Exiles in America(120)

walking the same way, yes?”

She looked tired and sleepless inside the hood of her scarf, with dark cir-

cles under her eyes. He wanted to offer her his arm but didn’t. They strolled

toward Jamestown Road.

“You met with him?” she said. “What did he want to tell you?”

“Do you really need to hear?”

“If it’s about my husband and our future, yes.”

He gave her the short version: how Hassan wanted him to get Daniel to

break off with Abbas so Abbas would go home to Tehran.

She curled her lips back from her teeth, as if to deliver a horse laugh. But she

didn’t laugh. “He is such a fool. He does not know Abbas loves nobody but him-

self. Other people are only minor. Hassan is very clever, but very stupid too.”

“But he knows about his brother liking men. And he knew he’d been see-

ing Daniel.”

Elena shrugged. “He figured out the liking years ago. Now he assumes

that any man, gay or straight, who spends time with his little brother must be

hot to get into his pants.”

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C h r i s t o p h e r B r a m

“The two of you really dislike each other, don’t you?”

“What did he say against me?”

Was this why she waited for him? So she could protect herself against new

charges? Zack decided not to mention Hassan’s words about taking away her

children: they would only feed her anger. “Nothing you haven’t heard. That

you married a gay man for money, even though ‘gay’ is only a Western con-

cept. And you never loved him.”

“Love?” She sneered. “What does Hassan know about love?”

“He says he loves his brother.”

“He loves him like a pet. He wants to take him home like a pet. ‘I want to

make you happy. I want you to find peace in God. I want our family whole

again.’ ” Her voice dropped an octave for an ugly grumble. “Blah blah blah.

But Abbas is being strong. Abbas has said no. Again and again. Which con-

fuses Hassan. He cannot believe his brother is not a puppet. Of me or a lover.

I have been proud of him. And relieved. When I heard Hassan was going to

meet you today, I was afraid he had a new trick up his sleeve. But no. He was

only barking at the moon. Good. It is almost over. He is leaving the day after

tomorrow, and we will be safe.”

“You’ll drive him back up to Canada?”

“Oh no. He can fly. It is easier to leave the country than it is to enter.” She

was more relaxed now, convinced that things were fine. Zack wanted to be

happy for her, but he felt confused and irritated with Elena. It took him a

moment to remember why.

“I understand it was your idea for Abbas to come see Daniel the other

night?”

She didn’t even blink. “Why not? I like Daniel. He is a known property.

And better that they see each other than that they each meet a sweet young

thing they might run off with.”

Which was the sort of thing Zack had once believed himself, but no more.

“Things are different now. Daniel is finally getting over Abbas. This could’ve

reopened a wound.”

“You think?” She looked perturbed. “I’ll be more careful next time.” She

took a deep breath and sighed. “You feel you must protect everyone, don’t

you?”

E x i l e s i n A m e r i c a

2 7 5

The question threw him. “Not everyone. I wish I could, but I know I

can’t.” She’d caught him in one of his chief guilts: not his failure to protect

everyone but his arrogant belief that he should. “I do what I can, which isn’t

much, and then hope for the best.”

Elena shrugged. “Well, my family is all that matters to me. And now they

are safe. Hassan will fly back to Iran and Abbas will go back to being his old

self. Maybe I will encourage him to find a new boyfriend. How does that

sound? Do you approve of that?”

Zack frowned. “I don’t know. It might make Daniel jealous. Which could

make the whole thing start over again.”

Elena laughed. “Then we will do nothing. We will actively do nothing and

hope for the best. There is nothing better than doing nothing, is there?”

36

Ihear a noise overhead. It starts out like a jet plane. Then it sounds like

a baby. A crying baby. And I see it. It’s an angel. An angel of God as big as

an airliner. It comes down out of the clouds. And I’m so happy. Because it’s an

angel. Who wouldn’t be happy to see an angel? Then I hear people scream-

ing. I can’t understand why they’re screaming, until I see what the angel is

doing. As his shadow runs over the ground, it squashes things, crushes things.