Exiles in America(143)

returned to the U.S.! We will not be safe there either.”

“They were talking only of permanent residency, immigration papers. You

didn’t want to hear because you want to go to Iran. You have already fixed

your mind on taking us to Iran.”

“And why not?” declared Abbas. “It is the best place for us. My brother

offers us a good life there, a safe life. Here I may be arrested any day.”

This was a new development for Zack, although clearly not for them. They

sounded like they were repeating an earlier argument.

Elena softly groaned. “You think this is bad? This is nothing, Abbas. Iran

is a police state. You do not know what it is like to live in a police state. I do.

Where there is no private life, no family life. Where everybody is a busybody.

Where children are taught to rat on their parents. It does not matter if the

head cop is Brezhnev or Allah. Your life is no longer your own, and everyone

is a spy. I refuse to put my family in such a place.”

Abbas stared at her, unable to answer, which made him angrier.

Zack saw his chance and took it. “What about the war, Abbas? You’ll put

your family next door to a war. It isn’t a good time. Don’t you think you

should wait?”

Abbas shook his head. “If there is war and we are here, we will be ar-

rested. Like the Jews in Germany. Like the Japanese here.”

Elena gave him a dirty look. She didn’t know how to answer the charge; she

must believe it herself. But then she said, “You see? You cannot reason with

him. Because he has already made up his mind. He wants to go home to Iran.

He wants to go home to his brother. He has wanted it all along, even before the

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

3 2 7

FBI threatened him. Ever since Hassan visited and promised him a new life.

What’s wrong with your old life? You have children who love you, a wife who

loves you. Even men who love you.” She avoided looking at Daniel. “What else

do you need? A government that loves you? A God that loves you?”

Abbas scowled. “Leave God out of this. This is not about God. This is

about being where I belong. Because I am nobody here. I am nothing. They

could pick me up on the street and make me disappear, and nobody could

help, nobody could save me.”

Elena hesitated. “You are such a baby. You sit in police station a few hours

and your world comes to an end. I see what you are doing. You are fixing the

cards so we have only one choice. To go to Iran. All right then. Go. But you can

go without us. Because our children and I are not going. You can go alone.”

Abbas’s face went blank. He must have heard everything else before, but

this was new, this surprised him. He turned away for a moment, took a deep

breath, then faced her. He spoke in French, a long, clear, careful paragraph.

Zack’s French wasn’t good enough for him even to guess what he was saying.

Elena watched and listened, her eyes growing wider, her chin going up.

“In English!” she cried. “Say it in English!” She bared her teeth, furious with

what he’d said. “I want them to hear your craziness. I want them to know how

nuts you are!”

“Very well.” Abbas took another deep breath. “I said: You can stay here.

You and Mina can stay here. I will go to Iran. With Osh. I will take my son

home with me and give him the life he deserves. Everyone will be happy. We

will all be satisfied.”

Zack turned to Daniel, wondering what he made of this. Daniel was still

staring at Abbas. “You’re serious?” said Zack.

“Totally.” Abbas did not turn to him but continued to face his wife. His

tone remained cold and deliberate. “It is the best solution, don’t you think? I

do not want to give up my daughter. But I want to be fair to my wife. I cannot

leave my wife with nothing. Even though she is willing to do such a thing to

me. So yes. Let me have my son and she can have my daughter. We will go our

separate ways.”

Elena snapped her head to the left, then the right, as if looking for the

proper angle to see her husband.

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

“What did I tell you?” she muttered. “He is crazy. He is nuts.” She turned

to Zack. “You’re the psychiatrist. He is insane, yes? You can put him away. You

can lock him up. For the good of his family. For his own protection. Yes?”

Zack stared at her. Was she serious?

“Before he hurts his children. It’s not bad enough he wants to go straight to

hell, he wants to take his son there with him. He is a danger to his children.”

“No, you are the danger!” charged Abbas. “We are given a chance to es-