FARZANA 4
Arezou was right about the B14 reaction. People support us all the way. We're the pathfinders. If we make our way back to normal, it's easier for them.
B12 is determined to roll out the red carpet for us. The 2 vacant beds are apart. One girl moves so Arezou and I can be together.
The English teacher smiles, "Arezou, Farzana, front and center." Takes out a cloth, "Arezou, you're bigger, taller, make a more convincing man." Ties a turban loosely on Arezou. "Right girls, here's the script. Arezou, store owner. Farzana, customer."
It's fun, the other girls like it. We've acquired a new role in English class. Sometimes brother-sister, or storekeeper-customer or husband-wife in argument. I can assure you it's pretty tame stuff compared to Mullaly household arguments in Canada.
And so it is, we're eyeball-to-eyeball, arguing about money, when the CO and an HQ type walk in. We fall silent.
CO smiles, "carry on."
English teacher, "from the start of the script, girls."
This gets a little heated, the script calling for husband to grab wife's collar. Inches away from each other, the lines are hot and heavy.
We finish. Arezou blushes, realizing she still has my collar, forgot to let go. "Sorry, Farzana."
CO, "your names, girls?"
"Arezou, ma'am."
"Farzana, ma'am."
"Farzana, that is one heck of a Canadian accent. Can even place it, western plains. And you, Arezou, obviously picked up from her."
I blush.
CO smiles, "nothing to be ashamed of, should be proud. English that good, both of you have a promising future."
Thursday morning we exit the shower, heading for breakfast. Arezou can't eat, feels sick, so I walk her to sick bay. The nurse is kind, let's me stay, notifies Arifa where we both are. I eat in sick bay, sleep in the bed next to her. By noon Friday, it's burned out of her system. She's hungry, we go for lunch together.
Tears in her eyes, she squeezes my hand, "you are so loyal, such a good friend. Lotsa girls, when their friend is sick, run away. Malali and Amira, they'll be proud of you too."
I blush, "no big deal. Just you're all I have in the world."
"How sweet. Be really nice living together when we grow up."
English teacher ties the turban on Arezou, hands us each a script. I see yet again I am to be assaulted. The sacrifices we make for art.
Arezou stands ramrod straight, speaks in a voice a drill instructor would approve of, "no this is wrong. Koran says you must treat your wife with dignity, respect. I'm supposed to assault the very person who was there, every minute night and day when I was sick. That's crazy."
The look of surprise on the teacher's face turns to respect. Broad smile, "right, try this script. You have just discovered your son is failing in math. You don't blame each other, just seek a solution."
Arezou smiles warmly, takes one of my hands in both of hers, "come dear wife, let's work together on this serious problem."
No question of my feelings, warm, wonderful, protected, in love. Shyly I reply, "much better, like your new style."
Just the four of us eating together, Malali and Amira, Arezou and myself. Arezou explains what happened in English class. I see huge approval, admiration on their faces.
Arezou drops her voice, "see we've agreed, same as you, live together once we graduate and join up."
At this point Amira wraps a proprietorial arm around Malali, holds on too tight. Jealous?
Malali grins, "y'all having a ring ceremony?"
"What's that?" I ask, everyone looking at me strange.
Malali flashes a lopsided grin, "I don't mean this to sound hurtful, Farzana, but lotta Corridor people are way behind the times."
Amira puts on a teacher tone, "no legal force, makes no difference to the organization itself. See as long as people live together, they have transfer rights. They can move you from one job to another. But to move to a different place, hafta move both or neither. With me so far?"
"Yes."
"Now to you and Arezou yourselves, probably makes no difference, you feel belonging to each other. It's other people you gotta think of. See, don't have a ring ceremony, no one takes you serious. Anyone just up and try to steal one of you from the other. Have the ceremony, they respect you, leave you alone."
"But I don't understand. Take me and you, Malali, we're friends. But that doesn't mean I'd steal you from Amira or you'd steal me from Arezou."
Amira rolls her eyes, "Farzana, got it all wrong. See there's friends and Friends. I'm your friend. But Arezou is your Friend."
"Oh," I reply, not at all sure.
Amira smiles, "Farzana, don't go throwing any punches, but it's the honest truth. See Arezou is beautiful. You, somewhat below average. So, lot more risk of someone stealing Arezou from you than vice versa."
I protest, "that's not fair. I'm not with Arezou because she's good-looking. With her because she's a good person."
Malali smiles gently, "you gotta good attitude. But lots don't think like you. Steal her away in a flash."
Arezou takes my hand, soothing tone, "Farzana, I think a ring ceremony would be cool. When we're old enough of course."
"How old is that?"
"17 you can legally join, even if you haven't finished your studies. As of the day you join, you can have a ceremony. Don't join, it's like you're still a kid, still in kid barracks."
I groan inwardly. My real date of birth as Fern Mullaly is November 1952. But for Farzana? I haven't a clue. Spun many years off into the future. I blush, "well, in all that eating people, I seem to have lost any documents. How would I prove age?"
Amira grins, "gotta rule for everything. You looked 10, so legally your 10th birthday is the day you started school here."
I heave a sigh of relief.
Arezou ruffles my hair, loud mock groan, "sooo, hafta wait a whole 2 months for you, once I hit 17." Gentle smile, "but it's worth the wait. No one'll steal me away."
She takes my hand a whole lotta new strange confusing but wonderful feelings flood through me.
"So," Arezou smiles, "ring ceremony?"
I hug her warmly, "yes."
Malali and Amira are loud in congratulation.
On impulse, I lean my head against her shoulder. Feels so nice, the warmth.
Summer vacation, sort of. Teachers get the flight back to HQ. After all, they are human, not robots, don't want them to burn out.
Us, nowhere to go. We're all orphans, some confirmed, some only probable.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know 2,200 orphan girls with 2 months downtime are gonna get into a lotta mischief.
So the main reason for summer work details is to keep us out of trouble. Also, a low-budget operation, use our free labor. Also a chance for us to help repay their generosity a bit. Also a learning experience.
Suspense is high as we wait in line. After an eternity, I hear, "Farzana Malali" and step forward shyly to face CO and admin clerk.
CO smiles, "Cadillac of assignments for you. Members' mess, 5 days a week."
I fail to see how KP is Cadillac, but I keep my mouth shut like a good little girl.
"Yes, set you up at a table with some English workbooks. You deal with any members who walk in, want help with English."
Members? Real adults?
"I'll t-try to do my b-best, ma'am."
"Farzana, don't aim for perfection. See lotta these people, if it's fun, you'll get them interested in learning. So don't be over-quick to correct their errors. Just go with the flow, smooth conversation."
"Yes, ma'am."
Nilo asks me, "so whadid you get?"
I explain.
"Co-ol, you took the cake. Me and Arezou, do the same in the student mess. Plus who knows who else from other barracks doing the same job."
"Gonna be hard," I say grimly, "being apart from Arezou."
Nilo smiles, "gotta do it. See, get too hung up on any one person, you start to forget the rest of us are alive."
I blush, "do I do that?"
"Course not, yet anyhow. Know what makes it a real prize? Stuff you'll overhear."
"Yes and if I gossip, I'll be fired. End up on KP."
"Farzana, knowledge is power. Keep your ears open, learn all you can."
Gulazar floats by on Cloud Nine, she too got student mess English detail.
So here I sit all alone in the members' mess. Not allowed to eat here, hafta walk back to student mess for that. Am allowed tea from the urn.
Morning is uneventful, everyone flashes on by me, in a hurry.
Midafternoon, I gather my 3 workbooks in my bag, head for the mess washroom. I've finished, all set to flush, when loud conversation of 2 new arrivals stops me. Not liking the feel of it, I stay quiet.
I never did get a chance to see who they were. Nor, looking back, do I know if I overheard, or if they meant me to overhear. Wasn't in Dari or English. Was in Pashtu, which I mostly understood. Maybe they didn't think I would.
"So get a load of that stinky little zero?"
"Yeah, so ugly a camel wouldn't want her."
"She's the CO's spy. Inform on who overstays tea break."
"Yeah, doubtless also put her here so the other girls don't kill her. Cannibal Princess, they say."
"They should throw her offa cliff. Place is going to Hades."
"Yeah, how comes we get alla crazies?"
B12 is determined to roll out the red carpet for us. The 2 vacant beds are apart. One girl moves so Arezou and I can be together.
The English teacher smiles, "Arezou, Farzana, front and center." Takes out a cloth, "Arezou, you're bigger, taller, make a more convincing man." Ties a turban loosely on Arezou. "Right girls, here's the script. Arezou, store owner. Farzana, customer."
It's fun, the other girls like it. We've acquired a new role in English class. Sometimes brother-sister, or storekeeper-customer or husband-wife in argument. I can assure you it's pretty tame stuff compared to Mullaly household arguments in Canada.
And so it is, we're eyeball-to-eyeball, arguing about money, when the CO and an HQ type walk in. We fall silent.
CO smiles, "carry on."
English teacher, "from the start of the script, girls."
This gets a little heated, the script calling for husband to grab wife's collar. Inches away from each other, the lines are hot and heavy.
We finish. Arezou blushes, realizing she still has my collar, forgot to let go. "Sorry, Farzana."
CO, "your names, girls?"
"Arezou, ma'am."
"Farzana, ma'am."
"Farzana, that is one heck of a Canadian accent. Can even place it, western plains. And you, Arezou, obviously picked up from her."
I blush.
CO smiles, "nothing to be ashamed of, should be proud. English that good, both of you have a promising future."
Thursday morning we exit the shower, heading for breakfast. Arezou can't eat, feels sick, so I walk her to sick bay. The nurse is kind, let's me stay, notifies Arifa where we both are. I eat in sick bay, sleep in the bed next to her. By noon Friday, it's burned out of her system. She's hungry, we go for lunch together.
Tears in her eyes, she squeezes my hand, "you are so loyal, such a good friend. Lotsa girls, when their friend is sick, run away. Malali and Amira, they'll be proud of you too."
I blush, "no big deal. Just you're all I have in the world."
"How sweet. Be really nice living together when we grow up."
English teacher ties the turban on Arezou, hands us each a script. I see yet again I am to be assaulted. The sacrifices we make for art.
Arezou stands ramrod straight, speaks in a voice a drill instructor would approve of, "no this is wrong. Koran says you must treat your wife with dignity, respect. I'm supposed to assault the very person who was there, every minute night and day when I was sick. That's crazy."
The look of surprise on the teacher's face turns to respect. Broad smile, "right, try this script. You have just discovered your son is failing in math. You don't blame each other, just seek a solution."
Arezou smiles warmly, takes one of my hands in both of hers, "come dear wife, let's work together on this serious problem."
No question of my feelings, warm, wonderful, protected, in love. Shyly I reply, "much better, like your new style."
Just the four of us eating together, Malali and Amira, Arezou and myself. Arezou explains what happened in English class. I see huge approval, admiration on their faces.
Arezou drops her voice, "see we've agreed, same as you, live together once we graduate and join up."
At this point Amira wraps a proprietorial arm around Malali, holds on too tight. Jealous?
Malali grins, "y'all having a ring ceremony?"
"What's that?" I ask, everyone looking at me strange.
Malali flashes a lopsided grin, "I don't mean this to sound hurtful, Farzana, but lotta Corridor people are way behind the times."
Amira puts on a teacher tone, "no legal force, makes no difference to the organization itself. See as long as people live together, they have transfer rights. They can move you from one job to another. But to move to a different place, hafta move both or neither. With me so far?"
"Yes."
"Now to you and Arezou yourselves, probably makes no difference, you feel belonging to each other. It's other people you gotta think of. See, don't have a ring ceremony, no one takes you serious. Anyone just up and try to steal one of you from the other. Have the ceremony, they respect you, leave you alone."
"But I don't understand. Take me and you, Malali, we're friends. But that doesn't mean I'd steal you from Amira or you'd steal me from Arezou."
Amira rolls her eyes, "Farzana, got it all wrong. See there's friends and Friends. I'm your friend. But Arezou is your Friend."
"Oh," I reply, not at all sure.
Amira smiles, "Farzana, don't go throwing any punches, but it's the honest truth. See Arezou is beautiful. You, somewhat below average. So, lot more risk of someone stealing Arezou from you than vice versa."
I protest, "that's not fair. I'm not with Arezou because she's good-looking. With her because she's a good person."
Malali smiles gently, "you gotta good attitude. But lots don't think like you. Steal her away in a flash."
Arezou takes my hand, soothing tone, "Farzana, I think a ring ceremony would be cool. When we're old enough of course."
"How old is that?"
"17 you can legally join, even if you haven't finished your studies. As of the day you join, you can have a ceremony. Don't join, it's like you're still a kid, still in kid barracks."
I groan inwardly. My real date of birth as Fern Mullaly is November 1952. But for Farzana? I haven't a clue. Spun many years off into the future. I blush, "well, in all that eating people, I seem to have lost any documents. How would I prove age?"
Amira grins, "gotta rule for everything. You looked 10, so legally your 10th birthday is the day you started school here."
I heave a sigh of relief.
Arezou ruffles my hair, loud mock groan, "sooo, hafta wait a whole 2 months for you, once I hit 17." Gentle smile, "but it's worth the wait. No one'll steal me away."
She takes my hand a whole lotta new strange confusing but wonderful feelings flood through me.
"So," Arezou smiles, "ring ceremony?"
I hug her warmly, "yes."
Malali and Amira are loud in congratulation.
On impulse, I lean my head against her shoulder. Feels so nice, the warmth.
Summer vacation, sort of. Teachers get the flight back to HQ. After all, they are human, not robots, don't want them to burn out.
Us, nowhere to go. We're all orphans, some confirmed, some only probable.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know 2,200 orphan girls with 2 months downtime are gonna get into a lotta mischief.
So the main reason for summer work details is to keep us out of trouble. Also, a low-budget operation, use our free labor. Also a chance for us to help repay their generosity a bit. Also a learning experience.
Suspense is high as we wait in line. After an eternity, I hear, "Farzana Malali" and step forward shyly to face CO and admin clerk.
CO smiles, "Cadillac of assignments for you. Members' mess, 5 days a week."
I fail to see how KP is Cadillac, but I keep my mouth shut like a good little girl.
"Yes, set you up at a table with some English workbooks. You deal with any members who walk in, want help with English."
Members? Real adults?
"I'll t-try to do my b-best, ma'am."
"Farzana, don't aim for perfection. See lotta these people, if it's fun, you'll get them interested in learning. So don't be over-quick to correct their errors. Just go with the flow, smooth conversation."
"Yes, ma'am."
Nilo asks me, "so whadid you get?"
I explain.
"Co-ol, you took the cake. Me and Arezou, do the same in the student mess. Plus who knows who else from other barracks doing the same job."
"Gonna be hard," I say grimly, "being apart from Arezou."
Nilo smiles, "gotta do it. See, get too hung up on any one person, you start to forget the rest of us are alive."
I blush, "do I do that?"
"Course not, yet anyhow. Know what makes it a real prize? Stuff you'll overhear."
"Yes and if I gossip, I'll be fired. End up on KP."
"Farzana, knowledge is power. Keep your ears open, learn all you can."
Gulazar floats by on Cloud Nine, she too got student mess English detail.
So here I sit all alone in the members' mess. Not allowed to eat here, hafta walk back to student mess for that. Am allowed tea from the urn.
Morning is uneventful, everyone flashes on by me, in a hurry.
Midafternoon, I gather my 3 workbooks in my bag, head for the mess washroom. I've finished, all set to flush, when loud conversation of 2 new arrivals stops me. Not liking the feel of it, I stay quiet.
I never did get a chance to see who they were. Nor, looking back, do I know if I overheard, or if they meant me to overhear. Wasn't in Dari or English. Was in Pashtu, which I mostly understood. Maybe they didn't think I would.
"So get a load of that stinky little zero?"
"Yeah, so ugly a camel wouldn't want her."
"She's the CO's spy. Inform on who overstays tea break."
"Yeah, doubtless also put her here so the other girls don't kill her. Cannibal Princess, they say."
"They should throw her offa cliff. Place is going to Hades."
"Yeah, how comes we get alla crazies?"
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