Watching the meager April sunset through the open window on a Sunday, she recalled her conversation with her father. She had finally had the courage to tell him what was in her mind. He was outrageous.
"How can you say that? this is a disgrace. How do people think about it? It's impossible."
"Dad, I am a woman now. I need my privacy. I am not a little girl anymore."
"Impossible!"
She had spent that day pondering over that conversation. She had won all the battle with her father but this one seemed not winnable. Stacy noticed Anna's anxiety that day. She did not know what was bothering her friend. To her, Anna was becoming more and more uncommunicative. At dinner time, Stacy tried again.
"What is it, Anna? you act strange these days especially today. What is bothering you?'
Anna lowered her head and stopped eating. Stacy was her only friend, but she was also Steve's sister.
"You can tell me. we're friends. don't you trust me?"
Anna thought for a moment and suddenly a flood of tears rushed down her cheeks.
"I don't know what I am going to do with my life? I am graduating next month. I've decided not to continue higher education as I planned before. I don't know if I want to go back home or stay here!"
"Why do you want to go back? Why did you change your mind to go for your master? Besides I don't think you can live that life style anymore." She said it compassionately.
"That is my country, home. I want to serve my people but my father won't allow me to live on my own. I don't want to live with them."
"I don't blame you. I don't want to live with my parents either."Stacy's expression was contemplative.
"I don't know what to do. I guess as I fought my father for coming here, as I made him to believe in me, and as I've proven myself to him, ultimately I will win this battle, too." She sounded frustrated. "About not wanting to continue with my education, Aria's death has done something to me that I don't feel the same as I did two, three years ago."
"I'm sure you can win this battle, but I hate to see you go. You are so smart that is waste of your intelligence not to continue your college. I wish you change your mind."
"I love you, too Stacy. Maybe you come visit or I come visit." She tried to be humorous.
The food stayed untouched. Stacy felt depressingly sad. She knew her friend well enough. She knew if Anna decided on something, she would find a way to do it. She also felt sorry for her because she believed in Anna's intelligence and she knew that Anna could bloom in America. She wondered about the evening that Anna and her brother had gone on a date. "What happened that night?" Neither her brother nor Anna ever talked about it. She was positive that they both had offended the other, for she knew of her brother's unyielding ego and also Anna's unbending pride. Being a young woman herself, she knew that Anna's determination for returning to Iran was not the only reason she had given her. It perhaps had something to do with Steve, too. Anna had never told her of her feelings for her brother; nevertheless, it did not take a genius to realize that she liked Steve.
Stacy pondered all night for a solution to stop her friend from this hurried, vague, and destructive choice. She finally found the answer when the dawn overpowered the vast darkness. "I must talk to Steve, tell him what Anna's plan is. He is the one that need to do something." She wanted her brother to settle down. He would be soon thirty years old. He had never had a serious relationship with a woman. His career ruled him. She just wanted to see him have a life besides his job and getting his law degree. Who was better than Anna? She knew their age differences; but she did not think that was very important. After all her father was twelve years older than her mother and they had the best marital relationship that she knew of. She liked Anna, her qualities, her strength, and her femininity. She knew that Anna was from a very distinguished family. Her beauty was like reading a rich novel, her brown, shiny hair, her hazel eyes, her light skin, and everything else about her reminded her of reading a rich, nineteen century novel. She thought of calling Steve, but as she was hugging her coffee cup, as though she wanted the warmth of the cup to ease into her body, she decided to go to her brother's house. Without waking Anna, she dressed quickly and left the apartment. It was five in the morning.
Anna, being awake all night, wondered where Stacy went that early in the morning. She heard her leaving. Outside the rain dismally was beating against the surface of the street. She got up and looked through the window. The entire campus was nearly obscured. She saw Stacy's car meandering through the dense rain and becoming smaller and smaller.
That evening when both friends retired from a day of school and work, Anna debating internally to ask Stacy where she had gone that morning; however, her pride and the respect they both had for each other's privacy stopped her of such question. Stacy, sitting across from her, glanced at Anna's hazel eyes which showed wisdom and sadness. She was deep in her thoughts and reliving her conversation with Steve that morning.
"What are you doing here this time of the morning in this weather?" He had his pajamas pants on. He was shocked to see his sister there.
"I must talk to you." Stacy forced a a smile.
"What is it that you couldn't wait or call?"
"Anna is going back to Iran next month." She paused for a moment to see Steve's face and then continued. "Forever!"
"What is that have to do with me? Why are you telling me?" His voice was wistful and she recognized compassion in it.
"I thought you liked her. We need to stop this. She is my friend. I hate to see this. I think her decision has something to do with you."
Steve looked at his sister suspiciously. She was provoking him.
"What do you want me to do?" He sat on a chair.
"I want you to stop this. What happened on that date?'
"Nothing!"
"Why didn't you ask her for a date again? What happened? I want to know."
He got up and walked to the window, thinking. A long silence ensued. Then he turned to Stacy. Their gaze simultaneously shook them.
"I thought she didn't like me. I held her hand in the car, and she started shaking."
Stacy looked at him wondrously. "I am so sorry to tell you with all the women you have known, you don't know women at all. You must understand where she has come from. She had never dated before. That was her first. I am sure she was torn between her desire and dignity. You got it all wrong. I am telling you, I know, I am sure that she likes you."
"Has she told you that?"
"No, she doesn't have to. I know." She was frustrated.
Now Stacy was thinking if she had stirred up Steve's emotion enough that he would take a step. She had left him this morning without knowing what he would do. But she was certain that she had planted the seeds of many questions and many forgotten wanting in her brother. Now it was up to him. She could not possibly do anything else.
The next afternoon when Stacy was home between classes and work, Steve called.
"I want to come there tonight. Is it okay with you?"
Stacy screamed and rubbed her hands with glee.
That evening, two friends were sitting silently across from each other; Anna was planning her return to Iran despondently; and Stacy was thinking how to tell Anna that Steve would visit them tonight. Anna was entangled in her past and the unknown future. America, she had hoped to be solidity, a new source of exhilaration, now was suffocating her. Her eyes and soul were inflamed. Everything seemed obsolete.
Stacy was examining her friend's quietude. She thought of her courage. "She is as Strong as her challenges." While debating how to tell her of Steve's imminent visit, she walked to open window. The air outside had the smell of soil and hope. She stood there, her back to Anna; and finally broke her silence with a casual, yet profound announcement.
"Steve is coming here tonight."
Anna, shocked, was glued to her chair; nonetheless, suddenly something came to clarification, Stacy's disappearance yesterday morning. For a moment. the ample darkness poring from outside was not obscurity, but it was a friend.
"Steve is coming here tonight." Stacy repeated , wondering if Anna had ever heard her the first time.
"I heard you. What do you want me to do? Dance!" She sounded bitter.
"He wants to see you." Stacy said it casually.
"Why do I suspect that you had something to do with his sudden visit?" She was sarcastic.
"Listen. I had nothing to do with this." Stacy was never a good liar.
"I don't like to think of people who have negotiable conscious." Anna's bitterness poured everywhere.
Stacy looked confused, but before she could retort, there was a knock on the door. She flew to the door and opened it. Anna got up to go to the bedroom rather than facing Steve. He caught her by the bedroom door and stretched his hand with one stem of a red rose wrapped in plastic.
"This is for you."
Anna went to the room and closed the door behind her.
To Be Continued
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