Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban

Author:Lois Sepahban
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780374302177
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

SEPTEMBER

As soon as I hear that Miss Rosalie has returned, I run to the school. It takes me a while to figure out which is her new classroom. But I peek in windows until I see a familiar stack of books on a table. Miss Rosalie is not there, but I go inside the building and slide a painting of lanterns spilling across the ground under her classroom door. I think she will like this painting.

Father joins us at dinner. When Mother sits and I have poured tea for everyone, we all look at Father. He pulls an envelope from his pocket.

“A letter from Keiko,” he says.

Mother reads the letter. She starts to speak, but then stops and hands the letter to Grandfather.

Grandfather waves his hand to Ron, and Mother gives the letter to Ron instead.

Ron scans the letter and looks up.

“Keiko writes that Professor Greene has held my place,” Ron says.

I am glad Ron does not keep secrets like Mother and Father.

“He can try to get a pass for me to attend college again,” Ron says.

Grandfather forms his hands into a steeple.

“You must go,” Father says.

“Father,” Ron says. “I will think about this. For you, I will think about this. And I will write to ask Professor Greene to tell me more about the pass. But I cannot promise to go. It is not my wish to leave my family in this place.”

“You must!” Father says.

No one speaks for a few minutes. Then Father hits his palm against the table and stands. After another minute, he walks outside.

After Father leaves, we eat our dinner in silence. I am not hungry anymore, but it is easier to eat my food than to listen to Mother tell me why I must eat my food.

“What do you think, Mother?” Ron asks.

“I don’t know what is right,” Mother says. “The army, that was wrong. But college? That is not wrong. Only difficult.”

“Difficult for me as well,” Ron says. “To leave you in this place … I don’t think I can do it.”

“Children leave their parents, my son,” Mother says.

Ron lowers his voice, but I lean closer to hear.

“But what about Manami?” he asks. “It isn’t fair that she must stay here and I can go. I don’t think I can leave her either.”

Mother looks at me.

“We will discuss this later,” she says.

Ron turns toward me.

“You are a good listener, Little Sister, but sometimes you should not listen,” he says. Then he squeezes my hand.

“It is time to walk home,” Grandfather says.

That night, when I am in my bed, I remember that Ron did not mention Miss Rosalie’s return. I wonder if he knows. It’s hard for me to imagine that he doesn’t. In this prison-village, everyone knows everything.

* * *

I walk to Miss Rosalie’s classroom again the next day, this time with a newspaper flower. I saved it from the night of the lanterns. It is not colorful, but the petals curl under and swirl around each other. Miss Rosalie is outside, sweeping the steps.

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