Dark Chronicles of Nooria 12

Next day brings wind and rain. Shauzia and I return from breakfast. "Look Nooria, we could go stir crazy today or you can help me on my English."
"Come on, you ain't just my jailer anymore, friend too. Get your workbook."
In no time, everyone gathers. Arifa smiles, "don't mind us, just want the practice of hearing it."
By lunchtime, I realize I've achieved some sort of belonging here. It's a start.
Just before lunch, Arifa says, "Shauzia and Nooria, join me, members mess."
I can sense what she wants. Hopes a sgt in one of the other functions will adopt Shauzia.
Two days later, we find it worked. Mess sgt will let Shauzia tag along, teach her.
Funny thing, I reflect, often it's just one adult will tip the balance either way for a kid.

I get a thunderous welcome Thursday. Nilofar hugs me, "what a brave little girl you are. Risk your life with Zala driving."
"In your dreams, fruitcake," Zala shoots, "if I were white, American, I'd be a famous race car driver."
"More like a taxi driver."
"Nuff of that arguing," Parvana asserts, "let's find Sir Lancelot, help him search for the Holy Grail."
Zala grins, "I'd settle for the lance."
"Nuff of that talk. Young ears. Now get with it."
"Yassih, boss, yassih yassih yassih. Don't hit me no more boss. I's a good niggah. I picks da cotton boss."
Everyone roars with laughter.
Different flavor this trip. Last time Amina was tense hugging me, as if saying, "don't you dare."
Me, I was sitting up straight, tense. This time, I lean into her, enjoy the warmth. Her grip is relaxed, friendly, like I'm her niece. Feels nice.
As we saddle up, Nilofar says, "I'm guessing you never had a mother, I mean a real one."
I blush.
"Last time, she was hanging onto you, afraid you'd jump. This time, you're hanging onto her, like you're afraid she'll go away."
As so it was, I feel confident enough to try to straighten out the humiliating food server.
I know for a fact there's no rule you can't ask for less food. Seen members do so.
This time, she heaps it higher than ever. Arrogant smirk, "my friend the little matchstick girl. Better eat, or never find you a girlfriend."
Amina is in line behind me, I sense she's curious how I'll react.
"Take that plate back please. Give it to someone else. I'll have maybe a quarter of that."
"And what if I don't shrimp? Rules. Wanna eat with the big girls, follow the rules."
"In this very camp are girls who had to choose between cannibalism or starvation. How you think they'll feel, knowing food gets wasted?"
Defiant, "so what?"
"My appeal to your morality has fallen on deaf ears. Ok, I appeal to your greed. You do like getting that monthly salary?"
"Your food and my salary, shrimp, no connection. Now move it, people are impatient."
I sense the contrary, they're bored, enjoying the show.
"If you listened to the conversation around this mess, you'd realize the financial situation of AAW. Money only comes from 2 places, foreign aid and private donation. There is no magic money-printing machine."
She sticks out her tongue.
"9/11 and immediately after," I continue, "height of AAW's prestige and of its donations. Since then, substantial falloff. Makes sense, Afghanistan is no longer front-page news. Now it's 2 paragraphs on Section G, Page 18. You waste food, a day'll come they can't pay your salary."
"Look shrimp, rules. Now take the plate."
"Very well, call the mess sgt."
"Look shrimp, she's a busy person. Tell you what, I'll just save her the time. How much food do you want?"
"About a quarter of that, please."
As we sit, Amina grins, "so, you have been listening in, absorbing it all. Good for you. Figgered you could handle that by yourself."
Amina gives our table a blow-by-blow account of my encounter.
Lotta laughter, then after if fades, a sgt says, "sad. The officers and sgt's, doing everything they can to make the girls feel comfortable. Message hasn't filtered down to some."
Another, "yeah, always wondered why a girl would come here once or twice, just never wanna come back."
Mess sgt appears, "rumor has it, child, you're beating up on my staff."
"Sarge, debate was verbal. How could I beat up on someone that big?"
"Maybe you better tell me your version of what happened."
I do.
"Anyone else here see this?"
Amina replies, "I did. Exactly as Nooria says. She went a long way out of her way to stay polite, depite a lotta provocation."
Mess sgt punches my arm lightly, "well, she had it coming. Good to see you can take care of yourself."

A few days later, the office messenger shows in class, conducts me to the CO's office. I see a tornado-stricken paper storm and a considerably harassed-looking woman of say 50.
"You Nooria Ahpay?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Sit and we'll get to it. I must admit, you aren't what I expected, someone a lot larger with a mean look."
I'll pass on that one.
"We've traced it to source. You're the guilty party, started the rumor."
"Rumor ma'am?"
"Don't play innocent. Spreading the rumor AAW is bankrupt."
"Ma'am, I never said that."
"From the start, your conversation with the food server last week."
I deliver.
She groans, "I really had expected better from you. Surely you'd have enough judgment to know how to deal with people of such low education. Once you say 'possible' or 'maybe', they assume you have inside information. You do hang out with the sgt set."
"Ma'm, with all due respect, I'm 10, how would I know that?"
"I would assume child, as an officer cadet, you'd be more mature than average."
"Officer cadet, ma'am? News to me."
She rummages in the paper stack, finds a file. "Three people recommended you. English teacher for native speaker ability. Math teacher for being way ahead of everyone in your grade. History teacher for detailed historical insight."
"No one ever told me, ma'am."
"They sure did. Says right here a carbon copy was sent to you. Ooops. Seems the carbon is still on file. I'd like to say no harm done with this rumor. But no, unfortunately HQ delayed getting the payroll on the plane. When payday comes and goes, the rumor will explode."
I nod.
"You realize I have to punish you for conduct unbecoming an officer cadet. Could give you KP, but that's a little overfull. One day suspension from members mess."
What can you do? Could have been lots worse.
"I trust you'll learn from this. In future, take it to the proper authority, the mess sgt."
"Yes ma'am."
I walk away feeling sorry for myself. Soon find out, the server got 30 days KP.