Free Things We Left Unsaid by Zoyâ Pirzâd Page A

you.
    ‘One of the English engineers went on a site supervision call to I don’t remember where exactly,’ began Alice. ‘The foreman was supposed to act as his interpreter and
translate what the engineer said for the workers. So the engineer says in English, “Tell them to bend the pipes,” and the foreman turns around and shouts to the workers,
“Attention, guys! He says to bend the pipes .” ’
    We all laughed, except Mother, who glowered at us and said, ‘It wasn’t funny at all.’
    Armineh said, ‘But the film was really funny.’
    Arsineh said, ‘But Cinema Taj was like a refridgerator’
    ‘That’s how cold it was.’
    ‘Mommy, what about permission for Emily to come for lunch?’
    ‘Did you ask?’
    ‘Call her.’
    ‘No, go to their house.’
    ‘No, Auntie. We don’t want chocolate. It will spoil our lunch.’
    ‘Mommy, please. Go get permission for Emily. Please.’
    I put my hand on my head. ‘Goodness gracious, already. I’m going.’ And I got up. As I left the kitchen, Armineh and Arsineh were sitting on their auntie’s and
grandma’s knees respectively, taking turns retelling the plot of the film.
    As I crossed the street, I thought to myself, ‘I hope my sister will not try out her usual scheme on Emile.’ Normally I would tell myself, ‘Maybe this is the one...’ But
this time I entertained no illusions whatsoever. I was sure this one was in no way, shape or form good for Alice.
    My nose was assaulted by the smell of sludge in the gutter.
    The door opened before I could lift my finger from the doorbell, as if they had been waiting for someone. Without returning my greeting, Mrs. Simonian said, ‘No. There’s just no way.
Restaurant food does not agree with Emily. She has to have a rest now.’ Through the cracked-open door I could see Emily’s tearful face.
    On the way back home, my critical streak lashed out at me: ‘Serves you right! You just have to dance to whatever tune the children fiddle, don’t you?’ I answered back,
‘I’ll never subject myself to that again!’
    The children were disappointed that Emily wouldn’t be joining us. ‘I don’t feel like going to the Club,’ Armen said.
    ‘Great,’ I responded. ‘Stay home and study.’ And with that encouragement, he piled into the car ahead of everyone else.
    I sat with Mother and Alice in the back of the Chevy. Armineh sat in Alice’s lap, and Arsineh, after making Armen swear to ‘No teasing, I mean it!’ sat up front, between
Artoush and Armen.
    The twins frowned from north Bawarda all the way to Braim without saying a word. Armen was taking driving pointers from Artoush. Alice and Mother were arguing about the date of the Lenten fast.
In the end, Alice said, ‘Eastertime is so far away now, and anyhow, I for one am not going to fast. I fasted this year, and it was enough for seven generations!’
    ‘You have to fast,’ said Mother.
    ‘I’m not going to,’ said Alice.
    ‘What the hell do you mean, “I’m not going to?” You have to.’
    ‘I’m not going to.’
    Mother hissed just like an angry cat and pinched Alice’s forearm hard. ‘Ouuuch!’ cried Alice. The twins cracked up laughing and their frowns melted away. Mother and
Alice’s fights, real or pretend, were the best way to make the twins laugh.

 
11
    At the door to the Club, Alice whispered in my ear, ‘Invite them over, please.’
    I drew a deep breath and returned the greetings of Mr. Saadat, the manager of the Golestan Club, and asked after his wife, who had just given birth to their fourth child two weeks earlier.
Artoush always shook hands with Mr. Saadat, and it always pleased me. I rarely saw other members of the Club shake hands with the manager.
    The twins yelled out, ‘Hey! Mimi!’ and ran off in the direction of a classmate of theirs, a very delicate girl whose name was Marguerita, though her mother insisted on calling her
Mimi. Up until a few months ago, Mimi, or Marguerita, lived in north Bawarda. When