In Little Stars by Linda Green

Author:Linda Green [Green, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Published: 2022-09-05T16:00:00+00:00

Rachid came home, as usual these days, practically bursting with the joys of life. I wasn’t stupid. As much as I knew he was enjoying the course and his new-found independence at college, I suspected that there was a girl involved. He had a glow about him, a lightness in his step. The knowledge that we were about to burst his bubble made it painful to watch. I resolved to get it out of the way as quickly as I could.

‘Hi,’ I said. ‘Come into the kitchen before you disappear upstairs. We’ve got something to tell you.’

He frowned at me. It was as if a dimmer switch had already been turned down inside him. I went to the bottom of the stairs to call Amina. She came straight down and saw her brother seated in the kitchen.

‘What’s happening?’ she asked.

‘We need to talk to you both,’ I said.

She sat down next to Rachid, looking equally pensive. Bilal came in from his study, attempting to be bright and jovial, which only appeared to worry them even more. He glanced at me, appearing uncharacteristically nervous. I gave a little nod, barely noticeable but enough to set the whole thing in motion.

‘I’ve been offered a job,’ Bilal said, drawing himself up to his full height, as if this might help. ‘At a hospital in Paris.’

I watched their faces intently. It was, predictably, Rachid who reacted first.

‘What?’ he said, his eyes ablaze.

‘Head of the ophthalmology department at one of the country’s finest hospitals. It’s too good an opportunity to turn down.’

‘You’re going to Paris?’ asked Amina, incredulously. ‘When are we going to see you?’

Bilal looked at me again, but this had to come from him.

‘I meant it’s too good an opportunity for all of us,’ he said. ‘This country has made it quite clear that we’re no longer welcome, so we’re going to move to one where we will be.’

‘No way,’ said Rachid, leaping up out of his chair. ‘You can go if you want to, but I’m staying here.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Bilal. ‘We’re moving as a family. We’re not going to leave anyone behind.’

‘I’m not going. This is my home. You can’t do this to me.’ Rachid jabbed his finger at Bilal as he spoke.

Bilal looked up at the ceiling before turning to me in desperation. The best I could offer was an explanation from my side of things.

‘It’s not just about your father’s job offer,’ I said. ‘Grand-mère had another fall last night. The doctor wants to do some tests. She’s not getting any younger, and I think it would be a huge help for her to have us around.’

Rachid was silent, my intervention having momentarily taken the wind out of his sails.

‘Is she OK?’ asked Amina.

‘She’s fine, sweetheart. But she might not be next time. If we’re close by, we’ll be able to keep an eye on her and move her in with us if necessary.’

Amina pondered this. You could almost hear her weighing everything up in her head.

‘Where will I go to school?’ she asked.

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