Free A Long Way from Home by Alice Walsh Page B

Everything’s under control now.”
    Colin sank down in the nearest chair. The pain in his throat so terrible he could hardly breathe. Who would do such a horrible thing? He was stranded in a strange country. New York seemed so terribly far away.

Chapter 15
    September 13
    Rabia picked up a tray from the table and began gathering plates and cups. For the past couple of hours she had been helping Millie serve lunch to passengers sheltered at a school. She liked the work; it helped take her mind off all the bad things that had happened. A steady stream of volunteers arrived regularly with home cooking and drinks. There were tables filled with platters of food and dessert. Rabia didn’t have much of an appetite, but this act of kindness by strangers somehow lessened her fear.
    She had heard on television this morning that a number of mosques in the United States had been threatened. In some places, Muslim businesses had been vandalized. There was even talk that the president would go to war against Afghanistan. Yousef once told her that the United States was the most powerful country in the world. Like the Soviets, they could destroy the whole world with one press of a button. The tightness in Rabia’s throat made it hard to breathe. She had family in Afghanistan — people she loved and cared about. Father was still there. She could not bear it if more destruction came to her country. It is all because of you, Osama bin Laden, she thought, feeling a wave of resentment. Do you realize what you have done to us?
    â€œAre you going on the trip this afternoon?” Millie asked, interrupting her thoughts.
    â€œTrip?”
    â€œYes, my dear. Some fishermen down in Salvage volunteered to take the passengers out in their boats.”
    â€œOn the ocean?” Rabia asked. Father had told her about the ocean, and how it smelled of salt. The ocean was so large, he said, that sometimes all one could see was water and sky. She bet Karim would love to go on a trip like that. But how much would it cost? What little money they had was only to be used for emergencies.
    â€œIt’s free,” Millie said as if reading her thoughts.
    â€œHow can we get there?”
    â€œA bus is coming by this afternoon to pick up the passengers.”
    Rabia was thoughtful.
    â€œOh, my dear, you should go,” Millie said. “Get to see whales, sure. Someone spotted an iceberg out there this morning. Not something you’d expect to see this late in the season. Won’t see much of that stuff once you gets to California.”
    Before Rabia had a chance to respond, the woman and boy who had got on the plane in Englandcame into the room . Rabia watched as they took a seat at one of the tables. The boy opened his book and stared at the page. His forehead furrowed in concentration.
    Millie walked over to their table. “Can I get you something?”
    â€œMay I have some coffee, please?” the woman asked.
    â€œI will get it,” Rabia offered, eager to help.
    Millie turned to the boy. “How about you, my love? Milk? Juice?”
    â€œOrange juice, please,” he said without looking up from his game.
    Rabia poured the coffee and brought it back to the table. “Hello,” she said shyly, not sure if they remembered her.
    The woman smiled at her. “Thank you. The coffee smells wonderful.”
    The boy gave Rabia an icy stare and went back to his book. All the friendliness he had shown her on the airplane was gone.
    Millie brought a juice pack over and put it in front of Colin. “Where are you from?” she asked.
    â€œNew York City,” the woman replied. “I’m Catherine Erickson and this is my son, Colin.”
    â€œMy,” Millie said. “I’m meeting people from all over the world.” She put a hand on Rabia’s shoulder. “Sure, Rabia came all the way from Afghanistan.”
    Colin looked up from his book. “Afghanistan. Isn’t that the