Hope & Other Dangerous Pursuits Read Online Free Page A

her, and she wrinkled her nose when he spoke. His breath smelled of alcohol, he realized, and he stepped back.
    â€œNothing, Papa,” she said.
    â€œHow can you say ‘nothing’? She was here for a while.”
    â€œWe were just talking about problems at school, that sort of thing.” She turned around and, standing over her desk, stacked a few notebooks.
    Larbi stepped in. “What problems?”
    Noura gave him a surprised look, shrugged, then busied herself with inserting a few CDs in their cases. On the wall above her desk was a silk painting of a peony, its leaves open and languid, its center white and pink. Larbi stood, waiting. “She was just telling me how last year some students didn’t even sit for final exams, but they passed. I guess they bribed someone on the faculty.”
    â€œWhat would she know of such things?” asked Larbi, frowning.
    Noura heaved a sigh. “She has firsthand experience. She flunked last year.”
    â€œMaybe she didn’t work hard enough.”
    Noura looked up at him and said in a tone that made it clear that she wanted him to leave after this, “The kids who passed didn’t, either.”
    â€œShe can’t blame her failure on others.”
    Noura pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She took out a pair of lounging pants and a T-shirt from her marble-top dresser, flung them on the bed, and stood, arms akimbo, waiting. “I need to take a shower now.” Larbi scrutinized his daughter’s face, but it was as impassive as a plastic mask. He left the room.
    Salma was still napping when he entered their bedroom. He sat on the bed, facing her. Her eyelids fluttered. Without waiting for her to fully awaken, Larbi said, “Noura can’t see this girl anymore.”
    â€œWhat?” Salma said, opening her eyes. “What are you talking about?” She was already frowning, as though she was ready to analyze the situation and construct the right argument.
    â€œI don’t think it’s a good idea. I caught them talking politics just now.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œDon’t give me that look of yours, Salma. You know exactly what I mean. I don’t want her involved in anything. If someone heard them talking that way about the king at school, there could be trouble.”
    Salma sighed and got up. “I think Faten is good for her, frankly. Noura needs to know what’s going on around her.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œThe world doesn’t revolve around fashion and movies.”
    â€œShe can look around for herself! What does she need this girl for?”
    â€œLook, Noura’s going to be leaving at the end of the school year anyway, so I doubt they’re going to see each other after that.” Salma adjusted her dress and tightened her belt. “You’re making a mountain out of a seed,” she said. She was the sort of woman who liked to end discussions with a proverb.
    Larbi shook his head.
    â€œBy the way,” Salma said. “You won’t believe who called this morning. Si Tawfiq, remember him?”
    â€œOf course,” Larbi said, getting up. He had already made up his mind to help him with his niece’s situation. “I’ll give him a call back.”
    A S WEEKS WENT BY , Noura seemed to be increasingly absorbed by her books. One Saturday afternoon in October, Larbi asked her if she wanted to go to the theater. The performance was by a stand-up comic who’d been banned for a few years and only recently allowed to perform again. The show was sold out. He thought it would be good if she took a break from all that studying.
    â€œI have to write an essay,” she said. The soft sound of Qur’anic chanting wafted from her CD player.
    â€œYou’re missing out,” Larbi replied. This wasn’t the first time Noura had declined an outing. The week before, she had turned down an invitation to go to a tennis finals match, and two weeks