excerpt
THE AIR CARRIES THE scent of fading summer as the sun rises slowly, groping
its way up the eastern horizon above the mountains at seven in the morning. A
peaceful day is unfolding, a day without bombs and without killing. Some people
go to work, while others start their day by heading to the golf course. Yet others
organize their children for weekend activities. Various school functions and
practices have begum for sports such as baseball and soccer; the metropolitan
Los Angeles area is busy with mothers and fathers strolling or driving their
children to parks, fields, and arenas.
Emily is up already, checking details and making sure everything is coming
together as planned for Matthew’s party. All the guests are coming; the caterers
with the food and the florists with the bouquets are expected later on. Emily’s last
few days have been consumed with making all the necessary contacts and
scheduling.
A lot of thanks go to Jennifer, who has given her a helping hand with the
party. Her dad is special to her, so she also wants to make sure the party is a
success. Jennifer is responsible for the younger crowd: her friends with their
dates, as well as some people from Hakim’s office. She doesn’t want him to feel
isolated or uncomfortable in any way, among people he doesn’t know. Thank
God Talal is coming as well as her good friend, Helena.
Jennifer hasn’t seen Hakim for two days and misses him a lot. However, she
doesn’t intend to show this to her mother or to Hakim, for that matter. She
doesn’t want to appear insecure or needy in their relationship, which she sees
going quite far if she plays her cards right. She would like to marry Hakim and
spend the rest of her life with him; however, she doesn’t want him to know this
right now because she’s afraid she will have to put up with the protests he might
make. She’s certain she doesn’t want to become like her mom who’s married but
has an absent husband. Sometimes she thinks of her mom as victim of a situation
she cannot change.
Emily is making breakfast when Jennifer comes down from her bedroom,
and Matthew is in the kitchen reading the newspaper.
“Good morning, Mom, Dad,” she says as she leans down and gives her dad a kiss.
“What about me, sweetheart?” her mom asks.
Libros Libertad 