“I’m dying stuck down here,” Hanan had moaned to her. “The DVD player is broken. And Grandma expects me to join her while she visits every new baby in the province.”

“It’s not every baby. And it’s only a few villages. Count yourself lucky. In my day, our tribe was bigger, and I had to do twice as many visits.”

“It’s not fair. I miss my friends in Baghdad.”

“Come on, it’s not so bad.”

“All these years I had to listen to you complain about how Grandma would take off to Baghdad for weeks on end, and pack you off to stay on the farm.” Static crackled down the line. “But it’s fine for you to do it to me?”

Phone pressed to her ear, Rania stared at the kitchen ceiling where water stains formed a map of a derelict world.

“It’s hardly the same,” she replied crisply. “Your grandmother went to Baghdad to go water-skiing and wear miniskirts. I’m having no such fun. Anyway, don’t fret. Basra has a very nice high school. When the school year starts, you’ll make some new friends.”

“I don’t want new friends. I want to come home. I want to go swimming with Ghada and Ban at the Alwiyah Club.”

“All in good time, my dear.” Rania winced, knowing eventually she’d have to admit to Hanan that she could no longer afford the club’s membership fee.

The phone line sizzled like fat in a pan.

“Hello? Hanan? Can you hear me?”

She gripped the phone tight.

“Habibtee, are you there?”

Static hissed.

“I love you!” Rania’s words bounced off the kitchen walls and echoed in her ears.

Her chest had hurt when she hung up the phone, from love, but also from a strange premonition that time was fast running out, that events were slipping out of her control. Was it the impending sale of her father’s books, the fact that Hanan was turning into a young woman, or something more? Rania didn’t know, but she’d tossed and turned all night.

Out on Rashid Street, another double-decker swooshed by, nudging her back to the present.

“I’m sure your daughter misses those fancy cafés on Arasat Street.” Adnan set down his glass. “Did you know there’s a new restaurant with an outdoor pool and little cabanas with silk cushions? At night, you can see the blue water glowing from the footpath. I couldn’t afford a thimble of tea in a place like that, but I ended up idling on the curb, a little beggar boy beside me, both of us unable to tear our eyes away.”

Adnan glanced over his shoulder. The boy at the juice counter was slicing oranges. Adnan scanned the busy sidewalk, then leaned in close.

“I was outside the restaurant for just a few minutes.” He lowered his voice. “Then the yellow Ferrari pulled up by the curb.”