mina
THE RAIN TAPPING GENTLY on the window above my bed woke me. I kept my eyes closed and listened to the soothing rhythm. Each beat, each note was as whole and singular as the feel of Ysrael’s lips on mine. And my heart, once more, fell through space, as though streaking through the night sky.
I cautiously opened my eyes, but Suna’s bed was empty. My body stretched out in pleasure at being alone with my thoughts. I turned onto my back and gazed out the window. Wondered what Ysrael was doing. If he was at the dry cleaners yet. I pictured the deep brown of his eyes, that slow smile spreading across his face every morning as I entered the store. I missed him so much.
I dressed quickly and went to wake up Suna. She was still asleep in the living room. I jostled her awake and then sped to the bathroom. When I returned, Suna was still on the couch, sitting up, but definitely not ready to go.
“Come on,” I urged, impatient to get to the dry cleaners.
“Leave me alone,” she said, her voice edged with anger.
I looked at her in surprise. “Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“Shut up,” Suna said and stood up. She walked to our bedroom.
I followed after her. “What’s going on, Suna?” I asked, slightly amused at her defiance. Maybe she was turning into a real teenager after all.
Suna walked into the room and turned around, closing the bedroom door on my face.
“Suna, what’s wrong?” I called through the closed door.
“You just left me,” her muffled but angry voice replied.
“What?”
“You and Ysrael just left me at the restaurant by myself with all those strangers. You didn’t even think about how I would feel.”
I sighed. She was right. Last night, as we drove home, she had been strangely quiet, but I had not paid any attention, so lost in my own thoughts.
“I’m sorry,” I said loudly, but got no response.
We drove to the dry cleaners in silence. Suna kept her face turned toward the window and wouldn’t respond to anything I said. I finally gave up trying to apologize.
Suna and I walked into the dry cleaners and Uhmma’s shrieks hit us at the door.
“GET OUT!” Uhmma screamed.
Suna and I ran to the front of the store. Uhmma and Ysrael were squared off in front of the cash register. Apa stood off to the side by the fan. Suna and I stopped in our tracks. My heart began to quicken in realization and dread.
“YOU THIEF!” Uhmma spat out, her eyes narrowed, a look of disgust creasing her forehead.
Uhmma picked up the phone. “I call the police. You leave or I call right now.”
Ysrael slowly shook his head and turned to me.
The room began to pulse. The smells of all the chemicals sharp in my nose. My mouth watered in anticipation of the nausea. I had to tell Uhmma. I had to clear Ysrael. But the words, sharp as a fish bone, stayed lodged in my throat. Ysrael stared at me, waiting for me to tell the truth. I lowered my eyes.
Ysrael stepped back, turned around and walked out the front door. We all stood in our places, watching his proud straight back crossing the parking lot and finally disappearing along El Cajon Boulevard.
Uhmma was the first to move. She sat down at the sewing table and began hemming a dress as though nothing had happened. Apa and Suna both faded back into the curtain of clothes.
Uhmma carefully placed a pin in the fabric of the dress.
Still trembling from the encounter, I slowly walked to the register. Tried to keep my voice steady. Calm. “How do you know Ysrael was stealing from us?”
Uhmma raised the hem to her squinting eyes and replaced the pin. She said, I checked the receipts and they do not match with the money or the clothes we have been cleaning. I knew this would happen. I knew it. He is lucky we did not call the police.
I pressed my lips together. It took every ounce of concentration to keep from running out the door and looking for Ysrael. I told myself, don’t make it worse.
Maybe the books were wrong, I said.
Uhmma frowned and said, Do not be ridiculous. I checked the books myself. And when I asked him, he did not even protest.
Uhmma mumbled to herself as she worked, I do not know what we are going to do without Apa being able to work. How can we afford more help? Aigoo. This life will not give us any breaks. Uhmma continued sewing, her shoulders hunched forward with the weight of her worries.
I walked away from her, unable to speak. Unable to burden her further with the knowledge that it was her own daughter causing all this grief. What good would it have done? And yet, what about Ysrael? What about his name? I went to the back office and shut the door. Hid my face in my hands like a coward.
I stayed quiet the entire day. Each time the phone rang, I picked it up with the hope of hearing Ysrael’s voice. I held on to that hope until the late afternoon when the phone rang and I picked it up to hear a familiar voice.
“Hi, Mina.”
I wanted to hang up.
“Mina?” Jonathon said. “Mina, you there?”
“What is it, Jonathon?” I asked.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“Oh,” I replied.
“I want to see you today. Tell your mom I found some more books.”
I stayed silent.
“Come by my house after you close up.”
I ran my hand slowly along the edge of the register, pressing my skin against the sharp metal edge. “I can’t,” I lied. “I have a prep session at the library.”
“No, you
