2018-07-26

Mariam——harami was an unwanted thing; that she, Mariam, was an

illegitimate person who would never have legitimate claim to the things

other people had, things such as love, family, home, acceptance

Jalil But whenever Jalil talked like this, Mariam

would listen with enchantment. She would admire Jalil for his vast and

worldly knowledge. She would quiver with pride to have a father who

knew such thing

around Jalil, Mariam did not feel at all like a harami. For an hour or two

every Thursday, when Jalil came to see her, all smiles and gifts and

endearments, Mariam felt deserving of all the beauty and bounty that life

had to give. And, for this, Mariam loved Jalil.