What happened next was fast, as if our little flat were a bottle turned upside down. Ammi whirled from room to room in broken, sobbing motions. Clothes, shawls, chappals, hairbrushes, luggage, and papers were flung on the bed. The bookcase by Abu’s desk was disgorged of its files and Ammi’s paperbacks from university. One of Abu’s friends from the newspaper came over and tried to stop her, but she said, “We must leave, right away.”

“Sadia, please! You’re not in danger.”

She spun around, her hair loosening from its braid. “Do you really believe that?” She flung a jacket into the suitcase. “I am not waiting around to find out. Not for me. Not for my daughter.”

“But what about the investigation?” he asked.

“Investigation?” she spat back. “You are joking, hanh?”

“Yes. Naved is respected. They’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“ ‘They’?” she interrupted. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. If I pursue this, what do you think will happen? Some goon will show up at our door. I promise you that. You think Rania and I will be safe?”

She pointed to a suitcase. “Take that to the door.”

Suddenly it was as if she remembered I was there. She kneeled down, put both hands on my shoulders. “You’re my good girl, aren’t you?”

I gave her a sober nod.

“This is a very special thing I am asking you. So you have to be extra special good.”

Hot anger spiked through me. My mother didn’t need to say this. I always took pride in how I followed instructions, how I was better than all the other children, even. Ammi loved to boast how at three I could tie my own shoelaces and knew how to read because she’d taught me. I always felt as if I were the tail of my brave mermaid mother, shimmering with shiny scales, hard and strong like her.

“We’re going to the airport. And there will be people who may ask us a lot of questions. We’re going to tell them that Abu isn’t feeling well. He’s joining us later.”

“Is Abu sick?” I asked.

She bit her lip. “In a way. If they ask, we will tell them he is joining us in a day or two. We are going on ahead, to go shopping. We’ll get you those sneakers you wanted.”

“But Abu said he’ll take me.” He’d promised we’d stroll into the big stores in Manhattan and I could pick any sneakers I wanted so when we got back, I’d run faster than the chowkidar’s son, who sometimes helped wash down the cars. Ammi was horrified at how I played with servants and came home with scabs on my knees, but Abu just chuckled and said, “Apple doesn’t fall very far, does it?”

“Rania.” Her voice was a warning.