What was he doing, watching it with Laleh?
I mean, it was inevitable that Laleh would acquire a taste forStar Trek—eventually. She was my sister, after all. And Stephen Kellner’s daughter. It was in her genetic makeup.
But I thought I would get to keep that bit of Dad to myself for a little while longer.
It was the only time I ever got to be his son.
The credits faded out, and the episode title came up. “Sins of the Father,” which was about Worf going back home to face accusations that his father had committed treason.
It seemed weirdly appropriate.
“Come sit,” Dad said.
He patted the couch beside him.
“Um.”
We were supposed to get along in Iran.
But did that mean we had to cancel the only time we actually spent together?
Maybe it did.
I sat against the edge of the couch and balanced my tea onmy kneecap, but Dad reached out and pulled me closer. He left his arm across my back for a second.
“Your shoulders are getting broad,” he said.
Then he let go of me and leaned over to kiss Laleh on the forehead.
And I sat with Stephen and Laleh Kellner as they watchedStar Trek.
THE KOLINAHR DISCIPLINE
It wasn’t even dawn when a voice began chanting.
It was far away, tinny, like the speakers in a drive-thru.
But it was beautiful, even if I couldn’t tell what it was saying.
When it faded away, I didn’t go back to sleep, because Mom knocked on my door.
I pulled the covers closer around my neck. I had on my boxers, but still.
“Yeah?”
“Oh. You’re up.”
“Yeah. The chanting woke me. The call to prayer. Right?”
Mom smiled. “The azan.”
“It’s beautiful.” I’d heard it the last couple of days, but I never got a chance to ask about it. And it felt different, waking up to it instead of hearing it while I was making tea or eating lunch.
“I forgot how much I missed hearing it.”
“Yeah?”
Mom turned on the light. The Dancing Fan chose that moment to fall over.
