Secret Son (Laila Lalami) by Laila Lalami

Author:Laila Lalami
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 2010-05-08T21:00:00+00:00

Bottom line, business outcomes, event marketing, event legacy—Youssef began to imitate the terminology that Benjelloun frequently used. The words filled his mouth, satiating any need he may have had for an education. One afternoon, when he should have been preparing for his finals, he sat with his laptop in the living room, trying to learn how to use a project-planning software. His father came home, looking weary.

“What’s wrong?” Youssef asked.

“It’s nothing,” Nabil said. He kept jiggling his keys in his pocket.

“I was about to have a cigarette,” Youssef said. “Do you want one?”

They stepped out onto the dining room balcony. Even after all this time, Youssef had not tired of the view from his tenth-floor apartment. Nabil took a long pull from his cigarette. “I’m traveling to the U.S. in a couple of days.”

“Ah bon? To see Amal?”

A quick nod.

“You never told me you were getting ready for the trip.”

“Something came up. An emergency. It’s very last-minute.”

His father would not say anything more, Youssef knew. “Is she coming back?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“So will I finally get to meet her?”

“We’ll see,” he said, head tilted.

Youssef could not decide whether it would be better to press his father now, or if he should be patient for just a little while longer, since everything else seemed to unfold exactly as Nabil had promised it would.

“When do you get back?”

“In three weeks.”

“Bon voyage, alors.”

Youssef’s father gave him a hug. And then he was gone.

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.