I opened the page for the letter raa’ and searched for the word ra’s (head). There it was, written exactly as I had thought it should be. If only I’d had a tiny bit of self-confidence, I could have corrected that teacher and gone home, never to return. I could have taken a heroic stand in the horrible history of my schooldays, but I never possessed that confidence a single day. Even as I write to you, I remain hesitant and check the dictionary numerous times. I’ve never had full confidence except in the kitchen.
I dropped out of school and no one noticed my absence. My grandmother scolded me, but I didn’t care.
Fatima’s engagement to the pharmacist made my grandmother forget the matter altogether. My aunt didn’t seem as happy as she had been for her first engagement, but nor did she seem
