A mosquito buzzed Rohi’s ear, and as she swished it away, another stuck her in the neck. She slapped it hard enough to hurt. “I asked you first!” She spread her elbows and planted her hands on her hips, but she wasn’t sure if this was to make her look bigger or feel bigger. She sucked a deep breath and tried to slow the pounding in her chest.
“I heard you leave. Are you running away? Right when we need you most?” Ermana’s indignant tone shrank again. “Please don’t leave.”
The air pushed noisily out of Rohi’s lungs until there was nothing left. “I hate handbags, and I’m terrible at making them. Ton—”
“I was bad at the beginning, too,” Ermana interrupted. “You’ll learn.”
Rohi ignored this encouragement, because she knew she wouldn’t practice long enough to learn. “I heard Tonton and Mama
