Isolated Incident by Mariam Pirbhai

Author:Mariam Pirbhai
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mawenzi House Publishers
Published: 2022-09-02T19:03:53+00:00

15

Arubah and Elise took their seats at the table, every inch of which was covered with dishes handpainted in arabesque motifs. “Is that Lebanese or Guatemalan?” Arubah’s mouth watered as she studied one of the more unusual platters of rice.

“That’s native wild rice—manoomin,” Isabel explained. “Some Anishinaabe say that it’s the manoomin that brought them here, to the land where food grows on water. I always serve it at Thanksgiving.”

“Alors, bon appetît, tout le monde!” Amin exclaimed, setting down the last of the dishes.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Elise toasted salubriously.

“This is an anti-Thanksgiving house, Elise!” Marisol said, parodying her mother. “Mom says ‘Thanksgiving is a colonial celebration of cultural genocide’!”

“OK, Marisol, let everyone enjoy their meal!”

“Indeed!” Amin cut in. “Here, we always give thanks. For our many blessings. For this incredible meal. For this smart-aleck daughter and, most importantly, for the opportunity to spend time with cherished family and friends.”

“And let’s give thanks for this truly eclectic group,” Isabel held up her glass. “It’s like the United Nations tonight.”

“Like the true face of Canada!” Amin said.

“Comme un vrai Québec!” Elise regaled.

“Like, you guys are corny as hell!” Marisol tapped the rim of her mother’s glass with her own, setting off a timpani of clinking glasses.

Everyone took a focused sip of their drinks, hesitant to be the first to dig in. Elise broke the mannered impasse. “I was telling Arubah how Marisol and I met but I don’t think I know how you and Isabel met,” she said as Amin stacked a few rice-stuffed bundles of dolmas on her plate.

“Well, as I’m sure you know, Isabel’s family came to Canada as refugees from Guatemala,” Amin explained. “And I came on my own, from Lebanon, after the war. We met at the university when I was finishing a second doctorate.”

Arubah almost choked on a chicken bone. Two doctorates! It was hard enough to get through an undergrad degree!

“Amin should have got an academic position right away. He was fully qualified, but you know how this system can be,” Isabel sighed. “Then Marisol came along, shall we say a bit unexpectedly, and he wound up keeping his teaching position at the college. Kids have a way of making choices for you.”

“Right! It’s all my fault!” Marisol gave a dramatic eye-roll.

Amin explained that Isabel had to leave for Guatemala shortly after they met because the reparations case she was working on had reached a critical juncture. Somehow, they managed to keep in touch, almost daily, while she was away. “And the rest, as they say, is history!” he finished up, taking his wife’s hand in his.

“Á l’amour!” Elise waved her glass at Marisol.

They all raised their glasses for a second toast, the turn in conversation eventually landing on the subject of university studies.

“Marisol said you’ve been working on a paper about Quebec?” Isabel inquired, serving Arubah another generous spoonful of jocon.

“Actually, it’s more like I’m trying to pin down my final paper topic for our Gender and Social Justice course.”

“It’s a great topic,” Marisol interjected.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.