“What did you do today?” Salej asks. “Did you play?”
Both twins nod emphatically. How they played! First, they painted pictures with lovely bright paints on big sheets of

paper. The paper was white as their walls at home had been, with no wood in it. Then they joined hands with all the other children and skipped in a circle while the teacher played piano. They all sang a song.

“Wait!” says Salej. “Did you sing, too?”
Oh yes, the twins say. Eliph was shouting, “You all have feet like camels, your faces are like sheep, you chatter like the

story-bird…” So Pala sang Eliph’s song, too, and the other children were so puzzled! Then after that they all sat in a circle and the teacher showed cards. There was a picture of a tree and all the children yelled “Tree!” while the teacher pointed to letters on the card. “Door!” “Box!” “Dog!” Pala remembers all the words and shows Salej what a “Box!” is, then a “Door!”

Eliph wants to talk about the teacher reading from a book while all the children lay on mats on the floor. She had been so

bored, and then when all the children sat up she realised Pala had fallen asleep. Everyone had laughed, even the teacher.

Pala giggles. Salej smiles, too.

​

Aunt Shamil has closed the shop and they assemble at the kitchen table, the two women and three girls. There is bread, two kinds of beans, some tough meat and goat cheese. Mother and Aunt Shamil drink red wine from a big bottle and despite Mother’s protests, Aunt Shamil pours a little wine for Salej, too.

“She needs it,” Aunt Shamil says. “See how pale… It will put vigour in her blood.”
Salej takes a sip. The wine tastes sour but she sips again until it is all gone. Mother takes the twins upstairs - they are sleeping

one each end of the big couch in the room overlooking the street. Salej helps Aunt Shamil with the dishes.

“I expect you are tired,” Aunt Shamil says.
“I am.”
“All day people speaking English around you. You will learn to speak it, too, Salej, and then you will be very happy here.”
“No,” says Salej, thinking, Father will take us home again. He promised me a lizard with eyes like topaz.
Aunt Shamil is feigning interest in a baked-on stain. “Your mother says you did not cry for my poor murdered brother.

It is better to cry, little one, or the tears will turn into stones inside you.”

Salej dries the cup from which she drank her first wine and says nothing.

“Both are asleep,” Mother says, coming in. “Here, Salej, let me finish that. It has been a hard day for you.”
Salej nods and gives up the tea towel. But later, when the two women have gone up to share Aunt Shamil’s big bed, she lies

wakeful. Learn English. Learn English. Learn English. Aunt Shamil speaks English all day to her customers. The twins already have several words. The hairs all over her head stand up and there is a feeling like ice in her stomach. Father is dead and lying under the sand. They will never leave this place. She will not see her friend Cedra again. Everyone will speak English except Salej. And Father…

She puts her hands over her face and sobs.