehsan always wore, only Ehsan’s were gold and Brittany’s were a mixture of silver and green hues. For months now he and Brittany had followed the same routine every time they met: they walked up to the park and strolled down a path or sat on a bench, watching people and talking. Their meetings were never long—he always showed up after her shifts; she always hung around with him before going home. He was her interlude, he knew, a way for her to transition from the hectic coffee shop to her busy nights. Still, he was flattered, because not only did she never refuse to meet him, she also sought him out, sometimes. He hoped she felt as close to him as he did to her, that he, perhaps, provided her with a degree of comfort, as she did him. He feared she hung around with him only out of pity.

“How come you’re here this early on a Friday?” she asked as they headed into the park.

“School got called off,” he said, resenting the need to refer to school and remind her that he was still a high school junior while she was a college senior. Quickly, he added, “I saw the link you sent me.”

She smiled. “Did you like that?”

“Sure!” A trip to observe monarch nesting grounds in Mexico sounded perfect. He had imagined they would one day take the trip together, but he did not tell her that.

“I thought you would.”

“How about you? Would you ever want to go on a trip like that?”

She shook her head. “I’d never be able to afford it.”

“How do you know? You’re graduating in less than a year!”

“And then what?” They had reached a bench and she flung herself on it, looking up at him as he stood, puzzled. “What happens after I graduate?”

“You work?”

She laughed. Khaled felt his face blush so quickly that he had to turn away from her to hide it.

“I’m sorry, Khaled.” She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him to sit next to her. “That was cruel.”

They stayed silent, watching people pass them by. He did not want to risk another comment.

“I’ve been thinking about college a lot, lately. About what’s next, that is.”

He waited for her to continue. Instead, she turned to him and, her eyes flashing, asked, “You know what? Why don’t you tell me about your plans?”

“What plans?”

“Anything! I just want to hear you talk.”

Again he looked down and said nothing. She was making him self-conscious, which she never did. She sighed.

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