26
26 Aida
AidaAidaThe weather is getting warmer, and Aida has been watching. Every morning, as she sees Lejla off to the school bus, she does a quick and inconspicuous inventory check. What is she wearing, what is she carrying with her, and what is her mood. The purpose of monitoring what she is wearing is obvious. Aida told her about their family’s history so that she would know, know what they had suffered, endured, and what they had survived. She wants her eldest grandchild to feel the sense of self-respect, honor and purpose that Aida does, coursing through her veins. She wants Lejla to be aware, aware of the fact that everything she does, everything she says, is a reflection not just of her, but of her lineage.
By American standards this is a lot of pressure for someone so young,
