Page 136 - A Woman Is No Man

“Not everyone ends up in the kitchen, you know. There is such a thing
as a happy ending.”
“Now who sounds like a romantic?” Isra asked with a smile. She

thought back to how naive she had been when she’d first arrived in
America, walking around dreaming of love. But she wasn’t naive anymore.
She had finally figured it out. Life was nothing more than a bad joke for
women. One she didn’t find funny.
“You know what your problem is?” Sarah said.
“What’s that?”
“You stopped reading.”

“I don’t have time to read.”
“Well, you should make time. It would make you feel better.” When Isra
said nothing, she added, “Don’t you miss it?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then what’s stopping you?”
Isra lowered her voice to a whisper. “Adam and Fareeda are already

disappointed in me for having two girls. They wouldn’t like me reading,
and I don’t want to make things worse.”
“Then read in secret like me. Isn’t that what you used to do back
home?”
“Yes.” Isra entertained the idea for a moment and then pushed it away,
amazed at how little defiance she had left. How could she tell Sarah that she
was afraid of adding tension to her marital life? That she couldn’t handle

any more blame for the family’s unhappiness? Sarah wouldn’t even
understand if she did tell her. Sarah, with her bold, bright eyes and thick
schoolbooks. Sarah, who still had hope. Isra couldn’t bear to tell her the
truth.
“No, no.” Isra shook her head. “I don’t want to risk it.”
“Whatever you say.”

They stood by the oven, dropping balls of minced lamb into a sizzling
pan of oil, one after another, waiting until each piece turned a crisp brown
before setting it on old newspaper to cool. The heat stung their fingers, and
Sarah laughed every time Isra dropped a ball of kofta on the floor.
“Better pick it up before Lord Fareeda sees you!” Sarah said, mimicking
the look her mother always gave at the sight of sloppy cooking. “Or I might
never see you again.”

“Shhh!”