don’t know if it has something to do with the darkness or it’s just because I don’t have anything on, but for whatever reason, here on this playground, where I learned to walk and to ride a bike and to roller skate, all of a sudden I feel too small for this world, like you could just stick me anywhere, the same way you shove a vacuum cleaner in a dark corner and nobody notices it, like you could just make my naked body disappear because it’s so small and unimportant.
Jameelah hops around the playground doing pirouettes and the rose petals flutter around her like confetti. I can’t help but smile and I think to myself, come on, don’t do it like that, it’s too funny. I run back to the middle of the sandbox where the shopping bag is, hoping secretly that we’ll run out of rose petals soon, and that’s when I see someone coming toward the playground.
Someone’s coming I hiss and grab the bag.
Luckily Jameelah understands what’s happening immediately and we run as fast as possible up the slide and hide inside the play fort. At first I think the person’s just going to pass through the playground but that’s not the case, the person comes straight toward us, limping, goes around the sandbox, past our hiding place, and over to the trees, stopping directly under Amir’s linden tree.
Jasna, whispers Jameelah.
What’s she doing here?
No idea.
Beneath Amir’s linden tree a lighter clicks and smoke starts to rise.
Can’t we just get out of here I say, we’re done with the spell right?
Let’s wait to see if the evil Sorb shows up, says Jameelah.
Why, I ask, looking around for my shirt.
So you can throw a rock at his head says Jameelah smiling at me, then you’d finally be even.
I don’t want to be naked anymore, it’s cold, or maybe it’s not but either way I want to put some clothes on right away. But then Jameelah whispers, shhhh, someone’s coming, but it’s not the evil Sorb, and when I realize who it is I know it’s too late. It’s Tarik I can tell from his gait, he’s the only one who walks like that, with his left leg dragging behind a little. They both limp now, I think, how weird, but then again it’s not that weird since they are siblings after all.
Keep your head down, whispers Jameelah.
For a second I think Tarik’s seen us but actually he’s just checking things out. He lifts an arm and motions around at the rose petals. Jasna shrugs and takes a drag from her cigarette, not really looking at him, staring at the ground, looking past him, fidgeting with her hair or whatever.
Why don’t they just make up, I whisper.
Jameelah shrugs her shoulders.
Why can’t they just make up, I think, if for no other reason than for Amir and Selma, but also just because, I mean, at the end of the day you always have to make up. Me and Jameelah do all the time no matter how bad a fight we’ve had and I even make up with Jessi every time. In the end you always have to make up.
Can you hear what they’re saying, Jameelah whispers.
Not a single word.
Shit, she says, shhhh I say, and Tarik says something or other.
What, says Jameelah.
Shhhh, I say again, because otherwise you can’t get a word of what he’s saying.
At one point he says something about family and feet, then something about speaking and helping. Jasna leans her head back and laughs like he’s just told a great joke. She sucks on her cigarette and runs a hand along the bark of Amir’s linden tree, she stands there and then blows out the smoke as if Tarik is nothing more than the air that she’s exhaling. Tarik keeps speaking to her. I can’t understand a word of it until Jasna suddenly interrupts him. Her voice gets loud, Tarik flinches, and she says something about in the past and couldn’t stick up for myself, but now, says Jasna. But Tarik interrupts her and Jasna flicks her cigarette butt away and blows her last drag of smoke right in Tarik’s face. Not your cleaning lady I hear her say and then they switch to
Jameelah hops around the playground doing pirouettes and the rose petals flutter around her like confetti. I can’t help but smile and I think to myself, come on, don’t do it like that, it’s too funny. I run back to the middle of the sandbox where the shopping bag is, hoping secretly that we’ll run out of rose petals soon, and that’s when I see someone coming toward the playground.
Someone’s coming I hiss and grab the bag.
Luckily Jameelah understands what’s happening immediately and we run as fast as possible up the slide and hide inside the play fort. At first I think the person’s just going to pass through the playground but that’s not the case, the person comes straight toward us, limping, goes around the sandbox, past our hiding place, and over to the trees, stopping directly under Amir’s linden tree.
Jasna, whispers Jameelah.
What’s she doing here?
No idea.
Beneath Amir’s linden tree a lighter clicks and smoke starts to rise.
Can’t we just get out of here I say, we’re done with the spell right?
Let’s wait to see if the evil Sorb shows up, says Jameelah.
Why, I ask, looking around for my shirt.
So you can throw a rock at his head says Jameelah smiling at me, then you’d finally be even.
I don’t want to be naked anymore, it’s cold, or maybe it’s not but either way I want to put some clothes on right away. But then Jameelah whispers, shhhh, someone’s coming, but it’s not the evil Sorb, and when I realize who it is I know it’s too late. It’s Tarik I can tell from his gait, he’s the only one who walks like that, with his left leg dragging behind a little. They both limp now, I think, how weird, but then again it’s not that weird since they are siblings after all.
Keep your head down, whispers Jameelah.
For a second I think Tarik’s seen us but actually he’s just checking things out. He lifts an arm and motions around at the rose petals. Jasna shrugs and takes a drag from her cigarette, not really looking at him, staring at the ground, looking past him, fidgeting with her hair or whatever.
Why don’t they just make up, I whisper.
Jameelah shrugs her shoulders.
Why can’t they just make up, I think, if for no other reason than for Amir and Selma, but also just because, I mean, at the end of the day you always have to make up. Me and Jameelah do all the time no matter how bad a fight we’ve had and I even make up with Jessi every time. In the end you always have to make up.
Can you hear what they’re saying, Jameelah whispers.
Not a single word.
Shit, she says, shhhh I say, and Tarik says something or other.
What, says Jameelah.
Shhhh, I say again, because otherwise you can’t get a word of what he’s saying.
At one point he says something about family and feet, then something about speaking and helping. Jasna leans her head back and laughs like he’s just told a great joke. She sucks on her cigarette and runs a hand along the bark of Amir’s linden tree, she stands there and then blows out the smoke as if Tarik is nothing more than the air that she’s exhaling. Tarik keeps speaking to her. I can’t understand a word of it until Jasna suddenly interrupts him. Her voice gets loud, Tarik flinches, and she says something about in the past and couldn’t stick up for myself, but now, says Jasna. But Tarik interrupts her and Jasna flicks her cigarette butt away and blows her last drag of smoke right in Tarik’s face. Not your cleaning lady I hear her say and then they switch to
Similar Books
