Iftar 2007

I look at her, my eyes wide with question.

She looks back, nodding slightly so that not many see, making as if she's pulling on an invisible cig.

My eyes get wider. Oh yes, she understands me. She leans over and whispers, "I have some in my purse and perfume, got gum?"

I'm unsure but I say, "I'll check, let's go."

We bolt up the stairs but before we get very far, another one is sitting their observing us silently. She's quick to understand. "You guys going somewhere?"

"For a walk," I try to say nonchalantly.

She gives me one of her, "yeah right" looks. Smart kid. She also makes the international sign of the cigarette. I nod, this time smiling slyly. "Oooh, I'm coming!" She doesn't smoke but she can't miss the chance of hanging with us. Another one from her pipes up...she's been suffering from a headache for a while now so it's astonishing how quickly she recovers... "I'm coming too!" Amazing how they know without having been told. A third one strolls in. I snatch her shirt up and drag her close, whispering into her ear. She smiles, nods, then looks glum. "Nooo, you guys go, I'll stay here." Clearly she is torn between the desire to stay and go.
I'm not so torn. I smile but know that she'll come.

We head out after almost a half hour. I lean over to my mother, wrap my arms around her and whisper, "I'm going to step out for a second, I need some air and everyone seems to be settling down."

She nods, gives my face a gentle pat and says that I should take my time. I don't know how I can since it's my party (and I'll smoke if I want to) but everyone present was family to me, whether actually related or friends. So I felt no qualms about ditching them for a short while.

We know not to stay close, someone was liable to see. We walk down the road, 5 in a row (she did come, the one who didn't want to but wanted to...I knew she would). We're all chattering. The first ones hips are swinging, she starts to do the Bionce bootie dance when I point out her shake. The others laugh and I shake my head and giggle. We continue until the barking starts up. The girls behind me are squealing, "Uh...I'm not going over there! That's a dog!" One says in with a yelp of her own. Yeah we realize this.

I shake my head, "There's a fence."

"What if it jumps over?"

"It comes to my ankle almost!" I scoff, the one in front turns around and says, "OMG, it's like THIS HIGH." and points to her knees. But two of them do not care, a dog is a dog is a dog. They squeal and emit loud piercing screams that are probably pissing the dogs off more. One grabs the last one (the one who came anyway) and she complains, "Why are you pulling me?"

The scared one says, "If I die, you're coming with me."

I turn away and chuckle. That dies on my lips as I eye the dog, I'm trying to be brave. I HATE dogs. I sidle past, seeing the small lap dog and thinking, okay, not so bad. That is until my eyes travel up and to my horror there is a huge pit-bull/lab/whatever/vicious man-eater on the stairs. I'm thinking now to myself, HE could jump that fence. Trying to hold back my own panic, I walk on whistling, sweating, organs quacking in fear of being eaten and soon I hear another round of terrified squeals and clicking of heals...tap tap tap tap!!!! as they zoom past me and around the corner. The one in front is yelling, "don't run!! and DON'T look." Yeah, as if they're gonna listen to that, I say to myself.

We stop, light up and smoke like zombies for two seconds, then another burst of talking until someone (most probably me) says that we should head back. Another one whines, "do we have to?" I say, "Um yeah, my party." I state the obvious. The one who was in front looks at me and says, "Um...can we walk across the street and then back so we can avoid those dogs?"

Mental eye roll...here I thought she was the brave one. Oh well...

As we're walking past, another round of barking and squealing ensues. The one in front glares over at the dogs, wayyyy across the street and yells, "We're across the street you bastards!!!"

We laugh, even though it is nervous.

I hear from behind me, "Are you holding my hand?? Why are you holding my hand?"

"Because, If I die, you're coming with me!"

Enough said.