14
In An Alien Land
When he opened the apartment door to his mother Esmat and his sister Soraya, Karim’s spirits lifted.
‘It’s so good to see you.’ He hugged his sister hard.
‘My mascara’s running,’ Soraya sniffed. ‘We were so worried about you, Karim. Nadir still follows the politics back home. We thought you’d all be stuck in Iran and they wouldn’t let you leave.’
‘Well, we all got out and we’re here—your husband had nothing to worry about, like I told him,’ Esmat interrupted, giving her son a peck on the cheek. She shrugged off her leather coat and handed it to Karim. He took their bags and coats to the guest rooms.
‘God knows what we’ve come to,’ his mother was saying when he returned to the living room.
‘Meaning?’
Esmat was sitting on the sofa opposite her daughter and patted
