Bitter Almonds by Lilas Taha Page A

the narrow side alleys, and a young man would break away from his herd to follow her. Sometimes, when traffic slowed into his store, Marwanwould watch from a distance and challenge himself to spot the girl who would make that move. His success at guessing improved from year to year. Certain types of girls threw crumbs, and guys picked them up with painful predictability. Almost every young man he knew played that silly game. Never him, no matter how carefree he yearned to be.
    A group of four girls coming down the alley caught his eye. Three girls flirted with their followers using not so subtle gestures, raising their voices with encouraging laughs, taking turns to whisper to each other, and lingering for too long by store fronts without going inside. The fourth girl walked a step ahead, clearly trying to separate herself from her friends. She clutched books to her chest and kept her eyes to the ground. Hair pulled tight into a ponytail exposed healthy natural beauty and her unsmiling face stood in contrast to her companions’ painted lips and color-smudged eyes.
    Nadia stood out, not just because of her raw, untainted beauty, but because of her modest and reserved behavior. Vibrant young energy simmered under the surface of that controlled posture. She turned the heads of older men, knowledgeable men who recognized a jewel when they saw one. And she paid no one the slightest attention, not the fools trailing her flashy friends, nor the admiring men she passed. Watching out for her from a distance during Omar’s absence, Marwan doubted she knew he existed.
    One of the girls caught up with Nadia and brought her lips to her ear. Nadia shook her head and picked up her pace. Marwan pulled himself to full height. Nadia approached. She seemed unaware of him standing a couple of steps before her. The other girl grabbed her elbow and forced her to stop.
    â€˜One last thing,’ the girl said and dashed into his shop. ‘I need a sweater.’
    Marwan stepped back so she wouldn’t brush against him. The others hurried after their friend. Nadia remained on the sidewalk. She met his gaze and her cheeks flamed.
    â€˜Salam, Nadia. Do you remember me?’
    She brought her books down and nodded. ‘Omar’s friend.’
    He threw a threatening look at the bunch of guys several steps behind and waved his hand toward the store. ‘Will you come in?’
    â€˜Only for a few minutes.’ She went inside and addressed her friends. ‘It’s getting late. You promised you were done shopping.’
    The girls kept Marwan’s assistant hopping between racks to bring clothing down from high shelves and spread them on the counters. They made so much noise and commotion that other women left the store mumbling. Marwan gritted his teeth.
    Nadia remained close to the entrance. A girl with blood-red lips draped a fuchsia sweater over Nadia’s shoulder. ‘See? This shade of pink goes quite well with your complexion.’
    â€˜It’s lovely.’ Not letting go of her books, Nadia slid the sweater off and pushed it into her friend’s hands. ‘Better on you.’
    â€˜I know you can’t afford it. I can lend you money. You must get it. You haven’t bought anything for Eid yet.’
    Nadia’s blush deepened and the tips of her fingers turned white around the books she held. ‘I’m not a little girl. I don’t need something new for the holiday.’
    â€˜I will buy it, then.’ Her friend spread the sweater over her chest and looked at herself in the mirror. ‘It does look better on me. My skin tone is rosier than yours.’
    Marwan cleared his throat and approached the antagonizing, rude young woman. ‘I’m afraid you have to find something else. This is the last piece and it’s already sold.’ He took the sweater from her hands and passed it to his assistant. ‘You left this out by mistake.’
    Without hesitation, the